BY DEVIN HANNEY Sports Director - Salina Post

After a twelve hour road trip into the heart of Tennessee, it took some time for the Salina Liberty to get their legs going...but it didn't take long. After giving up the first touchdown of the game and then trailing 16-7 early in the second quarter, the Liberty came roaring back.

"We started off a little flat being down 9-0. Once we calmed down and made a couple adjustments, we started playing football." According to Liberty Head Coach, Heron O'Neal.&nbsp;

In a span of 14 minutes, the Liberty went on a 30-0 run taking a 37-16 advantage into halftime. Salina scored in all aspects, creating chaos with their greedy defense and opportunistic special teams.&nbsp;

The Liberty would lean on that defense a little harder in the second half and eventually get the victory, 50-30. The win for Salina (2-0) is the second of the season while Nashville slips to 1-2.&nbsp;

The Liberty made a habit of taking the ball away from the Kats and flipping those possessions into points scoring 37 points off of Nashville turnovers. The defense was led by Dontra Matthews who tallied 10 tackles, 2 interceptions and a touchdown.&nbsp;

O'Neal put praise on his teams efforts. "The turnovers that were created by the defense, as well as our offense operating more efficiently, were huge. We were able to pull out a great road win and one of the biggest wins that we've had, in my opinion, in Salina history."&nbsp;

Quarterback Charles McCullum led the Liberty offense with 5 total touchdowns, 3 passing and 2 rushing. McCullum threw for 198 yards on the day.&nbsp;

O'Neal went on to say, "We got rolling and we got hot on both sides of the ball. Having Shane (McInerney) as our kicker helped get points which we haven't had in a while."

Liberty newcomer Shane McInerney was an exciting addition to the Salina kicking game. The kicker from Galway, Ireland went 5 of 7 on points after touchdown, converted a 30 yard field goal and created 2 turnovers via kick off opportunities.&nbsp;

Salina now looks to prevail through a short week as they prepare once again for a long road trip. The Liberty are scheduled for travel to Montana to face the Billings Outlaws. This weekend's game is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Saturday. (6:00 pm Mountain Time, 5:00 pm local)

You can hear more about the road game in Nashville as well as the upcoming trip to Billings on Tuesday with the "Coach Heron O'Neal Show". The "Coach O Show" is live at AJ's Sports Bar and Grill inside The Alley, downtown Salina. The show starts at 6:00 pm on Tuesday and the public is welcome to attend. Viewers can also watch the show as&nbsp; the video streams live right here on Salina Post.

BY DEVIN HANNEY Sports Director - Salina PostAfter a twelve hour road trip into the heart of Tennessee, it took some time for the Salina Liberty to get their legs going...but it didn't take long. After giving up the first touchdown of the game and then trailing 16-7 early in the second quarter, the Liberty came roaring back.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715632935741.png" alt="Ryan Roofing is proud to bring Liberty coverage to Salina Post!" />
 <figcaption>Ryan Roofing is proud to bring Liberty coverage to Salina Post!</figcaption>
 </figure>"We started off a little flat being down 9-0. Once we calmed down and made a couple adjustments, we started playing football." According to Liberty Head Coach, Heron O'Neal.&nbsp;In a span of 14 minutes, the Liberty went on a 30-0 run taking a 37-16 advantage into halftime. Salina scored in all aspects, creating chaos with their greedy defense and opportunistic special teams.&nbsp;The Liberty would lean on that defense a little harder in the second half and eventually get the victory, 50-30. The win for Salina (2-0) is the second of the season while Nashville slips to 1-2.&nbsp;The Liberty made a habit of taking the ball away from the Kats and flipping those possessions into points scoring 37 points off of Nashville turnovers. The defense was led by Dontra Matthews who tallied 10 tackles, 2 interceptions and a touchdown.&nbsp;O'Neal put praise on his teams efforts. "The turnovers that were created by the defense, as well as our offense operating more efficiently, were huge. We were able to pull out a great road win and one of the biggest wins that we've had, in my opinion, in Salina history."&nbsp;Quarterback Charles McCullum led the Liberty offense with 5 total touchdowns, 3 passing and 2 rushing. McCullum threw for 198 yards on the day.&nbsp;O'Neal went on to say, "We got rolling and we got hot on both sides of the ball. Having Shane (McInerney) as our kicker helped get points which we haven't had in a while."Liberty newcomer Shane McInerney was an exciting addition to the Salina kicking game. The kicker from Galway, Ireland went 5 of 7 on points after touchdown, converted a 30 yard field goal and created 2 turnovers via kick off opportunities.&nbsp;Salina now looks to prevail through a short week as they prepare once again for a long road trip. The Liberty are scheduled for travel to Montana to face the Billings Outlaws. This weekend's game is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Saturday. (6:00 pm Mountain Time, 5:00 pm local)You can hear more about the road game in Nashville as well as the upcoming trip to Billings on Tuesday with the "Coach Heron O'Neal Show". The "Coach O Show" is live at AJ's Sports Bar and Grill inside The Alley, downtown Salina. The show starts at 6:00 pm on Tuesday and the public is welcome to attend. Viewers can also watch the show as&nbsp; the video streams live right here on Salina Post.

Salina Liberty Dominate Kats in Music City

SEATTLE (AP) — George Kirby allowed three hits over seven shutout innings, Luke Raley hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.

A night that started with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mariners-foul-ball-fan-1e26d7d28494e34a60fee728115f5462">lucky fan catching foul balls</a>&nbsp;on consecutive pitches ended with another dominant pitching performance that helped the Mariners improve to 19-11 over the past 30 games.

Kirby (4-3) had been bothered by a sore knee, but was terrific. He angrily pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning after hitting a pair of batters, but appeared to become energized by getting himself out of the situation.

"If anything else, that just fires me up to make that pitch even more fine on the corner," Kirby said.

He gave up Bobby Witt Jr.’s first inning single, then didn’t allow another hit until Dairon Blanco reached on an infield single in the fifth. Kirby struck out six, walked none. It was the third time this season he pitched at least six innings and didn’t allow a run.

Seattle manager Scott Servais called it a vintage performance by Kirby despite some early frustration.

“George is angry some nights and tonight was the night. There was a few calls that he didn't get that he thought he should have got, but he was on the attack,” Servais said.

Raley's second homer of the season traveled an estimated at 432 feet and came after Cal Raleigh doubled on the first pitch of the second inning from Kansas City starter Brady Singer. Raley also&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lindseywasson/status/1790214531387641891">appeared to break</a>&nbsp;– or have come unscrewed — the celebratory trident used by the Mariners to celebrate home runs.

“All I was doing was carrying it and it fell apart,” Raley said.

Raley is hitting .375 with a 1.131 OPS in May.

“I've put a lot of work in. I was busting my butt to get back to feeling comfortable in the box and it's paying off now,” Raley said.

Raleigh and Raley added an RBI singles an inning later. Raleigh's was a 410-foot shot that tipped off Blanco’s glove as he jumped at the fence. Julio Rodríguez scored, but Jorge Polanco had to wait near first base and could only advance 90 feet, leaving Raleigh with possibly the longest single of his career.

Ty France added a two-run homer in the eighth inning, his third of the season.

Kansas City's Michael Massey had a two-out, two-run double in the eighth, but closer Andrés Muñoz recorded the final four outs for his sixth save.

