This December, St. Joseph's Civic Arena will again play host to Division I women's college basketball  

"We're really fortunate and honored that we're able to host Division I women's college basketball at a time where the product is arguably as popular as it's ever been," St. Joseph Sports Commision Director Brett Esely tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

Esely says the third annual Bill Snyder Classic will play host to the Kansas State women again, this year taking on Ole Miss of the SEC.  

Esely says the matchup is one that should draw a lot of interest 

"Just a really, really intriguing matchup anywhere, let alone here in St. Joseph, when you've got one of the Big 12's best teams taking on one of the SEC's best teams," Esely says. 

Eseley says this year's matchup will take place on Sunday, rather than Saturday, and tipoff at 2pm which is significant because this matchup could attract national attention 

"ESPN obviously has a lot of family of networks, and whereas those time windows may not be as readily available on Saturday, they could be on Sunday, and so we hope that that's the case this time around," Esely explains.  "Because the matchup sells itself, there's very little to sell with the matchup, any time you've got two teams that are likely going to be nationally ranked and two teams just with the recent history that they've had and what they did a season ago, there's going to be interest around this game." 

Esely does point out games are always streamed online typically, but that TV window for women's basketball is typically on Sunday's, which made moving a matchup like this intriguing.  

Both teams made the sweet 16 in last season's NCAA tournament, and finished the season ranked in the top 25, with Kansas State at #13 and Ole Miss at #17.   

Esely is already expecting a large crowd on hand at the arena on December 7th 

"I'll be honest, I'd be disappointed if we didn't sell this game out," Esely candidly says.  "I think the uniqueness of the event, the opponents that are playing, I would say there's a very good chance going into that game that these two teams are going to be nationally ranked, which is another huge selling point, I'd be really disappointed if this game didn't sell out, I think our tickets will be very affordably priced depending on where you want to sit in the arena." 

Tickets will go on sale this month, with an early presale for people who have purchased tickets to the two previous Bill Snyder classics. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734233150922.jpeg" alt="The Kansas State Wildcats and Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders played in the second annual Bill Snyder Women's Basketball Classic at Civic Arena/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas State Wildcats and Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders played in the second annual Bill Snyder Women's Basketball Classic at Civic Arena/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE This December, St. Joseph's Civic Arena will again play host to Division I women's college basketball "We're really fortunate and honored that we're able to host Division I women's college basketball at a time where the product is arguably as popular as it's ever been," St. Joseph Sports Commision Director Brett Esely tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Esely says the third annual Bill Snyder Classic will play host to the Kansas State women again, this year taking on Ole Miss of the SEC. Esely says the matchup is one that should draw a lot of interest "Just a really, really intriguing matchup anywhere, let alone here in St. Joseph, when you've got one of the Big 12's best teams taking on one of the SEC's best teams," Esely says. Eseley says this year's matchup will take place on Sunday, rather than Saturday, and tipoff at 2pm which is significant because this matchup could attract national attention "ESPN obviously has a lot of family of networks, and whereas those time windows may not be as readily available on Saturday, they could be on Sunday, and so we hope that that's the case this time around," Esely explains. "Because the matchup sells itself, there's very little to sell with the matchup, any time you've got two teams that are likely going to be nationally ranked and two teams just with the recent history that they've had and what they did a season ago, there's going to be interest around this game." Esely does point out games are always streamed online typically, but that TV window for women's basketball is typically on Sunday's, which made moving a matchup like this intriguing. Both teams made the sweet 16 in last season's NCAA tournament, and finished the season ranked in the top 25, with Kansas State at #13 and Ole Miss at #17. Esely is already expecting a large crowd on hand at the arena on December 7th "I'll be honest, I'd be disappointed if we didn't sell this game out," Esely candidly says. "I think the uniqueness of the event, the opponents that are playing, I would say there's a very good chance going into that game that these two teams are going to be nationally ranked, which is another huge selling point, I'd be really disappointed if this game didn't sell out, I think our tickets will be very affordably priced depending on where you want to sit in the arena." Tickets will go on sale this month, with an early presale for people who have purchased tickets to the two previous Bill Snyder classics. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753981987157.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Sports Commision" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Sports Commision</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Third annual Bill Snyder Classic brings intriguing matchup to Civic Arena

Acquired by the Kansas City Royals just minutes before Thursday's 5pm deadline, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski joined the Royals in Toronto on Friday making his debut in right field, and homering in his first at bat to give Kansas City the lead on way to a 9-3 series opening victory.&nbsp;

The Blue Jays got on the board in the first inning, with two outs Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting a solo home run off Michael Wacha.&nbsp; In the second inning though, with one out and Maikel Garcia on second base after his leadoff single and a stolen base, Yastrzemski stepped to the plate for the first time as a Royal and homered to right center field giving Kansas City a 2-1 lead.&nbsp;

In the third inning, the Royals added three more runs.&nbsp; Kyle Isbel singled leading off the inning and Jonathan India followed that up with a double, before Bobby Witt Jr hit his 16th home run of the season to left field to extend the Kansas City lead to 5-1.&nbsp;

After giving up the home run and a double in the first inning, Wacha went on to retire 21 of the next 23 batters he faced through the game, only surrendering a single to Bo Bichette in the fourth inning and having Ernie Clement reach first on a throwing error by Witt Jr.&nbsp; Wacha would be replaced by Thomas Hatch in the ninth inning.&nbsp;

Before Hatch came to the mound though, the Royals extended their lead more in the top half of the ninth behind more home runs.&nbsp; Salvador Perez hit a solo shot to lead off the inning.&nbsp; Then, with Randal Grichuk on first base, Adam Frazier hit his fourth home run of the season to push Kansas City ahead more.&nbsp; Later, with the bases loaded, the final run was driven in by Garcia with an RBI single, scoring Isbel who singled after the Frazier home run.&nbsp;

Against Hatch in the bottom half of the inning,&nbsp;Joey Loperfido doubled to lead off the inning, and later scored with two outs as Addison Barger hit a two run home run to right field for the final runs of the game.&nbsp; Hatch struck out Ty France to end the game.&nbsp;

Wacha improved to 5-9 on the season earning the win, pitching eight innings and giving up three hits and one run while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Garcia was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.&nbsp; Isbel was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.&nbsp; In his debut,&nbsp;Yastrzemski was 1-for-3 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;

Kansas City and Toronto continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (5-4, 2.44 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Max Scherzer (1-1, 4.89 ERA) for the Blue Jays.&nbsp; First pitch is at 2:07pm, pregame coverage will begin at 1:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

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

By MATT PIKEAcquired by the Kansas City Royals just minutes before Thursday's 5pm deadline, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski joined the Royals in Toronto on Friday making his debut in right field, and homering in his first at bat to give Kansas City the lead on way to a 9-3 series opening victory.&nbsp;The Blue Jays got on the board in the first inning, with two outs Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting a solo home run off Michael Wacha.&nbsp; In the second inning though, with one out and Maikel Garcia on second base after his leadoff single and a stolen base, Yastrzemski stepped to the plate for the first time as a Royal and homered to right center field giving Kansas City a 2-1 lead.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So, you like Yaz? <a href="https://t.co/iu8hYtis2Q">pic.twitter.com/iu8hYtis2Q</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1951426460335378760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the third inning, the Royals added three more runs.&nbsp; Kyle Isbel singled leading off the inning and Jonathan India followed that up with a double, before Bobby Witt Jr hit his 16th home run of the season to left field to extend the Kansas City lead to 5-1.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Bobby Baseball blast-off! 🚀 <a href="https://t.co/HG2DJctYeg">pic.twitter.com/HG2DJctYeg</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1951430489895739439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After giving up the home run and a double in the first inning, Wacha went on to retire 21 of the next 23 batters he faced through the game, only surrendering a single to Bo Bichette in the fourth inning and having Ernie Clement reach first on a throwing error by Witt Jr.&nbsp; Wacha would be replaced by Thomas Hatch in the ninth inning.&nbsp;Before Hatch came to the mound though, the Royals extended their lead more in the top half of the ninth behind more home runs.&nbsp; Salvador Perez hit a solo shot to lead off the inning.&nbsp; Then, with Randal Grichuk on first base, Adam Frazier hit his fourth home run of the season to push Kansas City ahead more.&nbsp; Later, with the bases loaded, the final run was driven in by Garcia with an RBI single, scoring Isbel who singled after the Frazier home run.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New month, same Sal. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/JsvMuytQID">pic.twitter.com/JsvMuytQID</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1951452521136107580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Out goes Frazier! <a href="https://t.co/udadTxOrZC">pic.twitter.com/udadTxOrZC</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1951453515022283052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Against Hatch in the bottom half of the inning,&nbsp;Joey Loperfido doubled to lead off the inning, and later scored with two outs as Addison Barger hit a two run home run to right field for the final runs of the game.&nbsp; Hatch struck out Ty France to end the game.&nbsp;Wacha improved to 5-9 on the season earning the win, pitching eight innings and giving up three hits and one run while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Garcia was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.&nbsp; Isbel was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.&nbsp; In his debut,&nbsp;Yastrzemski was 1-for-3 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;Kansas City and Toronto continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (5-4, 2.44 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Max Scherzer (1-1, 4.89 ERA) for the Blue Jays.&nbsp; First pitch is at 2:07pm, pregame coverage will begin at 1:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Yaz goes long in KC debut as Royals beat Blue Jays 9-3

The Kansas City Chiefs hit the ground running after an off-day Thursday, back at practice today on a much cooler Friday morning.  

Despite questions of a knee injury, the Chiefs drafted Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons in the first round of this year's draft.  Simmons though is past that knee injury and has been impressing during camp.  

