By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes plans to be ready for training camp with no limitations from the high ankle sprain that occurred during the playoffs and was such the focal point of their run to a Super Bowl victory in February.

The Chiefs began their offseason program Monday, though most of their players will spend the first two weeks of voluntary workouts at home and meeting through Zoom.

That includes Mahomes, who has gathered a group of wide receivers, running backs and tight ends at his home in Texas for the second straight year for their own workouts.

Mahomes was hurt in the divisional round of the playoffs when a Jacksonville pass rusher landed on his ankle late in the first quarter. He had X-rays taken at the stadium and returned to lead Kansas City to the 27-20 victory, then managed to play with the injury in an AFC title game win over the Bengals before beating the Eagles for his second Lombardi Trophy.

"Right now it's been more about managing it and getting the mobility back as best I can," Mahomes said. "I wouldn't say I'm 100% but I haven't had any limitations. ... You want to make sure you're still building. You might be a little sore on the weekend, but I feel like we've done a good job of pushing it to the limit."

Mahomes said he hasn't tested the ankle with full-speed running and cutting, but that could happen in the next couple of weeks, or about the time he joins the rest of the Chiefs for voluntary workouts at the team facility in Kansas City.

He also said the ankle injury isn't as bad as the foot injury that required surgery in February 2021 and caused him to miss much of the offseason program.

In that case, Mahomes was still careful with the injury when he arrived at training camp.

"The foot was way more serious than the ankle has been," said Mahomes, who broke the Chiefs franchise record with 5,250 yards passing along with an NFL-leading 41 touchdown passes last season. "The foot, having the surgery and having that cast on, really cut down my mobility a lot. I had to work on that into the next season.

"The ankle, I feel like we've improved the last few weeks a ton," Mahomes continued. "The swelling went down finally. I didn't have that soreness after a few days of work. With the improvements we've made, I have a great feeling by the time we get to training camp we won't have any limitations."

Mahomes said he took about two weeks off after the Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl victory with a parade to Union Station, where the NFL will hold its draft next week. Then he got back to work with his longtime trainer, Bobby Stroupe.

"I mean, the one thing about winning the Super Bowl is your offseason gets a lot shorter," he said. "I turned forward pretty quickly. I was ready to get back to next season. You go on your little trips here and there for relaxing, but I try to get in two or three days of workouts with Bobby so I'm back in that OTA mode and ready to go."

Chiefs coach Andy Reid took even less time off after the victory parade. He had to make some changes to his coaching staff after losing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the Commanders and assistant Greg Lewis to the Ravens.

By the time that was done, Reid was looking ahead to the scouting combine and the upcoming draft.

That quick turnaround from a long playoff run to the beginning of offseason workouts is why Reid has allowed players to attend meetings remotely the past couple of seasons. He wants them to have enough time to fully recharge.

"I just want them to freshen up," Reid said. "That season doesn't seem like it's very long, but you're playing in the Super Bowl and having the parade and all of sudden you're back, so this gives the guys an opportunity to get away."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660244926033.png" alt="Patrick Mahomes. Photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes. Photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes plans to be ready for training camp with no limitations from the high ankle sprain that occurred during the playoffs and was such the focal point of their run to a Super Bowl victory in February.The Chiefs began their offseason program Monday, though most of their players will spend the first two weeks of voluntary workouts at home and meeting through Zoom.That includes Mahomes, who has gathered a group of wide receivers, running backs and tight ends at his home in Texas for the second straight year for their own workouts.Mahomes was hurt in the divisional round of the playoffs when a Jacksonville pass rusher landed on his ankle late in the first quarter. He had X-rays taken at the stadium and returned to lead Kansas City to the 27-20 victory, then managed to play with the injury in an AFC title game win over the Bengals before beating the Eagles for his second Lombardi Trophy."Right now it's been more about managing it and getting the mobility back as best I can," Mahomes said. "I wouldn't say I'm 100% but I haven't had any limitations. ... You want to make sure you're still building. You might be a little sore on the weekend, but I feel like we've done a good job of pushing it to the limit."Mahomes said he hasn't tested the ankle with full-speed running and cutting, but that could happen in the next couple of weeks, or about the time he joins the rest of the Chiefs for voluntary workouts at the team facility in Kansas City.He also said the ankle injury isn't as bad as the foot injury that required surgery in February 2021 and caused him to miss much of the offseason program.In that case, Mahomes was still careful with the injury when he arrived at training camp."The foot was way more serious than the ankle has been," said Mahomes, who broke the Chiefs franchise record with 5,250 yards passing along with an NFL-leading 41 touchdown passes last season. "The foot, having the surgery and having that cast on, really cut down my mobility a lot. I had to work on that into the next season."The ankle, I feel like we've improved the last few weeks a ton," Mahomes continued. "The swelling went down finally. I didn't have that soreness after a few days of work. With the improvements we've made, I have a great feeling by the time we get to training camp we won't have any limitations."Mahomes said he took about two weeks off after the Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl victory with a parade to Union Station, where the NFL will hold its draft next week. Then he got back to work with his longtime trainer, Bobby Stroupe."I mean, the one thing about winning the Super Bowl is your offseason gets a lot shorter," he said. "I turned forward pretty quickly. I was ready to get back to next season. You go on your little trips here and there for relaxing, but I try to get in two or three days of workouts with Bobby so I'm back in that OTA mode and ready to go."Chiefs coach Andy Reid took even less time off after the victory parade. He had to make some changes to his coaching staff after losing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the Commanders and assistant Greg Lewis to the Ravens.By the time that was done, Reid was looking ahead to the scouting combine and the upcoming draft.That quick turnaround from a long playoff run to the beginning of offseason workouts is why Reid has allowed players to attend meetings remotely the past couple of seasons. He wants them to have enough time to fully recharge."I just want them to freshen up," Reid said. "That season doesn't seem like it's very long, but you're playing in the Super Bowl and having the parade and all of sudden you're back, so this gives the guys an opportunity to get away."

Chiefs' Mahomes: Ankle recovering as offseason work begins

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor

Despite playing short-staffed, the Salina Liberty battled valiantly on Saturday but ultimately saw their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of the Omaha Beef, who remain in first as the last undefeated team in the CIF.

With a final score of 36-31 Omaha moves to 5-0 while Salina slides to fourth at 4-2.

This game saw plenty of fireworks early before both defenses dug in for a grind-it-out finish at Tony’s Pizza Events Center.

The Beef got on the board first when Gourney Sloan hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Armstrong to give some momentum to last year’s runners-up.

The Liberty responded almost immediately on the ensuing kickoff when Tracy Brooks took the ball the length of the field to get Salina back in the mix.

From there, Omaha would score three of the final four touchdowns in a shootout of an opening quarter that saw the Beef up 27-13 at the break.

Fans in Salina braced themselves for a shootout but after scoring 40 combined points out of the gates, the two CIF rivals would combine for just 27 the rest of the way.

The middle quarters in particular saw some of the best defense of the evening, with the lone touchdown belonging to D-Wash on a 24-yard pitch and catch from Nick Eilers.

Two beef field goals in that span would be all they could muster, and the Liberty would continue to hold Omaha out of the end zone until the final whistle, but despite two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Salina still came up just short in a 36-31 final.

It seemed as though the Liberty had patched their issues on special teams, but two missed extra points and two empty two-point conversion attempts contributed to a six-point swing in a five-point loss.

Despite the loss, it was another strong performance for JaVonte Johnson, who tossed three touchdowns without an interception on the evening.

The Liberty will be back in action next Saturday for their third-straight home game when they play host to the 2-3 Southwest Kansas Storm at 6:35.

