
UNDATED (AP) — What's next in conference realignment? The Atlantic
Coast Conference pulled back on adding Stanford and California, but
is that a dead issue? What are the Bay Area schools' other options?
Any chance for the Pac-4 to stick together and rebuild? Or are
Washington State and Oregon State destined for the Mountain West?


The Pac-4 schools are in limbo. The Mountain West is open for
additions. The American Athletic Conference is interested in growing
and on-guard for being poached.


The Atlantic Coast Conference can't reach a consensus on expansion,
and the Big Ten seems to be done adding West Coast schools — but we
have heard that before.


While there appears to be a break in the action, here's what could be
next in major college football conference realignment.


The conference thought hard about rescuing Stanford and California
from the sinking Pac-12. Notre Dame, which doesn't compete in ACC
football, was leading the push to add the Northern California
schools, but the 12 votes necessary to approve the expansion were not
quite there.


Everything in the ACC is about revenue and how it's divvied up these
days. Expansion appears to be another leverage point. A Stanford/Cal
addition, and maybe SMU, wouldn't produce a windfall, but there is
some money to be made.


That's why westward expansion is still not a dead issue in the ACC.
The majority of schools liked the idea and believe it could be part
of a long-term strategy that provides more security. But do they like
it enough to sweeten the pot for Florida State, Clemson, Miami and
North Carolina to agree to it?


Right now, no. Eventually? To be determined.


While talking with the ACC, Stanford and Cal were still exhausting
options to convince the Big Ten to add two more West Coast schools to
go along with Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.


The Bay Area rivals have been unsuccessful so far. Could minds be
changed? Never underestimate the power and influence of Stanford
graduates, but for now it appears unlikely.


Stanford and Cal's inability to land in a Power Five conference keeps
alive slim hopes that they, along with Oregon State and Washington
State, could rebuild the Pac-whatever by luring a few of the top
Group of Five schools into a smaller league that conceivably would be
more valuable going forward than the ones they are currently in.


There are myriad obstacles, starting with multimillion dollar exit
fees in the Mountain West and AAC and the lack of a media rights deal
for the Pac-12.


"They’re not going to have a war chest to rebuild with,” Tom
Burman, athletic director at Mountain West school Wyoming, said in an
interview with Pokescast.


Football independence and an Olympic sport agreement with a Western
conference — maybe the West Coast Conference and its strong
basketball? — could be an option for Stanford and Cal.


Probably more so for Stanford, which doesn't have Cal's athletic
budget issues.


As for Oregon State and Washington State, the choices seem to be
figure something out with Stanford and Cal or join the Mountain West
or AAC.


“We’re going to be OK," Washington State athletic director
Pat Chun said this week. “The reality is, realignment is not done.”


The Big Ten switched gears on adding Oregon and Washington when it
became a buy-low opportunity.


Could it do the same with Stanford and Cal? There are no indications
of that.


Former Commissioner Kevin Warren had already made the case to Big Ten
presidents to add Oregon and Washington last year when the conference
grabbed USC and UCLA.


Stanford and Cal were not as appealing, unless it was as a package to
lure Notre Dame.


Next up on the Big Ten's list of value adds are North Carolina and
Virginia. The ACC schools are contractually locked up for now, but if
the Big Ten is going to try to figure out how to run a 20-team (or
more) conference, it would prefer it comes with more financial
upside.


The Big 12 has pushed the limits of how much ESPN and Fox want to pay
for more inventory so it appears Commissioner Brett Yormark's
conference is done targeting Power Five schools.


A Pacific Northwest addition for the Big 12 is more likely to be
Gonzaga and its powerhouse basketball program than more Pac-12
schools.


The logical landing spot for Oregon State and Washington State based
on geography, but logic and geography don't have the pull they used
to in conference alignment.


How much is Fox and CBS willing to pay the Mountain West for two more
schools? The current deals pay about $4 million annually per school.


The American has interest in Oregon State and Washington State, and a
more lucrative TV deal with ESPN (about $9 million per school), but
adding them would increase travel costs for existing members.


Retention might be the AAC's larger priority right now, considering
SMU's wandering eyes.


Commissioner Greg Sankey can comfortably sit atop his kingdom, claim
the moral high ground and wait to see how things shake out in the
ACC.

UNDATED (AP) — What's next in conference realignment? The Atlantic
Coast Conference pulled back on adding Stanford and California, but
is that a dead issue? What are the Bay Area schools' other options?
Any chance for the Pac-4 to stick together and rebuild? Or are
Washington State and Oregon State destined for the Mountain West?
The Pac-4 schools are in limbo. The Mountain West is open for
additions. The American Athletic Conference is interested in growing
and on-guard for being poached.
The Atlantic Coast Conference can't reach a consensus on expansion,
and the Big Ten seems to be done adding West Coast schools — but we
have heard that before.
While there appears to be a break in the action, here's what could be
next in major college football conference realignment.ACC
The conference thought hard about rescuing Stanford and California
from the sinking Pac-12. Notre Dame, which doesn't compete in ACC
football, was leading the push to add the Northern California
schools, but the 12 votes necessary to approve the expansion were not
quite there.
Everything in the ACC is about revenue and how it's divvied up these
days. Expansion appears to be another leverage point. A Stanford/Cal
addition, and maybe SMU, wouldn't produce a windfall, but there is
some money to be made.
That's why westward expansion is still not a dead issue in the ACC.
The majority of schools liked the idea and believe it could be part
of a long-term strategy that provides more security. But do they like
it enough to sweeten the pot for Florida State, Clemson, Miami and
North Carolina to agree to it?
Right now, no. Eventually? To be determined.PAC-4
While talking with the ACC, Stanford and Cal were still exhausting
options to convince the Big Ten to add two more West Coast schools to
go along with Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.
The Bay Area rivals have been unsuccessful so far. Could minds be
changed? Never underestimate the power and influence of Stanford
graduates, but for now it appears unlikely.
Stanford and Cal's inability to land in a Power Five conference keeps
alive slim hopes that they, along with Oregon State and Washington
State, could rebuild the Pac-whatever by luring a few of the top
Group of Five schools into a smaller league that conceivably would be
more valuable going forward than the ones they are currently in.
There are myriad obstacles, starting with multimillion dollar exit
fees in the Mountain West and AAC and the lack of a media rights deal
for the Pac-12.
"They’re not going to have a war chest to rebuild with,” Tom
Burman, athletic director at Mountain West school Wyoming, said in an
interview with Pokescast.
Football independence and an Olympic sport agreement with a Western
conference — maybe the West Coast Conference and its strong
basketball? — could be an option for Stanford and Cal.
Probably more so for Stanford, which doesn't have Cal's athletic
budget issues.
As for Oregon State and Washington State, the choices seem to be
figure something out with Stanford and Cal or join the Mountain West
or AAC.
“We’re going to be OK," Washington State athletic director
Pat Chun said this week. “The reality is, realignment is not done.”Big Ten
The Big Ten switched gears on adding Oregon and Washington when it
became a buy-low opportunity.
Could it do the same with Stanford and Cal? There are no indications
of that.
Former Commissioner Kevin Warren had already made the case to Big Ten
presidents to add Oregon and Washington last year when the conference
grabbed USC and UCLA.
Stanford and Cal were not as appealing, unless it was as a package to
lure Notre Dame.
Next up on the Big Ten's list of value adds are North Carolina and
Virginia. The ACC schools are contractually locked up for now, but if
the Big Ten is going to try to figure out how to run a 20-team (or
more) conference, it would prefer it comes with more financial
upside.Big 12
The Big 12 has pushed the limits of how much ESPN and Fox want to pay
for more inventory so it appears Commissioner Brett Yormark's
conference is done targeting Power Five schools.
A Pacific Northwest addition for the Big 12 is more likely to be
Gonzaga and its powerhouse basketball program than more Pac-12
schools.Mountain West
The logical landing spot for Oregon State and Washington State based
on geography, but logic and geography don't have the pull they used
to in conference alignment.
As always TV money is a consideration.
How much is Fox and CBS willing to pay the Mountain West for two more
schools? The current deals pay about $4 million annually per school.AAC
The American has interest in Oregon State and Washington State, and a
more lucrative TV deal with ESPN (about $9 million per school), but
adding them would increase travel costs for existing members.
So is it really worth it?
Retention might be the AAC's larger priority right now, considering
SMU's wandering eyes.SEC
Commissioner Greg Sankey can comfortably sit atop his kingdom, claim
the moral high ground and wait to see how things shake out in the
ACC.

What's next in conference realignment as Pac-4 search for solutions and conferences weight options?

BOSTON (AP) — James Paxton worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and five Boston pitchers combined for the seven-hit shutout as the Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 on Thursday night.

John Schreiber, Josh Winckowski and Chris Martin followed Paxton, and Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his 25th save as Boston moved five games over .500 at 60-55 and took three of four games from the Royals.

“Very confident handing the ball to those guys,” Paxton said. “We’ve got a talented group out there and doing really well.”

For the second straight night, the Red Sox turned to the same four members of the bullpen, and with each pitcher able to keep the Royals off the scoreboard. Winchowski, Martin and Jansen each struck out two, while Schreiber stranded a runner at third base to end the sixth.