Singer (3-2) gave up a season-high nine hits and allowed more than two earned runs for only the second time this season – both losses. Singer needed 108 pitches to get through five innings and struck out six.

“His stuff was good. Missed his spots a couple of times there, at least the ones I saw on the board there. Middle mistakes with pretty good hitters,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (shoulder) pitched 1 1/3 innings on Sunday as part of his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, the first time he pitched more than one inning.

Mariners: Polanco left the game before the start of the sixth inning due to hamstring tightness in his right leg. ... SS J.P. Crawford (oblique) is expected to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (2-4, 5.15) looks for his second straight win after giving up two earned runs over six innings in his last start. Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (3-1, 2.94) will try and rebound after giving up eight runs on nine hits in a loss to Minnesota.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715679996990.jpeg" alt="Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley follows through on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 13, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)" />
 <figcaption>Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley follows through on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 13, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEATTLE (AP) — George Kirby allowed three hits over seven shutout innings, Luke Raley hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.A night that started with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mariners-foul-ball-fan-1e26d7d28494e34a60fee728115f5462">lucky fan catching foul balls</a>&nbsp;on consecutive pitches ended with another dominant pitching performance that helped the Mariners improve to 19-11 over the past 30 games.Kirby (4-3) had been bothered by a sore knee, but was terrific. He angrily pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning after hitting a pair of batters, but appeared to become energized by getting himself out of the situation."If anything else, that just fires me up to make that pitch even more fine on the corner," Kirby said.He gave up Bobby Witt Jr.’s first inning single, then didn’t allow another hit until Dairon Blanco reached on an infield single in the fifth. Kirby struck out six, walked none. It was the third time this season he pitched at least six innings and didn’t allow a run.Seattle manager Scott Servais called it a vintage performance by Kirby despite some early frustration.“George is angry some nights and tonight was the night. There was a few calls that he didn't get that he thought he should have got, but he was on the attack,” Servais said.Raley's second homer of the season traveled an estimated at 432 feet and came after Cal Raleigh doubled on the first pitch of the second inning from Kansas City starter Brady Singer. Raley also&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lindseywasson/status/1790214531387641891">appeared to break</a>&nbsp;– or have come unscrewed — the celebratory trident used by the Mariners to celebrate home runs.“All I was doing was carrying it and it fell apart,” Raley said.Raley is hitting .375 with a 1.131 OPS in May.“I've put a lot of work in. I was busting my butt to get back to feeling comfortable in the box and it's paying off now,” Raley said.Raleigh and Raley added an RBI singles an inning later. Raleigh's was a 410-foot shot that tipped off Blanco’s glove as he jumped at the fence. Julio Rodríguez scored, but Jorge Polanco had to wait near first base and could only advance 90 feet, leaving Raleigh with possibly the longest single of his career.Ty France added a two-run homer in the eighth inning, his third of the season.Kansas City's Michael Massey had a two-out, two-run double in the eighth, but closer Andrés Muñoz recorded the final four outs for his sixth save.Singer (3-2) gave up a season-high nine hits and allowed more than two earned runs for only the second time this season – both losses. Singer needed 108 pitches to get through five innings and struck out six.“His stuff was good. Missed his spots a couple of times there, at least the ones I saw on the board there. Middle mistakes with pretty good hitters,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (shoulder) pitched 1 1/3 innings on Sunday as part of his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, the first time he pitched more than one inning.Mariners: Polanco left the game before the start of the sixth inning due to hamstring tightness in his right leg. ... SS J.P. Crawford (oblique) is expected to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Michael Wacha (2-4, 5.15) looks for his second straight win after giving up two earned runs over six innings in his last start. Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (3-1, 2.94) will try and rebound after giving up eight runs on nine hits in a loss to Minnesota.

⚾  Luke Raley has 3 RBIs as Mariners beat the Royals 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Seth Lugo racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run over eight strong innings, and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single against his former team in the Kansas City Royals' 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Freddie Fermin and Michael Massey also had RBIs during the Royals' four-run fourth inning, and Lugo (6-1) made it stand up as Kansas City took three of four from the Angels.

Lugo allowed five hits while continuing his outstanding start to his first season with the Royals, winning for the AL-best sixth time in eight starts and lowering his ERA to an AL-best 1.66.

“To strike out 12 and only throw 112 pitches, that’s really remarkable,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Just the confidence that you have when he’s out there. He just comes out and it feels like he’s in total control all the time.”

Lugo overcame slight early control issues, retired 11 straight at one point, and didn't walk a batter for the first time all season. The longtime Mets right-hander has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his nine starts for Kansas City.

“We were counting on him to be one of the top couple of starters we had,” Quatraro said. “What he’s done so far, I don’t think anybody can bank on that run of starts, but the way he’s done it is really impressive, and he hasn’t wavered. ... I can’t even fathom having nine pitches to choose from, (and) the fact he uses them and they all do something and he can locate all of them.”

Willie Calhoun had an RBI double in the sixth and a solo homer in the ninth for the Halos, who have lost 17 of 23 with a major league-worst 14 players on the injured list.

Los Angeles has lost all six of its series at the Big A this season, failing to win consecutive home games at any point.

Patrick Sandoval (2-6) allowed 11 hits for Los Angeles, but pitched into the seventh inning and only allowed runs during the Royals' fourth-inning rally. Sandoval has lost five of his last seven starts.

“The takeaway from his start is he should be pleased,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “One inning (was bad), and sometimes that happens to you. Sometimes you can recover, and sometimes not. You’ve got to give their pitching staff credit.”

The Royals got five consecutive hits to open the fourth inning. Renfroe, who batted .242 with 19 homers in 126 games for the Angels last season, drove in Nelson Velasquez and Fermin with his bases-loaded single before Massey drove in Dairon Blanco with a sacrifice bunt.

The Angels couldn't get to Lugo until Mickey Moniak singled in the sixth and Calhoun drove him home.

Calhoun capped his three-hit game with his first homer for the Angels, a solo shot off James McArthur in the ninth. McArthur got two more outs to complete his ninth save.

Royals: Brady Singer (3-1, 2.36 ERA) takes the mound in Seattle for the series opener on Monday.