Head Coach Andy Reid says Simmons has been getting in his reps, which is good for a rookie 

"Showing up every day and working and not taking plays off or anything like that, but he's a worker," Reid tells reporters following practice.  "But he's a worker and he's willing to do it, it's just a matter of you've got to keep on going, but he's done a nice job of what we've asked him, he's working on all the fundamentals and techniques and that's the challenge for him." 

After being limited during team OTA's, Simmons has been getting full reps during training camp and has impressed fans with his blocking skills along the offensive line.  

Simmons says he's leaned on players like Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Jaylon Moore, who have been in the league for some time, and have made rookie mistakes before 

"So, I don't make them or I'm at least ready for those welcome to the NFL moments," Simmons explains.  "But it's just about the work you put it, even if it's something that I already know just to confirm, like hey on this I should set like this or something like that? Yes, that's what you want to do, just getting that kind of imprinted in my brain that way I can play as fast as I can when i get out there." 

Simmons has been rotating with Moore at the tackle position as the two compete for the left tackle job.  Moore has also been working at guard.

A player that's paved his way into the Chiefs special teams' group is wide receiver Nikki Remigio.  Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub says Remigio is one of the best returners on the squad.  

While Remigio accepts the compliment, he says he takes it with a grain of salt, pointing out you can't get complacent in this league 

"I think the thing that I've learned with this business is that if you get to comfortable, you're going to get got, and I've worked to damn hard to get to this point in my career, to get to year three, to let it slip through my fingers," Remigio says.  "So really I approach everyday like I'm an undrafted rookie that barely got a shot to make it to the NFL." 

Remigio has had opportunities to run with the upper wide receiver groups as well this camp, with injuries to Skyy Moore and Hollywood Brown 

Jawaan Taylor was back at practice today, as was wide receiver Xavier Worthy who cleared the NFL's concussion protocol.  

The Chiefs practiced for just over two hours.  They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754079180650.jpeg" alt="Rookie Josh Simmons (71) blocks during a 7-on-7 drill during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Justin Peacock" />
 <figcaption>Rookie Josh Simmons (71) blocks during a 7-on-7 drill during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Justin Peacock</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE The Kansas City Chiefs hit the ground running after an off-day Thursday, back at practice today on a much cooler Friday morning. Despite questions of a knee injury, the Chiefs drafted Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons in the first round of this year's draft. Simmons though is past that knee injury and has been impressing during camp. Head Coach Andy Reid says Simmons has been getting in his reps, which is good for a rookie "Showing up every day and working and not taking plays off or anything like that, but he's a worker," Reid tells reporters following practice. "But he's a worker and he's willing to do it, it's just a matter of you've got to keep on going, but he's done a nice job of what we've asked him, he's working on all the fundamentals and techniques and that's the challenge for him." After being limited during team OTA's, Simmons has been getting full reps during training camp and has impressed fans with his blocking skills along the offensive line. Simmons says he's leaned on players like Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Jaylon Moore, who have been in the league for some time, and have made rookie mistakes before "So, I don't make them or I'm at least ready for those welcome to the NFL moments," Simmons explains. "But it's just about the work you put it, even if it's something that I already know just to confirm, like hey on this I should set like this or something like that? Yes, that's what you want to do, just getting that kind of imprinted in my brain that way I can play as fast as I can when i get out there." Simmons has been rotating with Moore at the tackle position as the two compete for the left tackle job. Moore has also been working at guard.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754079226552.jpeg" alt="Nikko Remigio (81) catches a pass during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Justin Peacock" />
 <figcaption>Nikko Remigio (81) catches a pass during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Justin Peacock</figcaption>
 </figure>A player that's paved his way into the Chiefs special teams' group is wide receiver Nikki Remigio. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub says Remigio is one of the best returners on the squad. While Remigio accepts the compliment, he says he takes it with a grain of salt, pointing out you can't get complacent in this league "I think the thing that I've learned with this business is that if you get to comfortable, you're going to get got, and I've worked to damn hard to get to this point in my career, to get to year three, to let it slip through my fingers," Remigio says. "So really I approach everyday like I'm an undrafted rookie that barely got a shot to make it to the NFL." Remigio has had opportunities to run with the upper wide receiver groups as well this camp, with injuries to Skyy Moore and Hollywood Brown Jawaan Taylor was back at practice today, as was wide receiver Xavier Worthy who cleared the NFL's concussion protocol. The Chiefs practiced for just over two hours. They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs first round pick impressing as camp reaches midway point

With the MLB Trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the Kansas City Royals on the final day added three pitchers to their pitching staff, a staff that is currently ridded with injuries with Cole Ragans, Michael Lorenzen, Daniel Lynch, and Kris Bubic.&nbsp;

The Royals started the day trading backup catcher Freddy Fermin to the San Diego Padres for two right handed pitchers, acquiring&nbsp;Ryan Bergert (SD's No. 7 prospect) and Stephen Kolek.

Bergert made his Major League debut this season and has a 2.78 ERA across 11 games (seven starts) and 35 2/3 innings. Bergert has a 22.8% strikeout rate and 12.1% walk rate, but that walk rate was lower when he was in Triple-A earlier this year (9.2%) and Double-A last year (7.9%).&nbsp;

Kolek has just over a year of service time and won’t be a free agent until 2030. He made his debut in 2024 with the Padres,&nbsp; after they took him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2023 from the Mariners, and posted a 5.21 ERA out of the bullpen that season.&nbsp; This year, he has a 4.18 ERA across 14 starts in 79 2/3 innings. He’s been up and down between the Padres and their Triple-A team and was optioned on Wednesday.&nbsp;

What they gave up was a backup catcher, although Fermin was much more than simply a backup in Kansas City. The 30-year-old Fermin has been Salvador Perez’s right-hand man for the past three seasons, stepping up into more of a co-catcher situation as Perez plays more first base and DH.&nbsp; Fermin is both a clubhouse and fan favorite because of work ethic, preparation and ability to come through in big moments, including in walk-off situations.

Near the buzzer of the 5pm trade deadline, Kansas City made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, trading minor league pitcher Evan Sisk and minor league first baseman Callan Moss to the Pirates for left handed pitcher Bailey Falter

Falter, owns a 3.73 ERA in 22 starts this season, striking out 70 batters in 113 1/3 innings. He's under team control through the 2028 season, so the Royals will have him as an option for the next few years as others (including Bubic) eventually head to free agency.

Sisk has appeared in five games for the Royals this season. He has posted a 1.69 ERA in 5 1/3 innings of work.&nbsp; In 31 games in Omaha, Sisk has an 0-2 record pitching 28 2/3 innings with a 3.77 ERA earning four saves in five opportunities and striking out 36.

Moss has spent the entire season at High-A, posting a batting average of .270 with 7 home runs and 70 RBIs in 92 games.

The final move for the Royals prior to the deadline was adding an outfield bat, trading with the San Francisco Giants for outfielder&nbsp;Mike Yastrzemski, in turn sending minor league pitcher Yunior Marte, the Royals #20 prospect per MLB Pipline, to the Giants.

Yastrzemski has spent his entire seven year career with the Giants as a pretty consistent corner outfield bat. He is a lifetime .238/.323/.444 hitter with solid defense. Last year he hit 18 home runs with and was a finalist for a Gold Glove. He looks to platoon with recently acquired Randal Grichuk, who bats well against left handers, with Yastrzemski hitting .254/.366/.393 against right-handers. Yastrzemski will be a free agent this winter.

Marte is a 21-year-old right-hander who had a 2.74 ERA in 19 starts with Low-A Columbia with 79 strikeouts in 82 innings.&nbsp;

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

By MATT PIKEWith the MLB Trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the Kansas City Royals on the final day added three pitchers to their pitching staff, a staff that is currently ridded with injuries with Cole Ragans, Michael Lorenzen, Daniel Lynch, and Kris Bubic.&nbsp;The Royals started the day trading backup catcher Freddy Fermin to the San Diego Padres for two right handed pitchers, acquiring&nbsp;Ryan Bergert (SD's No. 7 prospect) and Stephen Kolek.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754001088028.jpeg" alt="Ryan Bergert" />
 <figcaption>Ryan Bergert</figcaption>
 </figure>Bergert made his Major League debut this season and has a 2.78 ERA across 11 games (seven starts) and 35 2/3 innings. Bergert has a 22.8% strikeout rate and 12.1% walk rate, but that walk rate was lower when he was in Triple-A earlier this year (9.2%) and Double-A last year (7.9%).&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754001131988.jpeg" alt="Stephen Kolek/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Stephen Kolek/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Kolek has just over a year of service time and won’t be a free agent until 2030. He made his debut in 2024 with the Padres,&nbsp; after they took him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2023 from the Mariners, and posted a 5.21 ERA out of the bullpen that season.&nbsp; This year, he has a 4.18 ERA across 14 starts in 79 2/3 innings. He’s been up and down between the Padres and their Triple-A team and was optioned on Wednesday.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754001215508.jpeg" alt="Freddy Fermin/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Freddy Fermin/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>What they gave up was a backup catcher, although Fermin was much more than simply a backup in Kansas City. The 30-year-old Fermin has been Salvador Perez’s right-hand man for the past three seasons, stepping up into more of a co-catcher situation as Perez plays more first base and DH.&nbsp; Fermin is both a clubhouse and fan favorite because of work ethic, preparation and ability to come through in big moments, including in walk-off situations.Near the buzzer of the 5pm trade deadline, Kansas City made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, trading minor league pitcher Evan Sisk and minor league first baseman Callan Moss to the Pirates for left handed pitcher Bailey Falter<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754001420060.jpeg" alt="Bailey Falter/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Bailey Falter/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Falter, owns a 3.73 ERA in 22 starts this season, striking out 70 batters in 113 1/3 innings. He's under team control through the 2028 season, so the Royals will have him as an option for the next few years as others (including Bubic) eventually head to free agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754001527083.jpeg" alt="Evan Sisk/ Courtesy photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Evan Sisk/ Courtesy photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Sisk has appeared in five games for the Royals this season. He has posted a 1.69 ERA in 5 1/3 innings of work.&nbsp; In 31 games in Omaha, Sisk has an 0-2 record pitching 28 2/3 innings with a 3.77 ERA earning four saves in five opportunities and striking out 36.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754001575188.jpeg" alt="Callan Moss/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Callan Moss/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Moss has spent the entire season at High-A, posting a batting average of .270 with 7 home runs and 70 RBIs in 92 games.The final move for the Royals prior to the deadline was adding an outfield bat, trading with the San Francisco Giants for outfielder&nbsp;Mike Yastrzemski, in turn sending minor league pitcher Yunior Marte, the Royals #20 prospect per MLB Pipline, to the Giants.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754002055054.jpeg" alt="Mike Yastrzemski/ courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Mike Yastrzemski/ courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Yastrzemski has spent his entire seven year career with the Giants as a pretty consistent corner outfield bat. He is a lifetime .238/.323/.444 hitter with solid defense. Last year he hit 18 home runs with and was a finalist for a Gold Glove. He looks to platoon with recently acquired Randal Grichuk, who bats well against left handers, with Yastrzemski hitting .254/.366/.393 against right-handers. Yastrzemski will be a free agent this winter.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754002140061.jpeg" alt="Yunior Marte/ Photo courtesy of MLB Pipeline on X" />
 <figcaption>Yunior Marte/ Photo courtesy of MLB Pipeline on X</figcaption>
 </figure>Marte is a 21-year-old right-hander who had a 2.74 ERA in 19 starts with Low-A Columbia with 79 strikeouts in 82 innings.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Royals add three pitchers, outfielder on MLB trade deadline day

