For a fourth consecutive season the Junction City Brigade have won the championship of the Mid Plains League. In 10 innings Junction City defeated the Topeka Warhawks, 12-7, Saturday night in the capitol city to claim the Cowdin Cup.

The win allowed the Brigade to win the Cowdin Cup championship series two games to none.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722139127255.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For a fourth consecutive season the Junction City Brigade have won the championship of the Mid Plains League. In 10 innings Junction City defeated the Topeka Warhawks, 12-7, Saturday night in the capitol city to claim the Cowdin Cup.The win allowed the Brigade to win the Cowdin Cup championship series two games to none.

Brigade capture the Cowdin Cup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Wisdom hit a grand slam as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, Seiya Suzuki also homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 on Saturday night.

Wisdom hit for Pete Crow-Armstrong and laced the homer 440-feet off Sam Long into the fountains in left for a 7-4 lead.

The runners were put on base by Seth Lugo (12-5), who went 6 1/3 innings. He allowed six earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two.

Julian Merryweather (1-0) pitched an inning for the victory. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three strikeouts.

Suzuki hit his 15th homer, scoring Michael Busch to make it 2-0 in the first. Hunter Renfroe his 10th homer for Kansas City in the second.

Crow-Armstrong tripled and scored in the third inning to make it 3-1.

Kansas rallied in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in Maikel Garcia, but was thrown out rounding second base. Later, Salvador Perez singled, Freddy Fermin doubled and Renfroe followed with a two-run single.

David Bote and Nico Hoerner drove in runs in the ninth for Chicago.

The Cubs acquired RHP Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for INF Josh Rivera and OF Yohendrick Pinango. RHP Jesus Tinoco was designated for assignment.

Chicago RHP Javier Assad (4-3, 3.15 ERA) was set to face LHP Cole Ragans (7-6, 3.23) on Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Wisdom hit a grand slam as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, Seiya Suzuki also homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 on Saturday night.Wisdom hit for Pete Crow-Armstrong and laced the homer 440-feet off Sam Long into the fountains in left for a 7-4 lead.The runners were put on base by Seth Lugo (12-5), who went 6 1/3 innings. He allowed six earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two.Julian Merryweather (1-0) pitched an inning for the victory. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three strikeouts.Suzuki hit his 15th homer, scoring Michael Busch to make it 2-0 in the first. Hunter Renfroe his 10th homer for Kansas City in the second.Crow-Armstrong tripled and scored in the third inning to make it 3-1.Kansas rallied in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in Maikel Garcia, but was thrown out rounding second base. Later, Salvador Perez singled, Freddy Fermin doubled and Renfroe followed with a two-run single.David Bote and Nico Hoerner drove in runs in the ninth for Chicago.ROSTER MOVESThe Cubs acquired RHP Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for INF Josh Rivera and OF Yohendrick Pinango. RHP Jesus Tinoco was designated for assignment.UP NEXTChicago RHP Javier Assad (4-3, 3.15 ERA) was set to face LHP Cole Ragans (7-6, 3.23) on Sunday.

⚾ Wisdom hits grand slam as the Cubs beat the Royals

The Junction City brigade defeated the Topeka Warhawks 8-6 in the opening game of&nbsp; the Cowdin Cup championship series Friday night at Rathert Field in Junction City.

Game two of the best two out of three series will be Saturday night in Topeka. If there is a game three it will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at Rathert Field. 

The Cowdin Cup goes to the champion of the Mid Plains League.

The Junction City brigade defeated the Topeka Warhawks 8-6 in the opening game of&nbsp; the Cowdin Cup championship series Friday night at Rathert Field in Junction City.Game two of the best two out of three series will be Saturday night in Topeka. If there is a game three it will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at Rathert Field. The Cowdin Cup goes to the champion of the Mid Plains League.

Brigade win game one of the Cowdin Cup championship series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 Friday night in front of the Royals' second-largest crowd of the season.

Friday night's attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day.

The Royals, in third place in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Minnesota, moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season's win total.

Brady Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits.

Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.

The fifth inning was key for both pitchers.

Singer hit Mike Tauchman with a pitch leading off the fifth before Dansby Swanson's soft liner sent Tauchman to third. Swanson went to second on the throw to third. But Singer got Miles Mastrobuoni to ground out to second. Miguel Amaya hit a flyout to center, and Kyle Isbel threw out Tauchman at the plate.

The Royals unloaded on Hendricks in their half of the inning. With two outs, Garrett Hampson had a bloop hit to right, and Kyle Isbel followed with a single through the hole at short. Isbel stole second before Adam Frazier drove in both runs with another blooper to right. Bobby Witt Jr. then singled and Vinnie Pasquantino's single drove in Frazier. Perez then launched a 429-foot line drive homer down the left-field line to break open the game.

Cubs: C Tomas Nido was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 25, with a right knee sprain. ... C Christian Bethancourt was selected from Triple-A Iowa... P Ben Brown was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Royals: OF MJ Melendez began a rehab assignment in Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday night. He went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a run. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said it's possible that Melendez could join the team this weekend. He's been on the injured list since July 16, retroactive to July 15, with a sprained left ankle.

The Cubs will send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.86 ERA) against Royals' RHP Seth Lugo (12-4, 2.38 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722048716022.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 Friday night in front of the Royals' second-largest crowd of the season.Friday night's attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day.The Royals, in third place in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Minnesota, moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season's win total.Brady Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits.Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.The fifth inning was key for both pitchers.Singer hit Mike Tauchman with a pitch leading off the fifth before Dansby Swanson's soft liner sent Tauchman to third. Swanson went to second on the throw to third. But Singer got Miles Mastrobuoni to ground out to second. Miguel Amaya hit a flyout to center, and Kyle Isbel threw out Tauchman at the plate.The Royals unloaded on Hendricks in their half of the inning. With two outs, Garrett Hampson had a bloop hit to right, and Kyle Isbel followed with a single through the hole at short. Isbel stole second before Adam Frazier drove in both runs with another blooper to right. Bobby Witt Jr. then singled and Vinnie Pasquantino's single drove in Frazier. Perez then launched a 429-foot line drive homer down the left-field line to break open the game.TRANSACTIONS:Cubs: C Tomas Nido was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 25, with a right knee sprain. ... C Christian Bethancourt was selected from Triple-A Iowa... P Ben Brown was transferred to the 60-day injured list.TRAINING ROOM:Royals: OF MJ Melendez began a rehab assignment in Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday night. He went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a run. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said it's possible that Melendez could join the team this weekend. He's been on the injured list since July 16, retroactive to July 15, with a sprained left ankle.UP NEXT:The Cubs will send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.86 ERA) against Royals' RHP Seth Lugo (12-4, 2.38 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series Saturday.