Angels: Jose Soriano (1-4, 4.32 ERA) takes the mound in Anaheim on Monday for the opener of a three-game series with St. Louis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715561666486.png" alt="Seth Lugo racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run over eight strong innings-photo KC Royals" />
 <figcaption>Seth Lugo racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run over eight strong innings-photo KC Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Seth Lugo racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run over eight strong innings, and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single against his former team in the Kansas City Royals' 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.Freddie Fermin and Michael Massey also had RBIs during the Royals' four-run fourth inning, and Lugo (6-1) made it stand up as Kansas City took three of four from the Angels.Lugo allowed five hits while continuing his outstanding start to his first season with the Royals, winning for the AL-best sixth time in eight starts and lowering his ERA to an AL-best 1.66.“To strike out 12 and only throw 112 pitches, that’s really remarkable,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Just the confidence that you have when he’s out there. He just comes out and it feels like he’s in total control all the time.”Lugo overcame slight early control issues, retired 11 straight at one point, and didn't walk a batter for the first time all season. The longtime Mets right-hander has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his nine starts for Kansas City.“We were counting on him to be one of the top couple of starters we had,” Quatraro said. “What he’s done so far, I don’t think anybody can bank on that run of starts, but the way he’s done it is really impressive, and he hasn’t wavered. ... I can’t even fathom having nine pitches to choose from, (and) the fact he uses them and they all do something and he can locate all of them.”Willie Calhoun had an RBI double in the sixth and a solo homer in the ninth for the Halos, who have lost 17 of 23 with a major league-worst 14 players on the injured list.Los Angeles has lost all six of its series at the Big A this season, failing to win consecutive home games at any point.Patrick Sandoval (2-6) allowed 11 hits for Los Angeles, but pitched into the seventh inning and only allowed runs during the Royals' fourth-inning rally. Sandoval has lost five of his last seven starts.“The takeaway from his start is he should be pleased,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “One inning (was bad), and sometimes that happens to you. Sometimes you can recover, and sometimes not. You’ve got to give their pitching staff credit.”The Royals got five consecutive hits to open the fourth inning. Renfroe, who batted .242 with 19 homers in 126 games for the Angels last season, drove in Nelson Velasquez and Fermin with his bases-loaded single before Massey drove in Dairon Blanco with a sacrifice bunt.The Angels couldn't get to Lugo until Mickey Moniak singled in the sixth and Calhoun drove him home.Calhoun capped his three-hit game with his first homer for the Angels, a solo shot off James McArthur in the ninth. McArthur got two more outs to complete his ninth save.UP NEXTRoyals: Brady Singer (3-1, 2.36 ERA) takes the mound in Seattle for the series opener on Monday.Angels: Jose Soriano (1-4, 4.32 ERA) takes the mound in Anaheim on Monday for the opener of a three-game series with St. Louis.

⚾ Lugo dominates with 12 strikeout in Royals' win over Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jo Adell hit a three-run homer and Kevin Pillar had three hits and three RBIs in the Los Angeles Angels' 9-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Logan O’Hoppe had a two-run double during a four-run seventh for the Angels, who won for only the sixth time in 22 games.

“We put some good at-bats together in some situations where we certainly needed it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We just want to learn how to sustain it, and if they can sustain it, we can become a very consistent team because we've got some kids out there that are growing.”

Tyler Anderson (3-4) yielded three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 effective innings for the Halos, ending his five-start winless skid. The left-hander retired 12 straight at one point.

“It's good (to get a victory), but it's a team game, and we're doing a good job staying in a lot of these games,” Anderson said.

Salvador Pérez had an early RBI double for the Royals, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Cole Ragans (2-3) allowed eight hits and seven runs over 6 1/3 innings for Kansas City, recording a season-low three strikeouts in his first loss in four starts.

“I think his delivery looked a little bit out of whack, and I think it affected his command,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “His stuff was good. He got into a groove there after the third and kept us in the game. We felt good that he had plenty of pitches (left), but he just didn't execute as well as he would have liked there in the seventh.”

Bobby Witt Jr. singled, stole second and scored on Pérez’s double down the left field line in the first, but Pillar led off the Angels' second with a triple when MJ Melendez misplayed his drive to left.

Adell connected two batters later with a 419-foot shot. The long-hyped prospect could be finding a groove in the majors after a half-decade of false starts, hitting three homers in his last four games and seven this season.

“It all goes back to my decisions in the box and what I swing at,” Adell said.

Cole Tucker, Taylor Ward and Pillar then strung together consecutive singles in the third, and Ward scored on a wild pitch to put the Angels up 5-1.

“Obviously not the best,” Ragans said of his start. “Made some mistakes. Felt like a few times I made some good pitches (and) they hit them hard. A few times, left some pitches over the plate. Fell behind quite a bit, I felt like. Yeah, just not the best.”

After Witt singled home Maikel Garcia in the sixth, the Royals chased Anderson with Kyle Isbel's soft RBI single in the seventh. Angels reliever Adam Cimber escaped a tight jam for the second straight night, allowing no runs for the 15th time in his last 16 appearances.

“Cimber is the man,” Anderson said. “We all love him. If there's nobody on, if there's people on, we just like it when he's in the game.”

Pillar then dropped a bases-loaded, two-out single inside the line in right field in the seventh off reliever Nick Anderson, and O'Hoppe followed with a double to left.

Pillar was designated for assignment by the White Sox last month, and he made his Angels debut May 1, shortly after Mike Trout's knee injury. The veteran is off to a solid start back in his native Los Angeles area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/angels-pirates-score-2ad1c37dcd60efc77de0c04830d08848">hitting two homers and driving in six runs</a>&nbsp;in a win at Pittsburgh earlier this week.

Kansas City's Seth Lugo (5-1, 1.92 ERA) goes for his sixth victory in his last eight starts when the takes the mound in the series finale against the Angels' Patrick Sandoval (2-5, 4.85 ERA), the beneficiary of Pillar's six-RBI game in Pittsburgh.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715488127138.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Angels' Jo Adell, left, celebrates as he rounds first after hitting a three-run home run while Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino watches during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)" />
 <figcaption>Los Angeles Angels' Jo Adell, left, celebrates as he rounds first after hitting a three-run home run while Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino watches during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)</figcaption>
 </figure>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jo Adell hit a three-run homer and Kevin Pillar had three hits and three RBIs in the Los Angeles Angels' 9-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.Logan O’Hoppe had a two-run double during a four-run seventh for the Angels, who won for only the sixth time in 22 games.“We put some good at-bats together in some situations where we certainly needed it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We just want to learn how to sustain it, and if they can sustain it, we can become a very consistent team because we've got some kids out there that are growing.”Tyler Anderson (3-4) yielded three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 effective innings for the Halos, ending his five-start winless skid. The left-hander retired 12 straight at one point.“It's good (to get a victory), but it's a team game, and we're doing a good job staying in a lot of these games,” Anderson said.Salvador Pérez had an early RBI double for the Royals, whose three-game winning streak ended.Cole Ragans (2-3) allowed eight hits and seven runs over 6 1/3 innings for Kansas City, recording a season-low three strikeouts in his first loss in four starts.“I think his delivery looked a little bit out of whack, and I think it affected his command,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “His stuff was good. He got into a groove there after the third and kept us in the game. We felt good that he had plenty of pitches (left), but he just didn't execute as well as he would have liked there in the seventh.”Bobby Witt Jr. singled, stole second and scored on Pérez’s double down the left field line in the first, but Pillar led off the Angels' second with a triple when MJ Melendez misplayed his drive to left.Adell connected two batters later with a 419-foot shot. The long-hyped prospect could be finding a groove in the majors after a half-decade of false starts, hitting three homers in his last four games and seven this season.“It all goes back to my decisions in the box and what I swing at,” Adell said.Cole Tucker, Taylor Ward and Pillar then strung together consecutive singles in the third, and Ward scored on a wild pitch to put the Angels up 5-1.“Obviously not the best,” Ragans said of his start. “Made some mistakes. Felt like a few times I made some good pitches (and) they hit them hard. A few times, left some pitches over the plate. Fell behind quite a bit, I felt like. Yeah, just not the best.”After Witt singled home Maikel Garcia in the sixth, the Royals chased Anderson with Kyle Isbel's soft RBI single in the seventh. Angels reliever Adam Cimber escaped a tight jam for the second straight night, allowing no runs for the 15th time in his last 16 appearances.“Cimber is the man,” Anderson said. “We all love him. If there's nobody on, if there's people on, we just like it when he's in the game.”Pillar then dropped a bases-loaded, two-out single inside the line in right field in the seventh off reliever Nick Anderson, and O'Hoppe followed with a double to left.Pillar was designated for assignment by the White Sox last month, and he made his Angels debut May 1, shortly after Mike Trout's knee injury. The veteran is off to a solid start back in his native Los Angeles area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/angels-pirates-score-2ad1c37dcd60efc77de0c04830d08848">hitting two homers and driving in six runs</a>&nbsp;in a win at Pittsburgh earlier this week.UP NEXTKansas City's Seth Lugo (5-1, 1.92 ERA) goes for his sixth victory in his last eight starts when the takes the mound in the series finale against the Angels' Patrick Sandoval (2-5, 4.85 ERA), the beneficiary of Pillar's six-RBI game in Pittsburgh.