“They attacked the zone with good stuff and we were able to close it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

Alex Verdugo hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead and Adam Duvall added an RBI double in the fifth.

Trevor Story doubled to straightaway center in the fourth for his first hit in nine at-bats since returning from the injured list.

“He was able to catch up on a fastball on an 0-2 count after seeing all those sliders,” Cora said. “The walk was also good. Just keep grinding and keep going.”

In the fifth inning as rain fell at Fenway Park, Duvall’s hit was originally ruled a foul ball by third base umpire Emil Jimenez. But Cora decided to challenge the call and it was overturned following a review.

Paxton (7-3), who allowed three homers in his previous start against Toronto, scattered six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The 34-year-old left-hander was helped by a sliding catch by Verdugo that led to an inning-ending 9-3 double play in the second.

“He saved me with that nice play,” Paxton said of Verdugo’s grab and throw that doubled up Kansas City’s M.J. Melendez at first.

Austin Cox and Taylor Hearn worked the first three innings for Kansas City (37-80). Alec Marsh (0-6) went the final five innings, allowing two runs while striking out three.

“I thought he (Marsh) threw the ball well. Five innings allowing two runs, that’s a quality start right there,” said Cox, who served as the opener.

The Red Sox improved to 9-1 this season wearing their yellow “City Connect” uniforms. Boston is 24-5 all-time in the uniforms.

Maikel Garcia wasted little time extending his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games. The Kansas City third baseman jumped on the game’s first pitch and singled sharply on the ground to left field. It’s the longest hitting streak by a KC player since 2019, when Whit Merrifield had a 15-game run.

Red Sox: Friday will mark Chris Sale’s first start for Boston since exiting his June 1 appearance with left shoulder inflammation. Before Thursday’s game, Cora says the plan is for Sale to pitch four innings. “Just to have him back, that’s huge for us,” Cora said. … INF Justin Turner (heel) wasn’t in the starting lineup for the third straight game. He has now missed six of the past nine games since the injury occurred on July 31. … Cora says there’s a good chance that RHP Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will be activated on Sunday. … RHP Tanner Houck (facial fracture) was supposed to make a second rehab outing for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, but the game was rained out. He’s now scheduled to pitch for the WooSox on Friday.

Royals: Kansas City hasn’t announced a starter for Friday’s home game against St. Louis. The Cardinals plan to start right-hander Adam Wainwright (3-6, 7.81).

Red Sox: Continue a 10-game homestand Friday with the first of three against Detroit. Chris Sale is scheduled to start for Boston against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal (2-1, 3.67).

BOSTON (AP) — James Paxton worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and five Boston pitchers combined for the seven-hit shutout as the Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 on Thursday night.John Schreiber, Josh Winckowski and Chris Martin followed Paxton, and Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his 25th save as Boston moved five games over .500 at 60-55 and took three of four games from the Royals.“Very confident handing the ball to those guys,” Paxton said. “We’ve got a talented group out there and doing really well.”For the second straight night, the Red Sox turned to the same four members of the bullpen, and with each pitcher able to keep the Royals off the scoreboard. Winchowski, Martin and Jansen each struck out two, while Schreiber stranded a runner at third base to end the sixth.“They attacked the zone with good stuff and we were able to close it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.Alex Verdugo hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead and Adam Duvall added an RBI double in the fifth.Trevor Story doubled to straightaway center in the fourth for his first hit in nine at-bats since returning from the injured list.“He was able to catch up on a fastball on an 0-2 count after seeing all those sliders,” Cora said. “The walk was also good. Just keep grinding and keep going.”In the fifth inning as rain fell at Fenway Park, Duvall’s hit was originally ruled a foul ball by third base umpire Emil Jimenez. But Cora decided to challenge the call and it was overturned following a review.Paxton (7-3), who allowed three homers in his previous start against Toronto, scattered six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The 34-year-old left-hander was helped by a sliding catch by Verdugo that led to an inning-ending 9-3 double play in the second.“He saved me with that nice play,” Paxton said of Verdugo’s grab and throw that doubled up Kansas City’s M.J. Melendez at first.Austin Cox and Taylor Hearn worked the first three innings for Kansas City (37-80). Alec Marsh (0-6) went the final five innings, allowing two runs while striking out three.“I thought he (Marsh) threw the ball well. Five innings allowing two runs, that’s a quality start right there,” said Cox, who served as the opener.The Red Sox improved to 9-1 this season wearing their yellow “City Connect” uniforms. Boston is 24-5 all-time in the uniforms.STILL STREAKINGMaikel Garcia wasted little time extending his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games. The Kansas City third baseman jumped on the game’s first pitch and singled sharply on the ground to left field. It’s the longest hitting streak by a KC player since 2019, when Whit Merrifield had a 15-game run.TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: Friday will mark Chris Sale’s first start for Boston since exiting his June 1 appearance with left shoulder inflammation. Before Thursday’s game, Cora says the plan is for Sale to pitch four innings. “Just to have him back, that’s huge for us,” Cora said. … INF Justin Turner (heel) wasn’t in the starting lineup for the third straight game. He has now missed six of the past nine games since the injury occurred on July 31. … Cora says there’s a good chance that RHP Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will be activated on Sunday. … RHP Tanner Houck (facial fracture) was supposed to make a second rehab outing for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, but the game was rained out. He’s now scheduled to pitch for the WooSox on Friday.UP NEXTRoyals: Kansas City hasn’t announced a starter for Friday’s home game against St. Louis. The Cardinals plan to start right-hander Adam Wainwright (3-6, 7.81).Red Sox: Continue a 10-game homestand Friday with the first of three against Detroit. Chris Sale is scheduled to start for Boston against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal (2-1, 3.67).

James Paxton and 4 relievers combine for 7-hit shutout as Red Sox beat Royals 2-0