Very little offense was needed on Wednesday evening for the Miami Marlins to take the series at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 2-0 to shut down the Cardinals offense for a second game in a row after a 5-0 shut out on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Marlins outhit the Cardinals six to five, and needed just a two run home run by&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez, his 10th home run of the season that scored Xavier Edwards, for the only runs of the game to take the victory.&nbsp; Miami starter Cal Quantrill gave up just three of the Cardinals five hits in his fourth win of the year.&nbsp; Calvin Faucher earned his 10th save for the Marlins.&nbsp;

Miles Mikolas took the loss, falling to 6-8 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up the two runs on five hits while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, five Cardinals had one hit each.&nbsp; Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and&nbsp;Thomas Saggese were 1-for-3 with a walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Louis is off on Thursday and hit the road on Friday to start a six game road trip along the west coast, beginning in San Diego.&nbsp; Matthew Liberatore (6-8, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Nick Pivetta (10-3, 2.81 ERA) for the Padres.&nbsp; First pitch is at 8:40pm on Friday with coverage beginning around 8:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

Closer Ryan Helsley traded to Mets for prospects

Resigned to the fact that he would likely be dealt elsewhere before the MLB Trade Deadline, Ryan Helsley and his camp had talked to various teams in recent days about him possibly sharing the closer role with a World Series contender.

That team will be the New York Mets, who traded for the Cardinals' two-time All-Star closer on Wednesday night. He’ll join a remade Mets bullpen where star closer Edwin Diaz is already in place.

In return for Helsley, the Cardinals got 20-year-old infielder Jesus Baez plus right-handed pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. Baez, a former Dominican Summer League Player of the Year, was ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Mets system by MLB Pipeline, while Dohm was ranked No. 14. Elissalt was not ranked among the Mets’ Top 30 prospects.

Baez is a 20 year old with pro experience at second and third base in addition to shortstop. He played six games at Class A this season before being promoted to High-A. In 75 games total, he's hitting .242/.332/.390 with 11 doubles, 10 homers, 42 RBI, 46 runs and seven steals.

Dohm, 22, has also split time between Class A and High-A. In 18 outings at the two stops this year, he's pitched to a 2.87 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 77 strikeouts in 62 ⅔ innings. 

Elissalt, 23, has been with both Class A and High-A. In seven starts and 13 appearances in relief, he's worked 56 ⅓ total innings, posting a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 65 strikeouts.

By MATT PIKEVery little offense was needed on Wednesday evening for the Miami Marlins to take the series at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 2-0 to shut down the Cardinals offense for a second game in a row after a 5-0 shut out on Tuesday.&nbsp;The Marlins outhit the Cardinals six to five, and needed just a two run home run by&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez, his 10th home run of the season that scored Xavier Edwards, for the only runs of the game to take the victory.&nbsp; Miami starter Cal Quantrill gave up just three of the Cardinals five hits in his fourth win of the year.&nbsp; Calvin Faucher earned his 10th save for the Marlins.&nbsp;Miles Mikolas took the loss, falling to 6-8 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up the two runs on five hits while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, five Cardinals had one hit each.&nbsp; Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and&nbsp;Thomas Saggese were 1-for-3 with a walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis is off on Thursday and hit the road on Friday to start a six game road trip along the west coast, beginning in San Diego.&nbsp; Matthew Liberatore (6-8, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Nick Pivetta (10-3, 2.81 ERA) for the Padres.&nbsp; First pitch is at 8:40pm on Friday with coverage beginning around 8:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;Closer Ryan Helsley traded to Mets for prospects<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753930766127.jpeg" alt="Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley was traded on Wednesday ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline to the New York Mets/ courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley was traded on Wednesday ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline to the New York Mets/ courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Resigned to the fact that he would likely be dealt elsewhere before the MLB Trade Deadline, Ryan Helsley and his camp had talked to various teams in recent days about him possibly sharing the closer role with a World Series contender.That team will be the New York Mets, who traded for the Cardinals' two-time All-Star closer on Wednesday night. He’ll join a remade Mets bullpen where star closer Edwin Diaz is already in place.In return for Helsley, the Cardinals got 20-year-old infielder Jesus Baez plus right-handed pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. Baez, a former Dominican Summer League Player of the Year, was ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Mets system by MLB Pipeline, while Dohm was ranked No. 14. Elissalt was not ranked among the Mets’ Top 30 prospects.Baez is a 20 year old with pro experience at second and third base in addition to shortstop. He played six games at Class A this season before being promoted to High-A. In 75 games total, he's hitting .242/.332/.390 with 11 doubles, 10 homers, 42 RBI, 46 runs and seven steals.Dohm, 22, has also split time between Class A and High-A. In 18 outings at the two stops this year, he's pitched to a 2.87 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 77 strikeouts in 62 ⅔ innings. Elissalt, 23, has been with both Class A and High-A. In seven starts and 13 appearances in relief, he's worked 56 ⅓ total innings, posting a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 65 strikeouts.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cards drop series to Marlins with 2-0 loss; Helsley traded to Mets

The Royals’ bullpen gates at Kauffman Stadium swung open eight times on Wednesday afternoon, a steady dose of relievers jogging to the mound one after another, inning after inning.&nbsp; Together, they ended up making history.

Nine Royals relievers, including opener Angel Zerpa. tossed 10 scoreless innings in the Royals’ 1-0 walk-off win, tying a Major League record for pitchers used in a 10-inning shutout win in the Modern Era. Cleveland also used nine pitchers against Detroit on Sept. 17, 2016.

Salvador Perez was the walk-off hero, lining an RBI single into right-center field in the bottom of the 10th inning for the Royals’ third hit in a game that saw very little offense, driving in MJ Melendez who started the extra inning off at second base pinch running for Vinnie Pasquantino.&nbsp;

The victory clinched the Royals’ third consecutive series win and second consecutive winning homestand after losing the previous four.

.The bullpen game featured Zerpa for one-plus innings, Jonathan Bowlan for two and then one apiece from John Schreiber, Taylor Clarke, Hunter Harvey, Steven Cruz, Lucas Erceg, Estévez and Sam Long, who earned the win after navigating around runners on the corners with no outs in the 10th inning.

The Royals are off on Thursday, before hitting the road for a nine game road trip that starts on Friday across the border in Canada against Toronto.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.53 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals while the Blue Jays starter is currently listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:07pm, pregame coverage will begin at 5:30 Friday on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

By MATT PIKEThe Royals’ bullpen gates at Kauffman Stadium swung open eight times on Wednesday afternoon, a steady dose of relievers jogging to the mound one after another, inning after inning.&nbsp; Together, they ended up making history.Nine Royals relievers, including opener Angel Zerpa. tossed 10 scoreless innings in the Royals’ 1-0 walk-off win, tying a Major League record for pitchers used in a 10-inning shutout win in the Modern Era. Cleveland also used nine pitchers against Detroit on Sept. 17, 2016.Salvador Perez was the walk-off hero, lining an RBI single into right-center field in the bottom of the 10th inning for the Royals’ third hit in a game that saw very little offense, driving in MJ Melendez who started the extra inning off at second base pinch running for Vinnie Pasquantino.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Captain Clutch! 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/Xp19ufkJNL">pic.twitter.com/Xp19ufkJNL</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1950661919854989494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The victory clinched the Royals’ third consecutive series win and second consecutive winning homestand after losing the previous four..The bullpen game featured Zerpa for one-plus innings, Jonathan Bowlan for two and then one apiece from John Schreiber, Taylor Clarke, Hunter Harvey, Steven Cruz, Lucas Erceg, Estévez and Sam Long, who earned the win after navigating around runners on the corners with no outs in the 10th inning.The Royals are off on Thursday, before hitting the road for a nine game road trip that starts on Friday across the border in Canada against Toronto.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.53 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals while the Blue Jays starter is currently listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:07pm, pregame coverage will begin at 5:30 Friday on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City bullpen makes history as Royals walk off Braves 1-0

It was a lighter day at practice for the Kansas City Chiefs after three consecutive days of padded practices in the heat, with cooler temperatures today as well. 