⚾ Jo Adell's 3-run homer leads the Angels past the Royals 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adam Frazier hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 2-1 victory over the hapless Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

MJ Melendez delivered a one-out single off Angels closer Carlos Estévez (0-2) before Frazier put his first homer in 31 games this season into the short porch in right field. Frazier, who got two hits to boost his average to .188, hadn't homered in 74 games since last July 30 with Baltimore.

“I've been working on a lot of different things,” Frazier said. “I probably changed ideas 10 times today, to be honest. ... The last couple of at-bats, just kind of relaxed and let the hands take over. Just tried to get the body out of the way and swing easy.”

Melendez had three hits for Kansas City, which has won three straight and seven of 10. Tyler Duffey (1-0) pitched the eighth to earn his first victory since 2022.

Jo Adell homered and Griffin Canning pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Angels, who have lost 16 of 21 after Estévez's third blown save in his last six opportunities.

Matt Thaiss got a one-out double off John Schreiber in the bottom of the ninth, but Schreiber got two grounders to wrap up his first save of the season with his new team.

Alec Marsh struck out seven while pitching one-run ball into the sixth inning in his return from injury, but the Royals were two outs away from their second shutout loss of the season before they came back. Marsh hadn’t pitched since getting hit in the elbow by a comebacker on April 25.

“We were in it the whole time,” Marsh said. “No one thought we were losing that game. ... That's what you live for right there — coming back in those games and sneaking those wins out. The bats didn't show up for the first couple of innings, but this team has got so much fight. Doesn't matter if it's the beginning of the game or the ending of the game. If we score, we're going to win.”

The Angels got a big game from Adell, who made a diving catch on Michael Massey's line drive in the top of the fifth. He hit his sixth homer of the season several minutes later, driving a 436-foot shot off the artificial rock formation beyond the center field fence at the Big A.

Canning came through with his best start in a rocky season, holding the Royals to three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

“I don’t think the at-bats were poor,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “You’ve got to tip your cap to Canning. Looked like the changeup was really giving us trouble. He was getting it down below the barrel, and then the balls we did square up, Adell made a great play on Massey. That's a leadoff double, maybe triple. Who knows?"

After reliever Adam Cimber escaped Canning's sixth-inning jam by striking out Massey, Matt Moore and Luis García each threw a scoreless inning before Estévez blew it.

Niko Goodrum drew a walk and stole a base in his debut with the Angels, who claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Luis Guillorme doubled in his second game with the Angels, who have added several stopgap veterans to fill the injury holes left by Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo and Miguel Sano.

Royals: LHP Daniel Lynch was sent back to Triple-A Omaha to make room for Marsh, who came off the 15-day injured list.

Angels: INF Ehire Adrianza went on the 10-day injured list with back spasms. The move is retroactive to Thursday.

LHP Tyler Anderson (2-4, 2.74 ERA) takes the mound for Los Angeles in the third game of the series Saturday, facing Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (2-2, 3.38 ERA).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715405790300.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto (9) steals second ahead of a throw to Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)" />
 <figcaption>Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto (9) steals second ahead of a throw to Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)</figcaption>
 </figure>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adam Frazier hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 2-1 victory over the hapless Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.MJ Melendez delivered a one-out single off Angels closer Carlos Estévez (0-2) before Frazier put his first homer in 31 games this season into the short porch in right field. Frazier, who got two hits to boost his average to .188, hadn't homered in 74 games since last July 30 with Baltimore.“I've been working on a lot of different things,” Frazier said. “I probably changed ideas 10 times today, to be honest. ... The last couple of at-bats, just kind of relaxed and let the hands take over. Just tried to get the body out of the way and swing easy.”Melendez had three hits for Kansas City, which has won three straight and seven of 10. Tyler Duffey (1-0) pitched the eighth to earn his first victory since 2022.Jo Adell homered and Griffin Canning pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Angels, who have lost 16 of 21 after Estévez's third blown save in his last six opportunities.Matt Thaiss got a one-out double off John Schreiber in the bottom of the ninth, but Schreiber got two grounders to wrap up his first save of the season with his new team.Alec Marsh struck out seven while pitching one-run ball into the sixth inning in his return from injury, but the Royals were two outs away from their second shutout loss of the season before they came back. Marsh hadn’t pitched since getting hit in the elbow by a comebacker on April 25.“We were in it the whole time,” Marsh said. “No one thought we were losing that game. ... That's what you live for right there — coming back in those games and sneaking those wins out. The bats didn't show up for the first couple of innings, but this team has got so much fight. Doesn't matter if it's the beginning of the game or the ending of the game. If we score, we're going to win.”The Angels got a big game from Adell, who made a diving catch on Michael Massey's line drive in the top of the fifth. He hit his sixth homer of the season several minutes later, driving a 436-foot shot off the artificial rock formation beyond the center field fence at the Big A.Canning came through with his best start in a rocky season, holding the Royals to three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.“I don’t think the at-bats were poor,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “You’ve got to tip your cap to Canning. Looked like the changeup was really giving us trouble. He was getting it down below the barrel, and then the balls we did square up, Adell made a great play on Massey. That's a leadoff double, maybe triple. Who knows?"After reliever Adam Cimber escaped Canning's sixth-inning jam by striking out Massey, Matt Moore and Luis García each threw a scoreless inning before Estévez blew it.Niko Goodrum drew a walk and stole a base in his debut with the Angels, who claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay on Thursday.Luis Guillorme doubled in his second game with the Angels, who have added several stopgap veterans to fill the injury holes left by Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo and Miguel Sano.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: LHP Daniel Lynch was sent back to Triple-A Omaha to make room for Marsh, who came off the 15-day injured list.Angels: INF Ehire Adrianza went on the 10-day injured list with back spasms. The move is retroactive to Thursday.UP NEXTLHP Tyler Anderson (2-4, 2.74 ERA) takes the mound for Los Angeles in the third game of the series Saturday, facing Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (2-2, 3.38 ERA).

⚾ Adam Frazier hits 2-run homer in the 9th as Royals top the Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Dairon Blanco had three hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, Michael Wacha picked up his first win in over a month and the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

“He comes ready to play whenever he’s in the lineup, whether that’s starting or just coming off the bench,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Blanco, who is mostly used as a pinch runner, but has hit safely in five of his seven starts this season.

Vinnie Pasquantino also had a two-run homer in the third and drove in three runs for the Royals, who have won three of four. Pasquantino has nine RBIs in his last five games.

Maikel Garcia added three hits, including a two-run double in the sixth.

Wacha (2-4) — who went 0-4 in his previous five starts. — allowed only two hits in six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. The Angels loaded the bases as their first three hitters got aboard when Luis Guillorme and Cole Tucker drew bases-loaded walks to chase the right-hander.