⚾ Salvador Perez's 3-run homer leads Royals to win over Cubs

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Six home games at Bramlage Coliseum, including a marquee matchup with LSU, highlight the non-conference schedule for third-year head coach Jerome Tang and his Kansas State men’s basketball program, as announced on Friday morning (July 26).

In addition to its six home games, K-State will host reigning Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champion Drake in the Wildcat Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, December 21.

Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are currently available.

K-State will open its 121st season of men’s basketball with the second of five straight home games, as the Wildcats face New Orleans on Tuesday, November 5. The contest with the Privateers is followed by matchups against Cleveland State on Saturday, November 9, LSU on Thursday, November 14, and Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, November 19.

The season-opening homestand will begin on Tuesday, October 29, with an exhibition against Fort Hays State.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Six home games at Bramlage Coliseum, including a marquee matchup with LSU, highlight the non-conference schedule for third-year head coach Jerome Tang and his Kansas State men’s basketball program, as announced on Friday morning (July 26).In addition to its six home games, K-State will host reigning Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champion Drake in the Wildcat Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, December 21.Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are currently available.K-State will open its 121st season of men’s basketball with the second of five straight home games, as the Wildcats face New Orleans on Tuesday, November 5. The contest with the Privateers is followed by matchups against Cleveland State on Saturday, November 9, LSU on Thursday, November 14, and Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, November 19.The season-opening homestand will begin on Tuesday, October 29, with an exhibition against Fort Hays State.

K-State men's nonconference basketball schedule is released

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gabriel Moreno gave Arizona the lead in the ninth inning with a two-run double, Ketel Marte added a three-run homer and the Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 8-6 on Wednesday night.

“We never shut down. It was a character win. I think the guys dug as deep as they could,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “It was a tough environment against a good team. We just got one guy on and kept the line moving.”

Eugenio Saurez homered for Arizona in the second and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746279/video/pederson-and-walker-hit-back-to-back-home-runs-in-4th">Joc Pederson and Christian Walker hit back-to-back shots in the fourth</a>&nbsp;to make it 3-1. Pederson has 200 career homers.

With Arizona down 4-3 in the ninth against closer James McArthur (4-4), Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled with one out, Geraldo Perdomo walked and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746279/video/gabriel-moreno-doubles-16-on-a-line-drive-to-center-fielder-kyle-isbel-lo">Moreno slashed the double</a>&nbsp;that rolled to the wall in the right-center gap

“I was really looking for a pitch that I wouldn’t hit into a double play. I was able to stay within myself and go to my side, which is right center,” Moreno said through a translator.

After Corbin Carroll followed Moreno with a single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746279/video/ketel-marte-homers-22-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-gabriel-moreno-scores">Marte blasted the three-run homer</a>&nbsp;to center.

“That was a super frustrating inning,” MacArthur said. “I felt like I was pretty close at times of getting out of it and just didn’t make the pitch I needed to.”

Marte homered in all three games in the series.

“He’s a beast, I don’t know what else to say,” Lovullo said about Marte, Arizona's line All-Star this season. “He doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen him do it over and over again. He wants to be in the middle of everything, that’s his personality, and it was a big knock for him.”

Joe Mantiply (4-2) pitched the eighth for the victory and Paul Sewald closed it out after allowing Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-run single in the ninth.

The Royals took the lead with a three-run fourth. Michael Massey doubled and scored on Maikel Garcia’s fielder’s choice. Kyle Isbel followed with a triple to tie it and scored on Ryne Nelson’s wild pitch.

“We left some guys on early, so to fight back and get the lead was big for us,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "But you’ve got to give those guys credit for executing and getting balls in play.”

Bobby Witt Jr. went 3 for 4 for Kansas City to raise his average to .344.

Diamondbacks: Arizona returns home to face Pittsburgh on Friday night. The Diamondbacks hadn’t announced a starter.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (6-6, 3.00 ERA) was set to start Friday night at home against the Chicago Cubs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721900198494.jpeg" alt="Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte celebrates hitting a three-run home during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)" />
 <figcaption>Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte celebrates hitting a three-run home during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gabriel Moreno gave Arizona the lead in the ninth inning with a two-run double, Ketel Marte added a three-run homer and the Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 8-6 on Wednesday night.“We never shut down. It was a character win. I think the guys dug as deep as they could,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “It was a tough environment against a good team. We just got one guy on and kept the line moving.”Eugenio Saurez homered for Arizona in the second and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746279/video/pederson-and-walker-hit-back-to-back-home-runs-in-4th">Joc Pederson and Christian Walker hit back-to-back shots in the fourth</a>&nbsp;to make it 3-1. Pederson has 200 career homers.With Arizona down 4-3 in the ninth against closer James McArthur (4-4), Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled with one out, Geraldo Perdomo walked and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746279/video/gabriel-moreno-doubles-16-on-a-line-drive-to-center-fielder-kyle-isbel-lo">Moreno slashed the double</a>&nbsp;that rolled to the wall in the right-center gap“I was really looking for a pitch that I wouldn’t hit into a double play. I was able to stay within myself and go to my side, which is right center,” Moreno said through a translator.After Corbin Carroll followed Moreno with a single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746279/video/ketel-marte-homers-22-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-gabriel-moreno-scores">Marte blasted the three-run homer</a>&nbsp;to center.“That was a super frustrating inning,” MacArthur said. “I felt like I was pretty close at times of getting out of it and just didn’t make the pitch I needed to.”Marte homered in all three games in the series.“He’s a beast, I don’t know what else to say,” Lovullo said about Marte, Arizona's line All-Star this season. “He doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen him do it over and over again. He wants to be in the middle of everything, that’s his personality, and it was a big knock for him.”Joe Mantiply (4-2) pitched the eighth for the victory and Paul Sewald closed it out after allowing Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-run single in the ninth.The Royals took the lead with a three-run fourth. Michael Massey doubled and scored on Maikel Garcia’s fielder’s choice. Kyle Isbel followed with a triple to tie it and scored on Ryne Nelson’s wild pitch.“We left some guys on early, so to fight back and get the lead was big for us,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "But you’ve got to give those guys credit for executing and getting balls in play.”Bobby Witt Jr. went 3 for 4 for Kansas City to raise his average to .344.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: Arizona returns home to face Pittsburgh on Friday night. The Diamondbacks hadn’t announced a starter.Royals: RHP Brady Singer (6-6, 3.00 ERA) was set to start Friday night at home against the Chicago Cubs.