Back at full strength in this year's camp has been defensive end Charles Omenihu.  Injuries have limited Omenihu during his time with the Chiefs, but for the first time in Kansas City, he'll be on the field in week one. 

For Omenihu, he says it will be exciting to be able to be on the field week one.

"It is going to be the first time I play in Week 1 since my fourth year in the league. So, I have definitely, these last two years have understood the fact of not taking things for granted. Understood the fact that you got to cherish everything in this game. Because I have been on the end where you’ve had to sit and wait for different reasons," Omenihu tells reporters. "So, I’ll be excited, I’ll be geeked (and) I’ll be ready to rock and ready to go help us get a win.”

Omenihu had just one sack in six games for the Chiefs last year, first hitting the field in week 13. 

With a very young receiving group, when asked who the leader in that room is, Head Coach Andy Reid quickly said it was ninth year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. 

Smith-Schuster says that's a responsiblility he does not take lightly

"We’ve got a bunch of young guys in the room, different ages; and you know, for me it’s a big responsibility,"  Smith-Schuster says. "I take full control. I think I lead by, you know, not just by my words, but by my actions. And, you know, like I said there’s a lot of guys, a lot of experience, different ages, and everyone’s coachable, so, you know, I’m glad to take (on) that responsibility.”

After returning to practice yesterday (Tues), Xavier Worthy was out of practice today, and it was reported he is in concussion protocol, putting the Chiefs down three receivers with injuries to Skyy Moore and Hollywood Brown

The Chiefs are getting a little break after a tough stretch of practices, with three straight days of padded practices in pretty extreme heats. 

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he felt like the team held up pretty well through that tough stretch

"What will be really interesting to me, you know, we had the three hard days, we had today was 10-10-10 – we get the day off. The tough day to come back is the next one, you know after you’ve had the day off so I’m looking for them – if we can ramp it up on that day, I’ll be pretty happy," Spagnuolo says.

The “10-10-10” specifically refers to the team cycling through 10 offensive plays, 10 defensive plays and 10 minutes of special teams work during the duration of the practice session. 

The Chiefs practiced for an hour and a half.  They are off tomorrow and will practice again on Friday at 9:15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753903544787.jpeg" alt="JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) warms up before a lighter 10-10-10 practice alongside Nikki Remigio (81) and Jason Brownlee (89)/ Photo by Justin Peacock" />
 <figcaption>JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) warms up before a lighter 10-10-10 practice alongside Nikki Remigio (81) and Jason Brownlee (89)/ Photo by Justin Peacock</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEIt was a lighter day at practice for the Kansas City Chiefs after three consecutive days of padded practices in the heat, with cooler temperatures today as well. Back at full strength in this year's camp has been defensive end Charles Omenihu. Injuries have limited Omenihu during his time with the Chiefs, but for the first time in Kansas City, he'll be on the field in week one. For Omenihu, he says it will be exciting to be able to be on the field week one."It is going to be the first time I play in Week 1 since my fourth year in the league. So, I have definitely, these last two years have understood the fact of not taking things for granted. Understood the fact that you got to cherish everything in this game. Because I have been on the end where you’ve had to sit and wait for different reasons," Omenihu tells reporters. "So, I’ll be excited, I’ll be geeked (and) I’ll be ready to rock and ready to go help us get a win.”Omenihu had just one sack in six games for the Chiefs last year, first hitting the field in week 13. With a very young receiving group, when asked who the leader in that room is, Head Coach Andy Reid quickly said it was ninth year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster says that's a responsiblility he does not take lightly"We’ve got a bunch of young guys in the room, different ages; and you know, for me it’s a big responsibility," Smith-Schuster says. "I take full control. I think I lead by, you know, not just by my words, but by my actions. And, you know, like I said there’s a lot of guys, a lot of experience, different ages, and everyone’s coachable, so, you know, I’m glad to take (on) that responsibility.”After returning to practice yesterday (Tues), Xavier Worthy was out of practice today, and it was reported he is in concussion protocol, putting the Chiefs down three receivers with injuries to Skyy Moore and Hollywood BrownThe Chiefs are getting a little break after a tough stretch of practices, with three straight days of padded practices in pretty extreme heats. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he felt like the team held up pretty well through that tough stretch"What will be really interesting to me, you know, we had the three hard days, we had today was 10-10-10 – we get the day off. The tough day to come back is the next one, you know after you’ve had the day off so I’m looking for them – if we can ramp it up on that day, I’ll be pretty happy," Spagnuolo says.The “10-10-10” specifically refers to the team cycling through 10 offensive plays, 10 defensive plays and 10 minutes of special teams work during the duration of the practice session. The Chiefs practiced for an hour and a half. They are off tomorrow and will practice again on Friday at 9:15.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753903613835.jpeg" alt="Charles Omenihu (90) walks down the hill with rookie Ashton Gillotte (97) for practice on Wednesday/ Photo by Justin Peacock" />
 <figcaption>Charles Omenihu (90) walks down the hill with rookie Ashton Gillotte (97) for practice on Wednesday/ Photo by Justin Peacock</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs get relief from heat with lighter practice on Wednesday

Former Cardinal Sandy Alcantara took the mound at Busch Stadium on Tuesday evening and shut down his former team, as the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Miami Marlins in a 5-0 shutout evening up the series heading into a rubber match in Wednesday evening's finale.&nbsp;

Graham Pauley put the Marlins up in the second inning with a two run home run, driving in Troy Johnston after his one out single.&nbsp; In the fifth inning, Miami extended their lead on an RBI single by Otto Lopez that scored Kyle Stowers.&nbsp; The final runs came in the sixth inning for the Marlins with Eric Wagamn doubling to bring home Dane Myers, before later scoring on a triple by Xavier Edwards.&nbsp;

Sonny Gray took the loss, falling to 10-5 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk.&nbsp; At the plate, the Cardinals had just four hits in the loss.&nbsp; Jordan Walker was 1-for-3 with a walk. Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and&nbsp;Pedro Pagés also had hits.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Miami wrap up their series tomorrow night.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (6-7, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound against Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.05 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is again at 6:45pm with coverage being joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEFormer Cardinal Sandy Alcantara took the mound at Busch Stadium on Tuesday evening and shut down his former team, as the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Miami Marlins in a 5-0 shutout evening up the series heading into a rubber match in Wednesday evening's finale.&nbsp;Graham Pauley put the Marlins up in the second inning with a two run home run, driving in Troy Johnston after his one out single.&nbsp; In the fifth inning, Miami extended their lead on an RBI single by Otto Lopez that scored Kyle Stowers.&nbsp; The final runs came in the sixth inning for the Marlins with Eric Wagamn doubling to bring home Dane Myers, before later scoring on a triple by Xavier Edwards.&nbsp;Sonny Gray took the loss, falling to 10-5 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk.&nbsp; At the plate, the Cardinals had just four hits in the loss.&nbsp; Jordan Walker was 1-for-3 with a walk. Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and&nbsp;Pedro Pagés also had hits.&nbsp;St. Louis and Miami wrap up their series tomorrow night.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (6-7, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound against Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.05 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is again at 6:45pm with coverage being joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cardinals shut down by former Redbird Alcantara in 5-0 loss

The Kansas City Royals bounced back from a series opening loss to the Atlanta Braves, winning on Tuesday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium 9-6 and evening up the series, setting up a rubber match in Wednesday's finale between the two.&nbsp;

The Royals were powered to the victory taking the lead in the first inning, with two outs Vinnie Pasquantino powering his 18th home run of the season to right field to put Kansas City up 1-0 right away.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Royals extended that lead in the second inning, putting up three more runs on a two RBI double by Jonathan India, driving in Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel, with India scoring on an RBI single by Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;

In the sixth inning, the Braves got those three runs back, behind two home runs, a solo home run by Austin Riley first getting Atlanta on the scoreboard, before Marcell Ozuna's two run home run that drove in Michael Harris II cut the Royals lead to one.&nbsp; However, in the bottom half of the inning, Kansas City pulled away scoring five runs.&nbsp;

A double by Isbel with the bases loaded cleared the bases, bringing home Frazier, Freddy Fermin, and Randal Grichuk.&nbsp; Witt Jr singled later in the inning driving Isbel home, and after Witt Jr stole second base the shortstop scored on a double from Pasquantino for the final run of the inning, putting the Royals up 9-3 on the Braves.&nbsp;