“Those first six innings I felt like I was locked in, you know. Then, kind of lost it in the seventh,” said Wacha, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and struck out six in six-plus innings. “I’m not going to let that affect how I feel coming out of there. The stuff was good and had a good mix.”

The Angels had runners at first and second with one out, but reliever Daniel Lynch IV made a great grab of Kevin Pillar’s grounder to start a double play and end the inning.

The Angels had five hits and are 4-12 at The Big A, the worst home start in franchise history.

Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-4) retired the first six Royals before running into trouble in the third. Hunter Renfroe drew a leadoff walk and Blanco followed by driving Detmers' slider into the left-field bullpens. Later in the inning, Pasquantino's two-run shot to right went 442 feet, the farthest he has hit in his three years in the majors.

Detmers allowed six runs and seven hits and struck out five in five innings. The left-hander has allowed at least four runs in four straight starts after giving up four runs (three earned) through his first four starts.

“Tonight, everything he landed they got to and he wasn't landing very much. Tonight wasn't his night,” manager Ron Washington said of Detmers. “When he did make a good pitch, they found a way to put it into play. We struck out 13 tonight and they still had 12 hits and put 10 runs on the board.”

Angels: Infielders Brandon Drury (left hamstring strain) and Luis Rengifo (viral infection) were placed on the 10-day injured list. The moves and Los Angeles' lineup were not announced until 8 minutes before first pitch.

Kansas City RHP Alec Marsh (3-0, 2.70 ERA), who had a right elbow contusion, is expected to come off the 15-day injured list Friday. RHP Griffin Canning (1-4, 6.69 ERA) gets the call for Los Angeles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715317703148.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Dairon Blanco, right, is congratulated by Salvador Perez after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Dairon Blanco, right, is congratulated by Salvador Perez after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)</figcaption>
 </figure>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Dairon Blanco had three hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, Michael Wacha picked up his first win in over a month and the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.“He comes ready to play whenever he’s in the lineup, whether that’s starting or just coming off the bench,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Blanco, who is mostly used as a pinch runner, but has hit safely in five of his seven starts this season.Vinnie Pasquantino also had a two-run homer in the third and drove in three runs for the Royals, who have won three of four. Pasquantino has nine RBIs in his last five games.Maikel Garcia added three hits, including a two-run double in the sixth.Wacha (2-4) — who went 0-4 in his previous five starts. — allowed only two hits in six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. The Angels loaded the bases as their first three hitters got aboard when Luis Guillorme and Cole Tucker drew bases-loaded walks to chase the right-hander.“Those first six innings I felt like I was locked in, you know. Then, kind of lost it in the seventh,” said Wacha, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and struck out six in six-plus innings. “I’m not going to let that affect how I feel coming out of there. The stuff was good and had a good mix.”The Angels had runners at first and second with one out, but reliever Daniel Lynch IV made a great grab of Kevin Pillar’s grounder to start a double play and end the inning.The Angels had five hits and are 4-12 at The Big A, the worst home start in franchise history.Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-4) retired the first six Royals before running into trouble in the third. Hunter Renfroe drew a leadoff walk and Blanco followed by driving Detmers' slider into the left-field bullpens. Later in the inning, Pasquantino's two-run shot to right went 442 feet, the farthest he has hit in his three years in the majors.Detmers allowed six runs and seven hits and struck out five in five innings. The left-hander has allowed at least four runs in four straight starts after giving up four runs (three earned) through his first four starts.“Tonight, everything he landed they got to and he wasn't landing very much. Tonight wasn't his night,” manager Ron Washington said of Detmers. “When he did make a good pitch, they found a way to put it into play. We struck out 13 tonight and they still had 12 hits and put 10 runs on the board.”TRAINER'S ROOMAngels: Infielders Brandon Drury (left hamstring strain) and Luis Rengifo (viral infection) were placed on the 10-day injured list. The moves and Los Angeles' lineup were not announced until 8 minutes before first pitch.UP NEXTKansas City RHP Alec Marsh (3-0, 2.70 ERA), who had a right elbow contusion, is expected to come off the 15-day injured list Friday. RHP Griffin Canning (1-4, 6.69 ERA) gets the call for Los Angeles.

⚾ Blanco has 3 hits as Royals roll to victory over Angels

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run and scored three times to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Wednesday.

Both starting pitchers struggled out of the gate but settled down and limited the damage. The Royals' Brady Singer (3-1) allowed one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Joe Ross (1-4) allowed three runs on three hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two.

“I think the sinker had a lot of action on it,” Singer said. “I was able to locate that pretty well, get it in on the lefthanders. I wanted to go deeper in the game, but the first two innings the pitch count was pretty high.”

James McArthur picked up his eighth save after blowing his last two chances.

“We thought we had a chance to not have to bring him in, but clearly we needed to,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He came in and executed right off the bat. He only had to throw three pitches.”

The Brewers opened the first with back-to-back doubles by Brice Turang and William Contreras to grab a 1-0 lead.

The Royals answered with back-to-back doubles by Maikel Garcia and Witt, but didn't score until Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly. Witt's double looked like a flyout to center, keeping Garcia at second. But Blake Perkins slipped in center and the ball dropped untouched. Michael Massey's sacrifice fly scored Witt to give KC a 2-1 lead.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn't lamenting the mistakes after the game.

“They're all winnable,” he said. “You make mistakes and then it piles on. Give them credit, they capitalized when they had to. But we had a couple of things happen to us early. But there were a lot of good things today, too. Gary Sanchez continues to have great at-bats. Joe Ross pitched good.”

After both starters settled down, Massey got his second sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Witt. The sacrifice fly isn't as glamorous as an RBI hit, but the runs help.

“It's knowing the situation and getting a pitch you can do something with,” Quatraro said. “You have to understand that you don't have to do too much. Both Vinnie and Massey had big at-bats.”

Sanchez connected for his fifth home run leading off the seventh for Milwaukee. With one out and a runner at second, Turang lined one to left, but Oliver Dunn was thrown out at the plate by left fielder MJ Melendez.

“I'm just trying to find a way to help this team win,” said Melendez, who entered the game hitting .185 and struck out in his two at-bats. “Obviously I'm not getting the job done on offense. I'm trying to make up for it on the other side of the ball.”

His contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“I think he's got one of the best arms out there,” Witt said. “His accuracy is unbelievable. It's great to see him out there doing his thing.”

Witt hit his first home run since April 11 leading off the eighth.

“That was a slider,” Witt said. “Those are the pitches you're supposed to hit out when they back up like that.”

Adam Frazier and Freddy Fermin added RBI singles. The Brewers got two runs in the ninth.

Christian Yelich went 0 for 5 for the Brewers in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brewers-yelich-4d7a6765cdff6915ba9cae4c05c7d523">first game back</a>&nbsp;from a low back strain.

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh is eligible to come off the IL on Friday. Manager Matt Quatraro said Marsh is on schedule to start for the Royals in Anaheim.

Brewers: return to Milwaukee to start a four-game series with the Cardinals. Milwaukee will hand the ball to RHP Tobias Myers (0-2, 6.23 ERA). The Cardinals have not announced their starter.

