The St. Louis Cardinals offense struggled to figure out the Colorado Rockies pitching, managing just five hits, as the Redbirds were shutout to fall in the series finale at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon, losing 6-0 before heading back to St. Louis.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the second, the Rockies got on the scoreboard, striking Cardinals starter Andre Pallante for four runs.&nbsp; Ryan McMahon scored after his leadoff walk for the first run on an RBI single by Kyle Farmer, before with runners on first and second the lead was extended on another RBI single by&nbsp;Adael Amador driving in Austin Nola.&nbsp; A fourth straight single by Tyler Freeman brought home Farmer to push in the third run, and a fifth single by Mickey Moniak drove in Amador for the final run putting Colorado up 4-0 early in the game.&nbsp;

The Rockies put up one more run against Pallante in the fifth inning, an RBI double by Jordan Beck driving in Freeman who walked to start the inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar put up the final run for Colorado in the eighth inning, hitting his sixth home run of the season off reliever John King to right field.&nbsp;

Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, five Cardinals had one hit each, led by&nbsp;Iván Herrera who was 1-for-2 with two walks.&nbsp; Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras each doubled while going 1-for-4.

St. Louis now returns to the comforts of Busch Stadium to host San Diego.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Yu Darvish (0-2. 6.08 ERA) for the Padres tomorrow in St. Louis.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Louis Cardinals offense struggled to figure out the Colorado Rockies pitching, managing just five hits, as the Redbirds were shutout to fall in the series finale at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon, losing 6-0 before heading back to St. Louis.&nbsp;In the bottom of the second, the Rockies got on the scoreboard, striking Cardinals starter Andre Pallante for four runs.&nbsp; Ryan McMahon scored after his leadoff walk for the first run on an RBI single by Kyle Farmer, before with runners on first and second the lead was extended on another RBI single by&nbsp;Adael Amador driving in Austin Nola.&nbsp; A fourth straight single by Tyler Freeman brought home Farmer to push in the third run, and a fifth single by Mickey Moniak drove in Amador for the final run putting Colorado up 4-0 early in the game.&nbsp;The Rockies put up one more run against Pallante in the fifth inning, an RBI double by Jordan Beck driving in Freeman who walked to start the inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar put up the final run for Colorado in the eighth inning, hitting his sixth home run of the season off reliever John King to right field.&nbsp;Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, five Cardinals had one hit each, led by&nbsp;Iván Herrera who was 1-for-2 with two walks.&nbsp; Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras each doubled while going 1-for-4.St. Louis now returns to the comforts of Busch Stadium to host San Diego.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Yu Darvish (0-2. 6.08 ERA) for the Padres tomorrow in St. Louis.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rockies shutout Cardinals for 6-0 series win

With the trade deadline on the horizon, the Kansas City Royals powered their way to a key series win, hitting four home runs, and beating the Chicago Cubs 8-4 at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

In the first inning, Adam Frazier reached on a fielding error, and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Maikel Garcia, before scoring as Vinnie Pasquantino hit the Royals first home run, and his first home run of the game, giving Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.&nbsp; The Cubs cut the lead to one in the second inning, Reese McGuire singling home Ian Happ on a hit into right field.

In the third inning, the Royals added two more runs with another two run home run, this time by Salvador Perez, following up Pasquantino's one out double with a blast into the left field ivy to put Kansas City up 4-1 on Chicago.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Cubs added one more run as Carson Kelly doubled home Michael Busch who led the inning off getting hit by a pitch.&nbsp;

Pasquantino hit his second home run of the game in the fifth inning, another two run shot, driving in Garcia after his one out single, the ball sailing into right field.&nbsp; The power surge continued in the sixth inning with the fourth home run of the game, and the fourth two run home run, as Tyler Tolbert hit his first major league home run, scoring Kyle Isbel for the final Royals runs.&nbsp;

Matt Shaw homered in the seventh inning and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a solo home run in the eighth inning for the final runs for the Cubs in the loss before Lucas Erceg closed out the game with a clean ninth inning to give the Royals the series win.&nbsp;

Seth Lugo earned the win, improving to 7-5 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out six and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;

Kansas City is off on Thursday and returns to Kauffman Stadium on Friday to host Cleveland.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.62 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Gavin Williams (6-4, 3.54 ERA) for the Guardians.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:10pm on Friday, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEWith the trade deadline on the horizon, the Kansas City Royals powered their way to a key series win, hitting four home runs, and beating the Chicago Cubs 8-4 at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;In the first inning, Adam Frazier reached on a fielding error, and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Maikel Garcia, before scoring as Vinnie Pasquantino hit the Royals first home run, and his first home run of the game, giving Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.&nbsp; The Cubs cut the lead to one in the second inning, Reese McGuire singling home Ian Happ on a hit into right field.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Vamo. <a href="https://t.co/MRsO79kkxB">pic.twitter.com/MRsO79kkxB</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1948087600385802453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the third inning, the Royals added two more runs with another two run home run, this time by Salvador Perez, following up Pasquantino's one out double with a blast into the left field ivy to put Kansas City up 4-1 on Chicago.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Cubs added one more run as Carson Kelly doubled home Michael Busch who led the inning off getting hit by a pitch.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Summertime Sal. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/cNYwEWU29z">pic.twitter.com/cNYwEWU29z</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1948096997812310099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Pasquantino hit his second home run of the game in the fifth inning, another two run shot, driving in Garcia after his one out single, the ball sailing into right field.&nbsp; The power surge continued in the sixth inning with the fourth home run of the game, and the fourth two run home run, as Tyler Tolbert hit his first major league home run, scoring Kyle Isbel for the final Royals runs.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Oh I’m Vinnie Pasquantino. I hit a lot of home runs. <a href="https://t.co/R4oQMKbQMY">pic.twitter.com/R4oQMKbQMY</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1948106890791284998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tyler Tolbert launches his first MLB homer! <a href="https://t.co/llRMHu1u96">pic.twitter.com/llRMHu1u96</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1948110182946378008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Matt Shaw homered in the seventh inning and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a solo home run in the eighth inning for the final runs for the Cubs in the loss before Lucas Erceg closed out the game with a clean ninth inning to give the Royals the series win.&nbsp;Seth Lugo earned the win, improving to 7-5 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out six and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;Kansas City is off on Thursday and returns to Kauffman Stadium on Friday to host Cleveland.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.62 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Gavin Williams (6-4, 3.54 ERA) for the Guardians.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:10pm on Friday, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As deadline looms, Royals power way to key series win over Cubs

It was another hot day at Kansas City Chiefs training camp on the Missouri Western campus, but the Chiefs were still grinding hard preparing for the season.  

This season will bring an expanded role for second year safety Jaden Hicks, after Justin Reid was not resigned this offseason, and moved on to the New Orleans Saints.  

Safety Bryan Cook says he knows Hicks is ready for that expanded role because of his capacity to learn at a rapid rate 

"As well as the fact that he's always high energy, things like that, so you know sometimes if our vets are a little low that day, he'll bring the energy, he'll bring the juice," Cook tells reporters.  "And as I said before, he's always ready to learn." 

Hicks, a fourth-round pick last season, had three interceptions and 27 tackles playing in every game last season behind Reid and Cook.  

Theres also a big offensive line battle brewing during Chiefs training camp. 

With a battle at left tackle, between Jaylon Moore and Josh Simmons, and a battle at left guard, between Mike Caliendo and Kingsley Suamataia, there's some competition brewing during camp.  

Defensive tackle Chris Jones says it's good competition and adds it's good for the offensive line, but also good for the defensive line as well 

"You've got to enjoy this competition man, I think we've reiterated this over the years we have one of the hardest training camps, and I think after this training camp they'll be able to evaluate and see who's the best fit for it," Jones says.  "But I actually like it, because the change up amongst the offensive line, you've got so many guys that can play so many different places, guard, tackle, that it makes us better on the offensive line, and also challenges us on the defensive line." 

Suamataia played the final game of last season at left guard against the Denver Broncos, which gave the Chiefs the confidence to move him to the position after trading Joe Thuney 

Day two of Chiefs Training Camp saw some more big plays from the offense, but also some big plays from the defense.  

On the offensive side of the ball during camp, the Chiefs have been focusing on emphasizing explosive and big plays, going deep down field.  

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he doesn't like it when big plays happen in practice.  

"But hopefully it makes us better in eliminating those, because those will kill you in a game, I can remember one or two there today," Spagnuolo points out.  "But listen, the offense will make us better by doing that in terms of taking away those deep plays, because explosive plays in this league, when you give them up, usually that doesn't bode well for points allowed."  

While the Chiefs offense is working to get back the explosive play, after struggling last season, the defense has done an exceptional job at containing the big play.  

The Chiefs practiced again for just about an hour and a half today.  They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 on the Mosaic Practice Fields. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753298138564.jpeg" alt="Mike Caliendo works on a blocking drill/ Photo by Justin Peacock" />
 <figcaption>Mike Caliendo works on a blocking drill/ Photo by Justin Peacock</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE It was another hot day at Kansas City Chiefs training camp on the Missouri Western campus, but the Chiefs were still grinding hard preparing for the season. This season will bring an expanded role for second year safety Jaden Hicks, after Justin Reid was not resigned this offseason, and moved on to the New Orleans Saints. Safety Bryan Cook says he knows Hicks is ready for that expanded role because of his capacity to learn at a rapid rate "As well as the fact that he's always high energy, things like that, so you know sometimes if our vets are a little low that day, he'll bring the energy, he'll bring the juice," Cook tells reporters. "And as I said before, he's always ready to learn." Hicks, a fourth-round pick last season, had three interceptions and 27 tackles playing in every game last season behind Reid and Cook. Theres also a big offensive line battle brewing during Chiefs training camp. With a battle at left tackle, between Jaylon Moore and Josh Simmons, and a battle at left guard, between Mike Caliendo and Kingsley Suamataia, there's some competition brewing during camp. Defensive tackle Chris Jones says it's good competition and adds it's good for the offensive line, but also good for the defensive line as well "You've got to enjoy this competition man, I think we've reiterated this over the years we have one of the hardest training camps, and I think after this training camp they'll be able to evaluate and see who's the best fit for it," Jones says. "But I actually like it, because the change up amongst the offensive line, you've got so many guys that can play so many different places, guard, tackle, that it makes us better on the offensive line, and also challenges us on the defensive line." Suamataia played the final game of last season at left guard against the Denver Broncos, which gave the Chiefs the confidence to move him to the position after trading Joe Thuney Day two of Chiefs Training Camp saw some more big plays from the offense, but also some big plays from the defense. On the offensive side of the ball during camp, the Chiefs have been focusing on emphasizing explosive and big plays, going deep down field. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he doesn't like it when big plays happen in practice. "But hopefully it makes us better in eliminating those, because those will kill you in a game, I can remember one or two there today," Spagnuolo points out. "But listen, the offense will make us better by doing that in terms of taking away those deep plays, because explosive plays in this league, when you give them up, usually that doesn't bode well for points allowed." While the Chiefs offense is working to get back the explosive play, after struggling last season, the defense has done an exceptional job at containing the big play. The Chiefs practiced again for just about an hour and a half today. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 on the Mosaic Practice Fields. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753298181028.jpeg" alt="Bryan Cook (6) watches during a drill/ Photo by Justin Peacock&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Bryan Cook (6) watches during a drill/ Photo by Justin Peacock&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Expanded roles and position battles during Chiefs Training Camp

It's been here longer than they may have ever imagined, but the Kansas City Chiefs have again made St. Joseph the home of Chiefs Training Camp.  