For continuing coverage of Liberty football all season long, stay tuned to the Salina, Little Apple, and JC Posts.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618021366432.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>Despite playing short-staffed, the Salina Liberty battled valiantly on Saturday but ultimately saw their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of the Omaha Beef, who remain in first as the last undefeated team in the CIF.With a final score of 36-31 Omaha moves to 5-0 while Salina slides to fourth at 4-2.This game saw plenty of fireworks early before both defenses dug in for a grind-it-out finish at Tony’s Pizza Events Center.The Beef got on the board first when Gourney Sloan hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Armstrong to give some momentum to last year’s runners-up.The Liberty responded almost immediately on the ensuing kickoff when Tracy Brooks took the ball the length of the field to get Salina back in the mix.From there, Omaha would score three of the final four touchdowns in a shootout of an opening quarter that saw the Beef up 27-13 at the break.Fans in Salina braced themselves for a shootout but after scoring 40 combined points out of the gates, the two CIF rivals would combine for just 27 the rest of the way.The middle quarters in particular saw some of the best defense of the evening, with the lone touchdown belonging to D-Wash on a 24-yard pitch and catch from Nick Eilers.Two beef field goals in that span would be all they could muster, and the Liberty would continue to hold Omaha out of the end zone until the final whistle, but despite two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Salina still came up just short in a 36-31 final.It seemed as though the Liberty had patched their issues on special teams, but two missed extra points and two empty two-point conversion attempts contributed to a six-point swing in a five-point loss.Despite the loss, it was another strong performance for JaVonte Johnson, who tossed three touchdowns without an interception on the evening.The Liberty will be back in action next Saturday for their third-straight home game when they play host to the 2-3 Southwest Kansas Storm at 6:35.For continuing coverage of Liberty football all season long, stay tuned to the Salina, Little Apple, and JC Posts.

Short-handed Liberty fall to Beef 36-31

By AVERY OSEN Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sean Murphy homered among his three hits and drove in four runs, Ozzie Albies also had four RBIs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 on Saturday night.

Murphy had RBI doubles in the first and third innings, a solo homer in the fifth and a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. The homer went 395 feet over the left field fence for his third of the season and his second consecutive game. In the first two games of this series, he is 5 for 7 with two homers and seven RBIs.

"Getting hit is always good, but doing it early and just showing the rest of the guys that you belong with them," Murphy said. "It's going well right now but just trying to stay consistent. I've been just trying to do my thing and not take too much stock in whatever pressure is coming from the outside."

Albies had a two-run double in the third inning opening up a four-run lead early in the game. In the eighth inning, he singled in two more runs to put the game out of reach.

Bryce Elder (2-0) continued his promising start to the year going 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs and seven hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.

"He just picked up right where left off from last year," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "He's been very aggressive and guys have to love playing behind him, he works fast. ... He got on a nice little run there."

After being down 5-1 in the fifth, Kansas City got back into the game with RBIs by Kyle Isbel and Jackie Bradley Jr. to pull within two.

The Royals got an RBI double from Salvador Perez in the first inning.

Kris Bubic (0-2) gave up his first homer in 28 innings while allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and one walk with three strikeouts in five innings.

"The stuff wasn't very sharp today, sure it was cold and stuff like that, but I just felt like I couldn't execute pitches when I got ahead in counts and gave up some hard contact today," Bubic said. "I didn't have a great feel of putting away any guys with any pitch, but I wanted to keep battling to give us a chance."

The Royals are a league worst 1-8 at home this season. On the flip side, the Braves are a league best 7-1 on the road.

"We have played good teams, but that being said, we need to be better and compete with those kinds of teams," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

The game was delayed by 2 1/2 hours before the first pitch was thrown due to a rain delay.

The Braves send RHP Kyle Wright (0-0, 12.00 ERA) to the mound against Royals RHP Zack Greinke (0-3, 3.31).

By AVERY OSEN Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sean Murphy homered among his three hits and drove in four runs, Ozzie Albies also had four RBIs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 on Saturday night.Murphy had RBI doubles in the first and third innings, a solo homer in the fifth and a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. The homer went 395 feet over the left field fence for his third of the season and his second consecutive game. In the first two games of this series, he is 5 for 7 with two homers and seven RBIs."Getting hit is always good, but doing it early and just showing the rest of the guys that you belong with them," Murphy said. "It's going well right now but just trying to stay consistent. I've been just trying to do my thing and not take too much stock in whatever pressure is coming from the outside."Albies had a two-run double in the third inning opening up a four-run lead early in the game. In the eighth inning, he singled in two more runs to put the game out of reach.Bryce Elder (2-0) continued his promising start to the year going 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs and seven hits, with two walks and four strikeouts."He just picked up right where left off from last year," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "He's been very aggressive and guys have to love playing behind him, he works fast. ... He got on a nice little run there."After being down 5-1 in the fifth, Kansas City got back into the game with RBIs by Kyle Isbel and Jackie Bradley Jr. to pull within two.The Royals got an RBI double from Salvador Perez in the first inning.Kris Bubic (0-2) gave up his first homer in 28 innings while allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and one walk with three strikeouts in five innings."The stuff wasn't very sharp today, sure it was cold and stuff like that, but I just felt like I couldn't execute pitches when I got ahead in counts and gave up some hard contact today," Bubic said. "I didn't have a great feel of putting away any guys with any pitch, but I wanted to keep battling to give us a chance."The Royals are a league worst 1-8 at home this season. On the flip side, the Braves are a league best 7-1 on the road."We have played good teams, but that being said, we need to be better and compete with those kinds of teams," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.RAIN DELAYThe game was delayed by 2 1/2 hours before the first pitch was thrown due to a rain delay.UP NEXTThe Braves send RHP Kyle Wright (0-0, 12.00 ERA) to the mound against Royals RHP Zack Greinke (0-3, 3.31).

Murphy, Albies each have 4 RBIs as Braves beat Royals 9-3

With wins in each of their last three contests, the Salina Liberty are officially on a roll, and will stake their winning streak on Saturday when they play host to the last remaining undefeated team in the CIF, in a rematch of last year’s Champions Bowl with the Omaha Beef.

The Beef will make the trip to Salina at 4-0, fresh off a 51-29 victory over Gilette in Omaha last week, while the Liberty come in tied for second at 4-1 after bouncing Billings 33-30.

“I was impressed with what I saw from our defense with some big turnovers and key stops in that Billings game,” Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal said. “They made big play after big play to keep us in the game and once we went down 12 that unit pitched a shutout. That’s what it took for us to win but our defense delivered.”

That defense will be given all it can handle on Saturday night against an Omaha team that leads the league in scoring offense, averaging 56.5 points in any given contest.

“Tommy Armstrong at quarterback is arguably the best in the league at his position,” O’Neal said. “His effectiveness both on the ground and through the air has been impressive and he’s a phenomenal athlete. They also have a huge offensive line, great receivers, and good running backs.”

While this game will feature two of the league’s best, it also features two of its longest-tenured members, and meetings in each of the last two title bouts ensures that there will be no love lost when these teams take to the field this weekend.

“There’s definitely some great rivalries and a lot of history between Salina, Omaha, and Sioux City as well,” he said. “There’s a ton of familiarity between those three and all of them have eliminated each other in the playoffs.”

While the Beef have been impressive on offense this season, they’ve backed up their work on defense as well, leading the league in both scoring defense (21 ppg allowed), and total defense (129 y/g allowed).

Standouts on that Omaha unit include Jayshawn Washington, who leads the league with five sacks along with Salina’s Travis Taylor, as well as Dreko Statham, and Trey Dudley, who have combined for seven interceptions on the season.

“Offensively we have to take care of the football which is something we’ve done well so far,” O’Neal said. We also have to create turnovers, when we do that we’re a pretty darn good football team.”