Royals: will begin a four-game series in Anaheim on Thursday. RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 5.50 ERA) will start for KC against LHP Reid Detmers (3-3, 4.24 ERA).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715202768644.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., left, runs past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., left, runs past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run and scored three times to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Wednesday.Both starting pitchers struggled out of the gate but settled down and limited the damage. The Royals' Brady Singer (3-1) allowed one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Joe Ross (1-4) allowed three runs on three hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two.“I think the sinker had a lot of action on it,” Singer said. “I was able to locate that pretty well, get it in on the lefthanders. I wanted to go deeper in the game, but the first two innings the pitch count was pretty high.”James McArthur picked up his eighth save after blowing his last two chances.“We thought we had a chance to not have to bring him in, but clearly we needed to,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He came in and executed right off the bat. He only had to throw three pitches.”The Brewers opened the first with back-to-back doubles by Brice Turang and William Contreras to grab a 1-0 lead.The Royals answered with back-to-back doubles by Maikel Garcia and Witt, but didn't score until Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly. Witt's double looked like a flyout to center, keeping Garcia at second. But Blake Perkins slipped in center and the ball dropped untouched. Michael Massey's sacrifice fly scored Witt to give KC a 2-1 lead.Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn't lamenting the mistakes after the game.“They're all winnable,” he said. “You make mistakes and then it piles on. Give them credit, they capitalized when they had to. But we had a couple of things happen to us early. But there were a lot of good things today, too. Gary Sanchez continues to have great at-bats. Joe Ross pitched good.”After both starters settled down, Massey got his second sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Witt. The sacrifice fly isn't as glamorous as an RBI hit, but the runs help.“It's knowing the situation and getting a pitch you can do something with,” Quatraro said. “You have to understand that you don't have to do too much. Both Vinnie and Massey had big at-bats.”Sanchez connected for his fifth home run leading off the seventh for Milwaukee. With one out and a runner at second, Turang lined one to left, but Oliver Dunn was thrown out at the plate by left fielder MJ Melendez.“I'm just trying to find a way to help this team win,” said Melendez, who entered the game hitting .185 and struck out in his two at-bats. “Obviously I'm not getting the job done on offense. I'm trying to make up for it on the other side of the ball.”His contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.“I think he's got one of the best arms out there,” Witt said. “His accuracy is unbelievable. It's great to see him out there doing his thing.”Witt hit his first home run since April 11 leading off the eighth.“That was a slider,” Witt said. “Those are the pitches you're supposed to hit out when they back up like that.”Adam Frazier and Freddy Fermin added RBI singles. The Brewers got two runs in the ninth.Christian Yelich went 0 for 5 for the Brewers in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brewers-yelich-4d7a6765cdff6915ba9cae4c05c7d523">first game back</a>&nbsp;from a low back strain.TRAINING ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh is eligible to come off the IL on Friday. Manager Matt Quatraro said Marsh is on schedule to start for the Royals in Anaheim.UP NEXTBrewers: return to Milwaukee to start a four-game series with the Cardinals. Milwaukee will hand the ball to RHP Tobias Myers (0-2, 6.23 ERA). The Cardinals have not announced their starter.Royals: will begin a four-game series in Anaheim on Thursday. RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 5.50 ERA) will start for KC against LHP Reid Detmers (3-3, 4.24 ERA).___

⚾ Bobby Witt Jr. powers Royals past Brewers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames had been chatting up the Royals fans behind the Milwaukee dugout all game, the good-natured ribbing carrying on as the Brewers jumped out to a two-run lead and Kansas City battled back to take its own two-run lead to the ninth.

With two outs and a pair of runners aboard, Adames found himself standing in the on-deck circle with the game on the line.

“They told me they wanted me to hit a three-run homer,” Adames would say later, “and I was like, ‘I got you.’”

Adames proceeded to drill an 83 mph curveball from Royals closer James McArthur into the left-field bullpen, sending Milwaukee to a 6-5 win Tuesday night, and leaving those Kansas City fans mock-worshipping him as he returned to the dugout.

“It was really priceless,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who had watched the called-shot scene unfold. “It was really cool.”

Jared Koenig (3-1) earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill breezed through the ninth to earn his third save in three tries.

Vinnie Pasquantino drove in three runs for Kansas City. Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel also drove in runs.

“That one stings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro admitted, “but we've done that to other people as well.”

Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz crushed back-to-back homers off Royals starter Seth Lugo in the second inning, but that was all the offense the Brewers could muster until the seventh, when they managed to coax another run across.

They squandered a chance to draw closer when Angel Zerpa struck out Gary Sanchez to strand a pair later in the seventh, then missed another opportunity in the eighth, when John Schreiber fanned Oliver Dunn to leave two more runners aboard.

The Brewers didn't waste their final opportunity in the ninth.

McArthur (1-2) had retired the first two batters when William Contreras, on a full-count pitch, began the comeback with a double just inside the left-field foul line. Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames walked confidently to the plate.

“He's carrying on with (the fans) during Gary's at-bat, and he's telling them — they're Kansas City fans — he's telling them, ‘One more ball,'” Murphy said. “Then he goes back to them and goes, ‘Here we go.’”

There it went, right into the left-field bullpen.

It wasn't exactly on par Babe Ruth's called shot — there's a big difference between a regular-season game the first week of May and Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, when the Hall of Famer famously pointed toward deep center field at Wrigley Field, then homered to that exact spot to help the Yankees beat the Cubs, 7-5.

Still, it was the kind of stuff certain to go down in Brewers lore.

“Oh my God, that was the coolest thing I ever done,” said Adames, who even signed some balls for those Kansas City fans. “You know, sometimes the fans will be very hard, but these guys here, they were amazing. They were having a good time. Like, all my at-bats, we were chatting, and then the last one was obviously the most fun.”

Brewers left-hander Wade Miley was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati. The procedure was being performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds' medical director. The 37-year-old Miley made two starts this season, working seven total innings, before he was put on the injured list April 22 with elbow inflammation. The Brewers were counting on him after Miley went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts last season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715135395718.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey throws to first after forcing Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick (10) out at second on a force out hit into by William Contreras during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey throws to first after forcing Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick (10) out at second on a force out hit into by William Contreras during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames had been chatting up the Royals fans behind the Milwaukee dugout all game, the good-natured ribbing carrying on as the Brewers jumped out to a two-run lead and Kansas City battled back to take its own two-run lead to the ninth.With two outs and a pair of runners aboard, Adames found himself standing in the on-deck circle with the game on the line.“They told me they wanted me to hit a three-run homer,” Adames would say later, “and I was like, ‘I got you.’”Adames proceeded to drill an 83 mph curveball from Royals closer James McArthur into the left-field bullpen, sending Milwaukee to a 6-5 win Tuesday night, and leaving those Kansas City fans mock-worshipping him as he returned to the dugout.“It was really priceless,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who had watched the called-shot scene unfold. “It was really cool.”Jared Koenig (3-1) earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill breezed through the ninth to earn his third save in three tries.Vinnie Pasquantino drove in three runs for Kansas City. Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel also drove in runs.“That one stings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro admitted, “but we've done that to other people as well.”Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz crushed back-to-back homers off Royals starter Seth Lugo in the second inning, but that was all the offense the Brewers could muster until the seventh, when they managed to coax another run across.They squandered a chance to draw closer when Angel Zerpa struck out Gary Sanchez to strand a pair later in the seventh, then missed another opportunity in the eighth, when John Schreiber fanned Oliver Dunn to leave two more runners aboard.The Brewers didn't waste their final opportunity in the ninth.McArthur (1-2) had retired the first two batters when William Contreras, on a full-count pitch, began the comeback with a double just inside the left-field foul line. Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames walked confidently to the plate.“He's carrying on with (the fans) during Gary's at-bat, and he's telling them — they're Kansas City fans — he's telling them, ‘One more ball,'” Murphy said. “Then he goes back to them and goes, ‘Here we go.’”There it went, right into the left-field bullpen.It wasn't exactly on par Babe Ruth's called shot — there's a big difference between a regular-season game the first week of May and Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, when the Hall of Famer famously pointed toward deep center field at Wrigley Field, then homered to that exact spot to help the Yankees beat the Cubs, 7-5.Still, it was the kind of stuff certain to go down in Brewers lore.“Oh my God, that was the coolest thing I ever done,” said Adames, who even signed some balls for those Kansas City fans. “You know, sometimes the fans will be very hard, but these guys here, they were amazing. They were having a good time. Like, all my at-bats, we were chatting, and then the last one was obviously the most fun.”MILEY UPDATEBrewers left-hander Wade Miley was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati. The procedure was being performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds' medical director. The 37-year-old Miley made two starts this season, working seven total innings, before he was put on the injured list April 22 with elbow inflammation. The Brewers were counting on him after Miley went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts last season.UP NEXT