Chiefs President Mark Donovan says 15 of the last 16 years training camp has taken over the Missouri Western State University campus, and it's been a great run of success 

"It doesn't happen without a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment from everyone involved so we truly appreciate that," Donovan tells reporters.  "You know, championship seasons start in St. Joe, and it's been something that we've been able to take advantage of for quite a long time now." 

Fans poured onto campus as training camp kicked off yesterday for season ticket holders, with some lining up as early as 2 am  

Donovan says it's always special to come to St. Joseph for camp. 

"When you get in your car after a long meeting and you go down to Mcdonalds and you grab a coffee, the people working see your logo and they say thank you for being here," Donovan says.  "I just want to say it the other way around, thank you guys for welcoming us and treating us the way that you do." 

Donovan reports many tickets for days of training camp are sold out, but to keep on eye on the Chiefs website the morning of camp for more to come available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753277191460.jpeg" alt="Chiefs President Mark Donovan with St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale, Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy, and Mosaic CEO Mike Poore.JPG" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs President Mark Donovan with St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale, Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy, and Mosaic CEO Mike Poore.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE It's been here longer than they may have ever imagined, but the Kansas City Chiefs have again made St. Joseph the home of Chiefs Training Camp. Chiefs President Mark Donovan says 15 of the last 16 years training camp has taken over the Missouri Western State University campus, and it's been a great run of success "It doesn't happen without a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment from everyone involved so we truly appreciate that," Donovan tells reporters. "You know, championship seasons start in St. Joe, and it's been something that we've been able to take advantage of for quite a long time now." Fans poured onto campus as training camp kicked off yesterday for season ticket holders, with some lining up as early as 2 am Donovan says it's always special to come to St. Joseph for camp. "When you get in your car after a long meeting and you go down to Mcdonalds and you grab a coffee, the people working see your logo and they say thank you for being here," Donovan says. "I just want to say it the other way around, thank you guys for welcoming us and treating us the way that you do." Donovan reports many tickets for days of training camp are sold out, but to keep on eye on the Chiefs website the morning of camp for more to come available.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs President applauds St. Joseph, MWSU as Training Camp kicks off

The second half of the MLB season didn't fare much better for Cardinals starter Erick Fedde, as the right hander was unable to turn his luck around against the Colorado Rockies as the Redbirds fell 8-4 on Tuesday night at Coors Field.&nbsp;

Mickey Moniak led off the scoring for the Rockies with a solo home run in the first inning.&nbsp; In the second inning, Colorado added two more runs on&nbsp;Adael Amador's two RBI double, driving in Ryan McMahon and Brenton Doyle.&nbsp; And the Rockies continued their scoring frenzy into the third inning, with three more runs off Fedde, McMahon hitting a three run home run, scoring Moniak and Jordan Beck, to put Colorado up 6-0 after three innings.&nbsp;

The Cardinals did score two runs in the fourth inning as Alec Burleson scored on a groundout by Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn singled to drive in Willson Contreras, all with two outs, but that was all they could do in the inning, and heading into the bottom of the fourth, Fedde was replaced by reliever Kyle Leahy.&nbsp;

Leahy gave up no runs in the fourth, but in the fifth inning the Rockies added one more run off the reliver, Doyle driving in&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar with an RBI single, following Tovar's two out double.&nbsp; Not another run scored until the seventh inning when the Cardinals cut back into the lead, Brendan Donovan doubling to bring home Victor Scott II after his one out walk, putting the Redbirds down 7-3.&nbsp;

In the eighth inning, Jordan Walker scored as Walker and Yohel Pozo hit back to back doubles for the Cardinals, but in the bottom half of the inning, the Rockies got the run back scoring their final run of the game with a bases loaded walk to Moniak, bringing home Michael Toglia.&nbsp;

Fedde took the loss, falling to 3-10 on the season, pitching three innings and giving up six runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.&nbsp; At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.&nbsp; Donovan was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Louis and Colorado will now look for a series win in the rubber match tomorrow.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-6, 4.71 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals while the Rockies starter is listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 2:10pm, coverage will be joined around 2 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe second half of the MLB season didn't fare much better for Cardinals starter Erick Fedde, as the right hander was unable to turn his luck around against the Colorado Rockies as the Redbirds fell 8-4 on Tuesday night at Coors Field.&nbsp;Mickey Moniak led off the scoring for the Rockies with a solo home run in the first inning.&nbsp; In the second inning, Colorado added two more runs on&nbsp;Adael Amador's two RBI double, driving in Ryan McMahon and Brenton Doyle.&nbsp; And the Rockies continued their scoring frenzy into the third inning, with three more runs off Fedde, McMahon hitting a three run home run, scoring Moniak and Jordan Beck, to put Colorado up 6-0 after three innings.&nbsp;The Cardinals did score two runs in the fourth inning as Alec Burleson scored on a groundout by Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn singled to drive in Willson Contreras, all with two outs, but that was all they could do in the inning, and heading into the bottom of the fourth, Fedde was replaced by reliever Kyle Leahy.&nbsp;Leahy gave up no runs in the fourth, but in the fifth inning the Rockies added one more run off the reliver, Doyle driving in&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar with an RBI single, following Tovar's two out double.&nbsp; Not another run scored until the seventh inning when the Cardinals cut back into the lead, Brendan Donovan doubling to bring home Victor Scott II after his one out walk, putting the Redbirds down 7-3.&nbsp;In the eighth inning, Jordan Walker scored as Walker and Yohel Pozo hit back to back doubles for the Cardinals, but in the bottom half of the inning, the Rockies got the run back scoring their final run of the game with a bases loaded walk to Moniak, bringing home Michael Toglia.&nbsp;Fedde took the loss, falling to 3-10 on the season, pitching three innings and giving up six runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.&nbsp; At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.&nbsp; Donovan was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis and Colorado will now look for a series win in the rubber match tomorrow.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-6, 4.71 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals while the Rockies starter is listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 2:10pm, coverage will be joined around 2 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fedde's season long struggles continue as Cardinals fall 8-4 to Rockies

The playoffs are a different beast, no matter the sport, no matter the league, and it proved no different at Phil Welch Stadium on Tuesday night as it took extra innings for the top seeded St. Joseph Mustangs to beat the bottom seeded Nevada Griffons 2-1 for a trip to the MINK League Championship series.&nbsp;

It was a pitchers duel on the hot summer evening between Mustangs starter Ashton Nance and Griffons starter&nbsp;David "Kenny" Jennings, both putting up zeroes in the run column through the first six innings.&nbsp; Nance gave up no runs in the seventh as well, but it was in the bottom half of the seventh that one team was finally able to break into the scoring as the Mustangs got onto the board.&nbsp;

With one out in the inning, Justin George singled to left, and moved to second as Easton Phillipe walked in the next at bat.&nbsp; With two runners on, Trevor McCollum grounded into a fielders choice, the Griffons going to third base to get George for the second out, leaving runners at first and second.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall continued his hot run though, singling to drive in Phillipe to put the Mustangs up 1-0.&nbsp;

The Mustangs brought on Lawson alum Lane Chapman in the eighth, who needed just 13 pitches to get through the inning holding the lead.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Mustangs got some runners on looking to add some insurance after Dom Felix walked and Jack Mosh singled, but Nevada reliever&nbsp;Gaige Carson kept them from scoring, keeping the Griffons within striking distance as surefire closer Jase Johnson came to the mound for St. Joseph.

Johnson hit Jordan Rowe to start the inning, but then got a groundout and a strikeout looking to close the door for the Mustangs.&nbsp; With Rowe at second base following the groundout, a single by&nbsp;Shadrach Salazar fell perfectly into the gap between center and right field, driving in Rowe to tie up the game.&nbsp; Johnson forced a fly out to end the inning, sending the playoff game to extra innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the 10th, after Nevada got no runners on, the Mustangs again had a chance to put the game away, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart walking and then moving to second on a single by Felix.&nbsp; Runners ended up on the corners after Mosh reached on a fielders choice, with Felix being thrown out at second, but with Benton alum Chris Coy at the plate, Coy grounded out, Mosh stealing second in the at bat.&nbsp; George flied out to end the inning stranding the winning run at third.&nbsp;

Moving to the 11th, again Johnson still on the mound put no runners on and in the bottom of the inning with two outs, Gall was hit by a pitch and Darius Freeman singled, again putting the winning run at second base, but once again the runner would be stranded as Luikart grounded out to second base to keep the game moving.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After neither team put a runner on in the 12th inning, the game moved to the 13th, where East Buchanan alum Gage Busby held the Griffons hitless again in the top half.&nbsp; In the bottom half, George led off the inning with a walk, and was pinch ran for by Central alum Logan Miller who stole second base, and then moved to third on a groundout by Easton Phillipe.&nbsp; Trevor McCollum was intentionally walked, and then stole second base with one out.&nbsp; After Gall struck out, Freeman was the hero hitting a chopper back to the pitcher and racing down the line, beating the throw to first base as Miller came across to score the winning run.&nbsp;