⚾ 5-run 9th inning lifts Diamondbacks over the Royals 

PARIS (AP) — What was expected to be a simple coronation of Salt Lake City as the 2034 Winter Olympic host turned into complicated Olympic politics Wednesday, as the IOC pushed Utah officials to end an FBI investigation into a suspected doping coverup.

The International Olympic Committee is angry about an ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-doping-swimming-paris-olympics-world-aquatics-d55b6c2853e2d7a79cefa68afe51f9bf">U.S. federal investigation of suspected doping</a>&nbsp;by Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Games despite positive drug tests. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted Chinese explanations for the tests, and U.S. officials are now investigating that decision under an anti-conspiracy law passed after the Russian doping scandal at the Sochi Winter Games.

President Thomas Bach wants to make sure WADA is the sole authority on Olympic doping cases, especially with the Sumer Olympics headed to Los Angeles in 2028. The IOC added a clause to Salt Lake's host contract, demanding that local organizers - including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox - push to shut down the federal investigation or risk losing the Olympics.

Cox and others promised to lobby the U.S. president and Congress.

“We agree that if the United States does not support or violates the World Anti-Doping Federation’s rules, that they can withdraw the Games from from us and from the United States, “ Cox said after the announcement. "That was the only way that that we could we could guarantee that we would get the Games.”

Even in the world Olympic diplomacy, it was a stunning power move to force government officials to publicly agree to do the IOC's lobbying.

After getting the Utah contingent's agreement on the clause, the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to Salt Lake in an 83-6 vote.

The capital city of Utah was the only candidate after the IOC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-winter-salt-lake-2030-2034-ioc-e7da1e36b747395f2417b5e8c1d33088">gave Salt Lake City exclusive negotiating rights last year</a>&nbsp;in a fast-tracked process.

The campaign team presenting the bid on stage to IOC members included Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Alpine ski great Lindsey Vonn.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/park-city-utah-olympic-games-paris-winter-olympic-games-48e38677d8f54c8282b947209507e40e">Back home</a>, a 3 a.m. public watch party gathered to see the broadcast from Paris.

The clause inserted into the contract requires Utah officials to to work with current and future U.S. presidents and members of Congress “to alleviate your concerns” about the federal investigation into doping.

The IOC clause allows the Olympic body to terminate Salt Lake City’s deal if the authority of WADA was undermined on U.S. territory.

WADA's role is under scrutiny for accepting a Chinese investigation that declared all 23 swimmers were contaminated by traces of a banned heart medication in a hotel kitchen. Three Chinese gold medals in the Tokyo Olympic pool were won by swimmers implicated in the case. Some are also competing in Paris next week.

The case an be investigated in the U.S. under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/house-passes-bill-to-make-doping-conspiracies-a-crime-f0036fb6df2a436591a95f644d75a7f2">federal legislation</a>&nbsp;named for a whistleblower of Russian state doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

The IOC and WADA lobbied against passing the law, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doping-rodchenkov-okagbare-guilty-plea-0fb36146dd202aa869325466a59db676">the Rodchenkov Act</a>, which gives U.S. federal agencies wide jurisdiction of doping enforcement worldwide ahead of Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Games.

“We will work with our members of Congress," Gov. Cox told Bach and IOC voters ahead of the 2034 vote, "we will use all the levers of power open to us to resolve these concerns.”

Salt Lake City first hosted the Winter Games in 2002. That bid was hit with a bribery scandal, which led to anti-corruption reforms at the IOC.

Future U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney was brought in to clean up the Games, which went off well despite tightened security. The Games were the biggest international sports event hosted by the U.S. following the Sept. 11 attacks five months earlier.

“I am sorry for you, and for us, that this issue arose now,” Bach said, addressing the Salt Lake City delegation ahead of the vote.

It is an Olympic tradition for lawmakers and even heads of state to come to an IOC meeting and plead their case to be anointed as an host city.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did it in 2007, speaking in English to secure the 2014 Winter Games for Sochi. British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a key intervention in 2005 to help win the 2012 Olympics for London. U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Copenhagen in 2009 did not help in Chicago's losing cause for the 2016 Summer Games that went to Rio de Janeiro.

For its second turn, Salt Lake City will get almost 10 full years to prepare — the longest lead-in for a modern Winter Games — amid longer-term concerns about climate change affecting snow sports and reducing the pool of potential hosts.

Salt Lake City opted to target 2034 and so avoided potential commercial and logistical clashes with the 2028 Summer Games being hosted by Los Angeles.

It will be the fifth Winter Games in the U.S. Before Salt Lake City in 2002, there was Lake Placid in 1980 and 1932, and Squaw Valley — now known as Olympic Valley — in 1960.

In a separate decision earlier in Paris, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-2030-france-alps-nice-ioc-e14c106194e303b5a2ffa968740650b0">2030 Winter Games was awarded</a>&nbsp;— with conditions — to France for a regional project split between ski resorts in the Alps and the French Riviera city Nice.

That project needs official signoff from the national government being formed, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-prime-minister-resign-government-macron-c3a908360a18641ff5879ced259f7726">the Prime Minister yet to be confirmed</a>, after recent elections called by President Emmanuel Macron. He helped present the 2030 bid Wednesday to IOC members.