This game will also pit the league’s best red zone offense in Omaha (17-18) against its best red zone defense in Salina (16-27) in what should be a clash of CIF titans come game time.

Kickoff from Tony’s Pizza Events Center is scheduled for 6:35 pm and as always, the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.

For continuing coverage of Salina Liberty football all season long, stay tuned to the Salina, Little Apple, and JC Posts.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617409785202.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>With wins in each of their last three contests, the Salina Liberty are officially on a roll, and will stake their winning streak on Saturday when they play host to the last remaining undefeated team in the CIF, in a rematch of last year’s Champions Bowl with the Omaha Beef.The Beef will make the trip to Salina at 4-0, fresh off a 51-29 victory over Gilette in Omaha last week, while the Liberty come in tied for second at 4-1 after bouncing Billings 33-30.“I was impressed with what I saw from our defense with some big turnovers and key stops in that Billings game,” Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal said. “They made big play after big play to keep us in the game and once we went down 12 that unit pitched a shutout. That’s what it took for us to win but our defense delivered.”That defense will be given all it can handle on Saturday night against an Omaha team that leads the league in scoring offense, averaging 56.5 points in any given contest.“Tommy Armstrong at quarterback is arguably the best in the league at his position,” O’Neal said. “His effectiveness both on the ground and through the air has been impressive and he’s a phenomenal athlete. They also have a huge offensive line, great receivers, and good running backs.”While this game will feature two of the league’s best, it also features two of its longest-tenured members, and meetings in each of the last two title bouts ensures that there will be no love lost when these teams take to the field this weekend.“There’s definitely some great rivalries and a lot of history between Salina, Omaha, and Sioux City as well,” he said. “There’s a ton of familiarity between those three and all of them have eliminated each other in the playoffs.”While the Beef have been impressive on offense this season, they’ve backed up their work on defense as well, leading the league in both scoring defense (21 ppg allowed), and total defense (129 y/g allowed).Standouts on that Omaha unit include Jayshawn Washington, who leads the league with five sacks along with Salina’s Travis Taylor, as well as Dreko Statham, and Trey Dudley, who have combined for seven interceptions on the season.“Offensively we have to take care of the football which is something we’ve done well so far,” O’Neal said. We also have to create turnovers, when we do that we’re a pretty darn good football team.”This game will also pit the league’s best red zone offense in Omaha (17-18) against its best red zone defense in Salina (16-27) in what should be a clash of CIF titans come game time.Kickoff from Tony’s Pizza Events Center is scheduled for 6:35 pm and as always, the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.For continuing coverage of Salina Liberty football all season long, stay tuned to the Salina, Little Apple, and JC Posts.

Liberty welcome in undefeated Beef for rematch of Champions Bowl

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer

DENVER — Home plate used to be a place where the sociable Brandon Crawford would touch base with catchers and umpires.

Just a casual conversation to catch up: How's the family? What's up? That sort of thing.

These days, the San Francisco Giants infielder keeps the chatter to a minimum. There's simply no spare time for small talk while on a pitch clock.

Because that 15 seconds between pitches — 20 when someone's on base — goes by fast at the plate. The penalty for idle chatter could be stiff — a called strike on the hitter.

"You have to figure out a different time to get your conversations in, whether it's pregame or going to dinner or breakfast," Crawford said.

The pitch clock hasn't just made baseball quicker. It's quieter now, too. There's no real chance to talk shop on the bases with former teammates, good friends or umpires. Batters only get 30 seconds between at-bats to get set.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can't even imagine the strikes he might've had called on him if he was playing under these rules. He's well known for his affable personality and would always greet the home-plate umpire when he batted, along with the catcher. He'd carry it right over to the bases, too, when he got aboard.

"Some guys are having a little harder time with it," Roberts said of cutting back on conversations. "I think the salutations and stuff like that have to be more minimized."

Roberts joked that he could strategize around his gift for gab — maybe engage players he knows before they dig into the box.

"Try to get his attention and get that clock going," Roberts cracked.

The players, though, are starting to realize that silence is golden. This is no social call when they step up. They can't afford to fall behind 0-1 in the count.

Last week, Padres slugger Manny Machado became the first player ejected in an argument that followed a pitch clock violation, which carries a penalty of an automatic strike for hitters and an automatic ball for pitchers. It wasn't for talking, but rather he thought he had called timeout as the pitch clock wound down to eight seconds — the deadline for batters to be alert to the guy on the mound.

A cautionary tale, though, that every second matters.

"It's all business," Giants outfielder Joc Pederson said.

Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe once received friendly advice from longtime umpire Joe West: Greet each ump by their first name and make a little small talk.

It's guidance Lowe took to heart. It's guidance that's now hard to follow.

"It feels like I'm more worried about, 'Am I facing the pitcher with 14, 12 seconds? Should I have my foot on the gas?'" Lowe explained. "I think the pitch clock definitely takes away from the social aspect of it."

Know this about Dominic Smith: He's not going to be as inviting at first base this season. The slick-fielding Washington Nationals player means no offense by the silent treatment, either.

"I'm trying to just kick people's butt, I guess, so I don't talk as much as I used to," Smith said with a smile. "I don't mind not talking to guys over there. I like being in my own space, thinking about the game, trying to figure out ways to help us win."

Dodgers pitcher Dustin May never quite understood being on speaking terms with the opposition during a game.

"Once I cross the lines, I didn't really talk to anybody" on the other team, May said.

Consider May a fan of the new rules. Batters can't step out as much to re-fasten their batting gloves over and over.

"We'd stand on the mound forever waiting on them," May said. "Now they're kind of forced to get in. They're on our pace now."

Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron prefers the quicker pace, too. He can afford to be a little more antisocial due to the time crunch.

"I'm not much of a converser over there," Cron said. "Just say, 'What's up?' and then move on with my life."

The lack of talk on the bases may actually fuel more rivalries — or at least that's the thinking of Dodgers infielder Max Muncy.

"Because you're not having a chance to converse with people and you don't get to know people as much," Muncy said. "Maybe there's a chance of that?"

But it takes some getting used to. Crawford would greet the umpire behind the plate before the game and the catcher as he stepped into the box. It was almost part of his routine.

"It's such a rush from the on-deck circle to the plate that you don't have time to do that," Crawford said. "I'll say that real quick as I'm walking by. But there's no more conversations after that."

That's good, said Giants manager Gabe Kapler.

"I don't love seeing players talking to the first baseman and umpires," Kapler said. "I hope that is erased by the time."

Some players, though, simply enjoy holding conversations while holding on runners.

"If I know the guy or if I've got a pretty good rapport with him, for sure, absolutely," Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said. "If it's just like an awkward silence, that's no fun."