Atlanta scored one run in the seventh attempting their comeback, Ozuna singling to drive in Eli White.&nbsp; In the eighth inning the Braves added two more runs, with Matt Olson scoring Ozzie Albies with an RBI single, moving Jurickson Profar to second base before Profar scored on a single by White.&nbsp;&nbsp;Carlos Estévez came on in the ninth, giving up only a single on way to his 28th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Seth Lugo earned the win in his first start since his contract extension, improving to 8-5 on the season, pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and four walks.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-5 with the home run, a double and two RBIs.&nbsp; Witt Jr was 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City and Atlanta wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Angel Zerpa (3-1, 4.15 ERA) will start for the Royals against Joey Wentz (2-2, 5.76 ERA) for the Braves.&nbsp; First pitch will be joined at 1:10 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals bounced back from a series opening loss to the Atlanta Braves, winning on Tuesday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium 9-6 and evening up the series, setting up a rubber match in Wednesday's finale between the two.&nbsp;The Royals were powered to the victory taking the lead in the first inning, with two outs Vinnie Pasquantino powering his 18th home run of the season to right field to put Kansas City up 1-0 right away.&nbsp; &nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Crushed. 🤌 <a href="https://t.co/fNndWfseKE">pic.twitter.com/fNndWfseKE</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1950344714827223399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Royals extended that lead in the second inning, putting up three more runs on a two RBI double by Jonathan India, driving in Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel, with India scoring on an RBI single by Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Big two-out knocks! <a href="https://t.co/kh8YgxksC5">pic.twitter.com/kh8YgxksC5</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1950350512391352789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the sixth inning, the Braves got those three runs back, behind two home runs, a solo home run by Austin Riley first getting Atlanta on the scoreboard, before Marcell Ozuna's two run home run that drove in Michael Harris II cut the Royals lead to one.&nbsp; However, in the bottom half of the inning, Kansas City pulled away scoring five runs.&nbsp;A double by Isbel with the bases loaded cleared the bases, bringing home Frazier, Freddy Fermin, and Randal Grichuk.&nbsp; Witt Jr singled later in the inning driving Isbel home, and after Witt Jr stole second base the shortstop scored on a double from Pasquantino for the final run of the inning, putting the Royals up 9-3 on the Braves.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Big two-out knocks! <a href="https://t.co/kh8YgxksC5">pic.twitter.com/kh8YgxksC5</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1950350512391352789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Atlanta scored one run in the seventh attempting their comeback, Ozuna singling to drive in Eli White.&nbsp; In the eighth inning the Braves added two more runs, with Matt Olson scoring Ozzie Albies with an RBI single, moving Jurickson Profar to second base before Profar scored on a single by White.&nbsp;&nbsp;Carlos Estévez came on in the ninth, giving up only a single on way to his 28th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Seth Lugo earned the win in his first start since his contract extension, improving to 8-5 on the season, pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and four walks.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-5 with the home run, a double and two RBIs.&nbsp; Witt Jr was 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City and Atlanta wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Angel Zerpa (3-1, 4.15 ERA) will start for the Royals against Joey Wentz (2-2, 5.76 ERA) for the Braves.&nbsp; First pitch will be joined at 1:10 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals bounce back with 9-6 win over Braves

The Kansas City Chiefs held their longest training camp practice today at Missouri Western State University in temperatures that felt upwards of 110 degrees with the heat index.  

Transitioning to a new position in camp is offensive lineman Kingsley  Suamataia, moving from left tackle to a position he's played just once left guard.  

Head Coach Andy Reid says now that players have had pads on for a few days now, he's seen good things from Suamataia 

“He’s done a nice job. He really battled in there, (he) looks solid. (I) really like what we see,” Reid tells reporters following practice 

Suamataia says while the move is going well, it's still a learning process, with things moving much faster at the guard position 

"It’s all just taking my mind from out here to in here and working it from in there and getting the work from Trey (Smith) and the inside guys,” Suamataia says.  “So, it’s been good.” 

Things did get chippy today in the heat with rookies Josh Simmons and Ashton Gillotte going at each other.     

With a packed running back room, Kansas City Chiefs seventh round pick Brashard Smith is trying to find whatever way he can to make the team and make an impact 

Smith spent his career at SMU as a pass catching back, which he could do with the Chiefs, but he has to work his way past Elijah Mitchell and Kareem Hunt first. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub also likes Smith's potential as a punt and kick returner.  

For Smith, who didn't spend much time on special teams in college, he says he likes the possibility of being a returner.  

"I love the ball in my hands, and I feel like I can make explosive plays,” Smith says.  “So, I’d love to play punt return, kick return, it doesn’t matter just to help the team win I’ll do whatever for sure.” 

Practice at Chiefs Training Camp went just about two hours today.  The Chiefs will have one more practice tomorrow at 9:15 before an off day on Thursday. 

The heat at camp brought a slew of injuries with some leaving practice. Reid reported that linebacker Jeffrey Bassa was out with an ankle sprain. Tight end Jake Briningstool was out with a hamstring injury as was safety Deon Bush. Cornerback Kristian Fulton remains on the PUP list with a knee injury, and cornerback Darius Rush was out with a hamstring injury, 

Cornerback Eric Scott also had a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy had a rough fall during practice and left for the medical tent, but did return to practice, however fellow wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Skyy Moore left practice in a cart, Moore with a hamstring injury and Brown with an ankle injury. Linebacker Cooper McDonald was out of practice with an illness. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753827674364.jpeg" alt="Kingsley Suamataia walks down the hill alongside offensive guard Trey Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kingsley Suamataia walks down the hill alongside offensive guard Trey Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs held their longest training camp practice today at Missouri Western State University in temperatures that felt upwards of 110 degrees with the heat index. Transitioning to a new position in camp is offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia, moving from left tackle to a position he's played just once left guard. Head Coach Andy Reid says now that players have had pads on for a few days now, he's seen good things from Suamataia “He’s done a nice job. He really battled in there, (he) looks solid. (I) really like what we see,” Reid tells reporters following practice Suamataia says while the move is going well, it's still a learning process, with things moving much faster at the guard position "It’s all just taking my mind from out here to in here and working it from in there and getting the work from Trey (Smith) and the inside guys,” Suamataia says. “So, it’s been good.” Things did get chippy today in the heat with rookies Josh Simmons and Ashton Gillotte going at each other. With a packed running back room, Kansas City Chiefs seventh round pick Brashard Smith is trying to find whatever way he can to make the team and make an impact Smith spent his career at SMU as a pass catching back, which he could do with the Chiefs, but he has to work his way past Elijah Mitchell and Kareem Hunt first. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub also likes Smith's potential as a punt and kick returner. For Smith, who didn't spend much time on special teams in college, he says he likes the possibility of being a returner. "I love the ball in my hands, and I feel like I can make explosive plays,” Smith says. “So, I’d love to play punt return, kick return, it doesn’t matter just to help the team win I’ll do whatever for sure.” Practice at Chiefs Training Camp went just about two hours today. The Chiefs will have one more practice tomorrow at 9:15 before an off day on Thursday. The heat at camp brought a slew of injuries with some leaving practice. Reid reported that linebacker Jeffrey Bassa was out with an ankle sprain. Tight end Jake Briningstool was out with a hamstring injury as was safety Deon Bush. Cornerback Kristian Fulton remains on the PUP list with a knee injury, and cornerback Darius Rush was out with a hamstring injury, Cornerback Eric Scott also had a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy had a rough fall during practice and left for the medical tent, but did return to practice, however fellow wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Skyy Moore left practice in a cart, Moore with a hamstring injury and Brown with an ankle injury. Linebacker Cooper McDonald was out of practice with an illness. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753827733978.jpeg" alt="Bailey Zappe hands the ball off to Brashard Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Bailey Zappe hands the ball off to Brashard Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Suamataia settling into new position as Chiefs tackle practice on hot day

The Kansas City Royals battled with the Atlanta Braves, falling behind big in the eighth inning, but a late rally fell short and the Royals fell 10-7 to open a the series at Kauffman Stadium on Monday evening.&nbsp;

The Royals opened the scoring in the first inning with two runs, the first coming in on an RBI double by Maikel Garcia, driving in Jonathan India after his leadoff single to the inning.&nbsp; Garcia later scored on an RBI single by Salvador Perez, beating a throw to home plate by Garcia's cousin in right field&nbsp;Ronald Acuña Jr.

The Braves tied up the game in the third inning as&nbsp;Acuña Jr hit a two run home run to left center field off Royals starter Rich Hill, driving in Matt Olson after his two out walk.&nbsp; In the fourth inning, a two run home run by Marcell Ozuna gave the Braves the lead in the game, scoring Ozzie Albies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another home run extended the Braves lead in the seventh inning, a solo home run by Austin Riley.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals cut the Atlanta lead to two after back to back doubles by Bobby Witt Jr and Vinnie Pasquantino.&nbsp; But in the next inning, the Braves would pull away, scoring four runs in the top of the eighth inning.&nbsp;

With Nick Allen on after a one out walk, and Jurickson Profar following a single, Olson doubled to drive in the first run of the inning scoring Allen.&nbsp; After Steven Cruz intentionally walked&nbsp;Acuña Jr to load the bases, Riley doubled to unload the bases, scoring Profar, Olson, and&nbsp;Acuña Jr for all the runs in the inning.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, Randal Grichuk hit his first home run in a Royals uniform to help cut into the lead, putting the Royals down 9-4.

In the ninth inning, an RBI single from Profar put the Braves back up by six, driving in Allen after his one out double.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Royals did start to put together a comeback rally, loading the bases with a double by Witt Jr and walks to Pasquantino and Garcia, before Witt Jr and Pasquantino scored on a single by Freddy Fermin.&nbsp; A sacrifice fly by Adam Frazier was the first out, driving in Garcia and putting the Royals down by three, before Grichuk lined out and MJ Melendez flew out to end the game.&nbsp;

