By LARRY FLEISHER Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Rizzo hit his first home run since May 20 and went 4 for 4 as the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Sunday to complete their third series sweep of the season.

Gleyber Torres' two-run homer sparked New York’s four-run first inning against Jordan Lyles (1-12). Torres extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games but exited in the seventh because of left hip tightness.

Luis Severino (2-4) won for the first time in four starts since June 24.

Rizzo also hit an RBI double in the first and singled in the fifth before capping a 10-pitch at-bat with a single in the eighth. It was Rizzo’s 15th career four-hit game and first since Aug. 4, 2019.

Harrison Bader punctuated New York’s early burst with an RBI single and the Yankees took all three games from last-place Kansas City for their first series sweep since winning three times in Cincinnati from May 19-21.

New York improved to 18-22 without slugger Aaron Judge, who faced 16 pitches from rehabbing reliever Jonathan Loáisiga before the game as they both work their way back from injuries.

The Yankees held a four-run lead when Rizzo batted with one out in the third. After fouling off two pitches, the first baseman homered into the lower rows of the right-center seats.

Rizzo carried his bat about halfway up the line before calmly dropping it and starting his trot. Teammates gave him the silent treatment and then mobbed him at the end of the dugout to celebrate Rizzo’s 12th homer.

Rizzo had gone 187 plate appearances and 166 at-bats since connecting off Cincinnati reliever Ian Gibaut.

The Yankees added three in the eighth on Oswald Peraza’s infield single and a throwing error by Kansas City first baseman Nick Pratto ahead of a sacrifice fly by Kyle Higashioka.

Salvador Perez hit a solo homer to end an 0-for-16 skid and Michael Massey launched a two-run shot off Severino, who allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Freddy Fermin and Kyle Isbel homered in the ninth off Ron Marinaccio, but the Royals lost their fifth straight.

Lyles, the major league leader in losses, gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings. The Royals are 1-18 in his starts.

UConn basketball coach Danny Hurley, who led the school to its fifth national championship this year, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Hurley, a Royals fan, was presented with a signed jersey from Hall of Famer George Brett during an appearance on Kansas City’s pregame show.

It was the third major league park the Huskies were honored in since their 76-59 championship game win over San Diego State on April 3.

On May 1 at Citi Field, Andre Jackson Jr. threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets faced the Braves.

On Friday at Fenway Park, Donovan Clingan and Tristen Newton threw out first pitches before the Red Sox faced the Mets.

Yankees: Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) will face hitters again Wednesday in Florida and could start a minor league rehabilitation assignment next weekend. ... LHP Nestor Cortes (strained left rotator cuff) allowed one run and four hits while throwing 42 pitches over 2 1/3 innings for Double-A Somerset in his first rehab game.

Royals: LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2-5, 5.21 ERA) opposes Cleveland LHP Logan Allen (4-2, 3.21) in the opener of a three-game series Monday in Kansas City.

Yankees: RHP Domingo Germán (5-6, 4.52 ERA) faces Mets RHP Justin Verlander (4-5, 3.47) when the Subway Series comes to the Bronx on Tuesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690151076347.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey watches his two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 23, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey watches his two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 23, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)</figcaption>
 </figure>By LARRY FLEISHER Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Rizzo hit his first home run since May 20 and went 4 for 4 as the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Sunday to complete their third series sweep of the season.Gleyber Torres' two-run homer sparked New York’s four-run first inning against Jordan Lyles (1-12). Torres extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games but exited in the seventh because of left hip tightness.Luis Severino (2-4) won for the first time in four starts since June 24.Rizzo also hit an RBI double in the first and singled in the fifth before capping a 10-pitch at-bat with a single in the eighth. It was Rizzo’s 15th career four-hit game and first since Aug. 4, 2019.Harrison Bader punctuated New York’s early burst with an RBI single and the Yankees took all three games from last-place Kansas City for their first series sweep since winning three times in Cincinnati from May 19-21.New York improved to 18-22 without slugger Aaron Judge, who faced 16 pitches from rehabbing reliever Jonathan Loáisiga before the game as they both work their way back from injuries.The Yankees held a four-run lead when Rizzo batted with one out in the third. After fouling off two pitches, the first baseman homered into the lower rows of the right-center seats.Rizzo carried his bat about halfway up the line before calmly dropping it and starting his trot. Teammates gave him the silent treatment and then mobbed him at the end of the dugout to celebrate Rizzo’s 12th homer.Rizzo had gone 187 plate appearances and 166 at-bats since connecting off Cincinnati reliever Ian Gibaut.The Yankees added three in the eighth on Oswald Peraza’s infield single and a throwing error by Kansas City first baseman Nick Pratto ahead of a sacrifice fly by Kyle Higashioka.Salvador Perez hit a solo homer to end an 0-for-16 skid and Michael Massey launched a two-run shot off Severino, who allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.Freddy Fermin and Kyle Isbel homered in the ninth off Ron Marinaccio, but the Royals lost their fifth straight.Lyles, the major league leader in losses, gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings. The Royals are 1-18 in his starts.MAKING THE ROUNDSUConn basketball coach Danny Hurley, who led the school to its fifth national championship this year, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.Hurley, a Royals fan, was presented with a signed jersey from Hall of Famer George Brett during an appearance on Kansas City’s pregame show.It was the third major league park the Huskies were honored in since their 76-59 championship game win over San Diego State on April 3.On May 1 at Citi Field, Andre Jackson Jr. threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets faced the Braves.On Friday at Fenway Park, Donovan Clingan and Tristen Newton threw out first pitches before the Red Sox faced the Mets.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) will face hitters again Wednesday in Florida and could start a minor league rehabilitation assignment next weekend. ... LHP Nestor Cortes (strained left rotator cuff) allowed one run and four hits while throwing 42 pitches over 2 1/3 innings for Double-A Somerset in his first rehab game.UP NEXTRoyals: LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2-5, 5.21 ERA) opposes Cleveland LHP Logan Allen (4-2, 3.21) in the opener of a three-game series Monday in Kansas City.Yankees: RHP Domingo Germán (5-6, 4.52 ERA) faces Mets RHP Justin Verlander (4-5, 3.47) when the Subway Series comes to the Bronx on Tuesday night.

⚾ Salvy, Massey homer in Royals loss to Yankees

By MATT DERRICK Associated Press

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs held their first full-squad workout of training camp Sunday under a bright sunny sky and without All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Coach Andy Reid says he’s not worried yet about the absence of his star lineman, who has yet to report for camp.

“We’ll just see how things go here down the road,” Reid said following Sunday’s practice. “There had been communication, we’ll see where it goes from here and we’ll take it. If you’re not here, we just keep moving, and that’s how we roll. We don’t worry a lot about that. We let it take care of itself and we got great people working on that.”

Jones has yet to report to camp as he seeks a new contract. The 29-year-old is due to make $19.5 million in base salary this season and carries a salary cap hit of almost $28.3 million.

The Chiefs are also motivated to renegotiate his contract. The NFL Players Association public salary cap report Sunday showed the club with just more than $1 million in available cap space.

General manager Brett Veach prefers maintaining a balance of 5 to 10 million in cap space during this time of the year. Hashing out a new long-term extension with Jones would keep him in Kansas City beyond the 2023 season while providing the club with much-needed salary cap relief.

Jones is seeking a new deal that would make him the second-highest-paid player in the league at his position.

Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams currently leads defensive tackles with an annual average salary of $31.67 million. There’s a big gap, however, between Donald and the No. 2 highest-paid tackle, Quinnen Williams. The New York Jets signed Williams to an extension earlier this month averaging $24 million per year.

That leaves a sizable target zone in which a new extension for Jones might fit. His absence from camp suggests the two sides remain far apart in negotiations, and Reid hinted at a change in tone when asked about his communication with the star defensive tackle.

“It’s been good up to just a bit ago,” Reid said. “They’re doing their thing, we’re doing our thing. And we’ll just see where it goes from there.”