AP Baseball Writers Janie McCauley and Mike Fitzpatrick, and AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports WriterDENVER — Home plate used to be a place where the sociable Brandon Crawford would touch base with catchers and umpires.Just a casual conversation to catch up: How's the family? What's up? That sort of thing.These days, the San Francisco Giants infielder keeps the chatter to a minimum. There's simply no spare time for small talk while on a pitch clock.Because that 15 seconds between pitches — 20 when someone's on base — goes by fast at the plate. The penalty for idle chatter could be stiff — a called strike on the hitter.Social hour just has to wait."You have to figure out a different time to get your conversations in, whether it's pregame or going to dinner or breakfast," Crawford said.The pitch clock hasn't just made baseball quicker. It's quieter now, too. There's no real chance to talk shop on the bases with former teammates, good friends or umpires. Batters only get 30 seconds between at-bats to get set.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can't even imagine the strikes he might've had called on him if he was playing under these rules. He's well known for his affable personality and would always greet the home-plate umpire when he batted, along with the catcher. He'd carry it right over to the bases, too, when he got aboard."Some guys are having a little harder time with it," Roberts said of cutting back on conversations. "I think the salutations and stuff like that have to be more minimized."Roberts joked that he could strategize around his gift for gab — maybe engage players he knows before they dig into the box."Try to get his attention and get that clock going," Roberts cracked.The players, though, are starting to realize that silence is golden. This is no social call when they step up. They can't afford to fall behind 0-1 in the count.Last week, Padres slugger Manny Machado became the first player ejected in an argument that followed a pitch clock violation, which carries a penalty of an automatic strike for hitters and an automatic ball for pitchers. It wasn't for talking, but rather he thought he had called timeout as the pitch clock wound down to eight seconds — the deadline for batters to be alert to the guy on the mound.A cautionary tale, though, that every second matters."It's all business," Giants outfielder Joc Pederson said.Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe once received friendly advice from longtime umpire Joe West: Greet each ump by their first name and make a little small talk.It's guidance Lowe took to heart. It's guidance that's now hard to follow."It feels like I'm more worried about, 'Am I facing the pitcher with 14, 12 seconds? Should I have my foot on the gas?'" Lowe explained. "I think the pitch clock definitely takes away from the social aspect of it."Know this about Dominic Smith: He's not going to be as inviting at first base this season. The slick-fielding Washington Nationals player means no offense by the silent treatment, either."I'm trying to just kick people's butt, I guess, so I don't talk as much as I used to," Smith said with a smile. "I don't mind not talking to guys over there. I like being in my own space, thinking about the game, trying to figure out ways to help us win."Dodgers pitcher Dustin May never quite understood being on speaking terms with the opposition during a game."Once I cross the lines, I didn't really talk to anybody" on the other team, May said.Consider May a fan of the new rules. Batters can't step out as much to re-fasten their batting gloves over and over."We'd stand on the mound forever waiting on them," May said. "Now they're kind of forced to get in. They're on our pace now."Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron prefers the quicker pace, too. He can afford to be a little more antisocial due to the time crunch."I'm not much of a converser over there," Cron said. "Just say, 'What's up?' and then move on with my life."The lack of talk on the bases may actually fuel more rivalries — or at least that's the thinking of Dodgers infielder Max Muncy."Because you're not having a chance to converse with people and you don't get to know people as much," Muncy said. "Maybe there's a chance of that?"But it takes some getting used to. Crawford would greet the umpire behind the plate before the game and the catcher as he stepped into the box. It was almost part of his routine.The times have changed."It's such a rush from the on-deck circle to the plate that you don't have time to do that," Crawford said. "I'll say that real quick as I'm walking by. But there's no more conversations after that."That's good, said Giants manager Gabe Kapler."I don't love seeing players talking to the first baseman and umpires," Kapler said. "I hope that is erased by the time."Some players, though, simply enjoy holding conversations while holding on runners."If I know the guy or if I've got a pretty good rapport with him, for sure, absolutely," Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said. "If it's just like an awkward silence, that's no fun."AP Baseball Writers Janie McCauley and Mike Fitzpatrick, and AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

MLB players find less time for small talk with pitch clock

By DAVID SMALE Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Matt Olson and Austin Riley hit consecutive home runs in a four-run first inning and the Atlanta Braves went deep five times in a 10-3 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Sam Hilliard, Sean Murphy and Ronald Acuna Jr. also homered for the Braves, with Hilliard hitting a 448-foot drive beyond the bullpen in right in the second inning. Murphy had three RBIs.

Brady Singer (1-1) allowed four of the homers, one shy of his career high, and gave up eight runs and 10 hits in five innings as his ERA rose to 7.88.

Braves manager Brian Snitker was ejected in the second inning for arguing. Umpires had placed runners on first and second after a ball Olson hit off the left-field wall was ruled foul, then changed to fair. Murphy followed with a two-run double.

Charlie Morton (2-1) allowed three runs — two earned — and six hits in six innings.

Vaughn Grissom had an RBI double in the first.

Kansas City scored on Morton's error in the first, Michael Massey's sacrifice fly in the fourth and when Kyle Isbel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth.

Braves: RHP Collin McHugh, on the injured list since April 6 with right shoulder inflammation, traveled with the team and could be activated as soon as he is eligible, according to Snitker… C Travis d'Arnaud, on the 7-day concussion IL since April 9, is making progress and is on schedule to return, Snitker said. ... INF Orlando Arcia was put on the 10-day IL with a left wrist fracture. ... Grissom was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Royals: Dylan Coleman was optioned to Triple-A Omaha following Wednesday's game. Coleman had appeared in five games, allowing 10 runs on seven hits and seven walks in five innings. RHP Josh Staumont was recalled from Omaha after four scoreless outings with seven strikeouts and one walk.

RHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts for the Braves on Saturday and LHP Kris Bubic (0-1, 1.64) for the Royals.

By DAVID SMALE Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Matt Olson and Austin Riley hit consecutive home runs in a four-run first inning and the Atlanta Braves went deep five times in a 10-3 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.Sam Hilliard, Sean Murphy and Ronald Acuna Jr. also homered for the Braves, with Hilliard hitting a 448-foot drive beyond the bullpen in right in the second inning. Murphy had three RBIs.Brady Singer (1-1) allowed four of the homers, one shy of his career high, and gave up eight runs and 10 hits in five innings as his ERA rose to 7.88.Braves manager Brian Snitker was ejected in the second inning for arguing. Umpires had placed runners on first and second after a ball Olson hit off the left-field wall was ruled foul, then changed to fair. Murphy followed with a two-run double.Charlie Morton (2-1) allowed three runs — two earned — and six hits in six innings.Vaughn Grissom had an RBI double in the first.Kansas City scored on Morton's error in the first, Michael Massey's sacrifice fly in the fourth and when Kyle Isbel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth.TRAINER'S ROOMBraves: RHP Collin McHugh, on the injured list since April 6 with right shoulder inflammation, traveled with the team and could be activated as soon as he is eligible, according to Snitker… C Travis d'Arnaud, on the 7-day concussion IL since April 9, is making progress and is on schedule to return, Snitker said. ... INF Orlando Arcia was put on the 10-day IL with a left wrist fracture. ... Grissom was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.Royals: Dylan Coleman was optioned to Triple-A Omaha following Wednesday's game. Coleman had appeared in five games, allowing 10 runs on seven hits and seven walks in five innings. RHP Josh Staumont was recalled from Omaha after four scoreless outings with seven strikeouts and one walk.UP NEXTRHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts for the Braves on Saturday and LHP Kris Bubic (0-1, 1.64) for the Royals.

Olson, Riley start 5-HR night, Braves rout Royals 10-3

The Kansas State High School Activities Association has announced that Scott Goodheart of Pratt will join its staff as director of officials. Goodheart will serve in the role that Francine Martin fulfilled during the 2022-23 school year, the first year for this position at the KSHSAA.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Goodheart has been an active registered official with the KSHSAA for 17 years, working in the sports of volleyball, softball and basketball. Since 2016, Goodheart has held the role of league commissioner for the Heart of the Plains League.

“I am honored and excited to join the KSHSAA team, serving as the director of officials,” Goodheart said. “Interscholastic activities have been an intricate part of my life, participating in sports and activities through high school, working as a registered official since college, and now serving as the Director of Officials. I am excited to serve the officials in the state of Kansas, and hope to help enhance students' experiences in interscholastic activities.”

As the KSHSAA director of officials, Goodheart’s main responsibilities will be to oversee the official’s department at the KSHSAA including the recruitment of new officials, educate and retain all high school activities.

“As a respected veteran official, Scott Goodheart brings firsthand knowledge of service as an interscholastic official," said Bill Faflick, KSHSAA Executive Director. “I am confident his leadership will further the good work of Ms. Martin and the KSHSAA as we seek to recruit, train, and retain officials across the state who ensure regular season and championship tournament competitions are conducted according to prescribed rules for the respective education-based activities.”