Hill took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up four runs on three hits while walking six and striking out three.&nbsp; At the plate, Garcia was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, and an RBI.&nbsp; Witt Jr was 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City looks to even up the series with Atlanta tomorrow.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (7-5, 2.95 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against former Cardinal, recently acquired Erick Fedde (3-10, 5.22 ERA) for the Braves.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals battled with the Atlanta Braves, falling behind big in the eighth inning, but a late rally fell short and the Royals fell 10-7 to open a the series at Kauffman Stadium on Monday evening.&nbsp;The Royals opened the scoring in the first inning with two runs, the first coming in on an RBI double by Maikel Garcia, driving in Jonathan India after his leadoff single to the inning.&nbsp; Garcia later scored on an RBI single by Salvador Perez, beating a throw to home plate by Garcia's cousin in right field&nbsp;Ronald Acuña Jr.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Off and running! <a href="https://t.co/9x7Pes3ob2">pic.twitter.com/9x7Pes3ob2</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1949983722716938734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Braves tied up the game in the third inning as&nbsp;Acuña Jr hit a two run home run to left center field off Royals starter Rich Hill, driving in Matt Olson after his two out walk.&nbsp; In the fourth inning, a two run home run by Marcell Ozuna gave the Braves the lead in the game, scoring Ozzie Albies.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another home run extended the Braves lead in the seventh inning, a solo home run by Austin Riley.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals cut the Atlanta lead to two after back to back doubles by Bobby Witt Jr and Vinnie Pasquantino.&nbsp; But in the next inning, the Braves would pull away, scoring four runs in the top of the eighth inning.&nbsp;With Nick Allen on after a one out walk, and Jurickson Profar following a single, Olson doubled to drive in the first run of the inning scoring Allen.&nbsp; After Steven Cruz intentionally walked&nbsp;Acuña Jr to load the bases, Riley doubled to unload the bases, scoring Profar, Olson, and&nbsp;Acuña Jr for all the runs in the inning.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, Randal Grichuk hit his first home run in a Royals uniform to help cut into the lead, putting the Royals down 9-4.In the ninth inning, an RBI single from Profar put the Braves back up by six, driving in Allen after his one out double.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Royals did start to put together a comeback rally, loading the bases with a double by Witt Jr and walks to Pasquantino and Garcia, before Witt Jr and Pasquantino scored on a single by Freddy Fermin.&nbsp; A sacrifice fly by Adam Frazier was the first out, driving in Garcia and putting the Royals down by three, before Grichuk lined out and MJ Melendez flew out to end the game.&nbsp;Hill took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up four runs on three hits while walking six and striking out three.&nbsp; At the plate, Garcia was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, and an RBI.&nbsp; Witt Jr was 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City looks to even up the series with Atlanta tomorrow.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (7-5, 2.95 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against former Cardinal, recently acquired Erick Fedde (3-10, 5.22 ERA) for the Braves.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals battle with Braves but rally falls short in 10-7 loss

St. Louis Cardinals starter Andre Pallante allowed just one hit to the Miami Marlins through seven innings, and the Cardinals put up a big five run inning on way to a big 7-1 series opening win at Busch Stadium against the Marlins on Monday evening.&nbsp;

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the third inning as Alec Burleson homered for a second game in a row, sending the ball sailing to center field for his 14th home run of the season.&nbsp; St. Louis extended that lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after Yohel Pozo doubled, Pozo coming home to score on a throwing error by Marlins catcher&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez following a wild pitch by Edward Cabrera.

With the 2-0 lead, the Cardinals held that until the seventh, when they scored their final five runs of the game.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, following a double by Victor Scott II, and a steal of third base by Scott, with back to back walks to Brendan Donovan and&nbsp;Iván Herrera, catchers interference with Burleson at the plate brought Scott home to score.&nbsp; With two outs, after a strikeout by Willson Contreras, Masyn Winn cleared the bases with a double, scoring Donovan, Burleson and Garrett Hampson who pinch ran for Herrera.

With Winn on second, Jordan Walker drove in the final run for the Redbirds with a double of his own.&nbsp; The Marlins scored their lone run of the game in the ninth inning on an RBI single by&nbsp;Heriberto Hernandez, driving in&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez after his one out walk in the inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pallante improved to 6-7 with the win, pitching seven innings and giving up one hit while walking one and striking out four.&nbsp; At the plate, Winn was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.&nbsp; Burleson was 1-for-2 with a walk and the home run with two RBIs.&nbsp;

St. Louis continues their series with Miami tomorrow.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (10-4, 4.33 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against a former Cardinal in&nbsp;Sandy Alcantara (5-9, 6.66 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm with coverage being joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKESt. Louis Cardinals starter Andre Pallante allowed just one hit to the Miami Marlins through seven innings, and the Cardinals put up a big five run inning on way to a big 7-1 series opening win at Busch Stadium against the Marlins on Monday evening.&nbsp;The Cardinals opened the scoring in the third inning as Alec Burleson homered for a second game in a row, sending the ball sailing to center field for his 14th home run of the season.&nbsp; St. Louis extended that lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after Yohel Pozo doubled, Pozo coming home to score on a throwing error by Marlins catcher&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez following a wild pitch by Edward Cabrera.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Another day, another Burly Bomb! 💣 <a href="https://t.co/j2xpD9FIht">pic.twitter.com/j2xpD9FIht</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1949990421267914852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With the 2-0 lead, the Cardinals held that until the seventh, when they scored their final five runs of the game.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, following a double by Victor Scott II, and a steal of third base by Scott, with back to back walks to Brendan Donovan and&nbsp;Iván Herrera, catchers interference with Burleson at the plate brought Scott home to score.&nbsp; With two outs, after a strikeout by Willson Contreras, Masyn Winn cleared the bases with a double, scoring Donovan, Burleson and Garrett Hampson who pinch ran for Herrera.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Masyn clears the bases! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/l5a7maD0FS">pic.twitter.com/l5a7maD0FS</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1950009872738898420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With Winn on second, Jordan Walker drove in the final run for the Redbirds with a double of his own.&nbsp; The Marlins scored their lone run of the game in the ninth inning on an RBI single by&nbsp;Heriberto Hernandez, driving in&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez after his one out walk in the inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pallante improved to 6-7 with the win, pitching seven innings and giving up one hit while walking one and striking out four.&nbsp; At the plate, Winn was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.&nbsp; Burleson was 1-for-2 with a walk and the home run with two RBIs.&nbsp;St. Louis continues their series with Miami tomorrow.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (10-4, 4.33 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against a former Cardinal in&nbsp;Sandy Alcantara (5-9, 6.66 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm with coverage being joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pallante shuts down Marlins as Cardinals score dominant 7-1 win

After winning the first two games of the series, the St. Louis Cardinals faltered in the final two, falling to a series split with a 9-2 loss on Sunday afternoon to the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium.&nbsp;

Manny Machado put the Padres up early in the game, driving in two runs in the first inning with a double, scoring Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr.&nbsp; after Tatis led the game off with a walk and Arraez singled.&nbsp; In the third inning, the Padres extended their lead as Jackson Merrill grounded out, bringing home Tatis after his leadoff double in the third.&nbsp;

Leading 3-0 now, four runs scored in the fourth inning.&nbsp; Gavin Sheets came home to score after his leadoff single in the inning on a sacrifice bunt by&nbsp;Elias Díaz.&nbsp; With two outs later in the inning an RBI single by Arraez scored Jake Cronenworth before Machado drove in two more runs with another two RBI double, scoring Arraez and Díaz.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trailing 7-0, the Cardinals scored their only runs of the game in the sixth inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Iván Herrera led the inning off with a walk, bringing Alec Burleson to the plate, where Burleson hit his 13th home run of the season, scoring Herrera to put the Cardinals down 7-2.&nbsp;

Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning to get one of those runs back for the Padres, and an RBI single by Merrill, driving in Tatis Jr, got the other run back in the eighth inning for the final runs by the Padres in the game.&nbsp;

Michael McGreevy took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up seven runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and two walks.&nbsp; At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-4 with the home run and a double with two RBI's.

St. Louis stays home next to host Miami.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-7, 4.91 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Edward Cabrera (4-4, 3.48 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45 with coverage being joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

By MATT PIKEAfter winning the first two games of the series, the St. Louis Cardinals faltered in the final two, falling to a series split with a 9-2 loss on Sunday afternoon to the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium.&nbsp;Manny Machado put the Padres up early in the game, driving in two runs in the first inning with a double, scoring Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr.&nbsp; after Tatis led the game off with a walk and Arraez singled.&nbsp; In the third inning, the Padres extended their lead as Jackson Merrill grounded out, bringing home Tatis after his leadoff double in the third.&nbsp;Leading 3-0 now, four runs scored in the fourth inning.&nbsp; Gavin Sheets came home to score after his leadoff single in the inning on a sacrifice bunt by&nbsp;Elias Díaz.&nbsp; With two outs later in the inning an RBI single by Arraez scored Jake Cronenworth before Machado drove in two more runs with another two RBI double, scoring Arraez and Díaz.&nbsp;&nbsp;Trailing 7-0, the Cardinals scored their only runs of the game in the sixth inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Iván Herrera led the inning off with a walk, bringing Alec Burleson to the plate, where Burleson hit his 13th home run of the season, scoring Herrera to put the Cardinals down 7-2.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Burly puts one on Freese&#39;s Lawn! <a href="https://t.co/T3LFqSlCP4">pic.twitter.com/T3LFqSlCP4</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1949561680985198765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning to get one of those runs back for the Padres, and an RBI single by Merrill, driving in Tatis Jr, got the other run back in the eighth inning for the final runs by the Padres in the game.&nbsp;Michael McGreevy took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up seven runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and two walks.&nbsp; At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-4 with the home run and a double with two RBI's.St. Louis stays home next to host Miami.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-7, 4.91 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Edward Cabrera (4-4, 3.48 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45 with coverage being joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cardinals split series with Padres after 9-2 finale loss

St. Joseph's Noah Cameron continued to make a strong case for his consideration to be named the American League Rookie of the Year, putting together another strong performance as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on a steamy Sunday afternoon to clinch a crucial series in the American League Central.&nbsp;

Cameron threw five scoreless innings, striking out six batters, while giving up just three hits and walking one throwing 83 pitches on way to his fifth win of the season.&nbsp; Backed by Maikel Garcia homering for the second time in as many games, Cameron even made a dazzling defensive play on the mound snagging a ball behind his back before flipping it to first for an out.