While the Chiefs have handed out large contracts to superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Mahomes is currently the seventh-best-paid quarterback at $45 million per year and Kelce ranks No. 3 among tight ends at $14.3 million per season.

Club chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Sunday he’s not focused on where players rank in salary. He also trusts Veach to make the right decision.

“We really don’t think about it in the context of who’s the highest-paid player in the league, we think about in the context of the Kansas City Chiefs, and what’s best for the organization, not only this year but as we go forward,” Hunt said.

“One of the challenges in the National Football League is the salary cap. And it makes it tough to keep a championship team together. That’s something that Brett and his staff have really focused on. I think they’ve done a fantastic job.”

Daniel Wise, who entered the NFL from Kansas as an undrafted free agent in 2019, stepped into Jones’ place Sunday with the team’s starting defense. Wise has never had a sack in 17 games in the NFL. Jones, meanwhile, has 65 sacks since 2016, trailing only Donald (83) among defensive tackles during that time.

Safety Justin Reid said he’s excited to see young players such as Wise get an opportunity to showcase their skills. The absence of Jones isn’t a distraction, he added.

“He’s a professional, let him do his thing,” Reid said. “I’m focused on the guys here taking care of the (defensive back) room making sure that our young guys are ready to play.”

Middle linebacker Nick Bolton said the leadership of Jones is one thing the team will miss in his absence during camp.

“(It’s) most definitely one of the things I know he brings to the table,” Bolton said. “But again, at the same time, we’re working with the guys we got here, we’re going to come in every single day, put our best efforts forward. And when it gets here, we’ll make sure everybody’s up to speed and competing with him.”

NOTES: Wide receiver Kadarius Toney tweaked his knee returning a punt during warmups and was held out of the remainder of practice as a precaution. Rookie offensive tackle Wanya Morris suffered a hamstring strain Friday during the team’s rookie camp and did not practice Sunday. ... Starting running back Isiah Pacheco wore a yellow non-contact jersey Sunday as he returns from offseason surgeries on his shoulder and hand. He did not take part in the 11-on-11 scrimmage Sunday. “We’ll just see where he’s at,” Reid said. “As he goes, he’s got that, you got to kind of watch it, because he’s got that personality, where he’s 100 miles an hour on every play, that’s the reason we put the yellow jersey on him. So he doesn’t do anything crazy to himself, but yet, he wants to stay in football shape, especially for that position, that running back position."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690148769861.jpeg" alt="Chiefs fans watch the teams first&nbsp; full practice at Training Camp in St, Joseph, Missouri on&nbsp; Sunday, July 23, 2023. (St. Joseph Post Photo/Tommy Rexac)" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs fans watch the teams first&nbsp; full practice at Training Camp in St, Joseph, Missouri on&nbsp; Sunday, July 23, 2023. (St. Joseph Post Photo/Tommy Rexac)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT DERRICK Associated PressST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs held their first full-squad workout of training camp Sunday under a bright sunny sky and without All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.Coach Andy Reid says he’s not worried yet about the absence of his star lineman, who has yet to report for camp.“We’ll just see how things go here down the road,” Reid said following Sunday’s practice. “There had been communication, we’ll see where it goes from here and we’ll take it. If you’re not here, we just keep moving, and that’s how we roll. We don’t worry a lot about that. We let it take care of itself and we got great people working on that.”Jones has yet to report to camp as he seeks a new contract. The 29-year-old is due to make $19.5 million in base salary this season and carries a salary cap hit of almost $28.3 million.The Chiefs are also motivated to renegotiate his contract. The NFL Players Association public salary cap report Sunday showed the club with just more than $1 million in available cap space.General manager Brett Veach prefers maintaining a balance of 5 to 10 million in cap space during this time of the year. Hashing out a new long-term extension with Jones would keep him in Kansas City beyond the 2023 season while providing the club with much-needed salary cap relief.Jones is seeking a new deal that would make him the second-highest-paid player in the league at his position.Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams currently leads defensive tackles with an annual average salary of $31.67 million. There’s a big gap, however, between Donald and the No. 2 highest-paid tackle, Quinnen Williams. The New York Jets signed Williams to an extension earlier this month averaging $24 million per year.That leaves a sizable target zone in which a new extension for Jones might fit. His absence from camp suggests the two sides remain far apart in negotiations, and Reid hinted at a change in tone when asked about his communication with the star defensive tackle.“It’s been good up to just a bit ago,” Reid said. “They’re doing their thing, we’re doing our thing. And we’ll just see where it goes from there.”While the Chiefs have handed out large contracts to superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Mahomes is currently the seventh-best-paid quarterback at $45 million per year and Kelce ranks No. 3 among tight ends at $14.3 million per season.Club chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Sunday he’s not focused on where players rank in salary. He also trusts Veach to make the right decision.“We really don’t think about it in the context of who’s the highest-paid player in the league, we think about in the context of the Kansas City Chiefs, and what’s best for the organization, not only this year but as we go forward,” Hunt said.“One of the challenges in the National Football League is the salary cap. And it makes it tough to keep a championship team together. That’s something that Brett and his staff have really focused on. I think they’ve done a fantastic job.”Daniel Wise, who entered the NFL from Kansas as an undrafted free agent in 2019, stepped into Jones’ place Sunday with the team’s starting defense. Wise has never had a sack in 17 games in the NFL. Jones, meanwhile, has 65 sacks since 2016, trailing only Donald (83) among defensive tackles during that time.Safety Justin Reid said he’s excited to see young players such as Wise get an opportunity to showcase their skills. The absence of Jones isn’t a distraction, he added.“He’s a professional, let him do his thing,” Reid said. “I’m focused on the guys here taking care of the (defensive back) room making sure that our young guys are ready to play.”Middle linebacker Nick Bolton said the leadership of Jones is one thing the team will miss in his absence during camp.“(It’s) most definitely one of the things I know he brings to the table,” Bolton said. “But again, at the same time, we’re working with the guys we got here, we’re going to come in every single day, put our best efforts forward. And when it gets here, we’ll make sure everybody’s up to speed and competing with him.”NOTES: Wide receiver Kadarius Toney tweaked his knee returning a punt during warmups and was held out of the remainder of practice as a precaution. Rookie offensive tackle Wanya Morris suffered a hamstring strain Friday during the team’s rookie camp and did not practice Sunday. ... Starting running back Isiah Pacheco wore a yellow non-contact jersey Sunday as he returns from offseason surgeries on his shoulder and hand. He did not take part in the 11-on-11 scrimmage Sunday. “We’ll just see where he’s at,” Reid said. “As he goes, he’s got that, you got to kind of watch it, because he’s got that personality, where he’s 100 miles an hour on every play, that’s the reason we put the yellow jersey on him. So he doesn’t do anything crazy to himself, but yet, he wants to stay in football shape, especially for that position, that running back position."

🏈 Chiefs open camp without star defensive lineman Chris Jones

Photo courtesy of&nbsp;Stenzel Film and Ken Windholz Photography.

<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/Rzf6wZBj-KcBmu4K3.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Preston Tabor" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Photo courtesy of&nbsp;Stenzel Film and Ken Windholz Photography.

Meet The Larks: Preston Tabor

HAYS – Trent Baker drove in four runs and Luuk ter Beek pitched
five solid innings and the Hays Larks defeated the Western Nebraska Pioneers
13-1 in a seven-inning, run-rule win Saturday evening at Larks Park.

Baker had two doubles and drove in four in the Larks (30-6) 10-run
fifth inning. The Larks (30-6) took advantage of four walks and two errors in the
big frame.

Brady Evans solo homer broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second.
Tyler LaRue added a solo homer sixth for the final margin.

Luuk ter Beek (5-0) allowed one run on five hits with five
strikeouts and no walks over five innings. Tyler Schott and Jeff Lodes both
pitched one inning of hitless relief. Schott struck out three and Lodes fanned
one.