Goodheart had been instrumental to officiating off the field as well. From 2016-2019 he served on the KSHSAA Officials Advisory Board and has been a yearly camp/clinician organizer for the western Kansas basketball clinics during the summer.

A member of the National Association of Sports Officials and the Kansas Sports Officials Association, Goodheart was named the NFHS Boys Basketball Official of the Year in 2014. Scott has been an active basketball official in the NJCAA and MIAA.

Prior to joining the KSHSAA this summer, Scott worked at Bucklin Tractor and Implement as a parts sales representative and e-commerce sales. Goodheart received his Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University and his Masters of Sports Administration from Fort Hays State University.

From 2016-2019, Goodheart was an Assistant Athletic Director at Pratt Community College and from 2012-2014 was the Hoisington Recreation Director.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681420334355.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KSHSAAThe Kansas State High School Activities Association has announced that Scott Goodheart of Pratt will join its staff as director of officials. Goodheart will serve in the role that Francine Martin fulfilled during the 2022-23 school year, the first year for this position at the KSHSAA.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Goodheart has been an active registered official with the KSHSAA for 17 years, working in the sports of volleyball, softball and basketball. Since 2016, Goodheart has held the role of league commissioner for the Heart of the Plains League.“I am honored and excited to join the KSHSAA team, serving as the director of officials,” Goodheart said. “Interscholastic activities have been an intricate part of my life, participating in sports and activities through high school, working as a registered official since college, and now serving as the Director of Officials. I am excited to serve the officials in the state of Kansas, and hope to help enhance students' experiences in interscholastic activities.”As the KSHSAA director of officials, Goodheart’s main responsibilities will be to oversee the official’s department at the KSHSAA including the recruitment of new officials, educate and retain all high school activities.“As a respected veteran official, Scott Goodheart brings firsthand knowledge of service as an interscholastic official," said Bill Faflick, KSHSAA Executive Director. “I am confident his leadership will further the good work of Ms. Martin and the KSHSAA as we seek to recruit, train, and retain officials across the state who ensure regular season and championship tournament competitions are conducted according to prescribed rules for the respective education-based activities.”Goodheart had been instrumental to officiating off the field as well. From 2016-2019 he served on the KSHSAA Officials Advisory Board and has been a yearly camp/clinician organizer for the western Kansas basketball clinics during the summer.A member of the National Association of Sports Officials and the Kansas Sports Officials Association, Goodheart was named the NFHS Boys Basketball Official of the Year in 2014. Scott has been an active basketball official in the NJCAA and MIAA.Prior to joining the KSHSAA this summer, Scott worked at Bucklin Tractor and Implement as a parts sales representative and e-commerce sales. Goodheart received his Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University and his Masters of Sports Administration from Fort Hays State University.From 2016-2019, Goodheart was an Assistant Athletic Director at Pratt Community College and from 2012-2014 was the Hoisington Recreation Director.

Scott Goodheart selected as KSHSAA director of officials

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

The first quarterback-specific helmet designed to help reduce concussions has been approved for use by the NFL and NFLPA, the AP has learned.

The helmet, manufactured by Vicis, reduces severity of helmet-to-ground impacts, which league data says account for approximately half of quarterback concussions, including the one suffered by Miami's Tua Tagovailoa last season when his head slammed violently against the turf during a Thursday night game against Cincinnati.

"We've now analyzed with our engineers and with the Players Association more than a 1,000 concussions on field, we have a pretty good database of how these injuries occur," NFL executive Jeff Miller told the AP about the helmet-to-ground impacts. "This helmet performs better in laboratory testing than any helmets we have ever seen for those sorts of impacts."

The helmet performed 7% better than the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season, the league said in a memo sent to team executives on Thursday.

Jason Neubauer, an executive for Vicis, said the company began designing its Zero2 Matrix QB helmet in early 2022.

"The unique thing is that it has a deformal outer shell, which means when you take an impact in any location on that helmet, it will deform or basically dent in that location to absorb the impact," Neubauer said. "What that means for us, as designers or engineers, as we're looking to optimize it for different types of impacts, we're able to change unique locations to try to optimize the impact mitigation in any one area."

It's unknown how many quarterbacks will switch to the new QB-specific helmet. The league and the players' union share information from the helmet studies with teams so players make informed decisions on helmet choice. The only other position-specific helmet already approved is the Vicis Zero2-R Trench for offensive and defensive linemen.

The memo sent to teams also includes the results of the 2023 helmet laboratory testing study. Miller told the AP seven helmets the league highly recommended in 2020 have now been downgraded to prohibited as a result of new testing.

"That's a great sign," Miller said. "Hopefully we can continue to stimulate that either with position-specific helmets designed for each position group or for a general all-purpose helmet to be able to say to players: 'Work with us, be willing to change helmets because better and better products are coming online every year.'"

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterThe first quarterback-specific helmet designed to help reduce concussions has been approved for use by the NFL and NFLPA, the AP has learned.The helmet, manufactured by Vicis, reduces severity of helmet-to-ground impacts, which league data says account for approximately half of quarterback concussions, including the one suffered by Miami's Tua Tagovailoa last season when his head slammed violently against the turf during a Thursday night game against Cincinnati."We've now analyzed with our engineers and with the Players Association more than a 1,000 concussions on field, we have a pretty good database of how these injuries occur," NFL executive Jeff Miller told the AP about the helmet-to-ground impacts. "This helmet performs better in laboratory testing than any helmets we have ever seen for those sorts of impacts."The helmet performed 7% better than the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season, the league said in a memo sent to team executives on Thursday.Jason Neubauer, an executive for Vicis, said the company began designing its Zero2 Matrix QB helmet in early 2022."The unique thing is that it has a deformal outer shell, which means when you take an impact in any location on that helmet, it will deform or basically dent in that location to absorb the impact," Neubauer said. "What that means for us, as designers or engineers, as we're looking to optimize it for different types of impacts, we're able to change unique locations to try to optimize the impact mitigation in any one area."It's unknown how many quarterbacks will switch to the new QB-specific helmet. The league and the players' union share information from the helmet studies with teams so players make informed decisions on helmet choice. The only other position-specific helmet already approved is the Vicis Zero2-R Trench for offensive and defensive linemen.The memo sent to teams also includes the results of the 2023 helmet laboratory testing study. Miller told the AP seven helmets the league highly recommended in 2020 have now been downgraded to prohibited as a result of new testing."That's a great sign," Miller said. "Hopefully we can continue to stimulate that either with position-specific helmets designed for each position group or for a general all-purpose helmet to be able to say to players: 'Work with us, be willing to change helmets because better and better products are coming online every year.'"

First QB helmet designed to help reduce concussions approved

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas — MJ Melendez drove in three runs to back another strong outing from Brad Keller, and the Kansas City Royals avoided a three-game sweep with a 10-1 rout of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.

The Rangers had their second three-game winning streak of the season stopped on the day they announced star shortstop Corey Seager would miss at least four weeks with a hamstring strain.

Vinnie Pasquantino homered, and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI triple among three hits with a career-high three stolen bases against his hometown team as the Royals ended a three-game losing streak.

The Royals, who came in hitting .190 as a team and averaging 2.8 runs per game, had season highs in runs and hits (14).

Keller (2-1) didn't allow a run after giving up Nathaniel Lowe's first-inning homer, leaving after his two-out walk in the seventh ended a streak of 10 consecutive batters retired.

The right-hander, who gave up three hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings, has half of Kansas City's four victories without allowing more than two runs in any of his three starts.