Following Cameron's stellar defensive play to end the threat in the first inning, the Royals scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning.&nbsp; Jonathan India walked and Bobby Witt Jr doubled, putting two runners in scoring position right away for Kansas City. Back to back groundouts by Vinnie Pasquantino and Garcia drove in both India and Witt Jr to give Kansas City the 2-0 lead.&nbsp;

In the fourth inning, the Royals extended the lead after John Rave walked and Luke Maile hit his first double of the season to drive in Rave.&nbsp; Then in the fifth inning, with two outs, Garcia put up the final run Kansas City needed, blasting his 10th home run of the season to left center field.&nbsp;

After Hunter Harvey threw a scoreless sixth inning, relieving Cameron, Angel Zerpa came on in the seventh and gave up a leadoff home run to Gabriel Arias for the lone Cleveland run.&nbsp; &nbsp;With the save situation in place, after Lucas Erceg threw a scoreless eighth inning,&nbsp;Carlos Estévez came on in the ninth, giving up a double to Arias before retiring the next three batters for his 27th save.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the plate, Garcia was 1-for-3 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp; Kansas City was outhit on the day seven to four, with three other Royals getting one hit each on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City will next host Atlanta at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp; Rich Hill (0-1, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Spencer Strider (4-8, 3.72 ERA) for the Braves.&nbsp; First pitch tomorrow is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage begins at 6pm on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753651898491.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph's Noah Cameron continued to make a strong case for an AL Rookie of the Year bid with another strong performance as the Royals clinched the series over the Guardians with a 4-1 win/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph's Noah Cameron continued to make a strong case for an AL Rookie of the Year bid with another strong performance as the Royals clinched the series over the Guardians with a 4-1 win/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph's Noah Cameron continued to make a strong case for his consideration to be named the American League Rookie of the Year, putting together another strong performance as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on a steamy Sunday afternoon to clinch a crucial series in the American League Central.&nbsp;Cameron threw five scoreless innings, striking out six batters, while giving up just three hits and walking one throwing 83 pitches on way to his fifth win of the season.&nbsp; Backed by Maikel Garcia homering for the second time in as many games, Cameron even made a dazzling defensive play on the mound snagging a ball behind his back before flipping it to first for an out.<div><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/gabriel-arias-grounds-out-pitcher-noah-cameron-to-first-baseman-salvador?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share" width="560" height="315"></iframe></div>Following Cameron's stellar defensive play to end the threat in the first inning, the Royals scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning.&nbsp; Jonathan India walked and Bobby Witt Jr doubled, putting two runners in scoring position right away for Kansas City. Back to back groundouts by Vinnie Pasquantino and Garcia drove in both India and Witt Jr to give Kansas City the 2-0 lead.&nbsp;In the fourth inning, the Royals extended the lead after John Rave walked and Luke Maile hit his first double of the season to drive in Rave.&nbsp; Then in the fifth inning, with two outs, Garcia put up the final run Kansas City needed, blasting his 10th home run of the season to left center field.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On a heater! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/D04jQFpKXx">pic.twitter.com/D04jQFpKXx</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1949555492121944549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After Hunter Harvey threw a scoreless sixth inning, relieving Cameron, Angel Zerpa came on in the seventh and gave up a leadoff home run to Gabriel Arias for the lone Cleveland run.&nbsp; &nbsp;With the save situation in place, after Lucas Erceg threw a scoreless eighth inning,&nbsp;Carlos Estévez came on in the ninth, giving up a double to Arias before retiring the next three batters for his 27th save.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the plate, Garcia was 1-for-3 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp; Kansas City was outhit on the day seven to four, with three other Royals getting one hit each on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City will next host Atlanta at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp; Rich Hill (0-1, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Spencer Strider (4-8, 3.72 ERA) for the Braves.&nbsp; First pitch tomorrow is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage begins at 6pm on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cameron continues strong AL RotY case in Royals 4-1 win over Guardians

The Kansas City Chiefs put on full pads for the first time during today's practice at Missouri Western State University after an off day on Saturday.  

Going from day one to day two in pads, head coach Andy Reid says he wants to see more of what he saw during the infamous Andy Reid long drive drill 

"I like that second half of that practice, see how they push, how they retain, push, kind of push through that wall," Reid tells reporters following practice.  "You start kind of talking to yourself at the end there and you find out who's willing to keep it going." 

The drill emphasizes mental toughness, situational awareness, and the ability to execute plays effectively even when exhausted, preparing players for late game scenarios.

Defensive lineman Mike Danna says you just have to gut it out during that long drive period 

"There's no looking for subs, there's no looking for ways out, you've just got to realize that this is the time to dig deep, this is the time to grow," Danna explains.  "Coach emphasizes growing in uncomfortable situations, that's all that long drive drill is, is just uncomfortable, your body is tired, your body is exhausted, you want to see who's going to dig deep, who's going to keep going." 

Danna says the best way to simulate those scenarios is that long drive drill, something many of Reid's players have called the toughest drill of camp.  

Entering this year's training camp, the Kansas City Chiefs hoped to see improvement from second year receiver Xavier Worthy.  

Worthy had just six touchdowns and barely 700 yards receiving but broke out in the Super Bowl with 157 yards and two touchdowns.  

Worthy says things really began to slow down for him late into his rookie season last year, thanks to many of the veterans he was surrounded with. 

"I had those vets with me, I had DHop (DeAndre Hopkins), I had JuJu (Smith-Schuster), I had TK (Travis Kelce), so just guys like that and Pat just obviously helping me understand coverages," Worthy says.  "Once you learn that, once you learn coverages in the league and what guys are going to do, it all comes down to making the play." 

Worthy could be a big factor this year with his explosive speed as the Chiefs try to refocus on bringing the explosive play back into their offense 

Practice lasted just over an hour and a half, the Chiefs will practice again tomorrow at 9:15. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753643159048.jpeg" alt="Patrick Mahomes runs a play action pass duing the first padded practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes runs a play action pass duing the first padded practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs put on full pads for the first time during today's practice at Missouri Western State University after an off day on Saturday. Going from day one to day two in pads, head coach Andy Reid says he wants to see more of what he saw during the infamous Andy Reid long drive drill "I like that second half of that practice, see how they push, how they retain, push, kind of push through that wall," Reid tells reporters following practice. "You start kind of talking to yourself at the end there and you find out who's willing to keep it going." The drill emphasizes mental toughness, situational awareness, and the ability to execute plays effectively even when exhausted, preparing players for late game scenarios.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753644558927.jpeg" alt="Defensive lineman Mike Danna (51) walks down the hill to practice alongside Chris Jones and Malik Herring (94)/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Defensive lineman Mike Danna (51) walks down the hill to practice alongside Chris Jones and Malik Herring (94)/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Defensive lineman Mike Danna says you just have to gut it out during that long drive period "There's no looking for subs, there's no looking for ways out, you've just got to realize that this is the time to dig deep, this is the time to grow," Danna explains. "Coach emphasizes growing in uncomfortable situations, that's all that long drive drill is, is just uncomfortable, your body is tired, your body is exhausted, you want to see who's going to dig deep, who's going to keep going." Danna says the best way to simulate those scenarios is that long drive drill, something many of Reid's players have called the toughest drill of camp. Entering this year's training camp, the Kansas City Chiefs hoped to see improvement from second year receiver Xavier Worthy. Worthy had just six touchdowns and barely 700 yards receiving but broke out in the Super Bowl with 157 yards and two touchdowns. Worthy says things really began to slow down for him late into his rookie season last year, thanks to many of the veterans he was surrounded with. "I had those vets with me, I had DHop (DeAndre Hopkins), I had JuJu (Smith-Schuster), I had TK (Travis Kelce), so just guys like that and Pat just obviously helping me understand coverages," Worthy says. "Once you learn that, once you learn coverages in the league and what guys are going to do, it all comes down to making the play." Worthy could be a big factor this year with his explosive speed as the Chiefs try to refocus on bringing the explosive play back into their offense Practice lasted just over an hour and a half, the Chiefs will practice again tomorrow at 9:15. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753644606141.jpeg" alt="Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy walks to practice with Nikko Remigio/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy walks to practice with Nikko Remigio/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs back at practice with full pads on tackling infamous long drive drill

The Kansas City Royals have made their first move ahead of the July 31st trade deadline, adding an outfield bat that they had interest in during the offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Royals&nbsp;acquiring veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks for reliever Andrew Hoffmann. The 25-year-old Hoffmann made his Major League debut this season but was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

Per MLB.com's Anne Rogers,&nbsp;Grichuk is expected to be in Kansas City on Sunday for the series-deciding game, and likely in the lineup against lefty Joey Cantillo. Facing left-handed pitching is a big reason why the Royals wanted to add Grichuk, who is slashing .243/.280/.462 in 69 games with the D-backs this year but has a .750 OPS against southpaws.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his career, the 33-year-old Grichuk has an .827 OPS against lefties.

With Mark Canha on the 10-day injured list and utility man Nick Loftin on the 7-day concussion list, the Royals don’t have a right-handed hitting outfielder on their 26-man roster outside of Tyler Tolbert, who is an infielder/outfielder and is mainly used for pinch-running opportunities.

“There needs to be some semblance of a bench in the sense that you need options,” general manager J.J. Picollo said to reporters. “[Manager Matt Quatraro] needs options to be able to maneuver through games. And when you have a lot of left-handed bats and not the right-handed bats that have proven they can hit left-handed pitching really well, at times you can feel a little short-handed. So this is just trying to make our roster deeper, make us better, allow us to be more competitive.”

Grichuk was on the Royals’ radar this past offseason as a veteran bat to add to their bench, but he ended up returning to Arizona on a one-year, $5 million deal with a $5 million mutual option or $3 million buyout for 2026.