The Larks go for the three-game sweep Sunday night in the series
finale at 7:00 p.m. It’s the annual Pack the Pantry game with fans encouraged
to bring a canned food item for the Community Assistance Center. Admission is
free courtesy of Gella's Diner &amp; LB
Brewing Co/Invenergy Services Buckeye Wind Energy Center.

Hays LarksHAYS – Trent Baker drove in four runs and Luuk ter Beek pitched
five solid innings and the Hays Larks defeated the Western Nebraska Pioneers
13-1 in a seven-inning, run-rule win Saturday evening at Larks Park.Baker had two doubles and drove in four in the Larks (30-6) 10-run
fifth inning. The Larks (30-6) took advantage of four walks and two errors in the
big frame.Brady Evans solo homer broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second.
Tyler LaRue added a solo homer sixth for the final margin.Luuk ter Beek (5-0) allowed one run on five hits with five
strikeouts and no walks over five innings. Tyler Schott and Jeff Lodes both
pitched one inning of hitless relief. Schott struck out three and Lodes fanned
one.UP NEXTThe Larks go for the three-game sweep Sunday night in the series
finale at 7:00 p.m. It’s the annual Pack the Pantry game with fans encouraged
to bring a canned food item for the Community Assistance Center. Admission is
free courtesy of Gella's Diner &amp; LB
Brewing Co/Invenergy Services Buckeye Wind Energy Center.

⚾ 10-run inning lifts Larks to win over Pioneers

The Hays Larks host the Western Nebraska Pioneers Saturday in game two of a three-game non-league series at Larks Park.

First pitch for game one is set for 7:00 p.m. Saturday night.

You can view the can on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hayslarksbaseball/streams">Larks YouTube channel.</a>

Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays Larks.

The Hays Larks host the Western Nebraska Pioneers Saturday in game two of a three-game non-league series at Larks Park.First pitch for game one is set for 7:00 p.m. Saturday night.You can view the can on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hayslarksbaseball/streams">Larks YouTube channel.</a>Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays Larks.

⚾🎥 WATCH Hays Larks vs Western Nebraska

By CHARLES O'BRIEN Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The adjustments finally are starting to pay off for New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu.

LeMahieu hit the go-ahead home run in the 7th inning, Gerrit Cole struck out 10 and the Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Saturday.

“Just trying to simplify,” LeMahieu said. “Some stuff I was working on right before the break. I feel like I am on the right track.”

After hitting .336 over his first two seasons in New York, LeMahieu entered Saturday batting a career-worst .232, but he has turned it around of late, hitting safely in 10 of his last 11 games.

When asked about the nature of the adjustments he’d been working on, LeMahieu joked “a little bit of everything.”

With the scored tied at two, LeMahieu drove a 98 mph fastball from Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez (0-6) 402 feet into the right-center field bleachers for his first homer since June 13.

“That’s classic DJ right there – smoking a ball to right center,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously a huge hit in the game, but it’s good to see him get some traction going.”

Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs, and Anthony Volpe doubled and stole a base for the Yankees, who won their second straight game and picked up their first series win in July.

Nick Pratto homered and Brady Singer struck out nine for the Royals, who lost for the seventh time in nine games following the All-Star break.

Pitching with catcher Ben Rortvedt for the first time this season after regular catcher Jose Trevino (right wrist tear) hit the injured list Friday, Cole scattered five hits and a pair of runs across 6 1/3 innings. Trevino caught the New York ace 18 times in Cole’s first 20 starts.

“I thought that it was really fun working with Ben,” Cole said. “We made a lot of good pitches, worked out of a jam in the fifth and stayed efficient enough to get to the seventh.”

The 32-year old right-hander struck out 21 over his last two outings; his 10-strikeout performance Saturday marked his fourth double-digit effort of the season.

Stanton drove in New York’s first run with a sharp single in the first before hitting a two-run shot off Dylan Coleman in the eighth for his fourth homer since the All-Star Break.

The late New York rally spoiled another strong start in the Bronx for Singer, who allowed two runs over six innings. The 26-year old has a 2.16 ERA across 16 2/3 innings with 24 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium, although he is winless across three starts. Singer struck out five straight batters before Billy McKinney’s leadoff single in the sixth.

“He pitched well,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He knows his strengths. He’s going to keep competing with you and he made a lot of quality pitches today.”

Wandy Peralta (3-1) threw four pitches in relief of Cole in the seventh to earn the victory.

Gleyber Torres singled and drove in a run to extend his hitting streak to 12.

Tommy Kahnle struck out two in a scoreless inning and Clay Holmes worked around a two-out single and a walk for his 13th save.

Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits but was thrown out on a bizarre play in the fourth trying to stretch his bunt single into a double. Witt’s well-placed bunt trickled down the third base line. LeMahieu touched it in fair territory, leading to Witt safely reaching first. However, in the confusion, Witt broke for second and was thrown out by Cole after the Yankees pitcher took a few steps with the ball after picking it up in foul territory.

After the game, the Yankees optioned INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Yankees: OF Harrison Bader (ribs) was held out of the lineup for the second straight game but entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth. … LHP Nestor Cortes (left rotator cuff strain) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Double-A Somerset. … RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) will face injured slugger Aaron Judge in a simulated game Sunday.

Yankees RHP Luis Severino (1-4, 6.66 ERA) received a no decision in his last start despite completing six innings for just the third time in 2023. He is opposed Sunday by RHP Jordan Lyles (1-11, 6.05 ERA), who is tied for the major league lead in losses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690086945989.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Brady Singer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, July 22, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Brady Singer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, July 22, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CHARLES O'BRIEN Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — The adjustments finally are starting to pay off for New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu.LeMahieu hit the go-ahead home run in the 7th inning, Gerrit Cole struck out 10 and the Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Saturday.“Just trying to simplify,” LeMahieu said. “Some stuff I was working on right before the break. I feel like I am on the right track.”After hitting .336 over his first two seasons in New York, LeMahieu entered Saturday batting a career-worst .232, but he has turned it around of late, hitting safely in 10 of his last 11 games.When asked about the nature of the adjustments he’d been working on, LeMahieu joked “a little bit of everything.”With the scored tied at two, LeMahieu drove a 98 mph fastball from Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez (0-6) 402 feet into the right-center field bleachers for his first homer since June 13.“That’s classic DJ right there – smoking a ball to right center,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously a huge hit in the game, but it’s good to see him get some traction going.”Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs, and Anthony Volpe doubled and stole a base for the Yankees, who won their second straight game and picked up their first series win in July.Nick Pratto homered and Brady Singer struck out nine for the Royals, who lost for the seventh time in nine games following the All-Star break.Pitching with catcher Ben Rortvedt for the first time this season after regular catcher Jose Trevino (right wrist tear) hit the injured list Friday, Cole scattered five hits and a pair of runs across 6 1/3 innings. Trevino caught the New York ace 18 times in Cole’s first 20 starts.“I thought that it was really fun working with Ben,” Cole said. “We made a lot of good pitches, worked out of a jam in the fifth and stayed efficient enough to get to the seventh.”The 32-year old right-hander struck out 21 over his last two outings; his 10-strikeout performance Saturday marked his fourth double-digit effort of the season.Stanton drove in New York’s first run with a sharp single in the first before hitting a two-run shot off Dylan Coleman in the eighth for his fourth homer since the All-Star Break.The late New York rally spoiled another strong start in the Bronx for Singer, who allowed two runs over six innings. The 26-year old has a 2.16 ERA across 16 2/3 innings with 24 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium, although he is winless across three starts. Singer struck out five straight batters before Billy McKinney’s leadoff single in the sixth.“He pitched well,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He knows his strengths. He’s going to keep competing with you and he made a lot of quality pitches today.”Wandy Peralta (3-1) threw four pitches in relief of Cole in the seventh to earn the victory.Gleyber Torres singled and drove in a run to extend his hitting streak to 12.Tommy Kahnle struck out two in a scoreless inning and Clay Holmes worked around a two-out single and a walk for his 13th save.Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits but was thrown out on a bizarre play in the fourth trying to stretch his bunt single into a double. Witt’s well-placed bunt trickled down the third base line. LeMahieu touched it in fair territory, leading to Witt safely reaching first. However, in the confusion, Witt broke for second and was thrown out by Cole after the Yankees pitcher took a few steps with the ball after picking it up in foul territory.TRANSACTIONAfter the game, the Yankees optioned INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: OF Harrison Bader (ribs) was held out of the lineup for the second straight game but entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth. … LHP Nestor Cortes (left rotator cuff strain) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Double-A Somerset. … RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) will face injured slugger Aaron Judge in a simulated game Sunday.UP NEXTYankees RHP Luis Severino (1-4, 6.66 ERA) received a no decision in his last start despite completing six innings for just the third time in 2023. He is opposed Sunday by RHP Jordan Lyles (1-11, 6.05 ERA), who is tied for the major league lead in losses.