Busby earned the win, striking out all three batters in his one inning of relief.&nbsp; Nance in a no decision pitched seven shutout innings giving up two hits and striking out five while walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Freeman was 2-for-7 with an RBI.&nbsp; Gall was 1-for-6 with an RBI, while Felix was 2-for-5 with a walk and Mosh was 2-for-6.&nbsp;

The Mustangs now advance to the MINK League Championship Series, seeking their 10th MINK League Championship.&nbsp; The Mustangs will play either the second seeded Clarinda A's or the fourth seeded Jefferson City Renegades, traveling to either Clarinda or Jefferson City for Game One of the best of three series on Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jefferson City run ruled the Carroll Merchants 10-0 and will take on Clarinda in their MINK League Divisional Game tomorrow in Clarinda to determine where the Mustangs will travel.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe playoffs are a different beast, no matter the sport, no matter the league, and it proved no different at Phil Welch Stadium on Tuesday night as it took extra innings for the top seeded St. Joseph Mustangs to beat the bottom seeded Nevada Griffons 2-1 for a trip to the MINK League Championship series.&nbsp;It was a pitchers duel on the hot summer evening between Mustangs starter Ashton Nance and Griffons starter&nbsp;David "Kenny" Jennings, both putting up zeroes in the run column through the first six innings.&nbsp; Nance gave up no runs in the seventh as well, but it was in the bottom half of the seventh that one team was finally able to break into the scoring as the Mustangs got onto the board.&nbsp;With one out in the inning, Justin George singled to left, and moved to second as Easton Phillipe walked in the next at bat.&nbsp; With two runners on, Trevor McCollum grounded into a fielders choice, the Griffons going to third base to get George for the second out, leaving runners at first and second.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall continued his hot run though, singling to drive in Phillipe to put the Mustangs up 1-0.&nbsp;The Mustangs brought on Lawson alum Lane Chapman in the eighth, who needed just 13 pitches to get through the inning holding the lead.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Mustangs got some runners on looking to add some insurance after Dom Felix walked and Jack Mosh singled, but Nevada reliever&nbsp;Gaige Carson kept them from scoring, keeping the Griffons within striking distance as surefire closer Jase Johnson came to the mound for St. Joseph.Johnson hit Jordan Rowe to start the inning, but then got a groundout and a strikeout looking to close the door for the Mustangs.&nbsp; With Rowe at second base following the groundout, a single by&nbsp;Shadrach Salazar fell perfectly into the gap between center and right field, driving in Rowe to tie up the game.&nbsp; Johnson forced a fly out to end the inning, sending the playoff game to extra innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the 10th, after Nevada got no runners on, the Mustangs again had a chance to put the game away, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart walking and then moving to second on a single by Felix.&nbsp; Runners ended up on the corners after Mosh reached on a fielders choice, with Felix being thrown out at second, but with Benton alum Chris Coy at the plate, Coy grounded out, Mosh stealing second in the at bat.&nbsp; George flied out to end the inning stranding the winning run at third.&nbsp;Moving to the 11th, again Johnson still on the mound put no runners on and in the bottom of the inning with two outs, Gall was hit by a pitch and Darius Freeman singled, again putting the winning run at second base, but once again the runner would be stranded as Luikart grounded out to second base to keep the game moving.&nbsp;&nbsp;After neither team put a runner on in the 12th inning, the game moved to the 13th, where East Buchanan alum Gage Busby held the Griffons hitless again in the top half.&nbsp; In the bottom half, George led off the inning with a walk, and was pinch ran for by Central alum Logan Miller who stole second base, and then moved to third on a groundout by Easton Phillipe.&nbsp; Trevor McCollum was intentionally walked, and then stole second base with one out.&nbsp; After Gall struck out, Freeman was the hero hitting a chopper back to the pitcher and racing down the line, beating the throw to first base as Miller came across to score the winning run.&nbsp;Busby earned the win, striking out all three batters in his one inning of relief.&nbsp; Nance in a no decision pitched seven shutout innings giving up two hits and striking out five while walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Freeman was 2-for-7 with an RBI.&nbsp; Gall was 1-for-6 with an RBI, while Felix was 2-for-5 with a walk and Mosh was 2-for-6.&nbsp;The Mustangs now advance to the MINK League Championship Series, seeking their 10th MINK League Championship.&nbsp; The Mustangs will play either the second seeded Clarinda A's or the fourth seeded Jefferson City Renegades, traveling to either Clarinda or Jefferson City for Game One of the best of three series on Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jefferson City run ruled the Carroll Merchants 10-0 and will take on Clarinda in their MINK League Divisional Game tomorrow in Clarinda to determine where the Mustangs will travel.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mustangs survive tough battle to advance to MINK League Championship Series

It was 20 years ago that Rich Hill made his debut at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs.&nbsp; And on Tuesday night, he made history, tying Edwin Jackson pitching for his 14th Major League club, as the Kansas City Royals fell to the Cubs 6-0 at Wrigley Field.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After a scoreless first, defensive miscues put the Royals behind in the second inning.&nbsp; Dansby Swanson led the inning off with a single, and then reached second on a fielding error by Nick Loftin as Ian Happ reached first on a fielders choice.&nbsp; Happ would end up out at second as Justin Turner reached first on a force out, with Swanson moving to third, and with one out Matt Shaw drove in Swanson with a single.&nbsp; After a double steal, Nico Hoerner drove in Turner, reaching on a fielders choice as the Royals took the out at third, putting the Cubs up 2-0.&nbsp;

Chicago extended the lead in the fifth with two outs, Carson Kelly singling and then scoring on a double by Pete Crow-Armstrong.&nbsp; In the seventh, the Cubs scored the final three runs, with the bases loaded Seiya Suzuki singling to drive in Shaw.&nbsp; Another run was added on a sacrifice fly by Kelly, scoring Hoerner, and the final run came across home on a double steal with Suzuki stealing second, and Kyle Tucker stealing home.&nbsp;

Hill took the loss, moving to 0-1, pitching five innings and giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out one and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, the Royals had six total hits, with six batters getting one hit each in the loss.&nbsp;

With the series split, Kansas City and Chicago wrap it up tomorrow in the rubber match.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals while the Cubs pitcher is listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:20, pregame coverage begins at 12:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEIt was 20 years ago that Rich Hill made his debut at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs.&nbsp; And on Tuesday night, he made history, tying Edwin Jackson pitching for his 14th Major League club, as the Kansas City Royals fell to the Cubs 6-0 at Wrigley Field.&nbsp;&nbsp;After a scoreless first, defensive miscues put the Royals behind in the second inning.&nbsp; Dansby Swanson led the inning off with a single, and then reached second on a fielding error by Nick Loftin as Ian Happ reached first on a fielders choice.&nbsp; Happ would end up out at second as Justin Turner reached first on a force out, with Swanson moving to third, and with one out Matt Shaw drove in Swanson with a single.&nbsp; After a double steal, Nico Hoerner drove in Turner, reaching on a fielders choice as the Royals took the out at third, putting the Cubs up 2-0.&nbsp;Chicago extended the lead in the fifth with two outs, Carson Kelly singling and then scoring on a double by Pete Crow-Armstrong.&nbsp; In the seventh, the Cubs scored the final three runs, with the bases loaded Seiya Suzuki singling to drive in Shaw.&nbsp; Another run was added on a sacrifice fly by Kelly, scoring Hoerner, and the final run came across home on a double steal with Suzuki stealing second, and Kyle Tucker stealing home.&nbsp;Hill took the loss, moving to 0-1, pitching five innings and giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out one and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, the Royals had six total hits, with six batters getting one hit each in the loss.&nbsp;With the series split, Kansas City and Chicago wrap it up tomorrow in the rubber match.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals while the Cubs pitcher is listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:20, pregame coverage begins at 12:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hill makes history as Royals are shutout by Cubs 6-0

With a sour taste in their mouth after losing the Super Bowl last year, the Kansas City Chiefs started their journey to get back today at Training Camp in St. Joseph.  

It's the 15th training camp at Missouri Western State University, and head coach Andy Reid's message to the team was to attack it with urgency.  

Patrick Mahomes says the way he interprets that message is just that everyone needs to keep getting better 

"I think that's something that people lose track of when you have success," Mahomes tells reporters following practice.  "Obviously we didn't win that last game, but we had a lot of success last year, and I think sometimes people want to be stagnant and they want to go out there and do it over again, but you see with the rest of the AFC West, the rest of the AFC, and the rest of the NFL is everybody's getting better, so we have to get better, and so that's about keeping urgency in practice and competing." 

The Chiefs kicked off training camp with two big pieces of their young core locked up for the foreseeable future.  

Prior to camp, the Chiefs locked up a key piece to their offensive line in guard Trey Smith. 

For Smith, a former sixth round pick who fell in the draft due to medical issues, it was an emotional moment 

"I lost my mom when I was 15 and I made two promises to her, that I would get my degree and I would play in the NFL, I didn't promise her I would be the highest paid, but I made a promise," Smith tearfully says.  "And my parents sacrificed so much for me to be here, so much, and to have that moment with them it's special bro, it's special, and it's something I won't take for granted man." 

Smith signed a four-year $94 million contract, making him the highest paid guard in the league.

Less than one week later, the Chiefs extended the contract of defensive end George Karlaftis.  

Karlaftis says he's been very vocal about there being nowhere he would want to be other than Kansas City, and says the reason starts with the team 

"The team, Coach Reid, the guys on the team, the locker room, everything about this organization from the top down really, just amazing, no place I'd rather be really," Karlaftis says.  "And then the city, you know my fiancée and I have grown to love this place, calling it home now, and yeah it's awesome." 

Karlaftis and the Chiefs agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep the 24-year-old in Kansas City through 2030.  