PARIS (AP) — What was expected to be a simple coronation of Salt Lake City as the 2034 Winter Olympic host turned into complicated Olympic politics Wednesday, as the IOC pushed Utah officials to end an FBI investigation into a suspected doping coverup.The International Olympic Committee is angry about an ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-doping-swimming-paris-olympics-world-aquatics-d55b6c2853e2d7a79cefa68afe51f9bf">U.S. federal investigation of suspected doping</a>&nbsp;by Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Games despite positive drug tests. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted Chinese explanations for the tests, and U.S. officials are now investigating that decision under an anti-conspiracy law passed after the Russian doping scandal at the Sochi Winter Games.President Thomas Bach wants to make sure WADA is the sole authority on Olympic doping cases, especially with the Sumer Olympics headed to Los Angeles in 2028. The IOC added a clause to Salt Lake's host contract, demanding that local organizers - including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox - push to shut down the federal investigation or risk losing the Olympics.Cox and others promised to lobby the U.S. president and Congress.“We agree that if the United States does not support or violates the World Anti-Doping Federation’s rules, that they can withdraw the Games from from us and from the United States, “ Cox said after the announcement. "That was the only way that that we could we could guarantee that we would get the Games.”Even in the world Olympic diplomacy, it was a stunning power move to force government officials to publicly agree to do the IOC's lobbying.After getting the Utah contingent's agreement on the clause, the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to Salt Lake in an 83-6 vote.The capital city of Utah was the only candidate after the IOC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-winter-salt-lake-2030-2034-ioc-e7da1e36b747395f2417b5e8c1d33088">gave Salt Lake City exclusive negotiating rights last year</a>&nbsp;in a fast-tracked process.The campaign team presenting the bid on stage to IOC members included Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Alpine ski great Lindsey Vonn.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/park-city-utah-olympic-games-paris-winter-olympic-games-48e38677d8f54c8282b947209507e40e">Back home</a>, a 3 a.m. public watch party gathered to see the broadcast from Paris.The clause inserted into the contract requires Utah officials to to work with current and future U.S. presidents and members of Congress “to alleviate your concerns” about the federal investigation into doping.The IOC clause allows the Olympic body to terminate Salt Lake City’s deal if the authority of WADA was undermined on U.S. territory.WADA's role is under scrutiny for accepting a Chinese investigation that declared all 23 swimmers were contaminated by traces of a banned heart medication in a hotel kitchen. Three Chinese gold medals in the Tokyo Olympic pool were won by swimmers implicated in the case. Some are also competing in Paris next week.The case an be investigated in the U.S. under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/house-passes-bill-to-make-doping-conspiracies-a-crime-f0036fb6df2a436591a95f644d75a7f2">federal legislation</a>&nbsp;named for a whistleblower of Russian state doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.The IOC and WADA lobbied against passing the law, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doping-rodchenkov-okagbare-guilty-plea-0fb36146dd202aa869325466a59db676">the Rodchenkov Act</a>, which gives U.S. federal agencies wide jurisdiction of doping enforcement worldwide ahead of Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Games.“We will work with our members of Congress," Gov. Cox told Bach and IOC voters ahead of the 2034 vote, "we will use all the levers of power open to us to resolve these concerns.”Salt Lake City first hosted the Winter Games in 2002. That bid was hit with a bribery scandal, which led to anti-corruption reforms at the IOC.Future U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney was brought in to clean up the Games, which went off well despite tightened security. The Games were the biggest international sports event hosted by the U.S. following the Sept. 11 attacks five months earlier.“I am sorry for you, and for us, that this issue arose now,” Bach said, addressing the Salt Lake City delegation ahead of the vote.It is an Olympic tradition for lawmakers and even heads of state to come to an IOC meeting and plead their case to be anointed as an host city.Russian President Vladimir Putin did it in 2007, speaking in English to secure the 2014 Winter Games for Sochi. British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a key intervention in 2005 to help win the 2012 Olympics for London. U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Copenhagen in 2009 did not help in Chicago's losing cause for the 2016 Summer Games that went to Rio de Janeiro.For its second turn, Salt Lake City will get almost 10 full years to prepare — the longest lead-in for a modern Winter Games — amid longer-term concerns about climate change affecting snow sports and reducing the pool of potential hosts.Salt Lake City opted to target 2034 and so avoided potential commercial and logistical clashes with the 2028 Summer Games being hosted by Los Angeles.It will be the fifth Winter Games in the U.S. Before Salt Lake City in 2002, there was Lake Placid in 1980 and 1932, and Squaw Valley — now known as Olympic Valley — in 1960.In a separate decision earlier in Paris, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-2030-france-alps-nice-ioc-e14c106194e303b5a2ffa968740650b0">2030 Winter Games was awarded</a>&nbsp;— with conditions — to France for a regional project split between ski resorts in the Alps and the French Riviera city Nice.That project needs official signoff from the national government being formed, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-prime-minister-resign-government-macron-c3a908360a18641ff5879ced259f7726">the Prime Minister yet to be confirmed</a>, after recent elections called by President Emmanuel Macron. He helped present the 2030 bid Wednesday to IOC members.

IOC awards 2034 Winter Games to Utah 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jordan Montgomery allowed one run over five innings to win in his return from a layoff of nearly one month caused by a knee injury, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 Tuesday night.

Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer and scored three runs.

Montgomery (7-5) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two, throwing 39 of 67 pitches for strikes. The 31-year-old left-hander, signed by the NL champions to a $25 million, one-year contract in March, had been sidelined since June 27 by right knee inflammation. He won for the first time since June 21 at Philadelphia.

“I felt comfortable out there and pain free, and that was nice to be pain free,” Montgomery said. “I think it just messed with my delivery a little bit, where I was yanking everything and I didn’t want to put any pressure on my legs, but I grinded it out and I’m glad to be here now.”

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Montgomery was nearing his pitch count when he finished a 1-2-3 fifth inning.

“His changeup was in play, and that’s a very key pitch for him,” Lovullo said. “The first go-round before he got banged up, it was a pitch he was leaving out over the plate. The pitch was very, very effective and he had a lot of confidence in it.”

Montgomery got four swings and misses on 19 changeups and six foul balls.

“It got me through the game,” Montgomery said. “I was a little wild with everything else. My four-seam and my changeup really got me through, got me some swing and miss when I needed it.”

Bryce Jarvis pitched two shutout innings, and Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel finished as Arizona stopped the Royals’ four-game winning streak. Kansas City had won eight of 10 coming in.

Bobby Witt Jr. went 1 for 4 with an RBI double in the first, ending his streak of four straight three-hit games.