⚾ LeMahieu and Stanton homer as the Yankees beat the Royals

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Just before the Tokyo Olympics, Sophia Smith got the disappointing phone call from U.S. women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski.

No, she would not be accompanying the team to Japan.

She went on to be named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year after leading the national team with 11 goals in 2022. She also was named the National Women's Soccer League's Most Valuable Player that year after scoring 14 goals and helping the Portland Thorns to the league title.

“I remember obviously being sad and frustrated, but I think it took me a very quick day to get over it and I realized that the only thing I could do was prove to him why he should have taken me,” Smith said.

Smith now is among 14 players on the U.S. national team who are playing in their first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup">Women's World Cup.</a>&nbsp;And on Saturday, she made a splash with a pair of goals and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-world-cup-united-states-vietnam-sophia-smith-d00fbe67287da08249e8511e92bfff6f">assist in the Americans' 3-0 victory</a>&nbsp;over Vietnam to open the tournament.

In a touching moment after the victory, Smith's father presented her with the Player of the Match award.

Just 22, she became the youngest U.S. player to score multiple goals in a World Cup game since 21-year-old Cat Whitehill had a pair against North Korea in 2003 at age 21.

Teammate Alex Morgan posted a photo of Smith on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/alexmorgan13/status/1682607044464095232?s=20">Twitter</a>&nbsp;afterward that read: “She's THAT Girl. Great team win.”

While Smith has had a seemingly quick rise on the international stage, Andonovski said it was always clear she was a talented forward.

“She had to face some adversity, she had to face some tough times. I know. I had some tough conversations with her," Andonovski said. “But from every conversation and every moment, she just rose above and was better. Every time it seemed like she had a setback or she had a tough moment, she took it as an opportunity to grow and get better and that’s why she’s at where she’s at now."

Smith, who turns 23 during the World Cup, grew up in Colorado before heading to Stanford. She scored a hat trick against UCLA in the semifinals of the 2019 College Cup before the Cardinal beat North Carolina for the title.

She left Stanford early and declared for the 2020 NWSL draft. The Thorns selected her with the No. 1 overall pick.

At the same time, she was starting to gain a foothold on the national team. In September 2020, she made her first appearance in a game against the Netherlands. But she missed out on the roster the next year for the pandemic-delayed Olympics.

“Being an athlete, that happens. You’re not going to make every roster, you’re going to be disappointed. Things aren’t going to go your way,” she said in an interview the day she was selected for the World Cup squad. “But it's how you respond to those times that define you. So I pride myself on holding my head high and knowing what I can do.”

Now with the first game of the tournament out of the way, Smith and the rest of the U.S. players head to Wellington to play the Netherlands on Thursday. It's a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, which the United States won for its second straight title.

The Americans have won four World Cups overall, the most of any nation.

“I think it’s a good place to start,” Smith said of the victory over Vietnam. "And personally, it was good to just get a World Cup game under my belt, kind of see how it felt, know what to expect. But yeah, I think it honestly just makes me more excited for the next game.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690054552701.jpeg" alt="United States' Sophia Smith looks on during the second half of the Women's World Cup Group E soccer match between the United States and Vietnam at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, July 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)" />
 <figcaption>United States' Sophia Smith looks on during the second half of the Women's World Cup Group E soccer match between the United States and Vietnam at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, July 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports WriterAUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Just before the Tokyo Olympics, Sophia Smith got the disappointing phone call from U.S. women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski.No, she would not be accompanying the team to Japan.So instead, Smith got to work.She went on to be named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year after leading the national team with 11 goals in 2022. She also was named the National Women's Soccer League's Most Valuable Player that year after scoring 14 goals and helping the Portland Thorns to the league title.“I remember obviously being sad and frustrated, but I think it took me a very quick day to get over it and I realized that the only thing I could do was prove to him why he should have taken me,” Smith said.Smith now is among 14 players on the U.S. national team who are playing in their first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup">Women's World Cup.</a>&nbsp;And on Saturday, she made a splash with a pair of goals and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-world-cup-united-states-vietnam-sophia-smith-d00fbe67287da08249e8511e92bfff6f">assist in the Americans' 3-0 victory</a>&nbsp;over Vietnam to open the tournament.In a touching moment after the victory, Smith's father presented her with the Player of the Match award.Just 22, she became the youngest U.S. player to score multiple goals in a World Cup game since 21-year-old Cat Whitehill had a pair against North Korea in 2003 at age 21.Teammate Alex Morgan posted a photo of Smith on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/alexmorgan13/status/1682607044464095232?s=20">Twitter</a>&nbsp;afterward that read: “She's THAT Girl. Great team win.”While Smith has had a seemingly quick rise on the international stage, Andonovski said it was always clear she was a talented forward.“She had to face some adversity, she had to face some tough times. I know. I had some tough conversations with her," Andonovski said. “But from every conversation and every moment, she just rose above and was better. Every time it seemed like she had a setback or she had a tough moment, she took it as an opportunity to grow and get better and that’s why she’s at where she’s at now."Smith, who turns 23 during the World Cup, grew up in Colorado before heading to Stanford. She scored a hat trick against UCLA in the semifinals of the 2019 College Cup before the Cardinal beat North Carolina for the title.She left Stanford early and declared for the 2020 NWSL draft. The Thorns selected her with the No. 1 overall pick.At the same time, she was starting to gain a foothold on the national team. In September 2020, she made her first appearance in a game against the Netherlands. But she missed out on the roster the next year for the pandemic-delayed Olympics.“Being an athlete, that happens. You’re not going to make every roster, you’re going to be disappointed. Things aren’t going to go your way,” she said in an interview the day she was selected for the World Cup squad. “But it's how you respond to those times that define you. So I pride myself on holding my head high and knowing what I can do.”Now with the first game of the tournament out of the way, Smith and the rest of the U.S. players head to Wellington to play the Netherlands on Thursday. It's a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, which the United States won for its second straight title.The Americans have won four World Cups overall, the most of any nation.“I think it’s a good place to start,” Smith said of the victory over Vietnam. "And personally, it was good to just get a World Cup game under my belt, kind of see how it felt, know what to expect. But yeah, I think it honestly just makes me more excited for the next game.”

⚽ Sophia Smith wows in her Women's World Cup debut after Olympic disappointment

<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/3zaNPzFI-KcBmu4K3.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Tyler Larue" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Photo courtesy of&nbsp;Stenzel Film and Ken Windholz Photography.

Meet The Larks: Tyler LaRue

WICHITA - Come out to FHSU Soccer Stadium (1315 230th&nbsp;Ave) at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 22 to experience intense high-caliber adult men's soccer as Sporting Wichita plays Indios Denver to earn the UPSL national tournament semi-final game spot! Noisemakers welcome. &nbsp;

Join your local Hays Soccer Club tailgating outside the stadium starting around 5:30 p.m. Please bring your own tailgating items.

UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) is the largest and most competitive soccer pro-development league in North America. 

Each spring/summer the UPSL hosts it national tournament. Just to enter the tournament, the Sporting Wichita First Team (adult men's team) won its local Kansas league. Next, Sporting Wichita won two national tournament single-elimination bracket games -- first against Minneapolis, then against Dallas -- to reach this UPSL national tournament quarter-finals round against Denver.