The Chiefs practiced today for just over an hour.  They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753213356048.jpeg" alt="Gardner Minshew (17) hands the ball off to Brashard Smith (30) as Patrick Mahomes and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy watch on/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Gardner Minshew (17) hands the ball off to Brashard Smith (30) as Patrick Mahomes and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy watch on/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE With a sour taste in their mouth after losing the Super Bowl last year, the Kansas City Chiefs started their journey to get back today at Training Camp in St. Joseph. It's the 15th training camp at Missouri Western State University, and head coach Andy Reid's message to the team was to attack it with urgency. Patrick Mahomes says the way he interprets that message is just that everyone needs to keep getting better "I think that's something that people lose track of when you have success," Mahomes tells reporters following practice. "Obviously we didn't win that last game, but we had a lot of success last year, and I think sometimes people want to be stagnant and they want to go out there and do it over again, but you see with the rest of the AFC West, the rest of the AFC, and the rest of the NFL is everybody's getting better, so we have to get better, and so that's about keeping urgency in practice and competing." The Chiefs kicked off training camp with two big pieces of their young core locked up for the foreseeable future. Prior to camp, the Chiefs locked up a key piece to their offensive line in guard Trey Smith. For Smith, a former sixth round pick who fell in the draft due to medical issues, it was an emotional moment "I lost my mom when I was 15 and I made two promises to her, that I would get my degree and I would play in the NFL, I didn't promise her I would be the highest paid, but I made a promise," Smith tearfully says. "And my parents sacrificed so much for me to be here, so much, and to have that moment with them it's special bro, it's special, and it's something I won't take for granted man." Smith signed a four-year $94 million contract, making him the highest paid guard in the league.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753213389959.jpeg" alt="Trey Smith/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Trey Smith/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>Less than one week later, the Chiefs extended the contract of defensive end George Karlaftis. Karlaftis says he's been very vocal about there being nowhere he would want to be other than Kansas City, and says the reason starts with the team "The team, Coach Reid, the guys on the team, the locker room, everything about this organization from the top down really, just amazing, no place I'd rather be really," Karlaftis says. "And then the city, you know my fiancée and I have grown to love this place, calling it home now, and yeah it's awesome." Karlaftis and the Chiefs agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep the 24-year-old in Kansas City through 2030. The Chiefs practiced today for just over an hour. They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753213414093.jpeg" alt="George Karlaftis/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>George Karlaftis/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

New contracts, new beginnings as Chiefs open Training Camp in St. Joseph

The St. Louis Cardinals saw better luck to start their series against the Colorado Rockies, after getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the second half, winning 6-2 on Monday afternoon at Coors Field.&nbsp;

The Cardinals though did have to play from behind after falling behind the Rockies in the third inning, due to some misplays in the field.&nbsp;&nbsp;Adael Amador singled to lead off the inning and advanced on a single by Mickey Moniak, but then raced all the way home after a fielding error by Victor Scott II, which also advanced Moniak to second base.&nbsp; Hunter Goodman's one out single drove in Moniak to put the Rockies up 2-0 after three innings.&nbsp;

St. Louis tied things up the very next inning, starting with a solo home run leading off the inning by Willson Contreras, his 13th of the season.&nbsp; With one out Nolan Arenado doubled, and scored as Masyn Winn followed that with a double of his own to tie up the game at two a piece

The Cardinals took the lead in the fifth inning Contreras driving in Brendan Donovan after his one out double with an RBI single.&nbsp; In the sixth inning the Redbirds continued extending the lead, with Arenado at third and one out&nbsp;Pedro Pagés singling to drive the third baseman in, moving Jordan Walker to third, Walker later scoring on a sacrifice fly by Donovan.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Walker singled home Contreras in the seventh inning for the final Cardinals run after Contreras led of the inning with a double.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Recently recalled Michael McGreevy earned the win, improving to 2-1 on the season, pitching seven innings and giving up seven hits and two runs while striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Winn was 3-for-5 with an RBI.&nbsp; Contreras was also 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Louis and Colorado continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Erick Fedde (3-9, 4.83 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Bradley Blalock (0-2, 9.97 ERA) for the Rockies.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:40pm, coverage will be joined around 7:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

By MATT PIKEThe St. Louis Cardinals saw better luck to start their series against the Colorado Rockies, after getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the second half, winning 6-2 on Monday afternoon at Coors Field.&nbsp;The Cardinals though did have to play from behind after falling behind the Rockies in the third inning, due to some misplays in the field.&nbsp;&nbsp;Adael Amador singled to lead off the inning and advanced on a single by Mickey Moniak, but then raced all the way home after a fielding error by Victor Scott II, which also advanced Moniak to second base.&nbsp; Hunter Goodman's one out single drove in Moniak to put the Rockies up 2-0 after three innings.&nbsp;St. Louis tied things up the very next inning, starting with a solo home run leading off the inning by Willson Contreras, his 13th of the season.&nbsp; With one out Nolan Arenado doubled, and scored as Masyn Winn followed that with a double of his own to tie up the game at two a piece<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">443 feet... Willson Contreras DESTROYED this baseball! <a href="https://t.co/77Fbvz6y2r">pic.twitter.com/77Fbvz6y2r</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1947469952304484825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Winn&#39;s 20th double of the season ties the game! <a href="https://t.co/a359rlej85">pic.twitter.com/a359rlej85</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1947470959419789645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Cardinals took the lead in the fifth inning Contreras driving in Brendan Donovan after his one out double with an RBI single.&nbsp; In the sixth inning the Redbirds continued extending the lead, with Arenado at third and one out&nbsp;Pedro Pagés singling to drive the third baseman in, moving Jordan Walker to third, Walker later scoring on a sacrifice fly by Donovan.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pedro Pagés pokes it perfectly! <a href="https://t.co/gNmBrkbp1A">pic.twitter.com/gNmBrkbp1A</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1947478696270696904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Walker singled home Contreras in the seventh inning for the final Cardinals run after Contreras led of the inning with a double.&nbsp;&nbsp;Recently recalled Michael McGreevy earned the win, improving to 2-1 on the season, pitching seven innings and giving up seven hits and two runs while striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Winn was 3-for-5 with an RBI.&nbsp; Contreras was also 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis and Colorado continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Erick Fedde (3-9, 4.83 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Bradley Blalock (0-2, 9.97 ERA) for the Rockies.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:40pm, coverage will be joined around 7:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cards snap losing streak to start second half with 6-2 win over Rockies

The Kansas City Royals offense exploded to back another strong start by Noah Cameron, beating the Chicago Cubs 12-4 to open their series at historic Wrigley Field on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The Royals opened the scoring in the second inning behind Jac Caglianone's fifth home run of the season.&nbsp; But in the bottom half of the inning fell behind as Cameron gave up four runs, the first being a tying solo home run to Carson Kelly leading off the inning.&nbsp; After Dansby Swanson singled, and Justin Turner doubled, the Cubs went deep again off Cameron to take the lead as Matt Shaw hit a three run home run, what would end up being the final Cubs runs of the game.&nbsp;

In the fourth inning, the Royals cut the lead to one, thanks to the long ball again.&nbsp; With two outs, Maikel Garcia singled, before Salvador Perez sent the ball flying to left center field for his 16th home run of the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the fifth Kansas City continued the scoring rally to back Cameron, tying up the game with Jonathan India's RBI double driving in John Rave after he reached first on a forceout.&nbsp; With Kyle Isbel on third, the Royals took the lead in the very next at bat as Bobby Witt Jr singled, then extending the lead as Witt Jr stole second, and on a throwing error India came home to score, with Witt Jr moving to third and then scoring himself on a wild pitch.&nbsp;

In the seventh inning, Rave led the inning off hitting a home run in the ballpark that he grew up going to games in, his third home run of the season, to extend the lead.&nbsp; Then, in the eighth inning, after Garcia led the inning off with a double, Perez went deep for the second time in the game to push the lead even more.&nbsp; Following a walk by Caglianone, and a single by Nick Loftin, it was Rave driving in another run with an RBI single, scoring Caglianone, Rave eventually scoring the final run himself on a forceout by Witt Jr.&nbsp;

Cameron earned the win, moving to .500 on the season at 4-4, pitching six innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out seven.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs.&nbsp; Rave was 2-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs, while Isbel was 3-for-4 with a run.&nbsp;

Kansas City and Chicago continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Rich Hill will make his season debut for the Royals against Matthew Boyd (10-3, 2.34 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:05pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

Hill is currently on Kansas City’s taxi squad.&nbsp; Hill signed a Minor League deal with the Royals back in May and has been building up over the last few months. The southpaw has a 5.22 ERA and 61 strikeouts across his 11 starts, nine of which have come with Triple-A Omaha.

Despite the lopsided ERA, the Royals have been impressed with Hill’s command in the Minors this season. He has allowed two runs or fewer in six of 11 outings and recently became the first 45-year-old to record double-digit K's in a professional contest since Nolan Ryan did so in 1992. Hill did it in a start with Triple-A Omaha on July 13.

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals offense exploded to back another strong start by Noah Cameron, beating the Chicago Cubs 12-4 to open their series at historic Wrigley Field on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The Royals opened the scoring in the second inning behind Jac Caglianone's fifth home run of the season.&nbsp; But in the bottom half of the inning fell behind as Cameron gave up four runs, the first being a tying solo home run to Carson Kelly leading off the inning.&nbsp; After Dansby Swanson singled, and Justin Turner doubled, the Cubs went deep again off Cameron to take the lead as Matt Shaw hit a three run home run, what would end up being the final Cubs runs of the game.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jac sends one to the basket! <a href="https://t.co/OnCpekKD5C">pic.twitter.com/OnCpekKD5C</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947452882909016304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the fourth inning, the Royals cut the lead to one, thanks to the long ball again.&nbsp; With two outs, Maikel Garcia singled, before Salvador Perez sent the ball flying to left center field for his 16th home run of the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Stay 🔥, Captain! <a href="https://t.co/MBDulMoB5C">pic.twitter.com/MBDulMoB5C</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947462441446871539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the fifth Kansas City continued the scoring rally to back Cameron, tying up the game with Jonathan India's RBI double driving in John Rave after he reached first on a forceout.&nbsp; With Kyle Isbel on third, the Royals took the lead in the very next at bat as Bobby Witt Jr singled, then extending the lead as Witt Jr stole second, and on a throwing error India came home to score, with Witt Jr moving to third and then scoring himself on a wild pitch.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Creating a little chaos. <a href="https://t.co/hHJ6SG6jtE">pic.twitter.com/hHJ6SG6jtE</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947470444300276070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the seventh inning, Rave led the inning off hitting a home run in the ballpark that he grew up going to games in, his third home run of the season, to extend the lead.&nbsp; Then, in the eighth inning, after Garcia led the inning off with a double, Perez went deep for the second time in the game to push the lead even more.&nbsp; Following a walk by Caglianone, and a single by Nick Loftin, it was Rave driving in another run with an RBI single, scoring Caglianone, Rave eventually scoring the final run himself on a forceout by Witt Jr.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Scalding hot! 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/BxicPZCBa4">pic.twitter.com/BxicPZCBa4</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947481779822293144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Cameron earned the win, moving to .500 on the season at 4-4, pitching six innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out seven.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs.&nbsp; Rave was 2-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs, while Isbel was 3-for-4 with a run.&nbsp;Kansas City and Chicago continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Rich Hill will make his season debut for the Royals against Matthew Boyd (10-3, 2.34 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:05pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;Hill is currently on Kansas City’s taxi squad.&nbsp; Hill signed a Minor League deal with the Royals back in May and has been building up over the last few months. The southpaw has a 5.22 ERA and 61 strikeouts across his 11 starts, nine of which have come with Triple-A Omaha.Despite the lopsided ERA, the Royals have been impressed with Hill’s command in the Minors this season. He has allowed two runs or fewer in six of 11 outings and recently became the first 45-year-old to record double-digit K's in a professional contest since Nolan Ryan did so in 1992. Hill did it in a start with Triple-A Omaha on July 13.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753154061646.jpeg" alt="Salvador Perez celebrates following a home run in the Royals 12-4 win over the Chicago Cubs/ Photo courtesy of the Royals on X" />
 <figcaption>Salvador Perez celebrates following a home run in the Royals 12-4 win over the Chicago Cubs/ Photo courtesy of the Royals on X</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals offense comes up big for Noah Cameron in 12-4 win over Chicago