Marte hit a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the fifth against Alec Marsh (7-7), who gave up five runs, five hits and two walks in five innings. Marte followed Geraldo Perdomo’s leadoff double with his 21st home run.

“I was trying to down and away with a changeup and he just jumped it,” Marsh said.

Christian Walker’s sacrifice fly and Gabriel Moreno’s two-out, two-run single built a 3-0 lead in the first.

Witt’s double was his 13th hit in 16 at-bats since the All-Star Game, his sixth for extra bases. Salvador Perez had an RBI single in the ninth.

Arizona optioned right-hander Humberto Castellanos to Triple-A Reno and activated Montgomery.

Kansas City agreed to a minor league contract with the sixth overall draft pick Jac Caglianone, a two-way player from the University of Florida.

Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson (7-6, 4.78) starts Wednesday night’s series finale against Kansas City RHP Michael Wacha (7-6, 3.55).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721813983299.jpeg" alt="Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery throws from the mound during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)" />
 <figcaption>Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery throws from the mound during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jordan Montgomery allowed one run over five innings to win in his return from a layoff of nearly one month caused by a knee injury, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 Tuesday night.Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer and scored three runs.Montgomery (7-5) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two, throwing 39 of 67 pitches for strikes. The 31-year-old left-hander, signed by the NL champions to a $25 million, one-year contract in March, had been sidelined since June 27 by right knee inflammation. He won for the first time since June 21 at Philadelphia.“I felt comfortable out there and pain free, and that was nice to be pain free,” Montgomery said. “I think it just messed with my delivery a little bit, where I was yanking everything and I didn’t want to put any pressure on my legs, but I grinded it out and I’m glad to be here now.”Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Montgomery was nearing his pitch count when he finished a 1-2-3 fifth inning.“His changeup was in play, and that’s a very key pitch for him,” Lovullo said. “The first go-round before he got banged up, it was a pitch he was leaving out over the plate. The pitch was very, very effective and he had a lot of confidence in it.”Montgomery got four swings and misses on 19 changeups and six foul balls.“It got me through the game,” Montgomery said. “I was a little wild with everything else. My four-seam and my changeup really got me through, got me some swing and miss when I needed it.”Bryce Jarvis pitched two shutout innings, and Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel finished as Arizona stopped the Royals’ four-game winning streak. Kansas City had won eight of 10 coming in.Bobby Witt Jr. went 1 for 4 with an RBI double in the first, ending his streak of four straight three-hit games.Marte hit a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the fifth against Alec Marsh (7-7), who gave up five runs, five hits and two walks in five innings. Marte followed Geraldo Perdomo’s leadoff double with his 21st home run.“I was trying to down and away with a changeup and he just jumped it,” Marsh said.Christian Walker’s sacrifice fly and Gabriel Moreno’s two-out, two-run single built a 3-0 lead in the first.Witt’s double was his 13th hit in 16 at-bats since the All-Star Game, his sixth for extra bases. Salvador Perez had an RBI single in the ninth.Arizona optioned right-hander Humberto Castellanos to Triple-A Reno and activated Montgomery.Kansas City agreed to a minor league contract with the sixth overall draft pick Jac Caglianone, a two-way player from the University of Florida.UP NEXTArizona RHP Ryne Nelson (7-6, 4.78) starts Wednesday night’s series finale against Kansas City RHP Michael Wacha (7-6, 3.55).___

⚾ Montgomery returns from injured list and pitches Diamondbacks over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. fell a single short of the cycle, Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe also homered, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 on Monday night for their fourth straight victory.

Witt tripled in the first inning, doubled in the third and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1815559805240537297">drilled a three-run homer</a>&nbsp;to deep left-center in the fourth to get the hard part out of the way.

“It's hard to describe,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “The power he displays, the poise at the plate, it’s like he’s playing a different game.”

The crowd arose chanting “Bobby! Bobby!” when Witt came to the plate in the sixth in anticipation of a single and the first cycle by a Kansas City player in 34 years, but Arizona reliever Humberto Castellanos hit Witt with his first pitch, drawing loud boos.

“It's really unfortunate that he got hit,” Quatraro said. “I don't know what to think about the intent behind it.”

Witt got another chance in the eighth but was retired on a fly ball to right field. The last Royals player to hit for the cycle was Hall of Famer George Brett at Toronto on July 25, 1990.

“I definitely wanted to do it for the fans. These fans are awesome out here,” Witt said. “I choked at the end, but whatever.”

Witt, who was named American League Player of the Week earlier Monday, is 12 for 15 since playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as the Home Run Derby runner-up, raising his average to .341. It was Witt’s fourth straight three-hit game, matching Johnny Damon in 2000 for the second-best such streak in franchise history, behind only Brett’s six games in 1976.

One inning after Witt was plunked, Royals reliever John Schreiber hit Gabriel Moreno with a pitch. Both benches were warned, and Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Jordan Baker and had to be held back. Royals catcher Perez appeared to exchange words with Lovullo during the scrum near the plate.

“I never said a word to Salvador Perez,” Lovullo said. “I just wanted him to hear what I was going to say to Jordan. I told him, ‘If you think in my right mind I was going to ask my team to hit the future of Major League Baseball, one of the best players in the game, you’re crazy. You lost control of this situation, and you got it wrong.’ I wanted Salvy to hear that and take it back to their dugout.”

The Royals (56-45), who are in position for a wild-card playoff berth, matched their win total from last season.

Cole Ragans (7-6) survived a shaky third inning to record his second straight win and his eighth quality start in nine. He allowed six hits, two walks and three runs in six innings.

The Diamondbacks took a 3-1 lead in the third when Kevin Newman and Alek Thomas hit back-to-back doubles and Ketel Marte followed with his 20th homer, a two-run shot to left.

The Royals responded in the bottom half with Witt’s double, Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI single and Perez’s two-run homer to center for a 4-3 lead.

Witt's three-run shot off reliever Miguel Castro in the fourth made it 8-3.

“Castro is no easy right-hander to face,” Quatraro said. “He comes in there and that first pitch, you don't expect him to hit a homer, but I guess you maybe start trying to expect it. It's incredible, what he's doing right now. Absolutely incredible.”