Learn more about the match-up online:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk</a>

Let others know about this game by re-posting game information from Sporting Wichita First Team’s &nbsp;facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/</a>&nbsp; or twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam</a>

View the full national tournament bracket and learn more about UPSL soccer:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689793424440.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedWICHITA - Come out to FHSU Soccer Stadium (1315 230th&nbsp;Ave) at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 22 to experience intense high-caliber adult men's soccer as Sporting Wichita plays Indios Denver to earn the UPSL national tournament semi-final game spot! Noisemakers welcome. &nbsp;Join your local Hays Soccer Club tailgating outside the stadium starting around 5:30 p.m. Please bring your own tailgating items.UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) is the largest and most competitive soccer pro-development league in North America. Each spring/summer the UPSL hosts it national tournament. Just to enter the tournament, the Sporting Wichita First Team (adult men's team) won its local Kansas league. Next, Sporting Wichita won two national tournament single-elimination bracket games -- first against Minneapolis, then against Dallas -- to reach this UPSL national tournament quarter-finals round against Denver.Learn more about the match-up online:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk</a>Let others know about this game by re-posting game information from Sporting Wichita First Team’s &nbsp;facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/</a>&nbsp; or twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam</a>View the full national tournament bracket and learn more about UPSL soccer:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/</a>

UPSL national tournament quarter-finals to be played in Hays tonight

HAYS – Garrett Gruell homered and drove in five runs, Tyler
LaRue hit two home runs and drove in four runs and the Hays Larks beat the Western
Nebraska Pioneers 13-4 Friday night at Larks Park.

LaRue gave the Larks (29-6) the early lead with a three-run
homer in the bottom of the first inning. After the Pioneers (24-10) scored two
in the second, LaRue’s solo shot in the third pushed the lead to 4-2.

The Larks blew the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Cash
Benavidez and Damian Ruiz had back-to-back two-out RBI doubles. Ruiz later
scored on a wild pitch. John Ceccoli and Garrett Gruell then followed with
back-to-back RBI doubles.

Gruell added a three-run homer in the sixth. He closed out
the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth.

Preston Tabor (3-0) allowed four runs (three earned) on seven
hits with five strikeouts and two walks and picked up the win. Kaleb Meredith
and Michael Cruz both pitched two scoreless innings of relief. The two combined
to strikeout eight over the four innings.

Tyler LaRue leads in two of the three categories for the Rocky
Mountain Baseball League triple crown. The senior our of Houston Baptist leads the
league with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs. He’s currently third with a .429 batting
average where he trails Denver’s Zeke Minic (.432) and Liberal’s Isaac Webb (.446).


LaRue is having one of the best season’s in Hays Larks history.
His .429 batting average is currently the sixth-highest for a single season. His
.550 on-base percentage is the second highest behind Wyatt Divis’ .576 in 2021.
His 15 home runs are tied for the second most in a season along with Johnny
Hunter in 1995 and is two behind the record of 17 hit by Tom Nevin in 1988. LaRue’s
50 runs batted in are the 10th most in a single-season. 

The Larks host the Pioneers out of Gering, Nebraska for game
two of the three-game series Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Admission is once again free
courtesy of McDonalds/Commerce Bank/Optimist Club of
Hays/Horizon Appliance. The game is the annual McKid’s Day sponsored by
McDonalds. The series wraps up Sunday night at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday’s series finale
is the annual Pack the Pantry game with all fans encouraged to bring a canned
food item to help stock the Community Assistance Center.

Hays PostHAYS – Garrett Gruell homered and drove in five runs, Tyler
LaRue hit two home runs and drove in four runs and the Hays Larks beat the Western
Nebraska Pioneers 13-4 Friday night at Larks Park.LaRue gave the Larks (29-6) the early lead with a three-run
homer in the bottom of the first inning. After the Pioneers (24-10) scored two
in the second, LaRue’s solo shot in the third pushed the lead to 4-2.The Larks blew the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Cash
Benavidez and Damian Ruiz had back-to-back two-out RBI doubles. Ruiz later
scored on a wild pitch. John Ceccoli and Garrett Gruell then followed with
back-to-back RBI doubles.Gruell added a three-run homer in the sixth. He closed out
the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth.Preston Tabor (3-0) allowed four runs (three earned) on seven
hits with five strikeouts and two walks and picked up the win. Kaleb Meredith
and Michael Cruz both pitched two scoreless innings of relief. The two combined
to strikeout eight over the four innings.TRIPLE CROWNTyler LaRue leads in two of the three categories for the Rocky
Mountain Baseball League triple crown. The senior our of Houston Baptist leads the
league with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs. He’s currently third with a .429 batting
average where he trails Denver’s Zeke Minic (.432) and Liberal’s Isaac Webb (.446).
RECORD YEARLaRue is having one of the best season’s in Hays Larks history.
His .429 batting average is currently the sixth-highest for a single season. His
.550 on-base percentage is the second highest behind Wyatt Divis’ .576 in 2021.
His 15 home runs are tied for the second most in a season along with Johnny
Hunter in 1995 and is two behind the record of 17 hit by Tom Nevin in 1988. LaRue’s
50 runs batted in are the 10th most in a single-season. UP NEXTThe Larks host the Pioneers out of Gering, Nebraska for game
two of the three-game series Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Admission is once again free
courtesy of McDonalds/Commerce Bank/Optimist Club of
Hays/Horizon Appliance. The game is the annual McKid’s Day sponsored by
McDonalds. The series wraps up Sunday night at 7:00 p.m.Sunday’s series finale
is the annual Pack the Pantry game with all fans encouraged to bring a canned
food item to help stock the Community Assistance Center.

⚾ Gruell, LaRue power the Larks to lopsided win over Pioneers

NEW YORK (AP) — Billy McKinney hit a three-run homer and made two key catches in center field as the New York Yankees got a much-needed win, beating the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday night.

Franchy Cordero homered for the second straight game and Gleyber Torres also went deep for the Yankees, who stopped a four-game slide and won for only the third time in 12 games since July 4. Torres extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

The Yankees hit three homers for the fourth time since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe crashing into the wall at Dodger Stadium on June 3. New York improved to 16-22 without the slugger, who took batting practice on the field before the victory.

New York right-hander Clarke Schmidt (6-6) was charged with three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Michael Massey hit a three-run shot in the fourth for Kansas City and a solo shot in the eighth. It was his first career multihomer game.

Before the two big swings against New York, Massey’s previous homer was on May 29 at St. Louis.

McKinney’s two-out homer — a drive to the short porch in right field — lifted the Yankees to a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning. It was his fifth of the season.

“He’s done a really good job on both sides of the ball,” manager Aaron Boone said. “You can put him in all three positions out there in the outfield and he does a really good job there. He’s obviously hit some big homers for us.”

McKinney also robbed Kyle Isbel with a spectacular catch for the final out of the third. Isbel hit a sinking liner that sliced into left-center field, and McKinney completed a sliding grab in front of the warning track.

“I got a hold of it,” McKinney said. “It kind of kept falling away from me and I was glad I was able to make the sliding play.”

“I didn’t think he had a chance,” Schmidt added. “I thought it was a double for sure and he just closed on it really well.”

McKinney made his sixth start in center field this season because Harrison Bader was held out after bruising his ribs in Wednesday’s 7-3 loss at the Angels.

“That was impressive,” Schmidt said. “I didn’t know he was a center fielder. So I guess that’s his true position now.”

Schmidt was one strike away from ending the fourth but Massey hit a 2-2 pitch about halfway up the second deck in right to give the Royals a 3-1 lead.

In his fourth big league start, Kansas City rookie Alec Marsh (0-4) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Wandy Peralta followed Schmidt and stranded two in the sixth before McKinney made a leaping catch on Drew Waters to open the seventh.