Next Game:&nbsp;Season over

2023 results&nbsp; Thur. 8/10 -&nbsp;NBC World Series - Seattle Studs 6, Great Bend 1 (30-12) Wed. 8/9 - NBC World Series - Great Bend 17, Seattle Blackfins 6 (30-11) Tue. 8/8 - NBC World Series - Great Bend 17, Kraken 8 (29-11) Sun. 8/6 - NBC World Series - Santa Barbara 5, Great Bend 4 (10-inn) (28-11) Fri. 8/4 - NBC World Series - Great Bend 4, Tulsa Sandlot 2 (28-10) Thur. 7/27 - Liberal 18, @ Great Bend 10 (27-10) Wed. 7/26 - @ Great Bend 6, Liberal 3 (27-9) Sun. 7/16 - @ Derby 10, Great Bend 4&nbsp; (26-9) Sat. 7/15 - Great Bend 6, @ Derby 3&nbsp; (26-8) Fri. 7/14 - Great Bend @ Newton - Postponed by rain Thur. 7/13 - @ Great Bend 6, Newton 3&nbsp; (25-8) Wed. 7/12 - Great Bend 13, @ Newton 7&nbsp; (24-8) Mon 7/10 - @ Great Bend 10, Hutchinson 9&nbsp; (23-8) Sun. 7/9 - @ Hutchinson 9, Great Bend 2 (22-8) Sat. 7/8 - @ Hutchinson 10, Great Bend 5&nbsp; (22-7) Fri. 7/7 - @ Great Bend 12, Haysville 3&nbsp; (22-6) Thur. 7/6 - @ Great Bend 3, Haysville 2 (21-6) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Haysville 7 @ Great Bend 5 (20-6) Mon. 7/3 - @ Great Bend 10, Dodge City A's 5&nbsp; (20-5) Sat. 7/1 - @ Great Bend 5,&nbsp;Colorado Springs Cage Rats 2 (19-5) Fri. 6/30 -&nbsp;Colorado Springs Cage Rats 4, @ Great Bend 2 (18-5) Thur. 6/29 - @ Great Bend 15, Colorado Springs Cage Rats 8 (18-4) Wed. 6/28 - GM 2 - @ Liberal 5, Great Bend 2 (17-4) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; GM1 - Great Bend 5, @ Liberal 3 (17-3) Mon. 6/26 - Great Bend 7, @ Dodge City 3&nbsp; (16-3) Sun. 6/25 - Great Bend 5, @ Newton 1 (15-3) Sat. 6/24 - Kansas Cannons 5, @ Great Bend 3 (14-3) Fri. 6/23 - @ Great Bend 13, Kansas Cannons 4 (14-2) Thur. 6/22 - Great Bend 12, @ Kansas Cannons 4 (13-2) Wed. 6/21 - @ Great Bend 7, Kingman 4&nbsp; (12-2) Tue. 6/20 - Great Bend 5, @ Kingman 4&nbsp; (11-2) Mon. 6/19 - @ Great Bend 14, Kingman 3 (10-2) Sat. 6/17 - Great Bend 15, @ Derby 2 (9-2) Fri. 6/16 - @ Great Bend 7, Derby 4 (8-2) Thur. 6/15 - Derby 10, @ Great Bend 3 (7-2) Tue. 6/13 - @ Great Bend 9, Newton 6 (7-1) Mon. 6/12 - @ Great Bend 5, Newton 2 (6-1) Sun. 6/11 - @ Hutchinson 6, Great Bend 5 (4-1) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Great Bend 6, @ Hutchinson 0 (5-1) Thur. 6/8 - @ Great Bend 8, Hutchinson 7 (4-0) Wed. 6/7 - Great Bend 11, @ Haysville 4 (3-0) Tue. 6/6 - Great Bend 4, @ Haysville 1 (2-0) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Great Bend 13, @ Haysville 2 (1-0)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687367506677.png" alt="2023 Scores&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>2023 Scores&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Next Game:&nbsp;Season over2023 results&nbsp; Thur. 8/10 -&nbsp;NBC World Series - Seattle Studs 6, Great Bend 1 (30-12) Wed. 8/9 - NBC World Series - Great Bend 17, Seattle Blackfins 6 (30-11) Tue. 8/8 - NBC World Series - Great Bend 17, Kraken 8 (29-11) Sun. 8/6 - NBC World Series - Santa Barbara 5, Great Bend 4 (10-inn) (28-11) Fri. 8/4 - NBC World Series - Great Bend 4, Tulsa Sandlot 2 (28-10) Thur. 7/27 - Liberal 18, @ Great Bend 10 (27-10) Wed. 7/26 - @ Great Bend 6, Liberal 3 (27-9) Sun. 7/16 - @ Derby 10, Great Bend 4&nbsp; (26-9) Sat. 7/15 - Great Bend 6, @ Derby 3&nbsp; (26-8) Fri. 7/14 - Great Bend @ Newton - Postponed by rain Thur. 7/13 - @ Great Bend 6, Newton 3&nbsp; (25-8) Wed. 7/12 - Great Bend 13, @ Newton 7&nbsp; (24-8) Mon 7/10 - @ Great Bend 10, Hutchinson 9&nbsp; (23-8) Sun. 7/9 - @ Hutchinson 9, Great Bend 2 (22-8) Sat. 7/8 - @ Hutchinson 10, Great Bend 5&nbsp; (22-7) Fri. 7/7 - @ Great Bend 12, Haysville 3&nbsp; (22-6) Thur. 7/6 - @ Great Bend 3, Haysville 2 (21-6) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Haysville 7 @ Great Bend 5 (20-6) Mon. 7/3 - @ Great Bend 10, Dodge City A's 5&nbsp; (20-5) Sat. 7/1 - @ Great Bend 5,&nbsp;Colorado Springs Cage Rats 2 (19-5) Fri. 6/30 -&nbsp;Colorado Springs Cage Rats 4, @ Great Bend 2 (18-5) Thur. 6/29 - @ Great Bend 15, Colorado Springs Cage Rats 8 (18-4) Wed. 6/28 - GM 2 - @ Liberal 5, Great Bend 2 (17-4) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; GM1 - Great Bend 5, @ Liberal 3 (17-3) Mon. 6/26 - Great Bend 7, @ Dodge City 3&nbsp; (16-3) Sun. 6/25 - Great Bend 5, @ Newton 1 (15-3) Sat. 6/24 - Kansas Cannons 5, @ Great Bend 3 (14-3) Fri. 6/23 - @ Great Bend 13, Kansas Cannons 4 (14-2) Thur. 6/22 - Great Bend 12, @ Kansas Cannons 4 (13-2) Wed. 6/21 - @ Great Bend 7, Kingman 4&nbsp; (12-2) Tue. 6/20 - Great Bend 5, @ Kingman 4&nbsp; (11-2) Mon. 6/19 - @ Great Bend 14, Kingman 3 (10-2) Sat. 6/17 - Great Bend 15, @ Derby 2 (9-2) Fri. 6/16 - @ Great Bend 7, Derby 4 (8-2) Thur. 6/15 - Derby 10, @ Great Bend 3 (7-2) Tue. 6/13 - @ Great Bend 9, Newton 6 (7-1) Mon. 6/12 - @ Great Bend 5, Newton 2 (6-1) Sun. 6/11 - @ Hutchinson 6, Great Bend 5 (4-1) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Great Bend 6, @ Hutchinson 0 (5-1) Thur. 6/8 - @ Great Bend 8, Hutchinson 7 (4-0) Wed. 6/7 - Great Bend 11, @ Haysville 4 (3-0) Tue. 6/6 - Great Bend 4, @ Haysville 1 (2-0) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Great Bend 13, @ Haysville 2 (1-0)

Bat Cats Scores and Schedule

BOSTON (AP) —
James Paxton worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and five Boston pitchers
combined for the seven-hit shutout as the Red Sox beat the Kansas
City Royals 2-0. John Schreiber, Josh Winckowski and Chris Martin
followed Paxton, and Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the
ninth inning for his 25th save as Boston moved five games over .500
at 60-55 and took three of four games from the Royals. Alex Verdugo
hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead
and Adam Duvall added an RBI double in the fifth. Austin Cox and
Taylor Hearn worked the first three innings for Kanas City. Alec
Marsh (0-6) went the final five innings, allowing two runs while
striking out three.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Matthew Liberatore didn’t allow a run in a career-best
eight innings, Andrew Knizner and Tommy Edman homered and the St.
Louis Cardinals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Thursday night. St.
Louis won two of three in the series with Tampa Bay, the AL wild-card
leader. Liberatore (2-4) was part of a January 2020 trade between
Tampa Bay and St. Louis that sent outfielder Randy Arozarena to the
Rays. In his second start since being called up from Triple-A
Memphis, Liberatore gave up two hits and had a career-high seven
strikeouts as he bids for a fulltime rotation spot. He retired his
final 14 batters. The Rays dropped three game behind AL East-leading
Baltimore.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Clayton Kershaw didn’t get the win in his return to the mound. The
Los Angeles Dodgers are just glad to have him back. Kershaw was
activated Thursday to make his first start since July 27. He gave up
one run and three hits in five innings, struck out four and didn’t
walk anyone while getting a no-decision in a 2-1 victory over the
Colorado Rockies. The NL West-leading Dodgers won their fifth in a
row against the division’s worst team and extended their lead to 6
1/2 games over the San Francisco Giants.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
(AP) — C.J. Stroud had a short and at times shaky debut, Davis
Mills threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tank Dell and the
Houston Texans beat the New England Patriots 20-9 in the teams’
preseason opener. Stroud was drafted second overall and played the
first two series while going 2 of 4 for 13 yards with an
interception. He rushed twice for 6 yards and was sacked once. Mills
finished 9 of 12 for 99 yards while playing the balance of the
opening half. Dalton Keene added a 1-yard touchdown run. Case Keenum
had a 5-yard TD pass to Alex Bachman. The Patriots gave most of their
projected starters the night off, including quarterback Mac Jones.

UNDATED (AP) —
Jirehl Brock and three other Iowa State football players along with
three current or former Iowa football players and a student assistant
have been charged in connection with the state’s investigation into
illegal sports wagering at the two schools. A total of 15 football
and basketball players and staffers with ties to the schools have
been charged since last week in the ongoing investigation. Current
athletes face a loss of eligibility for violating NCAA gambling
rules. Brock and several other players are accused of tampering with
records to disguise that they were under the legal betting age of 21
at the time they placed wagers.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— Jordan Spieth kept a clean card and clean pants in the
rain-soaked opener to the PGA Tour postseason. Spieth chipped in for
eagle on his way to a 63 in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. That
gives him a one-shot lead over Tom Kim, who did what he could to stay
clean. Kim rolled up his pants to make it look as though he were
wearing capris. He already had one muddy day at the PGA Championship
and didn't want a repeat. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler each had
67. Top-seeded Jon Rahm shot 73.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)
— Iowa will attempt to set the all-time women’s basketball
attendance record when it hosts DePaul in an outdoor exhibition at
69,000-seat Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 15. Iowa was second nationally in
attendance last season with an average of 11,143 at Carver-Hawkeye
Arena. The women’s basketball record of 29,619 was set in the 2002
national title game between Connecticut and Oklahoma in San Antonio’s
Alamodome. The Hawkeyes were 31-7 and national runners-up to LSU last
season. They return national player of the year Caitlin Clark. DePaul
was 16-17.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)
— Former NFL cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who had an interception
in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 win over the San Francisco
49ers, is facing multiple charges after being found in possession of
a stolen vehicle, firearms and illegal drugs. The 31-year-old
Breeland is facing charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle,
altering serial numbers, altering a title, possession of a Schedule I
controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of a
stolen firearm. Breeland, who played eight seasons in the NFL, was
booked into Mecklenburg County Jail early Tuesday, according to jail
records. He’s since been released on $30,000 bond.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUE PRESEASON