The second half of the Major League baseball season didn't quite open how the St. Louis Cardinals hoped it would, as the Redbirds were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks after falling 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field in their series finale.&nbsp;

Miles Mikolas again struggled on the mound as the Cardinals quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first inning, Corbin Carroll again leading off the inning with a triple before scoring as Geraldo Perdomo reached on a fielders choice, Brendan Donovan attempting to throw Carroll out at home but catcher Yohel Pozo missing the tag.&nbsp; After Josh Naylor walked, a hot target as the trade deadline approaches,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez, hit his 34th home run of the season, a three run blast to left field.&nbsp;

The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the third inning, Victor Scott II leading off the inning with a double and coming home on a single by&nbsp;Iván Herrera, but in the bottom half of the inning the Diamondbacks got the run back for their final score of the game as&nbsp;Suárez hit his second home run of the game, and his 35th of the season, putting him behind only Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge for the most in major league baseball.&nbsp;

St. Louis added one more run in the fifth inning, Brendan Donovan grounding out with the bases loaded after three straight walks, scoring Pozo, to cut the lead to three.&nbsp; The Cardinals though managed just one more run, scoring again in the ninth inning on an RBI double by Jordan Walker, driving in Masyn Winn.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mikolas took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up all five runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Walker was 2-for-3 with the double, a walk, and an RBI.&nbsp; 

St. Louis will now travel to Colorado.&nbsp;&nbsp;Michael McGreevy (1-1, 4.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against former Cardinal Austin Gomber (0-3, 5.65 ERA) for the Rockies.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:40pm with coverage being joined around 7:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe second half of the Major League baseball season didn't quite open how the St. Louis Cardinals hoped it would, as the Redbirds were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks after falling 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field in their series finale.&nbsp;Miles Mikolas again struggled on the mound as the Cardinals quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first inning, Corbin Carroll again leading off the inning with a triple before scoring as Geraldo Perdomo reached on a fielders choice, Brendan Donovan attempting to throw Carroll out at home but catcher Yohel Pozo missing the tag.&nbsp; After Josh Naylor walked, a hot target as the trade deadline approaches,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez, hit his 34th home run of the season, a three run blast to left field.&nbsp;The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the third inning, Victor Scott II leading off the inning with a double and coming home on a single by&nbsp;Iván Herrera, but in the bottom half of the inning the Diamondbacks got the run back for their final score of the game as&nbsp;Suárez hit his second home run of the game, and his 35th of the season, putting him behind only Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge for the most in major league baseball.&nbsp;St. Louis added one more run in the fifth inning, Brendan Donovan grounding out with the bases loaded after three straight walks, scoring Pozo, to cut the lead to three.&nbsp; The Cardinals though managed just one more run, scoring again in the ninth inning on an RBI double by Jordan Walker, driving in Masyn Winn.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mikolas took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up all five runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Walker was 2-for-3 with the double, a walk, and an RBI.&nbsp; St. Louis will now travel to Colorado.&nbsp;&nbsp;Michael McGreevy (1-1, 4.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against former Cardinal Austin Gomber (0-3, 5.65 ERA) for the Rockies.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:40pm with coverage being joined around 7:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cardinals swept by D-Backs to start second half falling 5-3 in finale

The Kansas City Chiefs have rolled into St. Joseph and are ready for Training Camp. 

Chiefs coaches and players reported to St. Joseph throughout the evening today some arriving early tomorrow morning ahead of the 15th Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University 

Chiefs Head coach Andy Reid is happy to be back in St. Joseph

"Missouri Western State University man, we love this place, great place to have Training Camp and we appreciate all the people and the jobs that they do for us here, they roll out the red carpet and take care of us like no other," Reid tells reporters.  "So we appreciate all of that and we look forward to getting this camp going."

Reid says going into this camp, the mindset of the players and coaches doesn't change despite losing the Super Bowl last year

"It stays tough, I mean it's never an easy camp, and it builds you a foundation you can bank on," Reid explains.  "So it's important that the guys come in in the right frame of mind, they know that, and they pass the word down to the young guys that they better be ready to go, so that helps us in the long haul."

The first practice of training camp is on Tuesday for season ticket holders beginning at 9:15.  The first open to the general public will be on Wednesday. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753055985761.jpeg" alt="Andy Reid speaks to the media in front of Scanlon Hall at Missouri Western State University ahead of Chiefs Training Camp beginning on Tuesday/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Andy Reid speaks to the media in front of Scanlon Hall at Missouri Western State University ahead of Chiefs Training Camp beginning on Tuesday/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs have rolled into St. Joseph and are ready for Training Camp. Chiefs coaches and players reported to St. Joseph throughout the evening today some arriving early tomorrow morning ahead of the 15th Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University Chiefs Head coach Andy Reid is happy to be back in St. Joseph"Missouri Western State University man, we love this place, great place to have Training Camp and we appreciate all the people and the jobs that they do for us here, they roll out the red carpet and take care of us like no other," Reid tells reporters. "So we appreciate all of that and we look forward to getting this camp going."Reid says going into this camp, the mindset of the players and coaches doesn't change despite losing the Super Bowl last year"It stays tough, I mean it's never an easy camp, and it builds you a foundation you can bank on," Reid explains. "So it's important that the guys come in in the right frame of mind, they know that, and they pass the word down to the young guys that they better be ready to go, so that helps us in the long haul."The first practice of training camp is on Tuesday for season ticket holders beginning at 9:15. The first open to the general public will be on Wednesday. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs players, coaches arrive in St. Joseph ahead of Training Camp

The Kansas City Royals lost their shutout late, giving up four runs in the ninth inning, but still avoided being swept by the Miami Marlins and backing a strong start from Kris Bubic, winning 7-4 on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;

Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning got the scoring started, driving in Bobby Witt Jr after he doubled earlier in the inning with one out.&nbsp; With Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, his single having moved Witt Jr to third, Salvador Perez moved him to third with a ground rule double, before both scored as Jac Caglianone doubled right behind the vetereran catcher to put the Royals up 3-0.&nbsp;

Kansas City added onto their lead with three more runs in the fifth.&nbsp; After Freddy Fermin reached on a fielding error and Kyle Isbel singled, Jonathan India doubling to drive both in.&nbsp; India moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Pasquantino putting the Royals up 6-0 at the end of five.&nbsp;

The final run of insurance was put on the board in the eighth inning, courtesy of the captain, as Perez hit his 15th home run of the season to left field to put the Royals up 7-0 going into the final inning.&nbsp;

Andrew Hoffman came onto pitch in the ninth inning with the big lead, but ran into trouble, despite getting two outs.&nbsp; Hoffman walked&nbsp;Heriberto Hernandez with one out, and then with two outs walked&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez, before&nbsp;Javier Sanoja reached on an error by India to load the bases.&nbsp; With the bases loaded Xavier Edwards singled to drive in Hernandez and&nbsp;Sánchez, and then gave up a double to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez scoring Sanoja and Edwards, prompting the Royals to call on&nbsp;Carlos Estévez for the save.&nbsp;

Estévez did give up a single to Otto Lopez but then got LIam Hicks to flyout to earn his 26th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bubic earned the win, improving to 8-6 on the season, pitching five shutout innings and giving up just three hits while walking one and striking out two.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, the home run, and one RBI.&nbsp; Isbel was 2-for-3 with a walk.&nbsp;