The Royals now have to decide what’s next for them with five days remaining until the 5 p.m. CT Deadline on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753593201710.jpeg" alt="Randal Grichuk was acquired by the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Andrew Hoffman on Saturday/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Randal Grichuk was acquired by the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Andrew Hoffman on Saturday/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals have made their first move ahead of the July 31st trade deadline, adding an outfield bat that they had interest in during the offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals&nbsp;acquiring veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks for reliever Andrew Hoffmann. The 25-year-old Hoffmann made his Major League debut this season but was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.Per MLB.com's Anne Rogers,&nbsp;Grichuk is expected to be in Kansas City on Sunday for the series-deciding game, and likely in the lineup against lefty Joey Cantillo. Facing left-handed pitching is a big reason why the Royals wanted to add Grichuk, who is slashing .243/.280/.462 in 69 games with the D-backs this year but has a .750 OPS against southpaws.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his career, the 33-year-old Grichuk has an .827 OPS against lefties.With Mark Canha on the 10-day injured list and utility man Nick Loftin on the 7-day concussion list, the Royals don’t have a right-handed hitting outfielder on their 26-man roster outside of Tyler Tolbert, who is an infielder/outfielder and is mainly used for pinch-running opportunities.“There needs to be some semblance of a bench in the sense that you need options,” general manager J.J. Picollo said to reporters. “[Manager Matt Quatraro] needs options to be able to maneuver through games. And when you have a lot of left-handed bats and not the right-handed bats that have proven they can hit left-handed pitching really well, at times you can feel a little short-handed. So this is just trying to make our roster deeper, make us better, allow us to be more competitive.”Grichuk was on the Royals’ radar this past offseason as a veteran bat to add to their bench, but he ended up returning to Arizona on a one-year, $5 million deal with a $5 million mutual option or $3 million buyout for 2026.The Royals now have to decide what’s next for them with five days remaining until the 5 p.m. CT Deadline on Thursday.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals acquire former Cardinal OF Randal Grichuk from D-Backs

There are only two teams in Major League Baseball who have won double digit World Series, the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, with the next closest being the Boston Red Sox with nine.&nbsp; And now one collegiate summer league team can claim they are in a pretty exclusive club of teams to win double digit championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The St. Joseph Mustangs hoisted their 10th MINK League Championship on Saturday, after beating the Clarinda A's 13-0 at Phil Welch Stadium in a seven inning run rule victory, bringing home back to back championships for the fourth time in the history of the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Manager Johnny Coy says it was a special year, with the team losing just eight games, and says it means everything to win a championship

"Every single year we strive for a championship, and we've been winning a lot lately and it just never gets old, playing in front of these fans, getting to coach in front of these fans, these players love it, I love it, it just never gets old," Coy tells reporters following the game.&nbsp; "And I'm looking forward to next season already, we're going to enjoy it tonight, but looking forward to next season already, a new crop of players, I'm sure we'll get a lot of returners because we do every year, and hopefully some guys will fill some holes and we'll compete for number 11."

The Mustangs benefitted from Clarinda errors in the game, with the A's having seven overall.&nbsp; The first run of the game scored as Benton alum Chris Coy reached first on a throwing error by the catcher, driving in Jack Mosh in the second inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Jayden Little also scored in the second on a sacrifice fly from Easton Phillipe.&nbsp;

In the third inning the Mustangs tacked on another run on an error by the right fielder, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart coming home to score. Another sacrifice fly from Phillipe drove in Dom Felix before Bishop LeBlond alum and recent transfer to Northwest Missouri State Frank Gall pinch hit in the inning and singled driving in two more, scoring Coy and Little.&nbsp;

For Gall, who spent much of the season battling injury, it was special to win the championship

"I only got to play in nine or 10 games, so to finish with a MINK League championship is all I could have asked for," Gall says.

Gall says winning the 10th championship in the Mustangs history is pretty amazing

"I think we just expect it every year, and it feels great man, it feels awesome," Gall excitedly says.&nbsp;

Things unraveled more in the fifth inning for the A's as the Mustangs scored seven runs, again benefiting from Clarinda errors as the A's made five in the fifth inning alone.&nbsp;

Central alum Logan Miller reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop, bringing home Coy.&nbsp; Another throwing error from the shortstop allowed Darius Freeman to reach first base, scoring two runs as Gall and Miller came across home, before Freeman later scored on a single from Luikart.&nbsp; Another single by Mosh drove in Luikart to continue extending the lead and then another throwing error allowed Dom Felix to score a run as Coy reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp; The final run scored as Coy stole second, and on the throw Little came across home to score.&nbsp;

The Mustangs have benefitted from a strong pitching staff all season long, and it was no different on Saturday night.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck was a key part of that pitching staff, and threw a complete game shutout in Saturday's finale.

Guck, who helped close out last year's championship against Clarinda as well, says he just loves the moment

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753590486138.jpeg" alt="The St. Joseph Mustangs hoist the MINK League Championship trophy/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>The St. Joseph Mustangs hoist the MINK League Championship trophy/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThere are only two teams in Major League Baseball who have won double digit World Series, the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, with the next closest being the Boston Red Sox with nine.&nbsp; And now one collegiate summer league team can claim they are in a pretty exclusive club of teams to win double digit championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;The St. Joseph Mustangs hoisted their 10th MINK League Championship on Saturday, after beating the Clarinda A's 13-0 at Phil Welch Stadium in a seven inning run rule victory, bringing home back to back championships for the fourth time in the history of the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;Manager Johnny Coy says it was a special year, with the team losing just eight games, and says it means everything to win a championship"Every single year we strive for a championship, and we've been winning a lot lately and it just never gets old, playing in front of these fans, getting to coach in front of these fans, these players love it, I love it, it just never gets old," Coy tells reporters following the game.&nbsp; "And I'm looking forward to next season already, we're going to enjoy it tonight, but looking forward to next season already, a new crop of players, I'm sure we'll get a lot of returners because we do every year, and hopefully some guys will fill some holes and we'll compete for number 11."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753591064945.jpeg" alt="Mustangs General Manager and Owner and MINK League Commissioner Ky Turner presents the MINK League Championship trophy to the St. Joseph Mustangs/ Photo by Matt Pike." />
 <figcaption>Mustangs General Manager and Owner and MINK League Commissioner Ky Turner presents the MINK League Championship trophy to the St. Joseph Mustangs/ Photo by Matt Pike.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Mustangs benefitted from Clarinda errors in the game, with the A's having seven overall.&nbsp; The first run of the game scored as Benton alum Chris Coy reached first on a throwing error by the catcher, driving in Jack Mosh in the second inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Jayden Little also scored in the second on a sacrifice fly from Easton Phillipe.&nbsp;In the third inning the Mustangs tacked on another run on an error by the right fielder, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart coming home to score. Another sacrifice fly from Phillipe drove in Dom Felix before Bishop LeBlond alum and recent transfer to Northwest Missouri State Frank Gall pinch hit in the inning and singled driving in two more, scoring Coy and Little.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753591583016.jpeg" alt="Bishop LeBlond alum and Northwest Missouri State's Frank Gall/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Bishop LeBlond alum and Northwest Missouri State's Frank Gall/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>For Gall, who spent much of the season battling injury, it was special to win the championship"I only got to play in nine or 10 games, so to finish with a MINK League championship is all I could have asked for," Gall says.Gall says winning the 10th championship in the Mustangs history is pretty amazing"I think we just expect it every year, and it feels great man, it feels awesome," Gall excitedly says.&nbsp;Things unraveled more in the fifth inning for the A's as the Mustangs scored seven runs, again benefiting from Clarinda errors as the A's made five in the fifth inning alone.&nbsp;Central alum Logan Miller reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop, bringing home Coy.&nbsp; Another throwing error from the shortstop allowed Darius Freeman to reach first base, scoring two runs as Gall and Miller came across home, before Freeman later scored on a single from Luikart.&nbsp; Another single by Mosh drove in Luikart to continue extending the lead and then another throwing error allowed Dom Felix to score a run as Coy reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp; The final run scored as Coy stole second, and on the throw Little came across home to score.&nbsp;The Mustangs have benefitted from a strong pitching staff all season long, and it was no different on Saturday night.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck was a key part of that pitching staff, and threw a complete game shutout in Saturday's finale.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592198126.jpeg" alt="Bishop LeBlonsd alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck threw a complete game shutout as the St. Joseph Mustangs won their 10th MINK League Championship/ Photo by Matt Pike&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Bishop LeBlonsd alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck threw a complete game shutout as the St. Joseph Mustangs won their 10th MINK League Championship/ Photo by Matt Pike&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Guck, who helped close out last year's championship against Clarinda as well, says he just loves the moment"I mean the adrenaline just gets you going, I think it makes it easy to pitch and I just love the moment, it's fun to pitch in, and I'm just happy to do it twice," Guck says.Guck pitched his final game as a Mustang after finishing his collegiate career at Northwest this spring. Guck says it's always great to win with the Mustangs. "It's always a great feeling, I always look forward to this because I always feel good about our chances every summer and it's two in a row now," Guck says.&nbsp; "I won't be here, but let's go for three."Guck struck out eight and gave up just three hits on Saturday to help secure the Mustangs championship.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 2-for-3 with two RBI's.&nbsp; Mosh was 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Little was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored.&nbsp;The Mustangs finished the season 38-8 with a 28-7 record in the MINK League.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is the fourth time the Mustangs have won the championship in back to back years, last winning it in 2021 and 2022.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592281583.jpeg" alt="Brayden Luikart&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Brayden Luikart&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592305359.jpeg" alt="Mustangs players celebrate the 10th MINK League championship in St. Joseph Mustangs history&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Mustangs players celebrate the 10th MINK League championship in St. Joseph Mustangs history&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592328711.jpeg" alt="Jack Mosh" />
 <figcaption>Jack Mosh</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592344710.jpeg" alt="Jayden LIttle" />
 <figcaption>Jayden LIttle</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;