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691404624657.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) —
James Paxton worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and five Boston pitchers
combined for the seven-hit shutout as the Red Sox beat the Kansas
City Royals 2-0. John Schreiber, Josh Winckowski and Chris Martin
followed Paxton, and Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the
ninth inning for his 25th save as Boston moved five games over .500
at 60-55 and took three of four games from the Royals. Alex Verdugo
hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead
and Adam Duvall added an RBI double in the fifth. Austin Cox and
Taylor Hearn worked the first three innings for Kanas City. Alec
Marsh (0-6) went the final five innings, allowing two runs while
striking out three.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Matthew Liberatore didn’t allow a run in a career-best
eight innings, Andrew Knizner and Tommy Edman homered and the St.
Louis Cardinals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Thursday night. St.
Louis won two of three in the series with Tampa Bay, the AL wild-card
leader. Liberatore (2-4) was part of a January 2020 trade between
Tampa Bay and St. Louis that sent outfielder Randy Arozarena to the
Rays. In his second start since being called up from Triple-A
Memphis, Liberatore gave up two hits and had a career-high seven
strikeouts as he bids for a fulltime rotation spot. He retired his
final 14 batters. The Rays dropped three game behind AL East-leading
Baltimore.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Clayton Kershaw didn’t get the win in his return to the mound. The
Los Angeles Dodgers are just glad to have him back. Kershaw was
activated Thursday to make his first start since July 27. He gave up
one run and three hits in five innings, struck out four and didn’t
walk anyone while getting a no-decision in a 2-1 victory over the
Colorado Rockies. The NL West-leading Dodgers won their fifth in a
row against the division’s worst team and extended their lead to 6
1/2 games over the San Francisco Giants.FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
(AP) — C.J. Stroud had a short and at times shaky debut, Davis
Mills threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tank Dell and the
Houston Texans beat the New England Patriots 20-9 in the teams’
preseason opener. Stroud was drafted second overall and played the
first two series while going 2 of 4 for 13 yards with an
interception. He rushed twice for 6 yards and was sacked once. Mills
finished 9 of 12 for 99 yards while playing the balance of the
opening half. Dalton Keene added a 1-yard touchdown run. Case Keenum
had a 5-yard TD pass to Alex Bachman. The Patriots gave most of their
projected starters the night off, including quarterback Mac Jones.UNDATED (AP) —
Jirehl Brock and three other Iowa State football players along with
three current or former Iowa football players and a student assistant
have been charged in connection with the state’s investigation into
illegal sports wagering at the two schools. A total of 15 football
and basketball players and staffers with ties to the schools have
been charged since last week in the ongoing investigation. Current
athletes face a loss of eligibility for violating NCAA gambling
rules. Brock and several other players are accused of tampering with
records to disguise that they were under the legal betting age of 21
at the time they placed wagers.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— Jordan Spieth kept a clean card and clean pants in the
rain-soaked opener to the PGA Tour postseason. Spieth chipped in for
eagle on his way to a 63 in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. That
gives him a one-shot lead over Tom Kim, who did what he could to stay
clean. Kim rolled up his pants to make it look as though he were
wearing capris. He already had one muddy day at the PGA Championship
and didn't want a repeat. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler each had
67. Top-seeded Jon Rahm shot 73.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)
— Iowa will attempt to set the all-time women’s basketball
attendance record when it hosts DePaul in an outdoor exhibition at
69,000-seat Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 15. Iowa was second nationally in
attendance last season with an average of 11,143 at Carver-Hawkeye
Arena. The women’s basketball record of 29,619 was set in the 2002
national title game between Connecticut and Oklahoma in San Antonio’s
Alamodome. The Hawkeyes were 31-7 and national runners-up to LSU last
season. They return national player of the year Caitlin Clark. DePaul
was 16-17.CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)
— Former NFL cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who had an interception
in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 win over the San Francisco
49ers, is facing multiple charges after being found in possession of
a stolen vehicle, firearms and illegal drugs. The 31-year-old
Breeland is facing charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle,
altering serial numbers, altering a title, possession of a Schedule I
controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of a
stolen firearm. Breeland, who played eight seasons in the NFL, was
booked into Mecklenburg County Jail early Tuesday, according to jail
records. He’s since been released on $30,000 bond.THURSDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	St.
Louis	5	Tampa Bay	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	5	Houston	4	Final	Detroit	3	Minnesota	0	Final	Cleveland	4	Toronto	3	Final	Boston	2	Kansas
City	0	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	7	Atlanta	5	Final	Philadelphia	6	Washington	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	2	Colorado	1	NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUE PRESEASONFinal	Houston	20	New
England	9	Final	Seattle	24	Minnesota	13

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

It is an exciting time of year for the millions of students involved in high school sports and performing arts programs. In many parts of the country, schools are back in session, practices have started, and the first games or performances are just around the corner. 

Understandably, those teams that just missed the state playoffs are determined to get off to a fast start and make a deeper run this year. There is an urgency among the coaching staff to get a step ahead, to work harder and to start the season at a faster pace than last year.

However, cooler heads – literally and figuratively – must prevail in the early weeks of fall sports and activity programs. In many states, the soaring temperatures have been garnering headlines for much of the summer. With heat indices approaching or exceeding 100 degrees in some areas, coaches, administrators and athletic trainers must take every precaution to avoid heat stress injuries or deaths.

More than 3.5 million students will be involved in outdoor practices this month – football, cross country, soccer, field hockey and marching band – and heat awareness must be the first item addressed in the daily scheduling of events. Even volleyball teams practicing in hot gyms without air conditioning must be on guard. 

Last week, the NFHS distributed information about heat concerns to NFHS member state associations. In the most recent 10-year period, the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) reported 42 Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) events in high school athletes, which included 18 deaths (15 in football, two in basketball and one in soccer).

As we have stated many times in this column, one heat-stroke death is too many because EHS is preventable. Even with one million participants in high school football, death from heat stroke is preventable. Coaches, athletic directors and athletic trainers must have effective prevention plans in place so that student participants are fully protected from heat-related illnesses and injuries.

In addition to football and other outdoor fall sports, participants in marching band are just as susceptible to the effects of heat illness. Like their counterparts on the athletic fields, band directors should provide for a slow and progressive period of acclimatization prior to marching season.

The NFHS, through its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and the NFHS Learning Center, offers many educational tools to assist schools in developing a proper heat acclimatization and heat illness prevention program. In addition, many state associations have developed state-specific guidelines for dealing with heat issues and safety challenges.

The SMAC has developed a “Heat Acclimatization and Heat Illness Prevention Position Statement” which is available on the NFHS website.  This document contains seven fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization Program. In addition, the SMAC’s “Position Statement and Recommendations for Maintaining Hydration to Optimize Performance and Minimize the Risk for Exertional Heat Illness” is also available on the sports medicine page of the NFHS website.    

Through the NFHS Learning Center, the NFHS offers a free online course entitled Heat Illness Prevention. This course, which is available at www.nfhslearn.com, also reviews the seven fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization Program. More than 2.3 million Heat Illness Prevention courses have been accessed. In addition, to address the necessary precautions for participants in marching band, the NFHS has a free course entitled Band Safety.

Among the fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization Program are 1) a slow progression in activity level – duration and intensity; 2) adjusting workouts as heat and humidity increase, including close monitoring and a prompt response to developing problems; and 3) proper hydration.

Three other Learning Center courses should be a part of the preseason tutorials for all key members of the school’s team: The Collapsed Athlete, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Concussion in Sports.

As an additional resource, last year the NFHS Foundation announced a grant program to distribute 5,000 wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) devices to high schools across the country. The WBGT measures the heat stress in direct sunlight, accounting for temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover. High schools can use the thermometer’s reading to help determine if the weather is appropriate to hold outdoor activities. The NFHS Foundation provides a video on proper use of WBGT.  

School leaders must continue to take EHS seriously. We encourage every athletic coach and band director to take the free online courses – Heat Illness Prevention and Band Safety – at www.nfhslearn.com. It could be the best investment of time this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643235301160.jpeg" alt="Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is completing her fifth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is completing her fifth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana.</figcaption>
 </figure>It is an exciting time of year for the millions of students involved in high school sports and performing arts programs. In many parts of the country, schools are back in session, practices have started, and the first games or performances are just around the corner. Understandably, those teams that just missed the state playoffs are determined to get off to a fast start and make a deeper run this year. There is an urgency among the coaching staff to get a step ahead, to work harder and to start the season at a faster pace than last year.However, cooler heads – literally and figuratively – must prevail in the early weeks of fall sports and activity programs. In many states, the soaring temperatures have been garnering headlines for much of the summer. With heat indices approaching or exceeding 100 degrees in some areas, coaches, administrators and athletic trainers must take every precaution to avoid heat stress injuries or deaths.More than 3.5 million students will be involved in outdoor practices this month – football, cross country, soccer, field hockey and marching band – and heat awareness must be the first item addressed in the daily scheduling of events. Even volleyball teams practicing in hot gyms without air conditioning must be on guard. Last week, the NFHS distributed information about heat concerns to NFHS member state associations. In the most recent 10-year period, the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) reported 42 Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) events in high school athletes, which included 18 deaths (15 in football, two in basketball and one in soccer).As we have stated many times in this column, one heat-stroke death is too many because EHS is preventable. Even with one million participants in high school football, death from heat stroke is preventable. Coaches, athletic directors and athletic trainers must have effective prevention plans in place so that student participants are fully protected from heat-related illnesses and injuries.In addition to football and other outdoor fall sports, participants in marching band are just as susceptible to the effects of heat illness. Like their counterparts on the athletic fields, band directors should provide for a slow and progressive period of acclimatization prior to marching season.The NFHS, through its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and the NFHS Learning Center, offers many educational tools to assist schools in developing a proper heat acclimatization and heat illness prevention program. In addition, many state associations have developed state-specific guidelines for dealing with heat issues and safety challenges.The SMAC has developed a “Heat Acclimatization and Heat Illness Prevention Position Statement” which is available on the NFHS website. This document contains seven fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization Program. In addition, the SMAC’s “Position Statement and Recommendations for Maintaining Hydration to Optimize Performance and Minimize the Risk for Exertional Heat Illness” is also available on the sports medicine page of the NFHS website. Through the NFHS Learning Center, the NFHS offers a free online course entitled Heat Illness Prevention. This course, which is available at www.nfhslearn.com, also reviews the seven fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization Program. More than 2.3 million Heat Illness Prevention courses have been accessed. In addition, to address the necessary precautions for participants in marching band, the NFHS has a free course entitled Band Safety.Among the fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization Program are 1) a slow progression in activity level – duration and intensity; 2) adjusting workouts as heat and humidity increase, including close monitoring and a prompt response to developing problems; and 3) proper hydration.Three other Learning Center courses should be a part of the preseason tutorials for all key members of the school’s team: The Collapsed Athlete, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Concussion in Sports.As an additional resource, last year the NFHS Foundation announced a grant program to distribute 5,000 wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) devices to high schools across the country. The WBGT measures the heat stress in direct sunlight, accounting for temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover. High schools can use the thermometer’s reading to help determine if the weather is appropriate to hold outdoor activities. The NFHS Foundation provides a video on proper use of WBGT. School leaders must continue to take EHS seriously. We encourage every athletic coach and band director to take the free online courses – Heat Illness Prevention and Band Safety – at www.nfhslearn.com. It could be the best investment of time this year.