Renfroe homered in the sixth, Kyle Isbel had three hits and two RBIs, and Pasquantino had three hits for the Royals.

After giving up only one run in six innings in each of his first two major league starts, Arizona's Yilber Diaz allowed seven runs and nine hits in three-plus innings.

“He couldn’t locate his secondary stuff and became predictable with his fastball,” Lovullo said.

Diamondbacks: Lovullo said LHP Jordan Montgomery (knee) would come off the injured list and start Tuesday. RHP Merrill Kelly (shoulder) and LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) will each throw a bullpen session Tuesday and are on track for simulated games, Thursday for Kelly and Friday for Rodriguez.

Royals: OF MJ Melendez (ankle) is close to returning, Quatraro said. Melendez is eligible to come off the IL Friday.

Alec Marsh (7-6, 3.55) will start for the Royals against Montgomery (6-5, 6.44).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721728779675.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. fell a single short of the cycle, Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe also homered, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 on Monday night for their fourth straight victory.Witt tripled in the first inning, doubled in the third and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1815559805240537297">drilled a three-run homer</a>&nbsp;to deep left-center in the fourth to get the hard part out of the way.“It's hard to describe,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “The power he displays, the poise at the plate, it’s like he’s playing a different game.”The crowd arose chanting “Bobby! Bobby!” when Witt came to the plate in the sixth in anticipation of a single and the first cycle by a Kansas City player in 34 years, but Arizona reliever Humberto Castellanos hit Witt with his first pitch, drawing loud boos.“It's really unfortunate that he got hit,” Quatraro said. “I don't know what to think about the intent behind it.”Witt got another chance in the eighth but was retired on a fly ball to right field. The last Royals player to hit for the cycle was Hall of Famer George Brett at Toronto on July 25, 1990.“I definitely wanted to do it for the fans. These fans are awesome out here,” Witt said. “I choked at the end, but whatever.”Witt, who was named American League Player of the Week earlier Monday, is 12 for 15 since playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as the Home Run Derby runner-up, raising his average to .341. It was Witt’s fourth straight three-hit game, matching Johnny Damon in 2000 for the second-best such streak in franchise history, behind only Brett’s six games in 1976.One inning after Witt was plunked, Royals reliever John Schreiber hit Gabriel Moreno with a pitch. Both benches were warned, and Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Jordan Baker and had to be held back. Royals catcher Perez appeared to exchange words with Lovullo during the scrum near the plate.“I never said a word to Salvador Perez,” Lovullo said. “I just wanted him to hear what I was going to say to Jordan. I told him, ‘If you think in my right mind I was going to ask my team to hit the future of Major League Baseball, one of the best players in the game, you’re crazy. You lost control of this situation, and you got it wrong.’ I wanted Salvy to hear that and take it back to their dugout.”The Royals (56-45), who are in position for a wild-card playoff berth, matched their win total from last season.Cole Ragans (7-6) survived a shaky third inning to record his second straight win and his eighth quality start in nine. He allowed six hits, two walks and three runs in six innings.The Diamondbacks took a 3-1 lead in the third when Kevin Newman and Alek Thomas hit back-to-back doubles and Ketel Marte followed with his 20th homer, a two-run shot to left.The Royals responded in the bottom half with Witt’s double, Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI single and Perez’s two-run homer to center for a 4-3 lead.Witt's three-run shot off reliever Miguel Castro in the fourth made it 8-3.“Castro is no easy right-hander to face,” Quatraro said. “He comes in there and that first pitch, you don't expect him to hit a homer, but I guess you maybe start trying to expect it. It's incredible, what he's doing right now. Absolutely incredible.”Renfroe homered in the sixth, Kyle Isbel had three hits and two RBIs, and Pasquantino had three hits for the Royals.After giving up only one run in six innings in each of his first two major league starts, Arizona's Yilber Diaz allowed seven runs and nine hits in three-plus innings.“He couldn’t locate his secondary stuff and became predictable with his fastball,” Lovullo said.TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: Lovullo said LHP Jordan Montgomery (knee) would come off the injured list and start Tuesday. RHP Merrill Kelly (shoulder) and LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) will each throw a bullpen session Tuesday and are on track for simulated games, Thursday for Kelly and Friday for Rodriguez.Royals: OF MJ Melendez (ankle) is close to returning, Quatraro said. Melendez is eligible to come off the IL Friday.UP NEXTAlec Marsh (7-6, 3.55) will start for the Royals against Montgomery (6-5, 6.44).

⚾ Bobby Witt Jr. homers, triples and doubles in the Royals win over the D-backs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seth Lugo retired 14 straight batters in his first career complete game as the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Chicago White Sox for a 4-1 win and series sweep on Sunday.

Lugo (12-4) surrendered one run while striking out six on 103 pitches. He allowed an infield hit to Tommy Pham leading off the game before retiring the next 14 batters.

Nicky Lopez was hit with a pitch leading off the sixth and scored on Pham’s two-out single, breaking the scoreless tie. It was the White Sox first run against Royals' starters during the series after 19 scoreless innings.

In the eighth, Hunter Renfroe’s single scored Bobby Witt Jr. to break a 1-1 tie as the Royals collected five hits, scoring three runs against reliever John Brebbia (0-5).

Witt had three hits in all three games of the series as the Royals completed their sixth series sweep.

Kansas City tied the game with one out in the seventh. Maikel Garcia reached on an infield hit against reliever Justin Anderson, went to third on Dairon Blanco’s hit and scored on Kyle Isbel’s squeeze bunt.

Chicago’s bullpen leads the majors with 24 blown saves and 33 losses.

Drew Thorpe allowed three singles over six shutout innings, walking two and hitting a batter but stranded five baserunners while striking out five in his fifth consecutive start of at least six innings while allowing fewer than three runs.

Pham had two hits for the White Sox, who lost their seventh straight and suffered their 14th series sweep.

White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde (7-3, 2.99 ERA) opposes Rangers right-hander Michael Lorenzen (5-5, 3.52) on Monday in Texas.

Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (6-6, 3.16 ERA) opposes Diamondbacks right-hander Yilber Díaz (1-0, 1.50) on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721597988834.png" alt="photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seth Lugo retired 14 straight batters in his first career complete game as the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Chicago White Sox for a 4-1 win and series sweep on Sunday.Lugo (12-4) surrendered one run while striking out six on 103 pitches. He allowed an infield hit to Tommy Pham leading off the game before retiring the next 14 batters.Nicky Lopez was hit with a pitch leading off the sixth and scored on Pham’s two-out single, breaking the scoreless tie. It was the White Sox first run against Royals' starters during the series after 19 scoreless innings.In the eighth, Hunter Renfroe’s single scored Bobby Witt Jr. to break a 1-1 tie as the Royals collected five hits, scoring three runs against reliever John Brebbia (0-5).Witt had three hits in all three games of the series as the Royals completed their sixth series sweep.Kansas City tied the game with one out in the seventh. Maikel Garcia reached on an infield hit against reliever Justin Anderson, went to third on Dairon Blanco’s hit and scored on Kyle Isbel’s squeeze bunt.Chicago’s bullpen leads the majors with 24 blown saves and 33 losses.Drew Thorpe allowed three singles over six shutout innings, walking two and hitting a batter but stranded five baserunners while striking out five in his fifth consecutive start of at least six innings while allowing fewer than three runs.Pham had two hits for the White Sox, who lost their seventh straight and suffered their 14th series sweep.UP NEXTWhite Sox right-hander Erick Fedde (7-3, 2.99 ERA) opposes Rangers right-hander Michael Lorenzen (5-5, 3.52) on Monday in Texas.Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (6-6, 3.16 ERA) opposes Diamondbacks right-hander Yilber Díaz (1-0, 1.50) on Monday.

⚾Lugo retires 14 straight in 1st career complete game, Royals sweep White Sox

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer threw seven shutout innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Singer faced the minimum through three before running into fourth-inning trouble, walking two to load the bases. He escaped with a strikeout and retired 10 of the final 13 hitters.

Singer (6-6) allowed five singles with two walks and seven strikeouts to earn his second win in his last 10 starts.

The Royals built a 3-0 lead in the first inning with five straight hits, highlighted by Michael Massey’s RBI triple. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second, adding another run.

Jonathan Cannon (1-4) held Kansas City to one single thereafter, finishing six innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.

Witt had three hits and has hit safely in 29 of his last 30 home games, batting .444. He has multiple hits in nine of his last 14 games.

Salvador Perez had two hits and an RBI, and Hunter Renfroe drove in two runs in the Royals' sixth victory in their last eight games.

Hunter Harvey allowed two doubles and an eighth-inning run in his Royals debut.

Kansas City’s 33 wins at Kauffman Stadium are the second-most home wins in baseball behind Philadelphia’s 37 and match the Royals' home win total from 2023.

Chuckie Robinson made his White Sox debut at catcher, throwing out Witt attempting to steal third.

The White Sox have lost six straight and nine of their last 10 games, and have lost 10 consecutive road series since their last win, May 3-5 at St. Louis.

White Sox: Placed RHP Jordan Leasure on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to July 17) with a right shoulder impingement.

White Sox: Recalled LHP Sammy Peralta from Triple-A Charlotte.

White Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe (3-1, 3.58 ERA) opposes Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (11-4, 2.48) in Sunday’s finale.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721526474438.png" alt="photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer threw seven shutout innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.Singer faced the minimum through three before running into fourth-inning trouble, walking two to load the bases. He escaped with a strikeout and retired 10 of the final 13 hitters.Singer (6-6) allowed five singles with two walks and seven strikeouts to earn his second win in his last 10 starts.The Royals built a 3-0 lead in the first inning with five straight hits, highlighted by Michael Massey’s RBI triple. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second, adding another run.Jonathan Cannon (1-4) held Kansas City to one single thereafter, finishing six innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.Witt had three hits and has hit safely in 29 of his last 30 home games, batting .444. He has multiple hits in nine of his last 14 games.Salvador Perez had two hits and an RBI, and Hunter Renfroe drove in two runs in the Royals' sixth victory in their last eight games.Hunter Harvey allowed two doubles and an eighth-inning run in his Royals debut.Kansas City’s 33 wins at Kauffman Stadium are the second-most home wins in baseball behind Philadelphia’s 37 and match the Royals' home win total from 2023.Chuckie Robinson made his White Sox debut at catcher, throwing out Witt attempting to steal third.The White Sox have lost six straight and nine of their last 10 games, and have lost 10 consecutive road series since their last win, May 3-5 at St. Louis.TRAINER’S ROOMWhite Sox: Placed RHP Jordan Leasure on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to July 17) with a right shoulder impingement.TRANSACTIONSWhite Sox: Recalled LHP Sammy Peralta from Triple-A Charlotte.UP NEXTWhite Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe (3-1, 3.58 ERA) opposes Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (11-4, 2.48) in Sunday’s finale.

⚾Singer throws seven shutout innings to lead Royals past White Sox

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings, Bobby Witt Jr. homered and drove in two runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Friday night.

Witt drove Chris Flexen’s inside fastball above the left field bullpen for his 17th homer in the first inning. Witt added an RBI in the third on the second of his three hits for a 2-0 lead.

Since June 24, Witt has hit safely in 17 of 19 games, batting .403 with 12 extra-base hits.

Wacha (7-6) allowed four hits and a walk, striking out seven. He is 6-2 in his last 10 starts, surrendering no more than three earned runs in each.

Michael Massey’s two-out, two-run single highlighted the Royals’ five-run fifth. Kansas City has won five of its last seven.

Flexen (2-9) threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on four hits and five walks. In 13 starts since his last win on May 8, he is 0-6.

Chicago's Korey Lee hit his ninth homer in the eighth inning.

Brooks Baldwin singled in his first at-bat in his major league debut, as the White Sox lost their fifth straight.

White Sox: Placed RHP Michael Soroka on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to July 16) with a right shoulder strain.

Royals: Placed OF MJ Melendez on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to July 15) with a left ankle sprain.

White Sox: signed free agent IF Nick Senzel, selected the contract of IF Brooks Baldwin, and recalled C Chuckie Robinson and RHP Steven Wilson, from Triple-A Charlotte, optioned IF Lenyn Sosa to Charlotte, and designated C Martin Maldonado and IF Danny Mendick for assignment, outrighting Mendick to Charlotte.

Royals: Recalled OF Drew Waters from Triple-A Omaha and designated RHP Nick Anderson for assignment.