Clay Holmes got his 12th save when Waters was called out at third on a fielder’s choice after a crew chief review overturned the original call. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a grounder in the hole to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who quickly threw to DJ LeMahieu and third base umpire Jordan Baker immediately called Waters safe before replay showed the tag was made in time.

“That was an extremely heads-up play by Volpe to end the game,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said.

The Royals lost for the 11th time in 14 games. They dropped to 1-8 in their last nine games against the Yankees.

Slumping slugger Anthony Rizzo was among a few Yankees taking swings off a tee on the field in early batting practice with new hitting coach Sean Casey.

Rizzo, whose last homer was May 20 in Cincinnati, went 0 for 4 and is hitting .244.

Yankees: Judge will face Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) in a simulated game on Sunday. ... C&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-trevino-wrist-injury-rortvedt-3debc8b0d9ba2b4b79aa237d1a76d60f">Jose Trevino</a>&nbsp;(right wrist tear) was placed on the injured list and will undergo surgery that likely will sideline him for the rest of the season.

New York RHP Gerrit Cole (9-2, 2.78 ERA) opposes Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (6-8, 5.70 ERA) on Saturday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690040121371.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey (19) celebrates with Nick Pratto, right, after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, July 21, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey (19) celebrates with Nick Pratto, right, after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, July 21, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By LARRY FLEISHER Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — Billy McKinney hit a three-run homer and made two key catches in center field as the New York Yankees got a much-needed win, beating the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday night.Franchy Cordero homered for the second straight game and Gleyber Torres also went deep for the Yankees, who stopped a four-game slide and won for only the third time in 12 games since July 4. Torres extended his hitting streak to 11 games.The Yankees hit three homers for the fourth time since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe crashing into the wall at Dodger Stadium on June 3. New York improved to 16-22 without the slugger, who took batting practice on the field before the victory.New York right-hander Clarke Schmidt (6-6) was charged with three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.Michael Massey hit a three-run shot in the fourth for Kansas City and a solo shot in the eighth. It was his first career multihomer game.Before the two big swings against New York, Massey’s previous homer was on May 29 at St. Louis.McKinney’s two-out homer — a drive to the short porch in right field — lifted the Yankees to a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning. It was his fifth of the season.“He’s done a really good job on both sides of the ball,” manager Aaron Boone said. “You can put him in all three positions out there in the outfield and he does a really good job there. He’s obviously hit some big homers for us.”McKinney also robbed Kyle Isbel with a spectacular catch for the final out of the third. Isbel hit a sinking liner that sliced into left-center field, and McKinney completed a sliding grab in front of the warning track.“I got a hold of it,” McKinney said. “It kind of kept falling away from me and I was glad I was able to make the sliding play.”“I didn’t think he had a chance,” Schmidt added. “I thought it was a double for sure and he just closed on it really well.”McKinney made his sixth start in center field this season because Harrison Bader was held out after bruising his ribs in Wednesday’s 7-3 loss at the Angels.“That was impressive,” Schmidt said. “I didn’t know he was a center fielder. So I guess that’s his true position now.”Schmidt was one strike away from ending the fourth but Massey hit a 2-2 pitch about halfway up the second deck in right to give the Royals a 3-1 lead.In his fourth big league start, Kansas City rookie Alec Marsh (0-4) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.Wandy Peralta followed Schmidt and stranded two in the sixth before McKinney made a leaping catch on Drew Waters to open the seventh.Clay Holmes got his 12th save when Waters was called out at third on a fielder’s choice after a crew chief review overturned the original call. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a grounder in the hole to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who quickly threw to DJ LeMahieu and third base umpire Jordan Baker immediately called Waters safe before replay showed the tag was made in time.“That was an extremely heads-up play by Volpe to end the game,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said.The Royals lost for the 11th time in 14 games. They dropped to 1-8 in their last nine games against the Yankees.EARLY WORKSlumping slugger Anthony Rizzo was among a few Yankees taking swings off a tee on the field in early batting practice with new hitting coach Sean Casey.Rizzo, whose last homer was May 20 in Cincinnati, went 0 for 4 and is hitting .244.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: Judge will face Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) in a simulated game on Sunday. ... C&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-trevino-wrist-injury-rortvedt-3debc8b0d9ba2b4b79aa237d1a76d60f">Jose Trevino</a>&nbsp;(right wrist tear) was placed on the injured list and will undergo surgery that likely will sideline him for the rest of the season.UP NEXTNew York RHP Gerrit Cole (9-2, 2.78 ERA) opposes Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (6-8, 5.70 ERA) on Saturday afternoon.

⚾ Massey hits 2 HR in Royals loss to Yankees

The Hays Larks host the Western Nebraska Pioneers Friday for the first of a three-game non-league series at Larks Park.

First pitch for game one is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday night.

The Hays Larks host the Western Nebraska Pioneers Friday for the first of a three-game non-league series at Larks Park.First pitch for game one is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday night.You can view the can on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hayslarksbaseball/streams">Larks YouTube channel.</a>Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays Larks.

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs believe Arrowhead Stadium remains structurally sound and prefer to renovate their famous facility in the coming years, even if the neighboring Royals go through with plans to build a new ballpark elsewhere.

The NFL franchise and its Major League Baseball counterpart have played at the Truman Sports Complex since the early 1970s, when Arrowhead opened just across the parking lot from Kauffman Stadium. Both have undergone massive renovations over the years, the most recent tying them to a new lease with Jackson County that expires in January 2031.

Yet the Royals have made it clear that they intend to build a new stadium, either in downtown Kansas City or neighboring Clay County, and that they are aiming for a spring vote to renew a sales tax that would help to fund the construction.

That leaves the Chiefs to decide whether they will pursue more renovations to Arrowhead Stadium or likewise build anew.

“If the Royals decide to stay in Jackson County, we’ve had discussions about how we do that together. And if they go, then that is a variable and we’ve got to be ready to either continue on that path or pivot,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said Friday.

"Our team has done a really good job at just being ready. And I feel like we’re pretty well prepared for whatever happens.”

Donovan underscored the preference of chairman Clark Hunt to remain in Arrowhead Stadium, though. It was Hunt's father, Lamar Hunt, who founded the franchise and relocated it from Dallas to Kansas City for the 1963 season.

“We've gone through the process and made some progress there,” Donovan said on report day for Chiefs veterans for training camp. “There are still three viable options on the table that we've got to do the due diligence on: renovate-upgrade, build new on-site or build new somewhere else. All three of those options are still part of our dialogue. We've learned a lot in this process. The good news is we think the building itself is actually, structurally pretty sound. Which gives us the opportunity.”

“Having said that,” Donovan added, “we've learned it's going to take a significant annual investment to keep that building sound.”

While the Royals would use their share of a renewed tax to fund their new ballpark, the Chiefs would use their share not only for upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium but also to offset the annual upkeep that is certain to rise as the building ages.

Another complication for the Chiefs is the fact that they are due to host World Cup games at Arrowhead Stadium in 2026, and that means some costly alterations to the 51-year-old building over the next three years so that it meets FIFA standards.

“That would be really fast-forwarding everything to try to tie it all together,” Donovan admitted. “The question then becomes, ‘What are we going to do for the World Cup to be compliant to host that amazing event that potentially we could keep or benefit from or not have to redo?’ Versus, ‘We’ve got to make the building requirement-proof for World Cup, and we have to do that absolutely perfect, (but) we also have to play a football season pretty quickly after that, and we want our fans to have the best possible experience.’ So, we can’t really sacrifice the football experience because we did some things for the World Cup.”

While the futures of the Royals and Chiefs are closely linked, they differ in one very glaring way: on-field success.

The Royals began the day with the second-worst record in the majors — with little reason to hope for improvement — resulting in widespread fan apathy toward a $2 billion ballpark and mixed-use village at least partially funded by the public. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are coming off their third Super Bowl appearance in four years and just hoisted another Lombardi Trophy.