Heat Awareness Top Priority as High School Sports, Performing Arts Begin

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Verdugo had a two-run double to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Wednesday night in a game with one of the strangest ground-rule doubles in Fenway Park history.

In the top of the second inning with two out and Matt Duffy on first base, Kyle Isbel lashed a drive to left field that looked as if it would be caught by Masataka Yoshida, who lunged and clasped his glove. But Yoshida missed the ball, crashing into the wall. He got up, clearly confused, looking around for the ball.

The ball was not on the field. It had smashed through one of the red lights on the wall that denote the number of outs. Yoshida picked the ball through the hole in the light, with the play ruled a ground-rule double.

“I realized I missed catching the ball but after that, I tried to find the ball but there was nowhere else. So that was a surprise,” said Yoshida, who had never experienced anything like that in his career. “Yeah, getting into the light definitely that was a first time.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said: “I was like, ‘Finally, something’s going our way.’ I’ve never seen that, not even in BP. We go over the rules and they always talk about if the ball gets stuck in the Monster, and I’m like, ‘That’s not going to happen.’ But it did.”

The Red Sox scored three runs in fourth to erase a one-run deficit. Yoshida led off with a double and Rafael Devers had a one-out walk, with Verdugo driving in both with his double. Luis Urias reached on catcher's interference, and Reese McGuire's singled to score Verdugo.

“That was good to be able to stay on that pitch and go the other way," Cora said about Verdugo's hit.

Right-hander Nick Pivetta (8-6) went five innings, allowing two runs — on MJ Melendez's home runs — with eight strikeouts.

“I felt like my curveball was much better today so I kind of leaned on that, especially later, was able to utilize that,” Pivetta said. “It felt like they were hunting my fastball, regardless of the count, so I was able to use my offs-speed pitches when I needed to and put us in the best position to win.”

Kenley Jansen got the save, his 25th of the season, after giving up a homer to Freddy Fermin in the ninth.

Jordan Lyles (3-13) was the loser. He went eight innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Melendez hit his first homer of the night in the second.

Triston Casas' home run in the bottom of the second tied it at 1. Melendez's leadoff homer in the fourth, his 12th of the season for his second career multi-homer game, gave the Royals the lead again.

Red Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock, out since July 3 with elbow inflammation, made his first rehab start Wednesday, going 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts for Triple-A Worcester.

Boston made several roster moves before the game. RHP Kyle Barraclough was selected to the major league roster and LHP Brandon Walter was recalled from Worcester. RHP Nick Robertson was optioned to Worcester, and RHP Dinelson Lamet was designated for assignment.

The Royals and Red Sox wrap up their series Thursday. Right-hander Alec Marsh (0-5, 6.75 ERA) is scheduled to start for Kansas City against left-hander James Paxton (6-3, 3.60).

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Verdugo had a two-run double to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Wednesday night in a game with one of the strangest ground-rule doubles in Fenway Park history.In the top of the second inning with two out and Matt Duffy on first base, Kyle Isbel lashed a drive to left field that looked as if it would be caught by Masataka Yoshida, who lunged and clasped his glove. But Yoshida missed the ball, crashing into the wall. He got up, clearly confused, looking around for the ball.The ball was not on the field. It had smashed through one of the red lights on the wall that denote the number of outs. Yoshida picked the ball through the hole in the light, with the play ruled a ground-rule double.“I realized I missed catching the ball but after that, I tried to find the ball but there was nowhere else. So that was a surprise,” said Yoshida, who had never experienced anything like that in his career. “Yeah, getting into the light definitely that was a first time.”Red Sox manager Alex Cora said: “I was like, ‘Finally, something’s going our way.’ I’ve never seen that, not even in BP. We go over the rules and they always talk about if the ball gets stuck in the Monster, and I’m like, ‘That’s not going to happen.’ But it did.”The Red Sox scored three runs in fourth to erase a one-run deficit. Yoshida led off with a double and Rafael Devers had a one-out walk, with Verdugo driving in both with his double. Luis Urias reached on catcher's interference, and Reese McGuire's singled to score Verdugo.“That was good to be able to stay on that pitch and go the other way," Cora said about Verdugo's hit.Right-hander Nick Pivetta (8-6) went five innings, allowing two runs — on MJ Melendez's home runs — with eight strikeouts.“I felt like my curveball was much better today so I kind of leaned on that, especially later, was able to utilize that,” Pivetta said. “It felt like they were hunting my fastball, regardless of the count, so I was able to use my offs-speed pitches when I needed to and put us in the best position to win.”Kenley Jansen got the save, his 25th of the season, after giving up a homer to Freddy Fermin in the ninth.Jordan Lyles (3-13) was the loser. He went eight innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.Melendez hit his first homer of the night in the second.Triston Casas' home run in the bottom of the second tied it at 1. Melendez's leadoff homer in the fourth, his 12th of the season for his second career multi-homer game, gave the Royals the lead again.TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock, out since July 3 with elbow inflammation, made his first rehab start Wednesday, going 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts for Triple-A Worcester.ON THE MOVEBoston made several roster moves before the game. RHP Kyle Barraclough was selected to the major league roster and LHP Brandon Walter was recalled from Worcester. RHP Nick Robertson was optioned to Worcester, and RHP Dinelson Lamet was designated for assignment.UP NEXTThe Royals and Red Sox wrap up their series Thursday. Right-hander Alec Marsh (0-5, 6.75 ERA) is scheduled to start for Kansas City against left-hander James Paxton (6-3, 3.60).

Alex Verdugo drives in 2 runs in the Red Sox's 4-3 victory over the Royals

HAYS, Kan. – Tiger Tailgate spots for the north parking lot just outside of Lewis Field Stadium are still available for the upcoming 2023 season. Reserved spots are $200 and you must be a season ticket holder to purchase a spot. Only a limited number of spots remain, so act fast to get your spot by calling the FHSU Athletic office at (785) 628-4050.

Each tailgate spot in the north parking lot of Lewis Field Stadium is numbered and will have a reserved sign with your name on it for each home football game during the 2023 season. Tailgating starts 4 hours prior to kickoff and must end at kickoff time. There will be a no re-entry policy at Lewis Field Stadium this year and clear bags are recommended for easy entrance into Lewis Field Stadium.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691588549378.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. – Tiger Tailgate spots for the north parking lot just outside of Lewis Field Stadium are still available for the upcoming 2023 season. Reserved spots are $200 and you must be a season ticket holder to purchase a spot. Only a limited number of spots remain, so act fast to get your spot by calling the FHSU Athletic office at (785) 628-4050.Each tailgate spot in the north parking lot of Lewis Field Stadium is numbered and will have a reserved sign with your name on it for each home football game during the 2023 season. Tailgating starts 4 hours prior to kickoff and must end at kickoff time. There will be a no re-entry policy at Lewis Field Stadium this year and clear bags are recommended for easy entrance into Lewis Field Stadium.

Tiger Tailgate Spots Going Fast, Get Yours Reserved Today!


The USA TODAY Sports AFCA football coaches poll is conducted weekly
throughout the regular season using a panel of 63 head coaches at
Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The panel is chosen by random
draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of
coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches
Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a
Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and
so on down to one point for 25th.

Others receiving votes: Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63;
Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28;
Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18;
Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma
State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South
Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5;
Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2;
Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.