It was Keller's 18th consecutive start with a decision, the longest streak in the majors in three years and longest for the Royals since Tim Belcher's 21-start streak in 1996-97.

Melendez lined a tiebreaking two-run double into the gap in right-center for a 3-1 lead in the second and an RBI single in the fourth before scoring on Witt's triple into the right field corner.

Nathan Eovaldi (1-2), one of three free agent additions to the Texas rotation, allowed 10 hits and six runs with seven strikeouts and a pitch clock violation over five innings in a second consecutive loss.

Josh Smith started in place of Seager, who was injured running the bases a night earlier, and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts from the second spot in the order normally occupied by the three-time All-Star.

Franmil Reyes, Michael Massey and Edward Olivares had consecutive run-scoring singles off reliever Taylor Hearn in Kansas City's punctuating four-run seventh.

Both teams are off Thursday going into three-game weekend series. Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face Atlanta at home. Texas LHP Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.53) is set for the first meeting of the season with Houston.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681354070876.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller throws during the first inning of the game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday. (AP Photo/LM Otero)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller throws during the first inning of the game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday. (AP Photo/LM Otero)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports WriterARLINGTON, Texas — MJ Melendez drove in three runs to back another strong outing from Brad Keller, and the Kansas City Royals avoided a three-game sweep with a 10-1 rout of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.The Rangers had their second three-game winning streak of the season stopped on the day they announced star shortstop Corey Seager would miss at least four weeks with a hamstring strain.Vinnie Pasquantino homered, and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI triple among three hits with a career-high three stolen bases against his hometown team as the Royals ended a three-game losing streak.The Royals, who came in hitting .190 as a team and averaging 2.8 runs per game, had season highs in runs and hits (14).Keller (2-1) didn't allow a run after giving up Nathaniel Lowe's first-inning homer, leaving after his two-out walk in the seventh ended a streak of 10 consecutive batters retired.The right-hander, who gave up three hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings, has half of Kansas City's four victories without allowing more than two runs in any of his three starts.It was Keller's 18th consecutive start with a decision, the longest streak in the majors in three years and longest for the Royals since Tim Belcher's 21-start streak in 1996-97.Melendez lined a tiebreaking two-run double into the gap in right-center for a 3-1 lead in the second and an RBI single in the fourth before scoring on Witt's triple into the right field corner.Nathan Eovaldi (1-2), one of three free agent additions to the Texas rotation, allowed 10 hits and six runs with seven strikeouts and a pitch clock violation over five innings in a second consecutive loss.Josh Smith started in place of Seager, who was injured running the bases a night earlier, and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts from the second spot in the order normally occupied by the three-time All-Star.Franmil Reyes, Michael Massey and Edward Olivares had consecutive run-scoring singles off reliever Taylor Hearn in Kansas City's punctuating four-run seventh.UP NEXTBoth teams are off Thursday going into three-game weekend series. Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face Atlanta at home. Texas LHP Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.53) is set for the first meeting of the season with Houston.

Keller strong; Royals avoid sweep with 10-1 rout of Rangers

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State head coach Jason Mansfield announced Wednesday the hiring of Quinn Roche as the director of volleyball operations. 

"We are so excited to welcome Quinn Roche to the K-State Volleyball family," said Mansfield about his recent hire. "Quinn comes to our program with great integrity, selflessness and a strong work ethic." "She has had a wonderful opportunity to be mentored by some of the best director of operations in the country and we are all excited for her to help our program continue to grow in a positive direction," said Mansfield. As the director of volleyball operations, Roche will be in the forefront of the volleyball program's recruiting efforts as well as managing the team's travel and summer camps. Roche comes to Manhattan after serving as the volleyball operations graduate assistant at the University of Washington alongside Mansfield in the 2022 season. Roche helped coordinate team travel and recruiting during her time with the Huskies. "I'm very excited to be here and get started," said Roche. "I've always had a lot of respect for K-State Athletics and can't wait to get to know all the student-athletes. I was lucky enough to work with Coach Mansfield at UW and am grateful to continue working with him. I'm also looking forward to working with Coach Astor, Coach Fonoti, and all the great support staff." Prior to working with the UW volleyball program, Roche spent two years as a marketing and fan outreach intern in the athletics department where she assisted in the promotional efforts of multiple sports. She coordinated and assembled the UW Women's Basketball Virtual Assembly Field Trip Day for elementary students in the area during the CoVID-19 pandemic. A native of Belchertown, Mass., Roche graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's in business administration from UW in June 2022. She is currently working towards her master's degree in education.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681325996984.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State AhleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State head coach Jason Mansfield announced Wednesday the hiring of Quinn Roche as the director of volleyball operations. "We are so excited to welcome Quinn Roche to the K-State Volleyball family," said Mansfield about his recent hire. "Quinn comes to our program with great integrity, selflessness and a strong work ethic." "She has had a wonderful opportunity to be mentored by some of the best director of operations in the country and we are all excited for her to help our program continue to grow in a positive direction," said Mansfield. As the director of volleyball operations, Roche will be in the forefront of the volleyball program's recruiting efforts as well as managing the team's travel and summer camps. Roche comes to Manhattan after serving as the volleyball operations graduate assistant at the University of Washington alongside Mansfield in the 2022 season. Roche helped coordinate team travel and recruiting during her time with the Huskies. "I'm very excited to be here and get started," said Roche. "I've always had a lot of respect for K-State Athletics and can't wait to get to know all the student-athletes. I was lucky enough to work with Coach Mansfield at UW and am grateful to continue working with him. I'm also looking forward to working with Coach Astor, Coach Fonoti, and all the great support staff." Prior to working with the UW volleyball program, Roche spent two years as a marketing and fan outreach intern in the athletics department where she assisted in the promotional efforts of multiple sports. She coordinated and assembled the UW Women's Basketball Virtual Assembly Field Trip Day for elementary students in the area during the CoVID-19 pandemic. A native of Belchertown, Mass., Roche graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's in business administration from UW in June 2022. She is currently working towards her master's degree in education.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏐 K-State adds Roche to coaching staff

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning and the Rangers beat Kansas City 8-5 on Tuesday night in a game when Jacob deGrom had nine strikeouts to break another Texas record that had been held by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

Heim's 403-foot drive to right field came off Scott Barlow (0-1). His second homer of the season came after Josh Jung's two-out walk that followed a tying RBI single by Adolis Garcia, who earlier in the game had a sacrifice fly.

Michael Massey had a sac fly for the Royals in the 10th after they had scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to force extra innings.

Cole Ragans (2-0) retired the only two batters he faced, the first being Massey on the sacrifice fly.

Texas shortstop Corey Seager exited the game in the middle of the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness. Seager was running between first and second base after hitting an opposite-field double into the left-field corner. He appeared to make the turn around first base cleanly, but then pulled up after a few steps and gingerly went to second base.

While deGrom ended up with a no-decision, the nine Ks pushed his season total to 27 and set a new mark for a Rangers pitcher in his first three appearances — that had been Ryan's 26 after he joined the team in 1989. It came a night after Andrew Heaney, like deGrom new to the Texas rotation this season, had nine consecutive strikeouts to tie an American League record and surpass Ryan's single-game club record of seven in a row in 1991.

DeGrom left with a 4-2 lead in his third start for Texas — all at home since signing his $185 million, five-year contract in free agency last December. He didn't have a walk while throwing 68 of his 98 pitches for strikes over seven innings.

Seager, in the second year of a $325 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers, is hitting .359 after going 2 for 2 with a walk against the Royals.

It was the fifth game in a row for Seager to have an extra-base hit. But after touching second base, he bent down and then almost immediately started going back toward the Rangers dugout even before a team trainer got all the way out to check on him.