White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon (1-3, 4.41 ERA) opposes Royals right-hander Brady Singer (5-6, 3.20).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721443850772.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings, Bobby Witt Jr. homered and drove in two runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Friday night.Witt drove Chris Flexen’s inside fastball above the left field bullpen for his 17th homer in the first inning. Witt added an RBI in the third on the second of his three hits for a 2-0 lead.Since June 24, Witt has hit safely in 17 of 19 games, batting .403 with 12 extra-base hits.Wacha (7-6) allowed four hits and a walk, striking out seven. He is 6-2 in his last 10 starts, surrendering no more than three earned runs in each.Michael Massey’s two-out, two-run single highlighted the Royals’ five-run fifth. Kansas City has won five of its last seven.Flexen (2-9) threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on four hits and five walks. In 13 starts since his last win on May 8, he is 0-6.Chicago's Korey Lee hit his ninth homer in the eighth inning.Brooks Baldwin singled in his first at-bat in his major league debut, as the White Sox lost their fifth straight.TRAINER’S ROOMWhite Sox: Placed RHP Michael Soroka on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to July 16) with a right shoulder strain.Royals: Placed OF MJ Melendez on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to July 15) with a left ankle sprain.TRANSACTIONSWhite Sox: signed free agent IF Nick Senzel, selected the contract of IF Brooks Baldwin, and recalled C Chuckie Robinson and RHP Steven Wilson, from Triple-A Charlotte, optioned IF Lenyn Sosa to Charlotte, and designated C Martin Maldonado and IF Danny Mendick for assignment, outrighting Mendick to Charlotte.Royals: Recalled OF Drew Waters from Triple-A Omaha and designated RHP Nick Anderson for assignment.UP NEXTWhite Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon (1-3, 4.41 ERA) opposes Royals right-hander Brady Singer (5-6, 3.20).

⚾ Witt's 17th home run lifts the Royals over the White Sox

STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.

Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-anthony-santand">hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer</a>&nbsp;for the American League and being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-is-named-the-2024-all-star-game-mvp">awarded the MVP trophy</a>&nbsp;named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

“That's an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”

The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-skenes-allstars-6b6611f683a612ef2c263c6bfd5d6396">Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes</a>&nbsp;pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.

Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.

“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.

Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.

Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.

“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”

Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-allstars-d70046c8cf15a5d1b31aed95c1f73346">pulled a 400-foot drive to right</a>&nbsp;off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.

“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”

When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.

Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.

Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.

“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”

The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.

Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.

The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League's 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-corbin-burnes-499fe81cf19ebe1fbf03f0a88bf93446">AL starter Corbin Burnes</a>&nbsp;arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.

After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.

Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.

Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL's San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.

The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721208842253.jpeg" alt="American League's Jarren Duran, of the Boston Red Sox, hits a home run during the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Anthony Santander, of the Baltimore Orioles, also scored. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" />
 <figcaption>American League's Jarren Duran, of the Boston Red Sox, hits a home run during the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Anthony Santander, of the Baltimore Orioles, also scored. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)</figcaption>
 </figure>STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball WriterARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-anthony-santand">hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer</a>&nbsp;for the American League and being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-is-named-the-2024-all-star-game-mvp">awarded the MVP trophy</a>&nbsp;named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.“That's an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-skenes-allstars-6b6611f683a612ef2c263c6bfd5d6396">Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes</a>&nbsp;pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-allstars-d70046c8cf15a5d1b31aed95c1f73346">pulled a 400-foot drive to right</a>&nbsp;off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League's 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-corbin-burnes-499fe81cf19ebe1fbf03f0a88bf93446">AL starter Corbin Burnes</a>&nbsp;arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.<h2>Quick game</h2>Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.<h2>Won in both leagues</h2>Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL's San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.<h2>Up next</h2>The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

⚾ Duran's homer leads AL to All-Star win

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721167941490.jpeg" alt="Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at the opening of Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph (Alexis Starks photo)" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at the opening of Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph (Alexis Starks photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostChiefs Training Camp is now open with quarterbacks and rookies
reporting to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs need to stay
hungry even though they are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.“We’re back in St. Joe, it’s time to get better,” Mahomes tells
reporters as training camp officials gets underway. “Every season starts
different. You’ve got to come in with the same mentality you had the year
before, even a higher intensity. Even though we won the Super Bowl last year,
we feel like we didn’t play our best football, especially offensively. It’s our
goal to be better that way and we have to come with that mentality every single
day.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721168026141.jpeg" alt="Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions at the start of training camp. (Alexis Starks photo)" />
 <figcaption>Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions at the start of training camp. (Alexis Starks photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid says training camp prepares the
team for a grueling season by sharpening their mental and physical abilities.“If you’re fatigued then you’re going to be fatigued mentally.
If you’re fatigued physically that’s going to affect you mentally. And if you’re
fatigued period, then you can’t think and you can’t play, at least not to the best
of your ability,” Reid says during the news conference. “So, the objective here
is let’s get ourselves in shape, make sure we’re in football shape. They’re all
going to come back in shape, but let’s get ourselves in football shape.”Mahomes says it’s important for the team to sequester itself
on the Missouri Western campus and focus on football.“Being in the building and being at lunch together, being at
dinner together, always kind of being around the guys, you build this kind of
culture and this family-type brotherhood,” according to Mahomes. “I’m excited
to continue to do that with a lot of new faces and then with guys that have
been here before, because we know this is what it takes in order for us to go
out there and be great.”Not all the team is in St. Joseph. This week, only the quarterbacks
and rookies attend practice. Practices this week are closed to the public. The
full team reports Sunday.Reid values this time to bring the team together and prepare
for a tough football season.“Listen, we look forward to being back here. We love the set
up here. The people here treat us great at Missouri Western State University; beautiful
facilities,” Reid tells reports standing outside Scanlon Hall, which will be
their home for the next few weeks. “It’s great to be able to get away from the
city and be able to house guys in the same dorm. I’m saying this as a coach and
they probably aren’t going to say this, but it builds a certain camaraderie.”Chiefs Training Camp begins for the full team Sunday morning
with a 9:15am start at MWSU. There is a $5 admission fee for the practice on
Sunday, the first open to the public.

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