The USA TODAY Sports AFCA football coaches poll is conducted weekly
throughout the regular season using a panel of 63 head coaches at
Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The panel is chosen by random
draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of
coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches
Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a
Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and
so on down to one point for 25th.
Rank Team Record Points
1	Georgia	0-0	1643
2	Michigan	0-0	1510
3	Alabama	0-0	1489
4	Ohio State	0-0	1485
5	Louisiana State	0-0	1294
6	Southern California	0-0	1228
7	Penn State	0-0	1181
8	Florida State	0-0	1145
9	Clemson	0-0	1078
10	Tennessee	0-0	991
11	Washington	0-0	941
12	Texas	0-0	848
13	Notre Dame	0-0	841
14	Utah	0-0	839
15	Oregon	0-0	820
16	Texas Christian	0-0	655
17	Kansas State	0-0	440
18	Oregon State	0-0	365
19	Oklahoma	0-0	320
20	North Carolina	0-0	315
21	Wisconsin	0-0	309	
22	Mississippi	0-0	303
23	Tulane	0-0	225
24	Texas Tech	0-0	200
25	Texas A&amp;M	0-0	196	
Others receiving votes: Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63;
Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28;
Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18;
Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma
State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South
Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5;
Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2;
Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.

USA TODAY Sports Pre-Season AFCA Coaches Poll - K-State No. 17

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jalon Daniels has been named to the 2023 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List, a group that includes 35 of the nation’s top returning college quarterbacks.

The watch list was announced today by the Davey O’Brien Foundation. This is the third preseason watch list for Daniels, who has previously been named to lists for the Maxwell Award and the Wuerffel Trophy.

Compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, this year’s list was selected based on career player performance and expectations heading into the 2023 college football season. All nominees are required to have previously started at least one game at an NCAA Division I institution.

Daniels, the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was a breakthrough player during the 2022 season as he led the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program’s first bowl game appearance since 2008. He was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection after completing 152-of-230 (66.1 percent) passes for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns, while adding 425 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Daniels capped off the season with a record-setting performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, where he went 37-of-55 for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.

A native of Lawndale, California, Daniels was previously named to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team and earned preseason all-conference honors from Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors and was a Second Team Academic All-American in 2022 and was named the Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week following his performance at Houston. Daniels was a four-time Manning Award Star of the Week and a three-time Davey O’Brien Great 8 List honoree in 2022.

The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The 47th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through the season’s first seven weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.

The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 21). The 2023 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.

Daniels leads the Jayhawks into the upcoming season on Friday, September 1, taking on Missouri State at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691588386273.jpeg" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jalon Daniels has been named to the 2023 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List, a group that includes 35 of the nation’s top returning college quarterbacks.The watch list was announced today by the Davey O’Brien Foundation. This is the third preseason watch list for Daniels, who has previously been named to lists for the Maxwell Award and the Wuerffel Trophy.Compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, this year’s list was selected based on career player performance and expectations heading into the 2023 college football season. All nominees are required to have previously started at least one game at an NCAA Division I institution.Daniels, the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was a breakthrough player during the 2022 season as he led the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program’s first bowl game appearance since 2008. He was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection after completing 152-of-230 (66.1 percent) passes for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns, while adding 425 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Daniels capped off the season with a record-setting performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, where he went 37-of-55 for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.A native of Lawndale, California, Daniels was previously named to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team and earned preseason all-conference honors from Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors and was a Second Team Academic All-American in 2022 and was named the Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week following his performance at Houston. Daniels was a four-time Manning Award Star of the Week and a three-time Davey O’Brien Great 8 List honoree in 2022.The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The 47th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through the season’s first seven weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 21). The 2023 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.Daniels leads the Jayhawks into the upcoming season on Friday, September 1, taking on Missouri State at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Jalon Daniels Selected to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior Will Howard was one of 35 quarterbacks in the nation to be named to the initial watch list for the 2023 Davey O'Brien Award, the Davey O'Brien Foundation announced Tuesday.

Howard is the first Wildcat candidate for the award that goes to the nation's best quarterback since Jesse Ertz was a preseason candidate in 2017. Other previous K-State signal callers to be up for the award include Chad May (1994 finalist), Matt Miller (1995 finalist), Michael Bishop (1998 winner), Collin Klein (2012 finalist) and Jake Waters (2014 semifinalist).

A native of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Howard was also named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Wuerffel Trophy last week.

Howard broke out over the second half of the 2022 season as he led Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship with a 31-28 overtime victory over No. 3 TCU in the title game. Howard enters the 2023 campaign ranked eighth in school history in career passing yards per game (142.9), and 10th in both career passing efficiency (130.9) and career touchdowns responsible for (34). He is also one passing touchdown shy of tying for 10th in school history for a career, while he needs 1,258 passing yards to enter the school's career top-10 list.

Howard threw for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions on 119-of-199 aim last season as he ranked eighth in school history with a 149.6 passer rating. He recorded multiple touchdown passes in six-straight games, the longest streak ever by a Wildcat in a single season. Included in that stretch was a school-record tying four touchdown passes in a 48-0 victory over Oklahoma State, a game in which he also set career highs in passing yards (296) and completions (21).

K-State is in its second week of preseason camp prior to the 2023 season kicking off on September 2 with a 6 p.m., contest against SEMO inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691588204122.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior Will Howard was one of 35 quarterbacks in the nation to be named to the initial watch list for the 2023 Davey O'Brien Award, the Davey O'Brien Foundation announced Tuesday.Howard is the first Wildcat candidate for the award that goes to the nation's best quarterback since Jesse Ertz was a preseason candidate in 2017. Other previous K-State signal callers to be up for the award include Chad May (1994 finalist), Matt Miller (1995 finalist), Michael Bishop (1998 winner), Collin Klein (2012 finalist) and Jake Waters (2014 semifinalist).A native of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Howard was also named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Wuerffel Trophy last week.Howard broke out over the second half of the 2022 season as he led Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship with a 31-28 overtime victory over No. 3 TCU in the title game. Howard enters the 2023 campaign ranked eighth in school history in career passing yards per game (142.9), and 10th in both career passing efficiency (130.9) and career touchdowns responsible for (34). He is also one passing touchdown shy of tying for 10th in school history for a career, while he needs 1,258 passing yards to enter the school's career top-10 list.Howard threw for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions on 119-of-199 aim last season as he ranked eighth in school history with a 149.6 passer rating. He recorded multiple touchdown passes in six-straight games, the longest streak ever by a Wildcat in a single season. Included in that stretch was a school-record tying four touchdown passes in a 48-0 victory over Oklahoma State, a game in which he also set career highs in passing yards (296) and completions (21).K-State is in its second week of preseason camp prior to the 2023 season kicking off on September 2 with a 6 p.m., contest against SEMO inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Howard Earns Nod on Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

UNDATED (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference presidents and chancellors held a conference call Tuesday but took no action on West Coast expansion with California and Stanford, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league isn’t publicly revealing internal discussions regarding realignment. Another person with knowledge of the situation said the conference's athletic directors were planning to have a call later Tuesday to continue discussions. The ADs also met Monday.

A third person told AP on condition of anonymity that the ACC's conversations also include the possibility of adding SMU, the Dallas school currently in the American Athletic Conference.

The Pac-12 is down to four schools committed to the conference beyond the upcoming school year. This will be the last season in the Pac-12 for USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, which are all headed for the Big Ten in 2024. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will join the Big 12 next year.

The new Big Ten setup means athletes will be routinely crossing multiple time zones to compete.

“I share concerns about the impact that the recent spate of conference realignment activities will have on student-athletes’ well-being," NCAA president Charlie Baker said in statement. “The recent conference moves highlight what I found during my review of the issues facing the NCAA – the growing gap between well-resourced Division I schools and the rest of the division is highly disruptive for all of DI and college sports overall.”

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said on the SEC Network's “Paul Finebaum Show” that his league is not motivated to react to the recent moves.

“I would submit we’re in an enormously healthy place. We’re not in the current movement efforts,” said Sankey, whose conference tipped the first domino in this round of realignment in 2021 when Texas and Oklahoma decided to make leave the Big 12 for the SEC.

“We don’t need to be in four time zones to generate interest on the West Coast, or really across the globe,” Sankey said.

Sankey also said if the Pac-12 were to fold, decreasing the number of Bowl Subdivision conferences from nine to 10, that would likely re-open discussions about the format for the expanded 12-team playoff that goes into effect in 2024.

The format agreed upon calls for the six highest-ranked conference champions to receive automatic entrance and six at-large teams based on selection committee rankings.

“I do think the access we’ve created to the 12-team format still seems wise, but maybe there are elements and specifics of what was decided when we had clarity around 10 conferences that needs to be adjusted given what’s happening right now," Sankey said.

The ACC, which has 14 schools — but none farther west than Louisville — had interest in the Pac-12 before the conference splintered last week. Stanford and Cal, two of the country's most prestigious academic schools, would fit the profile of traditional ACC schools such as Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.

Without another Power Five conference option, routinely traveling teams across country to compete might be the best alternative for Stanford and California.

A deal with the ACC would leave just Washington State and Oregon State as Pac-12 members beyond the 2023-24 school year, and increase the likelihood that the Pac-12 simply goes out of business.

Both the Mountain West and American Athletic have interest in adding those schools.