“Yeah, it's a special time to be a part of the Chiefs organization, right? It's a special time to be a Chiefs fan,” Donovan said. “It's also a really special time to be a part of this community. We're proud of being a part of this community and being a contributor to this community. Kansas City is on a really, really good trend when you look at what we’re doing.”

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690037785230.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs believe Arrowhead Stadium remains structurally sound and prefer to renovate their famous facility in the coming years, even if the neighboring Royals go through with plans to build a new ballpark elsewhere.The NFL franchise and its Major League Baseball counterpart have played at the Truman Sports Complex since the early 1970s, when Arrowhead opened just across the parking lot from Kauffman Stadium. Both have undergone massive renovations over the years, the most recent tying them to a new lease with Jackson County that expires in January 2031.Yet the Royals have made it clear that they intend to build a new stadium, either in downtown Kansas City or neighboring Clay County, and that they are aiming for a spring vote to renew a sales tax that would help to fund the construction.That leaves the Chiefs to decide whether they will pursue more renovations to Arrowhead Stadium or likewise build anew.“If the Royals decide to stay in Jackson County, we’ve had discussions about how we do that together. And if they go, then that is a variable and we’ve got to be ready to either continue on that path or pivot,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said Friday."Our team has done a really good job at just being ready. And I feel like we’re pretty well prepared for whatever happens.”Donovan underscored the preference of chairman Clark Hunt to remain in Arrowhead Stadium, though. It was Hunt's father, Lamar Hunt, who founded the franchise and relocated it from Dallas to Kansas City for the 1963 season.“We've gone through the process and made some progress there,” Donovan said on report day for Chiefs veterans for training camp. “There are still three viable options on the table that we've got to do the due diligence on: renovate-upgrade, build new on-site or build new somewhere else. All three of those options are still part of our dialogue. We've learned a lot in this process. The good news is we think the building itself is actually, structurally pretty sound. Which gives us the opportunity.”“Having said that,” Donovan added, “we've learned it's going to take a significant annual investment to keep that building sound.”While the Royals would use their share of a renewed tax to fund their new ballpark, the Chiefs would use their share not only for upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium but also to offset the annual upkeep that is certain to rise as the building ages.Another complication for the Chiefs is the fact that they are due to host World Cup games at Arrowhead Stadium in 2026, and that means some costly alterations to the 51-year-old building over the next three years so that it meets FIFA standards.“That would be really fast-forwarding everything to try to tie it all together,” Donovan admitted. “The question then becomes, ‘What are we going to do for the World Cup to be compliant to host that amazing event that potentially we could keep or benefit from or not have to redo?’ Versus, ‘We’ve got to make the building requirement-proof for World Cup, and we have to do that absolutely perfect, (but) we also have to play a football season pretty quickly after that, and we want our fans to have the best possible experience.’ So, we can’t really sacrifice the football experience because we did some things for the World Cup.”While the futures of the Royals and Chiefs are closely linked, they differ in one very glaring way: on-field success.The Royals began the day with the second-worst record in the majors — with little reason to hope for improvement — resulting in widespread fan apathy toward a $2 billion ballpark and mixed-use village at least partially funded by the public. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are coming off their third Super Bowl appearance in four years and just hoisted another Lombardi Trophy.“Yeah, it's a special time to be a part of the Chiefs organization, right? It's a special time to be a Chiefs fan,” Donovan said. “It's also a really special time to be a part of this community. We're proud of being a part of this community and being a contributor to this community. Kansas City is on a really, really good trend when you look at what we’re doing.”

🏈 Chiefs keen to upgrade aging Arrowhead Stadium rather than building anew

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;– Presidential leadership groups in five Division II football conferences, including the MIAA, have come together to sponsor a legislative proposal in the sport of football, which will be considered by football schools during a Division II membership vote at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix in January. The proposed legislative change will permit an institution to play its first football contest with outside competition one week earlier than the current Division II start date. In essence, the change will give institutions an additional week to complete its regular season football schedule. This legislative exception will provide institutions with the flexibility to schedule and play the maximum 11 regular season football contests over a 12-week period, if desired. Benefits from this change include the ability to provide a bye/off week in the scheduling that year as a benefit to the student-athletes' health and safety; lessening the burden of finding available non-conference opponents and the added flexibility and financial benefit to include unique opportunities such as sponsored or destination-site football contests. The Proposal is sponsored by the MIAA, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), the Gulf South Conference (GSC), and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). In Division II, there is a July 15 deadline for membership sponsored legislative proposals. The division only requires two conferences to officially sponsor a proposal to move it to the membership for a formal vote. In this case, based on overwhelming support from the Division II Football Coaches Connection representatives, there were five conferences where presidents agreed that they wanted to have their CEO leadership groups behind this potential legislative change. Sports like Division II basketball, volleyball and softball already have built-in flexibility for institutions to consider options for scheduling both non-conference and conference regular season contests. This proposal would provide Division II football with that same type of flexibility and related benefits. “This is a critically important legislative change for Division II football," explained MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. “There is no flexibility built into the current Division II football regular season. You have 11 weeks to play 11 games.&nbsp; If you make the Division II football playoffs, you could possibly play 16 football games in 16 consecutive weeks. Not even the NFL thinks that is a good idea. This is a commonsense proposal, with broad support at the grassroots level of the Division II membership, it is permissive legislation, it creates a better environment for the health and safety of Division II football student-athletes, and I believe this legislative change will encourage more non-conference scheduling opportunities for Division II football programs," Racy added. In Division I football, this type of scheduling request for flexibility or unique weekend game promotional opportunity has been considered and approved through the division’s waiver process. In Division II however, such waiver requests have been denied by staff in Indianapolis citing “No Precedent” to permit this benefit for Division II football programs. Frustration with the NCAA waiver process has led some conferences to work on this legislative change. According to HBCU Gameday, the NCAA declined the SIAC’s waiver request for a Week Zero game against the CIAA this past August. According to SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman, “The NCAA denied that waiver not one, but two times. So, we are working with other D2 conferences to establish legislation that will give us that opportunity. Some conferences are motivated by having 12 weeks to play 11 games, which will give them weeks for byes. From the SIAC’s perspective, we would like to have the opportunity to play Week Zero, and that would give us more television exposure.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689949589531.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MIAAKANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;– Presidential leadership groups in five Division II football conferences, including the MIAA, have come together to sponsor a legislative proposal in the sport of football, which will be considered by football schools during a Division II membership vote at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix in January. The proposed legislative change will permit an institution to play its first football contest with outside competition one week earlier than the current Division II start date. In essence, the change will give institutions an additional week to complete its regular season football schedule. This legislative exception will provide institutions with the flexibility to schedule and play the maximum 11 regular season football contests over a 12-week period, if desired. Benefits from this change include the ability to provide a bye/off week in the scheduling that year as a benefit to the student-athletes' health and safety; lessening the burden of finding available non-conference opponents and the added flexibility and financial benefit to include unique opportunities such as sponsored or destination-site football contests. The Proposal is sponsored by the MIAA, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), the Gulf South Conference (GSC), and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). In Division II, there is a July 15 deadline for membership sponsored legislative proposals. The division only requires two conferences to officially sponsor a proposal to move it to the membership for a formal vote. In this case, based on overwhelming support from the Division II Football Coaches Connection representatives, there were five conferences where presidents agreed that they wanted to have their CEO leadership groups behind this potential legislative change. Sports like Division II basketball, volleyball and softball already have built-in flexibility for institutions to consider options for scheduling both non-conference and conference regular season contests. This proposal would provide Division II football with that same type of flexibility and related benefits. “This is a critically important legislative change for Division II football," explained MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. “There is no flexibility built into the current Division II football regular season. You have 11 weeks to play 11 games.&nbsp; If you make the Division II football playoffs, you could possibly play 16 football games in 16 consecutive weeks. Not even the NFL thinks that is a good idea. This is a commonsense proposal, with broad support at the grassroots level of the Division II membership, it is permissive legislation, it creates a better environment for the health and safety of Division II football student-athletes, and I believe this legislative change will encourage more non-conference scheduling opportunities for Division II football programs," Racy added. In Division I football, this type of scheduling request for flexibility or unique weekend game promotional opportunity has been considered and approved through the division’s waiver process. In Division II however, such waiver requests have been denied by staff in Indianapolis citing “No Precedent” to permit this benefit for Division II football programs. Frustration with the NCAA waiver process has led some conferences to work on this legislative change. According to HBCU Gameday, the NCAA declined the SIAC’s waiver request for a Week Zero game against the CIAA this past August. According to SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman, “The NCAA denied that waiver not one, but two times. So, we are working with other D2 conferences to establish legislation that will give us that opportunity. Some conferences are motivated by having 12 weeks to play 11 games, which will give them weeks for byes. From the SIAC’s perspective, we would like to have the opportunity to play Week Zero, and that would give us more television exposure.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 MIAA sponsors proposal for greater flexibility in Division II football scheduling

<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/JmfwOZc0-KcBmu4K3.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Bryson Evans" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Photo courtesy of&nbsp;Stenzel Film and Ken Windholz Photography.