Rangers: CF Leody Taveras, who started the season on the IL with a left oblique strain, was 2 for 4 with a grand slam and a bases-loaded walk Tuesday after his rehab assignment was moved from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock. He went 1 for 10 in three games for Frisco.

Royals RHP Brad Keller (1-1, 2.61 ERA) has the longest active streak of consecutive starts getting a decision — going 6-11 over 17 starts since last May 21. He is still short of Tim Belcher's team record of 21 consecutive starts with a decision that ended in June 1997. Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 4.22) makes his third start for Texas in the series finale Wednesday night.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball WriterARLINGTON, Texas — Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning and the Rangers beat Kansas City 8-5 on Tuesday night in a game when Jacob deGrom had nine strikeouts to break another Texas record that had been held by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.Heim's 403-foot drive to right field came off Scott Barlow (0-1). His second homer of the season came after Josh Jung's two-out walk that followed a tying RBI single by Adolis Garcia, who earlier in the game had a sacrifice fly.Michael Massey had a sac fly for the Royals in the 10th after they had scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to force extra innings.Cole Ragans (2-0) retired the only two batters he faced, the first being Massey on the sacrifice fly.Texas shortstop Corey Seager exited the game in the middle of the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness. Seager was running between first and second base after hitting an opposite-field double into the left-field corner. He appeared to make the turn around first base cleanly, but then pulled up after a few steps and gingerly went to second base.While deGrom ended up with a no-decision, the nine Ks pushed his season total to 27 and set a new mark for a Rangers pitcher in his first three appearances — that had been Ryan's 26 after he joined the team in 1989. It came a night after Andrew Heaney, like deGrom new to the Texas rotation this season, had nine consecutive strikeouts to tie an American League record and surpass Ryan's single-game club record of seven in a row in 1991.DeGrom left with a 4-2 lead in his third start for Texas — all at home since signing his $185 million, five-year contract in free agency last December. He didn't have a walk while throwing 68 of his 98 pitches for strikes over seven innings.Seager, in the second year of a $325 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers, is hitting .359 after going 2 for 2 with a walk against the Royals.It was the fifth game in a row for Seager to have an extra-base hit. But after touching second base, he bent down and then almost immediately started going back toward the Rangers dugout even before a team trainer got all the way out to check on him.TRAINER'S ROOMRangers: CF Leody Taveras, who started the season on the IL with a left oblique strain, was 2 for 4 with a grand slam and a bases-loaded walk Tuesday after his rehab assignment was moved from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock. He went 1 for 10 in three games for Frisco.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Brad Keller (1-1, 2.61 ERA) has the longest active streak of consecutive starts getting a decision — going 6-11 over 17 starts since last May 21. He is still short of Tim Belcher's team record of 21 consecutive starts with a decision that ended in June 1997. Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 4.22) makes his third start for Texas in the series finale Wednesday night.

Heim HR in 10th gives Rangers win over KC after deGrom 9 Ks

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/collin-rothermel/10962">Collin Rothermel</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;combined to shut out Creighton 10-0 in seven innings Monday night at Tointon Family Stadium. The Wildcats improved to 21-14 on the year as K-State blanked the Bluejays for the second time this season, while Creighton dropped to 14-12. "Another character-building win for us and our program tonight," said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>&nbsp;on his team's shutout victory. "It was difficult travel getting into Manhattan early this morning and quick turnaround after a heart-breaking series but again our guys showed how resilient and how tough they are." <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/10947">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;laced an RBI double to right center to plate the game-winning run while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson's</a>&nbsp;three-run homer in the seventh secured the run-rule victory. "They came out with energy and urgency on six hours of sleep, and played great baseball." "We got a great start from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/collin-rothermel/10962">Collin Rothermel</a>. I'm really proud of Collin and how he's hung in there with the process." Rothermel picked up his first victory of the season after tossing six complete innings and held the Bluejays to just two hits with six strikeouts. "He was able to give our team a substantial amount of time to build a lead and win a ball game. It was a good night for our program." <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/roberto-pena/10971">Roberto Pena</a>, Culpepper, and Johnson each went 2-for-3 at the plate with Pena and Johnson each registering three-RBI. HOW IT HAPPENED K-State opened scoring in the fourth frame with back-to-back doubles from Culpepper and Pena to take the early 2-0 lead. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;added a two-run single in the sixth to expand the Cats lead out to four before the Cats took control in the seventh frame that featured a three-run homer by Johnson, his eighth of the season. The Wildcats strung together three consecutive hits led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;before a walk loaded the bases with Pena returning to the plate. The senior roped the first pitch through the left side to plate a pair of runs before scoring on Johnson's homer out to left. K-State reliever&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;tossed a scoreless inning to preserve the shutout. INSIDE THE BOX

ON DECK The Cats set out to Lawrence for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on April 14-15 at Hoglund Ballpark. &nbsp;The series can be seen on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio coverage available on KMAN (93.3FM/1350AM) and a free live audio available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jballard_kstatesports_com/Documents/Documents/2022-23/Baseball/Archives/kstatesports.com/watch">kstatesports.com/watch</a>.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681219049060.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/collin-rothermel/10962">Collin Rothermel</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;combined to shut out Creighton 10-0 in seven innings Monday night at Tointon Family Stadium. The Wildcats improved to 21-14 on the year as K-State blanked the Bluejays for the second time this season, while Creighton dropped to 14-12. "Another character-building win for us and our program tonight," said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>&nbsp;on his team's shutout victory. "It was difficult travel getting into Manhattan early this morning and quick turnaround after a heart-breaking series but again our guys showed how resilient and how tough they are." <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/10947">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;laced an RBI double to right center to plate the game-winning run while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson's</a>&nbsp;three-run homer in the seventh secured the run-rule victory. "They came out with energy and urgency on six hours of sleep, and played great baseball." "We got a great start from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/collin-rothermel/10962">Collin Rothermel</a>. I'm really proud of Collin and how he's hung in there with the process." Rothermel picked up his first victory of the season after tossing six complete innings and held the Bluejays to just two hits with six strikeouts. "He was able to give our team a substantial amount of time to build a lead and win a ball game. It was a good night for our program." <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/roberto-pena/10971">Roberto Pena</a>, Culpepper, and Johnson each went 2-for-3 at the plate with Pena and Johnson each registering three-RBI. HOW IT HAPPENED K-State opened scoring in the fourth frame with back-to-back doubles from Culpepper and Pena to take the early 2-0 lead. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;added a two-run single in the sixth to expand the Cats lead out to four before the Cats took control in the seventh frame that featured a three-run homer by Johnson, his eighth of the season. The Wildcats strung together three consecutive hits led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;before a walk loaded the bases with Pena returning to the plate. The senior roped the first pitch through the left side to plate a pair of runs before scoring on Johnson's homer out to left. K-State reliever&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;tossed a scoreless inning to preserve the shutout. INSIDE THE BOX<ul>
 <li>K-State scored 10 runs on 10 hits with five runners left on base</li><li>Rothermel (1-1) picked up the win allowing just two hits with six strikeouts</li><li>Seven Cats registered a hit in the nightcap; three had multiple</li><li>Culpepper, Pena and Johnson each went 2-for-3 at the plate</li><li>The Wildcats had three extra base hits</li><li>Pena and Johnson each had three-RBI</li><li>Johnson hit his eighth homer of the season; has 16 career home runs</li><li>The Cats went 5-12 (.417) with runners in scoring position with three two-out RBI</li><li>Creighton left seven runners on base</li><li>Monday marked the Cats ninth 10+ run game</li><li>K-State registered its second shutout of the season</li><li>Ruhl tossed a shutout inning with one strikeout</li>
 </ul>NOTES<ul>
 <li>K-State leads the all-time series 55-44-1 and 39-19-1 at home</li><li>The Wildcats move to 13-4 at home and 15-8 in non-conference action</li><li>The Cats walked seven times to bring the season total 239</li><li>K-State has 48 home runs on the year</li>
 </ul>ON DECK The Cats set out to Lawrence for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on April 14-15 at Hoglund Ballpark. &nbsp;The series can be seen on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio coverage available on KMAN (93.3FM/1350AM) and a free live audio available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jballard_kstatesports_com/Documents/Documents/2022-23/Baseball/Archives/kstatesports.com/watch">kstatesports.com/watch</a>.