Kansas City will now travel to Chicago to face the Cubs.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31 ERA) will open the series for the Royals against Ryan Brasier (0-0, 1.04 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 7:05pm, pregame coverage will start at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals lost their shutout late, giving up four runs in the ninth inning, but still avoided being swept by the Miami Marlins and backing a strong start from Kris Bubic, winning 7-4 on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning got the scoring started, driving in Bobby Witt Jr after he doubled earlier in the inning with one out.&nbsp; With Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, his single having moved Witt Jr to third, Salvador Perez moved him to third with a ground rule double, before both scored as Jac Caglianone doubled right behind the vetereran catcher to put the Royals up 3-0.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jac drives in a pair! <a href="https://t.co/VqGWW1M4KT">pic.twitter.com/VqGWW1M4KT</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947002540379566171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas City added onto their lead with three more runs in the fifth.&nbsp; After Freddy Fermin reached on a fielding error and Kyle Isbel singled, Jonathan India doubling to drive both in.&nbsp; India moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Pasquantino putting the Royals up 6-0 at the end of five.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Adding on in the 5th. <a href="https://t.co/K7xGhxwLz7">pic.twitter.com/K7xGhxwLz7</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947008481002922356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The final run of insurance was put on the board in the eighth inning, courtesy of the captain, as Perez hit his 15th home run of the season to left field to put the Royals up 7-0 going into the final inning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">There goes that man. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/mxkVdESUTi">pic.twitter.com/mxkVdESUTi</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947019473422077975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Andrew Hoffman came onto pitch in the ninth inning with the big lead, but ran into trouble, despite getting two outs.&nbsp; Hoffman walked&nbsp;Heriberto Hernandez with one out, and then with two outs walked&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez, before&nbsp;Javier Sanoja reached on an error by India to load the bases.&nbsp; With the bases loaded Xavier Edwards singled to drive in Hernandez and&nbsp;Sánchez, and then gave up a double to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez scoring Sanoja and Edwards, prompting the Royals to call on&nbsp;Carlos Estévez for the save.&nbsp;Estévez did give up a single to Otto Lopez but then got LIam Hicks to flyout to earn his 26th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bubic earned the win, improving to 8-6 on the season, pitching five shutout innings and giving up just three hits while walking one and striking out two.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, the home run, and one RBI.&nbsp; Isbel was 2-for-3 with a walk.&nbsp;Kansas City will now travel to Chicago to face the Cubs.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31 ERA) will open the series for the Royals against Ryan Brasier (0-0, 1.04 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 7:05pm, pregame coverage will start at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals give up runs late, but back strong start from Bubic in 7-4 win over Marlins

The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping one of their young stars on the defensive line for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;

On the day Chiefs players are reporting to St. Joseph for Training Camp, which begins on Tuesday, the Chiefs and defensive end George Karlaftis agreed to a four year contract extension worth $93 million according to multiple reports.&nbsp;

The Chiefs are making sure their top players stay put.&nbsp; The deal comes less than a week after they signed guard Trey Smith to a historic four-year, $94 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid guard in the NFL.

Karlaftis has recorded 115 tackles, 56 QB hits, 24.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 49 games. He's also won two Super Bowls during his tenure in Kansas City.

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs are keeping one of their young stars on the defensive line for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;On the day Chiefs players are reporting to St. Joseph for Training Camp, which begins on Tuesday, the Chiefs and defensive end George Karlaftis agreed to a four year contract extension worth $93 million according to multiple reports.&nbsp;The Chiefs are making sure their top players stay put.&nbsp; The deal comes less than a week after they signed guard Trey Smith to a historic four-year, $94 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid guard in the NFL.Karlaftis has recorded 115 tackles, 56 QB hits, 24.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 49 games. He's also won two Super Bowls during his tenure in Kansas City.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs, Karlaftis agree to four year contract extension

The St. Joseph Mustangs wrapped up their slate of home regular season games by celebrating Christmas in July, beating the Jefferson City Renegades 14-7 on Saturday night at Phil Welch Stadium.&nbsp;

The Mustangs started out the scoring fast and furious, putting up three runs in the first inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart doubled to left driving in Darius Freeman and Jack Mosh for the first two runs of the game, before Luikart scored himself later in the inning on a wild pitch. Behind a strong pitching effort by Benton alum Chris Coy, St. Joseph held that lead, before extending the lead in the third inning.&nbsp;

Four more came across home plate in the third, pinch hitting for Freeman Carter Belton tripled driving in Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall.&nbsp; Continuing his standout day in front of the home crowd, Luikart drove in two more runs, scoring Belton with a two run home run to extend the lead.&nbsp; Later in the inning, after singling and stealing second base, Easton Phillipe scored the final run of the inning on an RBI single by Central alum Logan Miller putting the Mustangs up 7-0.

The Mustangs continued pouring things on in the fourth, five more runs coming in, starting with a solo home run by Gall.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, Phillipe singled to right field driving in two more runs, scoring Mosh and Belton.&nbsp; Miller drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single, bringing home Luikart and Phillipe to put the Mustangs up 12-0 at the end of four innings.&nbsp;

The Renegades put together a rally in the sixth inning, scoring all seven of their runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Karson Durnin singled to center driving in the first two runs, scoring&nbsp;Tyler Towe and Drew Vonder Harr.&nbsp; Durnin later scored with an RBI single by&nbsp;Nolan Laughlin.&nbsp; Reaching on an error,&nbsp;Conner Flieg drove in&nbsp;Brayden Groseclose and advance Laughlin to second, before both Flieg and Laughlin scored on a three run home run for the final score, a shot by&nbsp;Jack Dunn.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Mustangs added the final two runs of insurance in the seventh inning on a two RBI single by Lafayette alum Jayden Little, bringing home Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith and Belton for the final runs of the game.&nbsp;

Lane Chapman earned the win for the Musangs pitching two innings and striking out three while walking two.&nbsp; Coy pitched three innings and gave up one hit while striking out two and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, a stolen base, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Gall was 3-for-6 with a home run and an RBI.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 34-8 on the season and 28-7 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They have one game remaining in the regular season, traveling to Carroll, Iowa to face the Carroll Merchants on Sunday.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 4pm.&nbsp; The Mustangs will be back in St. Joseph on Tuesday for their first playoff game, their opponent is TBD.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Joseph Mustangs wrapped up their slate of home regular season games by celebrating Christmas in July, beating the Jefferson City Renegades 14-7 on Saturday night at Phil Welch Stadium.&nbsp;The Mustangs started out the scoring fast and furious, putting up three runs in the first inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart doubled to left driving in Darius Freeman and Jack Mosh for the first two runs of the game, before Luikart scored himself later in the inning on a wild pitch. Behind a strong pitching effort by Benton alum Chris Coy, St. Joseph held that lead, before extending the lead in the third inning.&nbsp;Four more came across home plate in the third, pinch hitting for Freeman Carter Belton tripled driving in Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall.&nbsp; Continuing his standout day in front of the home crowd, Luikart drove in two more runs, scoring Belton with a two run home run to extend the lead.&nbsp; Later in the inning, after singling and stealing second base, Easton Phillipe scored the final run of the inning on an RBI single by Central alum Logan Miller putting the Mustangs up 7-0.The Mustangs continued pouring things on in the fourth, five more runs coming in, starting with a solo home run by Gall.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, Phillipe singled to right field driving in two more runs, scoring Mosh and Belton.&nbsp; Miller drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single, bringing home Luikart and Phillipe to put the Mustangs up 12-0 at the end of four innings.&nbsp;The Renegades put together a rally in the sixth inning, scoring all seven of their runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Karson Durnin singled to center driving in the first two runs, scoring&nbsp;Tyler Towe and Drew Vonder Harr.&nbsp; Durnin later scored with an RBI single by&nbsp;Nolan Laughlin.&nbsp; Reaching on an error,&nbsp;Conner Flieg drove in&nbsp;Brayden Groseclose and advance Laughlin to second, before both Flieg and Laughlin scored on a three run home run for the final score, a shot by&nbsp;Jack Dunn.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Mustangs added the final two runs of insurance in the seventh inning on a two RBI single by Lafayette alum Jayden Little, bringing home Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith and Belton for the final runs of the game.&nbsp;Lane Chapman earned the win for the Musangs pitching two innings and striking out three while walking two.&nbsp; Coy pitched three innings and gave up one hit while striking out two and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, a stolen base, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Gall was 3-for-6 with a home run and an RBI.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 34-8 on the season and 28-7 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They have one game remaining in the regular season, traveling to Carroll, Iowa to face the Carroll Merchants on Sunday.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 4pm.&nbsp; The Mustangs will be back in St. Joseph on Tuesday for their first playoff game, their opponent is TBD.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Merry Christmas in July: Mustangs win home finale 14-7

The Arizona Diamondbacks offense exploded for nine unanswered runs and was to much to solve for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray as the Redbirds fell to the Diamondbacks 10-1 on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field.&nbsp;

Arizona started the scoring right away in the first inning with three runs as Geraldo Perdomo drove in Corbin Carroll with a single, after Carroll led off the inning with a triple.&nbsp; Perdomo would be out in the next at bat when Lourdes Gurriel Jr grounded into a double play, but after Josh Naylor reached first thanks to catchers interference,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez hit his 32nd home run of the season to drive in Naylor and himself.&nbsp;

The lead extended in the second as Alek Thomas scored on an RBI single by Blaze Alexander, after Thomas's lead off double.&nbsp; Perdomo drove in another run with a single as he brough Alexander home for the second run of the inning.&nbsp; &nbsp;Suárez's second home run of the game added to the lead in the third inning, putting the Diamondbacks up 6-0 after three innings.&nbsp;

Another three runs scored in the fourth inning, the first of the runs coming on Carroll's second triple of the game, driving in Alexander who led off the inning with a single.&nbsp; Carroll came home to score in the very next at bat as Perdomo drove in his third run of the game with another RBI single, and Perdomo later scored on a double by Adrian Del Castillo, pushing the Arizona lead to 9-0.&nbsp;

Alec Burleson's 12th home run of the season broke up the shutout in the sixth inning for the lone run by the Cardinals.&nbsp; Arizona added their final run in the bottom of the eighth, again courtesy of Perdomo, this time though on a groundout as Alexander scored.&nbsp;

Gray fell to 9-4 on the season taking the loss pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 11 hits while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Masyn Winn was 3-for-4 on the day.&nbsp; Burleson was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Arizona wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (5-6, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Merrill Kelly (8-5, 3.34 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, coverage will be joined around 3 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe Arizona Diamondbacks offense exploded for nine unanswered runs and was to much to solve for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray as the Redbirds fell to the Diamondbacks 10-1 on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field.&nbsp;Arizona started the scoring right away in the first inning with three runs as Geraldo Perdomo drove in Corbin Carroll with a single, after Carroll led off the inning with a triple.&nbsp; Perdomo would be out in the next at bat when Lourdes Gurriel Jr grounded into a double play, but after Josh Naylor reached first thanks to catchers interference,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez hit his 32nd home run of the season to drive in Naylor and himself.&nbsp;The lead extended in the second as Alek Thomas scored on an RBI single by Blaze Alexander, after Thomas's lead off double.&nbsp; Perdomo drove in another run with a single as he brough Alexander home for the second run of the inning.&nbsp; &nbsp;Suárez's second home run of the game added to the lead in the third inning, putting the Diamondbacks up 6-0 after three innings.&nbsp;Another three runs scored in the fourth inning, the first of the runs coming on Carroll's second triple of the game, driving in Alexander who led off the inning with a single.&nbsp; Carroll came home to score in the very next at bat as Perdomo drove in his third run of the game with another RBI single, and Perdomo later scored on a double by Adrian Del Castillo, pushing the Arizona lead to 9-0.&nbsp;Alec Burleson's 12th home run of the season broke up the shutout in the sixth inning for the lone run by the Cardinals.&nbsp; Arizona added their final run in the bottom of the eighth, again courtesy of Perdomo, this time though on a groundout as Alexander scored.&nbsp;Gray fell to 9-4 on the season taking the loss pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 11 hits while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Masyn Winn was 3-for-4 on the day.&nbsp; Burleson was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp;St. Louis and Arizona wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (5-6, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Merrill Kelly (8-5, 3.34 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, coverage will be joined around 3 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