Meet The Larks: Bryson Evans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen knew there was no chance that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was sending him out for the eighth inning Thursday, despite holding the lowly Royals to three hits in a seemingly effortless start.

Lorenzen tried to hide in the dugout anyway.

“I'm surprised he came in the (dugout) entrance he did. You could go down at the other end and find him and still take him out,” Hinch said with a smile afterward the 3-0 victory, which gave Detroit its fifth straight series win against its AL Central rival. “But it's fun to see him happy at the end of his outing because of the way he pitched.”

Lorenzen (5-6) stranded runners at the corners in the second and another at third in the fourth inning but otherwise went unchallenged while running his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings dating to June 30 at Colorado. The All-Star right-hander, who has made his disdain for day games well known, struck out three and walked one on a bright, sunny afternoon.

Tyler Holton worked a perfect eighth before Jason Foley handled the ninth for his fourth save.

“With the amount of strikes I've been throwing," Lorenzen said, “I know that teams are going to come out aggressive. And so if you just leverage that, you get some weak contact. A really good job by the defense.”

Spencer Torkelson, Andy Ibañez and Eric Haase drove in runs for Detroit, which took three of four from the Royals to improve to 7-3 against them this season. The teams still have three more to play at Comerica Park in September.

“Obviously coming out of the break, you never know quite how the guys are going to get back up and running,” Hinch said, “and we came out aggressively in Seattle. ... I think our guys in there understand that every day is really important coming out of the break.”

The Tigers scored twice off Zack Greinke (1-10) in the second before adding another run in the fifth, after the veteran right-hander had been removed from the game. Greinke allowed four hits in four innings in his first start since July 4, when the 39-year-old was diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis and landed on the injured list.

“We knew it wasn't going to be a deep outing,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It looked like he struggled a bit with his command. He was around the zone plenty but probably a lower strike percentage than he's used to, or we're used to seeing.”

Greinke had been good the first time through a lineup this season, but he struggled against the bottom half on Thursday.

The trouble began in the second with Nick Maton's two-out single. Akil Baddoo followed with a walk and Ibañez gave Detroit the lead with a base hit. Haase followed with his run-scoring single to extend the Tigers' lead to 2-0.

Greinke got through the next two innings before Austin Cox replaced him.

Zach McKinstry's triple in the fifth led to another run when Torkelson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.

Meanwhile, the Royals kept squandering their few scoring opportunities.

Drew Waters flied out to right field to leave runners on the corners in the second. Nick Pratto spiked his helmet after striking out to leave a runner on third in the fourth. And in the sixth inning, Kyle Isbel ripped a double down the right-field line but was easily thrown out by McKinstry while trying to stretch it into a triple.

“(Lorenzen) doesn't give up a lot," said Quatraro, whose team was shut out for the 12th time and held to four hits or fewer for the 20th this season. “You have to really maximize your chances and he didn't give us many.”

Nick Wittgren had his glove knocked off his hand by Ibañez's line drive in the ninth. But the Royals reliever alertly pounced on the ball behind the mound and threw him out at first base in a bang-bang play that was confirmed by a review.

The Royals created space for Greinke on the roster by optioning right-hander Max Castillo to Triple-A Omaha. Castillo allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings Wednesday night in his only outing since being recalled last weekend.

Tigers RHP Reese Olson (1-3, 3.96 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game series against the Padres on Friday night. The Royals are headed to New York for three games against the Yankees, with RHP Alec Marsh (0-3, 5.40 ERA) starting the opener.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen knew there was no chance that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was sending him out for the eighth inning Thursday, despite holding the lowly Royals to three hits in a seemingly effortless start.Lorenzen tried to hide in the dugout anyway.“I'm surprised he came in the (dugout) entrance he did. You could go down at the other end and find him and still take him out,” Hinch said with a smile afterward the 3-0 victory, which gave Detroit its fifth straight series win against its AL Central rival. “But it's fun to see him happy at the end of his outing because of the way he pitched.”Lorenzen (5-6) stranded runners at the corners in the second and another at third in the fourth inning but otherwise went unchallenged while running his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings dating to June 30 at Colorado. The All-Star right-hander, who has made his disdain for day games well known, struck out three and walked one on a bright, sunny afternoon.Tyler Holton worked a perfect eighth before Jason Foley handled the ninth for his fourth save.“With the amount of strikes I've been throwing," Lorenzen said, “I know that teams are going to come out aggressive. And so if you just leverage that, you get some weak contact. A really good job by the defense.”Spencer Torkelson, Andy Ibañez and Eric Haase drove in runs for Detroit, which took three of four from the Royals to improve to 7-3 against them this season. The teams still have three more to play at Comerica Park in September.“Obviously coming out of the break, you never know quite how the guys are going to get back up and running,” Hinch said, “and we came out aggressively in Seattle. ... I think our guys in there understand that every day is really important coming out of the break.”The Tigers scored twice off Zack Greinke (1-10) in the second before adding another run in the fifth, after the veteran right-hander had been removed from the game. Greinke allowed four hits in four innings in his first start since July 4, when the 39-year-old was diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis and landed on the injured list.“We knew it wasn't going to be a deep outing,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It looked like he struggled a bit with his command. He was around the zone plenty but probably a lower strike percentage than he's used to, or we're used to seeing.”Greinke had been good the first time through a lineup this season, but he struggled against the bottom half on Thursday.The trouble began in the second with Nick Maton's two-out single. Akil Baddoo followed with a walk and Ibañez gave Detroit the lead with a base hit. Haase followed with his run-scoring single to extend the Tigers' lead to 2-0.Greinke got through the next two innings before Austin Cox replaced him.Zach McKinstry's triple in the fifth led to another run when Torkelson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.Meanwhile, the Royals kept squandering their few scoring opportunities.Drew Waters flied out to right field to leave runners on the corners in the second. Nick Pratto spiked his helmet after striking out to leave a runner on third in the fourth. And in the sixth inning, Kyle Isbel ripped a double down the right-field line but was easily thrown out by McKinstry while trying to stretch it into a triple.“(Lorenzen) doesn't give up a lot," said Quatraro, whose team was shut out for the 12th time and held to four hits or fewer for the 20th this season. “You have to really maximize your chances and he didn't give us many.”GOLD GLOVE? MORE LIKE MISSING GLOVENick Wittgren had his glove knocked off his hand by Ibañez's line drive in the ninth. But the Royals reliever alertly pounced on the ball behind the mound and threw him out at first base in a bang-bang play that was confirmed by a review.ROSTER MOVESThe Royals created space for Greinke on the roster by optioning right-hander Max Castillo to Triple-A Omaha. Castillo allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings Wednesday night in his only outing since being recalled last weekend.UP NEXTTigers RHP Reese Olson (1-3, 3.96 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game series against the Padres on Friday night. The Royals are headed to New York for three games against the Yankees, with RHP Alec Marsh (0-3, 5.40 ERA) starting the opener.