⚾ Adames hits go-ahead 3-run homer in ninth as Brewers beat KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Massey homered and Maikel Garcia singled in two runs in a three-run seventh inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Monday night.

The start was moved up a half-hour to 6:10 p.m. CDT to beat predicted thunderstorms, which didn't arrive before the last out.

After the Royals did next to nothing against Milwaukee starter Bryse Wilson, who allowed one hit and struck out six in six scoreless innings, they broke through in the seventh against the Brewers' bullpen.

Massey greeted Jared Koenig (2-1) with a 412-foot homer to right-center. Koenig was lifted with one out after a walk and a hit batsman, and Garcia hit a bases-loaded single up the middle against Elvis Peguero.

Cole Ragans allowed two runs on two hits in six innings for the Royals, striking out eight. Nick Anderson (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh. Tyler Duffey and Will Smith got through the eighth — helped by catcher Salvador Perez, who threw out Jackson Chourio trying to steal third — and Chris Stratton worked the ninth for his second save.

Gary Sánchez hit a two-run homer in the fourth for the Brewers, taking advantage of a strong southerly wind. He got a 2-1 fastball up into the air and it landed 427 feet away in the seats in left-center.

Wilson walked the first two Royals in the sixth. But he induced Vinnie Pasquantino to hit into a 4-6-3 double play and then struck out Perez to get out of the jam.

Brewers: Selected the contract of RHP Kevin Herget from Triple-A Nashville. RHP Janson Junk was optioned to Nashville ... RHP Jakob Junis was transferred to the 60-day injured list. ... RHP Freddy Peralta dropped his appeal and began his five-game suspension for hitting Tampa Bay's Jose Siri with a pitch Tuesday.

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh felt good after a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha Sunday. He is on schedule to return to the starting rotation Friday at the Los Angeles Angels.

The three-game series continues Tuesday with Milwaukee RHP Colin Rea (3-0, 2.67 ERA) facing Kansas City RHP Seth Lugo (5-1, 1.60).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715047250135.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia, right, throws to first base for an out after fielding a ground ball hit by Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz as shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) watches during the third inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia, right, throws to first base for an out after fielding a ground ball hit by Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz as shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) watches during the third inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Massey homered and Maikel Garcia singled in two runs in a three-run seventh inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Monday night.The start was moved up a half-hour to 6:10 p.m. CDT to beat predicted thunderstorms, which didn't arrive before the last out.After the Royals did next to nothing against Milwaukee starter Bryse Wilson, who allowed one hit and struck out six in six scoreless innings, they broke through in the seventh against the Brewers' bullpen.Massey greeted Jared Koenig (2-1) with a 412-foot homer to right-center. Koenig was lifted with one out after a walk and a hit batsman, and Garcia hit a bases-loaded single up the middle against Elvis Peguero.Cole Ragans allowed two runs on two hits in six innings for the Royals, striking out eight. Nick Anderson (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh. Tyler Duffey and Will Smith got through the eighth — helped by catcher Salvador Perez, who threw out Jackson Chourio trying to steal third — and Chris Stratton worked the ninth for his second save.Gary Sánchez hit a two-run homer in the fourth for the Brewers, taking advantage of a strong southerly wind. He got a 2-1 fastball up into the air and it landed 427 feet away in the seats in left-center.Wilson walked the first two Royals in the sixth. But he induced Vinnie Pasquantino to hit into a 4-6-3 double play and then struck out Perez to get out of the jam.TRANSACTIONSBrewers: Selected the contract of RHP Kevin Herget from Triple-A Nashville. RHP Janson Junk was optioned to Nashville ... RHP Jakob Junis was transferred to the 60-day injured list. ... RHP Freddy Peralta dropped his appeal and began his five-game suspension for hitting Tampa Bay's Jose Siri with a pitch Tuesday.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh felt good after a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha Sunday. He is on schedule to return to the starting rotation Friday at the Los Angeles Angels.UP NEXTThe three-game series continues Tuesday with Milwaukee RHP Colin Rea (3-0, 2.67 ERA) facing Kansas City RHP Seth Lugo (5-1, 1.60).___

⚾ Massey, Garcia key a 7th-inning rally as Royals top the Brewers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonah Heim hit a tying solo home run in the ninth inning and Nathaniel Lowe had a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th, leading the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

With one out in the 10th, Corey Seager singled off James McArthur (1-1) to put runners on first and third. Lowe followed with his third RBI of the series to score Leody Tavares.

David Robertson pitched a scoreless 10th that included an intentional walk to Bobby Witt Jr. with two outs to seal the win for the Rangers with his first save of the season.

Kirby Yates (3-0) earned the win by tossing two scoreless innings of relief.

Heim tied it at 2 in the ninth off McArthur when his shot struck the right-field foul pole for a home run. The homer snapped a season-high four-game drought for the Rangers.

It was the third straight series win for the Rangers overall and the sixth in a row against the Royals since 2021.

Texas moved to 3-3 in rubber games this season, while Kansas City dropped to 1-5.

Rangers starter Jon Gray allowed two runs and seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings.

Kansas City's Daniel Lynch tossed five innings of shutout ball in his season debut with just two hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Lynch retired 10 straight after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the first.

Vinnie Pasquantino gave the Royals an early 2-0 lead with a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI double in the third. But Kansas City went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Kansas City recalled Lynch for the start and optioned RHP Colin Selby to Triple-A Omaha to make room.

Rangers rookie OF Wyatt Langford left Saturday night with right hamstring tightness and was scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday. The team expected to know more by Monday.