D-Backs offense too much for Gray as Cardinals fall 10-1

The Kansas City Royals struggled against Miami Marlins starter Cal Quantrill before Salvador Perez tied the game in the eighth inning with a solo home run, but the Royals bullpen again blew the tie in the bottom half of the inning and Kansas City fell to the Marlins 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

The Marlins took the lead in the bottom of the first after Xavier Edwards tripled into right field and then scored as Otto Lopez grounded out for the second out of the inning against Royals starter Michael Wacha.&nbsp; After the opening run, both Wacha and Quantrill settled in as they allowed just five hits combined before both left the game after the sixth inning.&nbsp;

After a scoreless seventh, the Royals tied up the game in the eighth inning as Perez led off the inning blasting his 14th home run of the season to centerfield.&nbsp; Kansas City had a chance to take the lead with two outs, after walks to John Rave and Adam Frazier, but Jonathan India flew out to left to end the inning.&nbsp;

Lucas Erceg came on in the bottom half of the inning attempting to hold the tie, but immediately ran into trouble, loading the bases after walking Graham Pauley, giving up a double to Edwards, and intentionally walking&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez.&nbsp; A double from Lopez gave the Marlins the lead, driving in both Pauley and Edwards for the final runs of the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals went 1-2-3 as Anthony Bender earned his third save for the Marlins.&nbsp;

Erceg fell to 4-3 on the season taking the loss, pitching one inning and giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 1-for-3 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp; The Royals had just three hits in the game.

Kansas City and Miami wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.48 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Janson Junk (4-1, 2.68 ERA) for the Marlins. First pitch is at 12:40 with pregame coverage beginning at noon on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals struggled against Miami Marlins starter Cal Quantrill before Salvador Perez tied the game in the eighth inning with a solo home run, but the Royals bullpen again blew the tie in the bottom half of the inning and Kansas City fell to the Marlins 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;The Marlins took the lead in the bottom of the first after Xavier Edwards tripled into right field and then scored as Otto Lopez grounded out for the second out of the inning against Royals starter Michael Wacha.&nbsp; After the opening run, both Wacha and Quantrill settled in as they allowed just five hits combined before both left the game after the sixth inning.&nbsp;After a scoreless seventh, the Royals tied up the game in the eighth inning as Perez led off the inning blasting his 14th home run of the season to centerfield.&nbsp; Kansas City had a chance to take the lead with two outs, after walks to John Rave and Adam Frazier, but Jonathan India flew out to left to end the inning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A Salvy smash ties it up. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/IxuPVDliOd">pic.twitter.com/IxuPVDliOd</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946691049729958185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lucas Erceg came on in the bottom half of the inning attempting to hold the tie, but immediately ran into trouble, loading the bases after walking Graham Pauley, giving up a double to Edwards, and intentionally walking&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez.&nbsp; A double from Lopez gave the Marlins the lead, driving in both Pauley and Edwards for the final runs of the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals went 1-2-3 as Anthony Bender earned his third save for the Marlins.&nbsp;Erceg fell to 4-3 on the season taking the loss, pitching one inning and giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 1-for-3 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp; The Royals had just three hits in the game.Kansas City and Miami wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.48 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Janson Junk (4-1, 2.68 ERA) for the Marlins. First pitch is at 12:40 with pregame coverage beginning at noon on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bullpen lets game slip away again as Royals fall 3-1 to Marlins

On Friday, top five recruit Jason Crowe Jr. announced his commitment to come to Columbia and play basketball at Missouri, giving the Tigers and head coach Dennis Gates their highest rated recruit in almost a decade.&nbsp;

Crowe never released list, but Kentucky, USC, Texas, and others were in pursuit of one of the top guards in the 2026 class.&nbsp; In fact, for the past few months per reports, Kentucky and USC were believed to be the favorites for Crowe.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crowe's father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and USC made him a priority early in the cycle.

Gates and the Tigers though made a push, a strong push, over the last six weeks, after offering a scholarship to Crowe in June.&nbsp;

"Coach Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people," Crowe said to ESPN. "Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he's high-energy and competitive."

A 6'3" prospect out of Inglewood High School in California, Crowe is considered the number one point guard in the 2026 class and is ranked number four overall in the ESPN Top 100, ranked number five nationally by 247Sports.&nbsp;&nbsp;He becomes Missouri's highest-ranked commitment since Michael Porter Jr. picked the Tigers in the class of 2017 and just the second since Linas Kleiza in the class of 2003.

Crowe leads the Nike EYBL in scoring, averaging 23.6 points in regular-season play, scoring more than 30 points on four separate occasions, making him perhaps the best scorer in the class. A left-handed scoring point guard, he thrives in transition. He has a balanced and controlled jumper, whether he's shooting off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations. 

Crowe possesses an uncanny ability to blow past defenders and complements it with a quality midrange game and capable shooting from deep. He also converts well from the free throw line and gets there frequently.&nbsp; His passing vision is noticeable off his penetration and his ball-screen reads are strong, even though he can get loose and casual with the ball at times.

Crowe is the first commitment in Missouri's 2026 class, although the Tigers are also in pursuit of fellow five-star prospect Toni Bryant.

-ESPN's&nbsp;Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi contributed to this report

By MATT PIKEOn Friday, top five recruit Jason Crowe Jr. announced his commitment to come to Columbia and play basketball at Missouri, giving the Tigers and head coach Dennis Gates their highest rated recruit in almost a decade.&nbsp;Crowe never released list, but Kentucky, USC, Texas, and others were in pursuit of one of the top guards in the 2026 class.&nbsp; In fact, for the past few months per reports, Kentucky and USC were believed to be the favorites for Crowe.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crowe's father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and USC made him a priority early in the cycle.Gates and the Tigers though made a push, a strong push, over the last six weeks, after offering a scholarship to Crowe in June.&nbsp;"Coach Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people," Crowe said to ESPN. "Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he's high-energy and competitive."A 6'3" prospect out of Inglewood High School in California, Crowe is considered the number one point guard in the 2026 class and is ranked number four overall in the ESPN Top 100, ranked number five nationally by 247Sports.&nbsp;&nbsp;He becomes Missouri's highest-ranked commitment since Michael Porter Jr. picked the Tigers in the class of 2017 and just the second since Linas Kleiza in the class of 2003.Crowe leads the Nike EYBL in scoring, averaging 23.6 points in regular-season play, scoring more than 30 points on four separate occasions, making him perhaps the best scorer in the class. A left-handed scoring point guard, he thrives in transition. He has a balanced and controlled jumper, whether he's shooting off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations. Crowe possesses an uncanny ability to blow past defenders and complements it with a quality midrange game and capable shooting from deep. He also converts well from the free throw line and gets there frequently.&nbsp; His passing vision is noticeable off his penetration and his ball-screen reads are strong, even though he can get loose and casual with the ball at times.Crowe is the first commitment in Missouri's 2026 class, although the Tigers are also in pursuit of fellow five-star prospect Toni Bryant.-ESPN's&nbsp;Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi contributed to this reportYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mizzou men's basketball gets highest rated recruit in almost a decade

The St. Louis Cardinals scored runs late attempting to make a rally from being down big, avoiding a shutout, but still falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the second half of the MLB season 7-3 on the road at Chase Field.&nbsp;

It didn't take long for the Cardinals to fall behind as they were down 5-0 after three innings.&nbsp; In the second inning, with two on and two outs,&nbsp;Jose Herrera singled home&nbsp;Adrian Del Castillo for the first run of the game.&nbsp; After Corbin Carroll walked to load the bases,&nbsp;Geraldo Perdomo hit a two RBI single to extend the lead driving in Alek Thomas and Herrera.&nbsp; In the third, Del Castillo brought home Josh Naylor, after his leadoff walk, with an RBI single.&nbsp; With one out, Thomas grounded out to Masyn Winn, but brought home&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez.&nbsp;

The Diamondbacks extended their lead in the fifth, an RBI double from Blaze Alexander driving in Del Castillo.&nbsp; Then in the seventh inning, Arizona added their final run of the game as Del Castillo grounded into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded, driving in&nbsp;Lourdes Gurriel Jr. putting the Diamondbacks up 7-0.&nbsp;

With a loss seeming more and more likely, the Cardinals were determined to avoid a shutout, Winn scoring the first run of the game after his leadoff single in the ninth on an RBI single by&nbsp;Pedro Pagés, Winn having advanced to second on a groundout by Jordan Walker.&nbsp; The final two runs for the Redbirds came on one swing as Victor Scott II hit a two run home run to right field.&nbsp;

Andre Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-6 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up six runs, five earned, on nine hits while walking two and striking out three.&nbsp; At the plate, Pagés was 2-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp; Winn was also 2-for-4 on the day, while Scott II was 1-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Arizona continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Ryne Nelson (5-2, 3.68 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15, coverage will be joined around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Louis Cardinals scored runs late attempting to make a rally from being down big, avoiding a shutout, but still falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the second half of the MLB season 7-3 on the road at Chase Field.&nbsp;It didn't take long for the Cardinals to fall behind as they were down 5-0 after three innings.&nbsp; In the second inning, with two on and two outs,&nbsp;Jose Herrera singled home&nbsp;Adrian Del Castillo for the first run of the game.&nbsp; After Corbin Carroll walked to load the bases,&nbsp;Geraldo Perdomo hit a two RBI single to extend the lead driving in Alek Thomas and Herrera.&nbsp; In the third, Del Castillo brought home Josh Naylor, after his leadoff walk, with an RBI single.&nbsp; With one out, Thomas grounded out to Masyn Winn, but brought home&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez.&nbsp;The Diamondbacks extended their lead in the fifth, an RBI double from Blaze Alexander driving in Del Castillo.&nbsp; Then in the seventh inning, Arizona added their final run of the game as Del Castillo grounded into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded, driving in&nbsp;Lourdes Gurriel Jr. putting the Diamondbacks up 7-0.&nbsp;With a loss seeming more and more likely, the Cardinals were determined to avoid a shutout, Winn scoring the first run of the game after his leadoff single in the ninth on an RBI single by&nbsp;Pedro Pagés, Winn having advanced to second on a groundout by Jordan Walker.&nbsp; The final two runs for the Redbirds came on one swing as Victor Scott II hit a two run home run to right field.&nbsp;Andre Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-6 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up six runs, five earned, on nine hits while walking two and striking out three.&nbsp; At the plate, Pagés was 2-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp; Winn was also 2-for-4 on the day, while Scott II was 1-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;St. Louis and Arizona continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Ryne Nelson (5-2, 3.68 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15, coverage will be joined around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cards avoid shutout but fall 7-3 to D-Backs as second half opens

With the end of the regular season on the horizon, the St. Joseph Mustangs returned to Phil Welch Stadium on Friday for the first of their final two home games before the playoffs, and topped the Clarinda A's 11-7 in the penultimate home regular season matchup.