UNDATED (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference presidents and chancellors held a conference call Tuesday but took no action on West Coast expansion with California and Stanford, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league isn’t publicly revealing internal discussions regarding realignment. Another person with knowledge of the situation said the conference's athletic directors were planning to have a call later Tuesday to continue discussions. The ADs also met Monday.A third person told AP on condition of anonymity that the ACC's conversations also include the possibility of adding SMU, the Dallas school currently in the American Athletic Conference.The Pac-12 is down to four schools committed to the conference beyond the upcoming school year. This will be the last season in the Pac-12 for USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, which are all headed for the Big Ten in 2024. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will join the Big 12 next year.The new Big Ten setup means athletes will be routinely crossing multiple time zones to compete.“I share concerns about the impact that the recent spate of conference realignment activities will have on student-athletes’ well-being," NCAA president Charlie Baker said in statement. “The recent conference moves highlight what I found during my review of the issues facing the NCAA – the growing gap between well-resourced Division I schools and the rest of the division is highly disruptive for all of DI and college sports overall.”Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said on the SEC Network's “Paul Finebaum Show” that his league is not motivated to react to the recent moves.“I would submit we’re in an enormously healthy place. We’re not in the current movement efforts,” said Sankey, whose conference tipped the first domino in this round of realignment in 2021 when Texas and Oklahoma decided to make leave the Big 12 for the SEC.“We don’t need to be in four time zones to generate interest on the West Coast, or really across the globe,” Sankey said.Sankey also said if the Pac-12 were to fold, decreasing the number of Bowl Subdivision conferences from nine to 10, that would likely re-open discussions about the format for the expanded 12-team playoff that goes into effect in 2024.The format agreed upon calls for the six highest-ranked conference champions to receive automatic entrance and six at-large teams based on selection committee rankings.“I do think the access we’ve created to the 12-team format still seems wise, but maybe there are elements and specifics of what was decided when we had clarity around 10 conferences that needs to be adjusted given what’s happening right now," Sankey said.The ACC, which has 14 schools — but none farther west than Louisville — had interest in the Pac-12 before the conference splintered last week. Stanford and Cal, two of the country's most prestigious academic schools, would fit the profile of traditional ACC schools such as Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.Without another Power Five conference option, routinely traveling teams across country to compete might be the best alternative for Stanford and California.A deal with the ACC would leave just Washington State and Oregon State as Pac-12 members beyond the 2023-24 school year, and increase the likelihood that the Pac-12 simply goes out of business.Both the Mountain West and American Athletic have interest in adding those schools.

ACC leaders mull adding Cal, Stanford from Pac-12; SMU also under consideration

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GB
Baltimore	70	43	.619	_
Tampa Bay	69	46	.600	2
Toronto	64	51	.557	7
New York	59	55	.518	11½
Boston	58	55	.513	12Central Division
Minnesota	60	55	.522	_
Cleveland	55	59	.482	4½
Detroit	50	63	.442	9
Chicago	46	69	.400	14Kansas
City	37	78	.322	23West Division
Texas	68	46	.596	_
Houston	65	49	.570	3
Seattle	61	52	.540	6½
Los Angeles	57	58	.496	11½
Oakland	32	82	.281	36NATIONAL LEAGUE
East Division
Atlanta	71	40	.640	_
Philadelphia	62	52	.544	10½
Miami	59	56	.513	14
New York	51	62	.451	21
Washington	50	64	.439	22½Central Division
Milwaukee	61	54	.530	_
Chicago	59	55	.518	1½
Cincinnati	60	56	.517	1½
Pittsburgh	51	62	.451	9St.
Louis	49	65	.430	11½West Division
Los Angeles	66	46	.589	_
San Francisco	62	52	.544	5
Arizona	57	57	.500	10
San Diego	55	59	.482	12Colorado	45	68	.398	21½

MLB Standings

BOSTON (AP) — Drew Waters, MJ Melendez and Michael Massey each hit two-run home runs and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

Brady Singer (8-8) allowed three runs off five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the Royals finished with six extra-base hits and six stolen bases

Adam Duvall had his 10th home run of the season, and Connor Wong and Jarren Duran added RBIs for Boston, which has lost five of its last six.

Waters said the Royals' 15-hit night was a result of recent dedication in the cage finally paying off.

“When we do that we have nights like we did tonight,” Waters said.

Boston was held to three or fewer runs for the eighth time in 11 outings.

Kutter Crawford (5-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two.

The loss spoiled the season debut of Boston’s Trevor Story, who was in the lineup for the first time since last September after being activated off the 60-day injured list following offseason shoulder surgery. He went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. But he looked good on the limited balls hit his way in the field. It included a throw to first from one knee in the seventh to beat Bobby Witt, Jr.

“Obviously not great tonight,” Story said. “Still working on some timing stuff. It's kind of how it was on my rehab stint. Some good games, some bad games. Still just trying to be consistent with it. That's the main thing right now.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he would like to mix Story in at designated hitter when he's not in the field, something Story said he's open to.

“I need the at-bats to kind of get the timing going,” Story said. “There's no more spring training. It's time to go.”

With Kansas City leading 1-0 with a runner on in the fourth, Waters connected on Crawford’s cutter and lofted it into Boston’s bullpen in right field for his seventh homer of the season.

Three batters later, Crawford let a fastball get too far inside on Bobby Witt Jr., striking him on his hand. Witt was attended to by a trainer but stayed in the game.

It was the final batter for Crawford. He was replaced by Brennan Bernardino, who was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.

The Red Sox cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth when Duvall drove Singer’s sinker over the Green Monster seats in left field.

Later, Wong trimmed the gap to 3-2 with a single that scored Alex Verdugo.

Maikel Garcia led off the sixth with a walk against Red Sox reliever Dinesel Lamet, stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Garcia scored two batters later via Massey’s groundout.

Salvador Perez singled and Melendez followed with his 10th homer of the season to stretch the lead back to 6-2.

Royals: Right-hander Zack Greinke was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 7) with right posterior elbow soreness. It’s his second IL stint this season. He missed 11 games last month with right shoulder tendinitis. The 39-year-old is 1-12 with a 5.53 ERA this season. In a corresponding move, left-hander Taylor Hearn was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Manager Matt Quatraro said he thinks Greinke has been battling small aches and pains throughout the season. “I'm really hopeful it's just the 15 days,” Quatraro said.

Red Sox: INF Yu Chang was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Story. … INF/DH Justin Turner sat out Tuesday with the same heel soreness that kept him sidelined for three games last week. He is expected to miss a few more games in hope of avoiding a stint on the injured list.

Royals: RHP Jordan Lyles (3-12, 6.24 ERA) makes is 22nd start of the season. He allowed five runs over 5 2/3 innings in his most recent start last week at Philadelphia to pick up his third victory.

Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta (7-6, 4.19) will make his 10th start of the season.

BOSTON (AP) — Drew Waters, MJ Melendez and Michael Massey each hit two-run home runs and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.Brady Singer (8-8) allowed three runs off five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the Royals finished with six extra-base hits and six stolen basesAdam Duvall had his 10th home run of the season, and Connor Wong and Jarren Duran added RBIs for Boston, which has lost five of its last six.Waters said the Royals' 15-hit night was a result of recent dedication in the cage finally paying off.“When we do that we have nights like we did tonight,” Waters said.Boston was held to three or fewer runs for the eighth time in 11 outings.Kutter Crawford (5-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two.The loss spoiled the season debut of Boston’s Trevor Story, who was in the lineup for the first time since last September after being activated off the 60-day injured list following offseason shoulder surgery. He went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. But he looked good on the limited balls hit his way in the field. It included a throw to first from one knee in the seventh to beat Bobby Witt, Jr.“Obviously not great tonight,” Story said. “Still working on some timing stuff. It's kind of how it was on my rehab stint. Some good games, some bad games. Still just trying to be consistent with it. That's the main thing right now.”Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he would like to mix Story in at designated hitter when he's not in the field, something Story said he's open to.“I need the at-bats to kind of get the timing going,” Story said. “There's no more spring training. It's time to go.”With Kansas City leading 1-0 with a runner on in the fourth, Waters connected on Crawford’s cutter and lofted it into Boston’s bullpen in right field for his seventh homer of the season.Three batters later, Crawford let a fastball get too far inside on Bobby Witt Jr., striking him on his hand. Witt was attended to by a trainer but stayed in the game.It was the final batter for Crawford. He was replaced by Brennan Bernardino, who was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.The Red Sox cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth when Duvall drove Singer’s sinker over the Green Monster seats in left field.Later, Wong trimmed the gap to 3-2 with a single that scored Alex Verdugo.The rally was short-lived.Maikel Garcia led off the sixth with a walk against Red Sox reliever Dinesel Lamet, stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Garcia scored two batters later via Massey’s groundout.Salvador Perez singled and Melendez followed with his 10th homer of the season to stretch the lead back to 6-2.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Right-hander Zack Greinke was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 7) with right posterior elbow soreness. It’s his second IL stint this season. He missed 11 games last month with right shoulder tendinitis. The 39-year-old is 1-12 with a 5.53 ERA this season. In a corresponding move, left-hander Taylor Hearn was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Manager Matt Quatraro said he thinks Greinke has been battling small aches and pains throughout the season. “I'm really hopeful it's just the 15 days,” Quatraro said.Red Sox: INF Yu Chang was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Story. … INF/DH Justin Turner sat out Tuesday with the same heel soreness that kept him sidelined for three games last week. He is expected to miss a few more games in hope of avoiding a stint on the injured list.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Jordan Lyles (3-12, 6.24 ERA) makes is 22nd start of the season. He allowed five runs over 5 2/3 innings in his most recent start last week at Philadelphia to pick up his third victory.Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta (7-6, 4.19) will make his 10th start of the season.