Rangers: Texas will head to Oakland for a four-game series. Andrew Heaney (0-4, 5.10 ERA) will start against the A's.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714960890850.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Daniel Lynch IV pitches the ball during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Nick Tre. Smith)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Daniel Lynch IV pitches the ball during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Nick Tre. Smith)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonah Heim hit a tying solo home run in the ninth inning and Nathaniel Lowe had a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th, leading the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.With one out in the 10th, Corey Seager singled off James McArthur (1-1) to put runners on first and third. Lowe followed with his third RBI of the series to score Leody Tavares.David Robertson pitched a scoreless 10th that included an intentional walk to Bobby Witt Jr. with two outs to seal the win for the Rangers with his first save of the season.Kirby Yates (3-0) earned the win by tossing two scoreless innings of relief.Heim tied it at 2 in the ninth off McArthur when his shot struck the right-field foul pole for a home run. The homer snapped a season-high four-game drought for the Rangers.It was the third straight series win for the Rangers overall and the sixth in a row against the Royals since 2021.Texas moved to 3-3 in rubber games this season, while Kansas City dropped to 1-5.Rangers starter Jon Gray allowed two runs and seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings.Kansas City's Daniel Lynch tossed five innings of shutout ball in his season debut with just two hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Lynch retired 10 straight after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the first.Vinnie Pasquantino gave the Royals an early 2-0 lead with a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI double in the third. But Kansas City went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.ROSTER MOVESKansas City recalled Lynch for the start and optioned RHP Colin Selby to Triple-A Omaha to make room.TRAINER’S ROOMRangers rookie OF Wyatt Langford left Saturday night with right hamstring tightness and was scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday. The team expected to know more by Monday.UP NEXTRangers: Texas will head to Oakland for a four-game series. Andrew Heaney (0-4, 5.10 ERA) will start against the A's.

⚾ Lowe's RBI single in the 10th leads Rangers past Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe had four hits and two RBIs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 15-4 on Saturday night.

Lowe went 4 for 6 one night after going hitless in four at bats in Texas' 7-1 loss. It was his first four-hit game since last July 14.

“I guess it was just my turn in the grand pendulum of the swing of baseball," Lowe said. “It was great to have so many guys contribute. We got smoked last night, so it was good to come back tonight.”

Adolis García, Evan Carter and Travis Jankowski also drove in two runs each. Carter scored on a wild pitch after a two-run triple in the third inning. Garcia extended his hitting streak to six games, and Carter had two hits to extend his hit streak to five games.

The Rangers totaled a season-high 17 hits and set a season-high in runs against the team entering the game with the highest run differential in the majors.

Texas had three three-run innings and a five-run ninth to hand Kansas City its worst loss of the season. Two-runs scored on a wild pitch by Colin Selby and a throwing error to third base on the same play to cap a three-run seventh. Joe Smith, Jankowski, Marcus Semien, Leody Taveras and Ezequiel Duran had RBIs in the ninth.

“It was good to see everyone do something to help in the cause," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. ”We got shut down the night before the guys came out and put together great at-bats it is good for their confidence. ... Everyone did something tonight."

Dane Dunning pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and four hits. Dunning had limited the Royals to just one hit through the first four innings.

Josh Sborz (1-0) pitched one inning of relief to get the win.

Michael Wacha (1-4) pitched a season-low 3 2/3 innings, allowing a season-high seven runs and nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

“Obviously looked like some missed locations tonight," Royals Manager Matt Quatraro said. "You have to tip your cap to them as well.”

Hunter Renfroe put the Royals on the board with a two-run single to left field with two outs in the fifth. Bobby Witt Jr. recorded his 11th stolen base of the season, which leads the American League.

Vinnie Pasquantino and Garrett Hampson each drove in a run, and Michael Massey had three hits to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

Rangers: Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness. Langford was 0 for 3.

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (right elbow contusion) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on May 5. The Royals put Marsh on the 15-day injured list on April 25, making him eligible to return on May 10.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe had four hits and two RBIs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 15-4 on Saturday night.Lowe went 4 for 6 one night after going hitless in four at bats in Texas' 7-1 loss. It was his first four-hit game since last July 14.“I guess it was just my turn in the grand pendulum of the swing of baseball," Lowe said. “It was great to have so many guys contribute. We got smoked last night, so it was good to come back tonight.”Adolis García, Evan Carter and Travis Jankowski also drove in two runs each. Carter scored on a wild pitch after a two-run triple in the third inning. Garcia extended his hitting streak to six games, and Carter had two hits to extend his hit streak to five games.The Rangers totaled a season-high 17 hits and set a season-high in runs against the team entering the game with the highest run differential in the majors.Texas had three three-run innings and a five-run ninth to hand Kansas City its worst loss of the season. Two-runs scored on a wild pitch by Colin Selby and a throwing error to third base on the same play to cap a three-run seventh. Joe Smith, Jankowski, Marcus Semien, Leody Taveras and Ezequiel Duran had RBIs in the ninth.“It was good to see everyone do something to help in the cause," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. ”We got shut down the night before the guys came out and put together great at-bats it is good for their confidence. ... Everyone did something tonight."Dane Dunning pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and four hits. Dunning had limited the Royals to just one hit through the first four innings.Josh Sborz (1-0) pitched one inning of relief to get the win.Michael Wacha (1-4) pitched a season-low 3 2/3 innings, allowing a season-high seven runs and nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts.“Obviously looked like some missed locations tonight," Royals Manager Matt Quatraro said. "You have to tip your cap to them as well.”Hunter Renfroe put the Royals on the board with a two-run single to left field with two outs in the fifth. Bobby Witt Jr. recorded his 11th stolen base of the season, which leads the American League.Vinnie Pasquantino and Garrett Hampson each drove in a run, and Michael Massey had three hits to extend his hitting streak to seven games.TRAINER’S ROOMRangers: Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness. Langford was 0 for 3.Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (right elbow contusion) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on May 5. The Royals put Marsh on the 15-day injured list on April 25, making him eligible to return on May 10.UP NEXT

⚾ Lowe has 4 hits as Rangers beat Royals 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Brady Singer pitched six dominant innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night.

Perez hit his eighth home run of the season in Kansas City's six-run seventh inning to break open what was a pitcher's duel. Kyle Isbel, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. had RBI singles before Perez gave the Royals a 7-1 lead.

Prior to that, Michael Lorenzen had his best start of the season for Texas, giving up three hits and one run — on a homer by Hunter Renfroe — in six innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 86 pitches.

Cole Winn (0-1) then gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and Jose Urena gave up two more before closing out the inning.

The Royals have won three straight and seven of their last 10. The Rangers had won three of their previous four.

Singer allowed just one run and four hits while striking out eight with no walks. He hasn’t given up more than one run in five of his seven starts this season.

The lone blemish against Singer came on an RBI single by Corey Seager that drove in Marcus Semien in the third inning.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714790541234.png" alt="Photo courtesy KC Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KC Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Brady Singer pitched six dominant innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night.Perez hit his eighth home run of the season in Kansas City's six-run seventh inning to break open what was a pitcher's duel. Kyle Isbel, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. had RBI singles before Perez gave the Royals a 7-1 lead.Prior to that, Michael Lorenzen had his best start of the season for Texas, giving up three hits and one run — on a homer by Hunter Renfroe — in six innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 86 pitches.Cole Winn (0-1) then gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and Jose Urena gave up two more before closing out the inning.The Royals have won three straight and seven of their last 10. The Rangers had won three of their previous four.Singer allowed just one run and four hits while striking out eight with no walks. He hasn’t given up more than one run in five of his seven starts this season.The lone blemish against Singer came on an RBI single by Corey Seager that drove in Marcus Semien in the third inning.John Schreiber (3-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, striking out Semien to keep the score at 1-1 before the Royals' big inning in the bottom half.ROSTER MOVESThe Rangers placed RHP Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day IL (right groin strain) and recalled RHP Yerry Rodriguez from Triple-A Round Rock.UP NEXTTexas RHP Dane Dunning (3-2, 4.13 ERA) goes against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (1-3, 4.24) on Saturday.