⚾ Wildcats blank Creighton

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Heaney tied an AL record by striking out nine consecutive batters, Adolis Garcia's sixth-inning grand slam was one of three Texas home runs and the Rangers routed the Kansas City Royals 11-2 on Monday night.

Heaney (1-1) began the streak by fanning Matt Duffy and Nicky Lopez to end the first inning, then struck out the side in the second and third innings. After Salvador Perez went down swinging leading off the fourth inning, Matt Duffy ended the streak with a flyout to right field.

Heaney threw 93 pitches and left after five innings, allowing two runs – one earned – on two hits. Heaney matched a record shared by Detroit reliever Tyler Alexander against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2020, and Detroit reliever Doug Fister against Kansas City on Sept. 27, 2012.

The major league record for consecutive strikeouts is 10, set by the New York Mets' Tom Seaver on April 22, 1970, and matched by the Philadelphia Phillies' Aaron Nola on June 25, 2021, and the Milwaukee Brewers' Corbin Burnes on Aug. 11, 2021.

Garcia's slam capped a seven-run sixth inning and snapped his 0-for-16 slump.

Corey Seager and Jonah Heim also homered off Royals right-hander Zack Greinke (0-3). Greinke gave up four runs, three earned, in five innings.

Hunter Dozier homered for Kansas City in the seventh inning.

Seager had three hits, two off Grienke. Seager is 10 for 24 with four homers off the 2009 AL Cy Young winner.

First-year Royals manager Matt Quatraro returned to action after missing the team's previous five games with COVID-19.

Greinke is 0-11 in his last 18 road starts since beating the Los Angeles Angels for the Houston Astros on Aug. 13, 2021.

Royals: LHP Daniel Lynch (rotator cuff strain) is scheduled to throw a bullpen in Arizona on Tuesday.

Rangers: C Mitch Garver (left knee sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with C Sandy Leon selected from Triple-A Round Rock to replace him.

Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom (1-0, 5.59 ERA) will make a third consecutive home start to begin his Texas career, having taken a perfect game into the fifth inning of his win over Baltimore last Wednesday. Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (0-2, 4.91) went 11-19 as a Ranger 2020-21.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Heaney tied an AL record by striking out nine consecutive batters, Adolis Garcia's sixth-inning grand slam was one of three Texas home runs and the Rangers routed the Kansas City Royals 11-2 on Monday night.Heaney (1-1) began the streak by fanning Matt Duffy and Nicky Lopez to end the first inning, then struck out the side in the second and third innings. After Salvador Perez went down swinging leading off the fourth inning, Matt Duffy ended the streak with a flyout to right field.Heaney threw 93 pitches and left after five innings, allowing two runs – one earned – on two hits. Heaney matched a record shared by Detroit reliever Tyler Alexander against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2020, and Detroit reliever Doug Fister against Kansas City on Sept. 27, 2012.The major league record for consecutive strikeouts is 10, set by the New York Mets' Tom Seaver on April 22, 1970, and matched by the Philadelphia Phillies' Aaron Nola on June 25, 2021, and the Milwaukee Brewers' Corbin Burnes on Aug. 11, 2021.Garcia's slam capped a seven-run sixth inning and snapped his 0-for-16 slump.Corey Seager and Jonah Heim also homered off Royals right-hander Zack Greinke (0-3). Greinke gave up four runs, three earned, in five innings.Hunter Dozier homered for Kansas City in the seventh inning.Seager had three hits, two off Grienke. Seager is 10 for 24 with four homers off the 2009 AL Cy Young winner.First-year Royals manager Matt Quatraro returned to action after missing the team's previous five games with COVID-19.DON'T LEAVE HOMEGreinke is 0-11 in his last 18 road starts since beating the Los Angeles Angels for the Houston Astros on Aug. 13, 2021.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: LHP Daniel Lynch (rotator cuff strain) is scheduled to throw a bullpen in Arizona on Tuesday.Rangers: C Mitch Garver (left knee sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with C Sandy Leon selected from Triple-A Round Rock to replace him.UP NEXTRangers RHP Jacob deGrom (1-0, 5.59 ERA) will make a third consecutive home start to begin his Texas career, having taken a perfect game into the fifth inning of his win over Baltimore last Wednesday. Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (0-2, 4.91) went 11-19 as a Ranger 2020-21.

Heaney has AL record-tying 9 straight Ks; Rangers top Royals

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — First-year Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro will return to the dugout for Monday night's road game against the Texas Rangers after missing the club's previous five games with COVID-19.

The Royals went 2-3 under interim manager Paul Hoover, the team's bench coach. Kansas City lost four of its first five games under Quatraro, who left the team one game into a three-game home series against Toronto.

The Royals won two of three at San Francisco over the weekend on the first half of a six-game road trip.

Quatraro, 49, is a major league manager for the first time. He most recently was the Tampa Bay Rays' bench coach.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — First-year Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro will return to the dugout for Monday night's road game against the Texas Rangers after missing the club's previous five games with COVID-19.The Royals went 2-3 under interim manager Paul Hoover, the team's bench coach. Kansas City lost four of its first five games under Quatraro, who left the team one game into a three-game home series against Toronto.The Royals won two of three at San Francisco over the weekend on the first half of a six-game road trip.Quatraro, 49, is a major league manager for the first time. He most recently was the Tampa Bay Rays' bench coach.

Royals manager Quatraro returns after 5-game COVID absence

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Coming off an outstanding junior season in which he picked up nine All-America honors, Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe is already generating buzz prior to his senior campaign as he was named to the 2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS All-America Team, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Friday.

Beebe landed on the first team in the Walter Camp preseason listing despite not being named an All-American by the organization after the 2022 season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681136845323.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Coming off an outstanding junior season in which he picked up nine All-America honors, Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe is already generating buzz prior to his senior campaign as he was named to the 2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS All-America Team, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Friday.Beebe landed on the first team in the Walter Camp preseason listing despite not being named an All-American by the organization after the 2022 season.A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Beebe has started 35 career games as both an interior lineman and at tackle. This past season while starting all 14 games at left guard, Beebe was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year as he helped lead the Wildcats to 10 victories, including a Big 12 Championship with a 31-28 overtime win over No. 3 TCU. He picked up First Team All-America honors from The Athletic, ESPN, FOX Sports and Sporting News, was a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus and USA TODAY, and an Honorable Mention All-American by Phil Steele.Beebe is part of an offensive line unit that returns 100% of its total starts from last season, a year in which they helped lead the way for an offense that rushed for 208.3 yards per game – the third-best mark in school history – to rank 15th in the country, the Wildcats' highest national ranking since 2003. K-State also ranked second in school history in 2022 in total offensive yards (5,863), third in rushing yards per carry (5.12), fourth in total rushing yards (2,916), fifth in total yards per game (418.8), ninth in yards per play (6.12) and 10th in rushing touchdowns (32).The 2022 Wildcats also ranked highly in sacks allowed, placing third in the Big 12 by allowing 1.50 sacks per game. Beebe has been a main force in the Wildcats allowing fewer than 2.0 sacks per game each of the last four seasons, as K-State is one of only 10 FBS programs to lay that claim and the only one from the Big 12.