That wasn't before the Mustangs fell behind though, after the A's scored four runs in the top of the second inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cooper Knight singled to score the opening run as Kane Wilson raced home and scored on a throwing error by right fielder Trevor McCollum.&nbsp; Knight, having advanced to second on the throw by McCollum, was driven in on a single by&nbsp;Tayvon Homolar, and later in the inning it was Homolar scoring on a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau.&nbsp; The final run scored with a groundout by&nbsp;Colin Linteo that brought home&nbsp;Joey Caruso.

Trailing 4-0, the Mustangs cut into the lead in the bottom half, but scored just one run, Lafayette alum Jayden Little hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Easton Phillipe, putting St. Joseph down by three before the script flipped itself in the fifth inning, with Clarinda scoring just one run, and the Mustangs working their way back to tie up the game.&nbsp;

The A's extended their lead on a bases loaded hit by pitch, Knight getting hit by the pitch by Sam Pitts, before St. Joseph scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half, McCollum started the scoring with an RBI single, driving in Little with the bases loaded, and as the Mustangs moved station to station Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart added another run being hit by a pitch, scoring Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Trailing by two runs, Dom Felix delivered the tying blow with a two RBI single, bringing home Darius Freeman and McCollum.&nbsp;

In the sixth, the Mustangs blew the door open to take the lead.&nbsp; After Bodenhausen reached first on a fielders choice, scoring Little thanks to a throwing error by the catcher Pourciau, Luikart drove in two more runs with a single, bringing home Carter Belton and Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Phillipe added the final two runs with another two run single, driving in McCollum and Luikart, putting the Mustangs up 10-5.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The A's added one more run in the seventh inning, Wilson reaching on a fielders choice and scoring&nbsp;Layth Holliday, but in the bottom half of the inning the Mustangs got the run back, scoring their final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Freeman that drove in Little.&nbsp; Clarinda scored their final run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by&nbsp;Micah Nicholson that brought home Linteo.

Pitts earned the win, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Phillipe was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBIs.&nbsp; McCollum was also 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and one RBI.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 33-8 on the season and 27-7 in the MINK league with two games remaining in the regular season.&nbsp; They host the Jefferson City Renegades in their home regular season finale tomorrow at Phil Welch Stadium with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEWith the end of the regular season on the horizon, the St. Joseph Mustangs returned to Phil Welch Stadium on Friday for the first of their final two home games before the playoffs, and topped the Clarinda A's 11-7 in the penultimate home regular season matchup.That wasn't before the Mustangs fell behind though, after the A's scored four runs in the top of the second inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cooper Knight singled to score the opening run as Kane Wilson raced home and scored on a throwing error by right fielder Trevor McCollum.&nbsp; Knight, having advanced to second on the throw by McCollum, was driven in on a single by&nbsp;Tayvon Homolar, and later in the inning it was Homolar scoring on a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau.&nbsp; The final run scored with a groundout by&nbsp;Colin Linteo that brought home&nbsp;Joey Caruso.Trailing 4-0, the Mustangs cut into the lead in the bottom half, but scored just one run, Lafayette alum Jayden Little hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Easton Phillipe, putting St. Joseph down by three before the script flipped itself in the fifth inning, with Clarinda scoring just one run, and the Mustangs working their way back to tie up the game.&nbsp;The A's extended their lead on a bases loaded hit by pitch, Knight getting hit by the pitch by Sam Pitts, before St. Joseph scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half, McCollum started the scoring with an RBI single, driving in Little with the bases loaded, and as the Mustangs moved station to station Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart added another run being hit by a pitch, scoring Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Trailing by two runs, Dom Felix delivered the tying blow with a two RBI single, bringing home Darius Freeman and McCollum.&nbsp;In the sixth, the Mustangs blew the door open to take the lead.&nbsp; After Bodenhausen reached first on a fielders choice, scoring Little thanks to a throwing error by the catcher Pourciau, Luikart drove in two more runs with a single, bringing home Carter Belton and Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Phillipe added the final two runs with another two run single, driving in McCollum and Luikart, putting the Mustangs up 10-5.&nbsp;&nbsp;The A's added one more run in the seventh inning, Wilson reaching on a fielders choice and scoring&nbsp;Layth Holliday, but in the bottom half of the inning the Mustangs got the run back, scoring their final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Freeman that drove in Little.&nbsp; Clarinda scored their final run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by&nbsp;Micah Nicholson that brought home Linteo.Pitts earned the win, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Phillipe was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBIs.&nbsp; McCollum was also 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and one RBI.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 33-8 on the season and 27-7 in the MINK league with two games remaining in the regular season.&nbsp; They host the Jefferson City Renegades in their home regular season finale tomorrow at Phil Welch Stadium with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two games left now, Mustangs top Clarinda 11-7 in penultimate home matchup

Royals rookie John Rave hit his first two career home runs in Kansas City's opener to the second half of the MLB season, but it would not be enough as Miami's Kyle Stowers also homered twice, and the Marlins beat the Royals 8-7 on a walk off in extra innings.&nbsp;

With Seth Lugo on the mound, one of the hottest pitchers in the Royals rotation before the All Star break, the Marlins got out to an early lead in the first inning with&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez hitting a solo home run, before with a runner on Stowers hit his first home run of the game to extend the lead putting Miami up 3-0 at the end of one inning.&nbsp;

Lugo settled in after the rough first inning, striking out two batters before getting a ground out to end the second inning.&nbsp; But in the third, after Xavier Edwards led the inning off with a double, Edwards scored as Otto Lopez doubled to continue extending the lead for the Marlins.&nbsp; Stowers drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single in the inning that scored Lopez to put Miami up 5-0 by the end of the third inning.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKERoyals rookie John Rave hit his first two career home runs in Kansas City's opener to the second half of the MLB season, but it would not be enough as Miami's Kyle Stowers also homered twice, and the Marlins beat the Royals 8-7 on a walk off in extra innings.&nbsp;With Seth Lugo on the mound, one of the hottest pitchers in the Royals rotation before the All Star break, the Marlins got out to an early lead in the first inning with&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez hitting a solo home run, before with a runner on Stowers hit his first home run of the game to extend the lead putting Miami up 3-0 at the end of one inning.&nbsp;Lugo settled in after the rough first inning, striking out two batters before getting a ground out to end the second inning.&nbsp; But in the third, after Xavier Edwards led the inning off with a double, Edwards scored as Otto Lopez doubled to continue extending the lead for the Marlins.&nbsp; Stowers drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single in the inning that scored Lopez to put Miami up 5-0 by the end of the third inning.&nbsp;Trailing big entering the fourth, the Royals managed to cut the lead to one run scoring four runs.&nbsp; Back to back singles by Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez led off the inning, and after Jac Caglianone struck out, Nick Loftin got Kansas City on the board with an RBI single driving in Garcia.&nbsp; &nbsp;With runners on first and second, Rave stepped to the plate and hit his first major league home run to right field, scoring both Perez and Loftin, to make the Marlins lead 5-4.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">John Rave’s first career homer brings us within one! <a href="https://t.co/uXbhjEwXvy">pic.twitter.com/uXbhjEwXvy</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946362913255485596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>And that is where the lead would stay, at least until the ninth inning, when with one out Rave blasted his second home run of his career to tie up the game, setting up extra innings for the Royals.&nbsp; After Kansas City was unable to add more runs, Lucas Erceg came on and only surrendered a single to Graham Pauley forcing extra innings and sending the game to the 10th inning tied 5-5.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tie it up, Raver!! <a href="https://t.co/jLLyrPcooQ">pic.twitter.com/jLLyrPcooQ</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946381135761596723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With Jonathan India starting the extra inning at second base, Bobby Witt Jr led the frame off with a single, and stole second base to get into scoring position.&nbsp; With two outs, Adam Frazier pinch hit for Luke Maile, who had come on as a defensive replacement at catcher after Tyler Tolbert pinch ran for Perez, and Frazier gave the Royals what they were looking for when they traded for him, a hit with runners in scoring position, doubling into right field, bringing home India and Witt Jr, to give the Royals a 7-5 lead.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fraz for the lead! <a href="https://t.co/V9dJ8gkDoA">pic.twitter.com/V9dJ8gkDoA</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946386716916412835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But in the bottom half of the inning, All Star closer&nbsp;Carlos Estévez took the mound, and after getting an out to start the inning gave up a single to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez, driving in Derek Hill who started the inning at second base.&nbsp; Ramírez was replaced by pinch runner&nbsp;Javier Sanoja, but it would not be necessary as with a 1-1 count, Stowers sent the ball sailing into the right field stands for the walk off two run home run.&nbsp; &nbsp;Estévez took the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season and blowing his sixth save, pitching 1/3 of an inning and giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits.&nbsp; Lugo pitched six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits while striking out five in a no decision.&nbsp; At the plate, Rave was 2-for-4 with the two home runs and four RBIs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City and Miami continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.62 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage begins at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;