Royals hit 3 home runs, beat Red Sox 9-3

BOSTON (AP) — Drew
Waters, MJ Melendez and Michael Massey each hit two-run home runs and
the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3
win over the Boston Red Sox. Brady Singer (8-8) allowed three runs
off five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the Royals finished with six
extra-base hits. Adam Duvall had his 10th home run of the season and
Connor Wong and Jarren Duran added RBIs for Boston, which has lost
five of its last six. Kutter Crawford (5-6) allowed three runs off
seven hits over 3 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two.
Boston’s Trevor Story, who was in the lineup for the first time
since last September after being activated off the 60-day injured
list following offseason shoulder surgery, went 0 for 4 with three
strikeouts.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe and Randy Arozarena hit RBI
singles in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St.
Louis Cardinals 4-2. Josh Lowe opened the eighth with a triple
against Miles Mikolas (6-8). Andre Pallante entered and retired
pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez on a grounder before Díaz hit a
groundball single to center that made it 2-1 — the first of four
consecutive base hits. Lowe and Arozarena drove in runs with their
hits. Rays starter Zach Eflin failed in his bid to become the AL’s
first, and the major’s third, 13-game winner. He allowed one run
and four hits over seven innings.

MILWAUKEE (AP) —
Andrew Chafin and Abner Uribe couldn’t find the plate with the game
on the line. The Colorado Rockies happily took advantage. Chafin and
Uribe combined to allow three straight bases-loaded walks in the 10th
inning and the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers lost 7-3 to the
Rockies on Tuesday night. Colorado’s Nolan Jones went deep twice
for the first multi-homer game of his career. Other homers came from
Colorado’s Elias Díaz and Milwaukee’s William Contreras and
Andruw Monasterio.

BALTIMORE (AP) —
Kyle Tucker’s grand slam off Félix Bautista in the top of the
ninth inning gave the Houston Astros a 7-6 victory over the Baltimore
Orioles. Houston trailed 5-0 after Ryan Mountcastle and Adley
Rutschman homered off Framber Valdez in the first and second innings,
but the Astros pulled off a remarkable comeback in the ninth against
arguably the game’s most dominant closer. Pinch-hitter Jon
Singleton led off the ninth with a walk, and Jose Altuve followed
with a single. Bautista struck out Alex Bregman, but Yordan Alvarez
hit a long single and Tucker connected on the ninth pitch of his
at-bat for his 20th homer of the year.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)
— Max Scherzer had six strikeouts and pitched three-hit ball over
seven innings and the Texas Rangers extended their longest winning
streak in seven years to eight games, beating the last-place Oakland
Athletics 6-1. Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young winner whom the
Rangers acquired in a trade from the Mets on July 30, worked
efficiently through the worst offense in the majors in front of
another sparse crowd of 5,419 at the Coliseum. The 39-year-old
right-hander retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced and didn’t
allow a hit until JJ Bleday’s leadoff homer in the fourth. Scherzer
also walked two.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Tampa Bay Rays All-Star pitcher Shane McClanahan’s season
may be over due to an injured left arm. Rays manager Kevin Cash said
before Tuesday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals that
it's "highly unlikely” McClanahan will pitch again this
season. Cash said Tommy John surgery is among the options under
consideration. McClanahan is scheduled to undergo further medical
examination. McClanahan has an 11-2 record with a 3.29 ERA in 21
starts. He left a start last week against the Yankees in New York
because of tightness in his left forearm.

UNDATED (AP) — The
last time Alabama was ranked lower than No. 3 in the preseason AP Top
25, Nick Saban had not yet won a national championship with the
Crimson Tide. There is a very real possibility that when the new
preseason AP Top 25 is unveiled on Aug. 14, ’Bama could be squeezed
out of the top-three for the first time since 2009. Will two-time
defending champion Georgia start No. 1 for only the second time in
school history? Can Michigan make a case? And how will voters treat
TCU as it tries to follow-up last season's magical run to No. 2?

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) —
Georgia has fired the football recruiting staffer who survived a
January crash that killed player Devin Willock and another recruiting
staffer, less than a month after she filed a lawsuit against the
university’s athletic association. The school issued a statement
saying Victoria “Tori” Bowles was dismissed because she refused
to cooperate with an internal investigation into the crash. Her
attorneys claim she is being retaliated against for filing the
lawsuit, which also names former Georgia player and first-round NFL
draft pick Jalen Carter. The Jan. 15 crash killed Willock and the
driver of the Ford Expedition, Chandler LeCroy.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan doesn't have a lot of details
to share with players on the proposed deal with the Saudi backers of
LIV Golf. That's according to two of players attending his first
meeting with players since Monahan returned to work three weeks ago.
Rickie Fowler says there's a lot of moving parts. Tom Hoge says
there's a real possibility the deal doesn't get finalized. Only 25
players from the 70-man field attended the 90-minute meeting. Several
top players already have been involved in remote meetings from their
position on the policy board or advisory council.

Final	N.Y.
Yankees	7	Chicago White Sox	1	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691404624657.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Drew
Waters, MJ Melendez and Michael Massey each hit two-run home runs and
the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3
win over the Boston Red Sox. Brady Singer (8-8) allowed three runs
off five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the Royals finished with six
extra-base hits. Adam Duvall had his 10th home run of the season and
Connor Wong and Jarren Duran added RBIs for Boston, which has lost
five of its last six. Kutter Crawford (5-6) allowed three runs off
seven hits over 3 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two.
Boston’s Trevor Story, who was in the lineup for the first time
since last September after being activated off the 60-day injured
list following offseason shoulder surgery, went 0 for 4 with three
strikeouts.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe and Randy Arozarena hit RBI
singles in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St.
Louis Cardinals 4-2. Josh Lowe opened the eighth with a triple
against Miles Mikolas (6-8). Andre Pallante entered and retired
pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez on a grounder before Díaz hit a
groundball single to center that made it 2-1 — the first of four
consecutive base hits. Lowe and Arozarena drove in runs with their
hits. Rays starter Zach Eflin failed in his bid to become the AL’s
first, and the major’s third, 13-game winner. He allowed one run
and four hits over seven innings.MILWAUKEE (AP) —
Andrew Chafin and Abner Uribe couldn’t find the plate with the game
on the line. The Colorado Rockies happily took advantage. Chafin and
Uribe combined to allow three straight bases-loaded walks in the 10th
inning and the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers lost 7-3 to the
Rockies on Tuesday night. Colorado’s Nolan Jones went deep twice
for the first multi-homer game of his career. Other homers came from
Colorado’s Elias Díaz and Milwaukee’s William Contreras and
Andruw Monasterio.BALTIMORE (AP) —
Kyle Tucker’s grand slam off Félix Bautista in the top of the
ninth inning gave the Houston Astros a 7-6 victory over the Baltimore
Orioles. Houston trailed 5-0 after Ryan Mountcastle and Adley
Rutschman homered off Framber Valdez in the first and second innings,
but the Astros pulled off a remarkable comeback in the ninth against
arguably the game’s most dominant closer. Pinch-hitter Jon
Singleton led off the ninth with a walk, and Jose Altuve followed
with a single. Bautista struck out Alex Bregman, but Yordan Alvarez
hit a long single and Tucker connected on the ninth pitch of his
at-bat for his 20th homer of the year.OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)
— Max Scherzer had six strikeouts and pitched three-hit ball over
seven innings and the Texas Rangers extended their longest winning
streak in seven years to eight games, beating the last-place Oakland
Athletics 6-1. Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young winner whom the
Rangers acquired in a trade from the Mets on July 30, worked
efficiently through the worst offense in the majors in front of
another sparse crowd of 5,419 at the Coliseum. The 39-year-old
right-hander retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced and didn’t
allow a hit until JJ Bleday’s leadoff homer in the fourth. Scherzer
also walked two.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Tampa Bay Rays All-Star pitcher Shane McClanahan’s season
may be over due to an injured left arm. Rays manager Kevin Cash said
before Tuesday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals that
it's "highly unlikely” McClanahan will pitch again this
season. Cash said Tommy John surgery is among the options under
consideration. McClanahan is scheduled to undergo further medical
examination. McClanahan has an 11-2 record with a 3.29 ERA in 21
starts. He left a start last week against the Yankees in New York
because of tightness in his left forearm.UNDATED (AP) — The
last time Alabama was ranked lower than No. 3 in the preseason AP Top
25, Nick Saban had not yet won a national championship with the
Crimson Tide. There is a very real possibility that when the new
preseason AP Top 25 is unveiled on Aug. 14, ’Bama could be squeezed
out of the top-three for the first time since 2009. Will two-time
defending champion Georgia start No. 1 for only the second time in
school history? Can Michigan make a case? And how will voters treat
TCU as it tries to follow-up last season's magical run to No. 2?ATHENS, Ga. (AP) —
Georgia has fired the football recruiting staffer who survived a
January crash that killed player Devin Willock and another recruiting
staffer, less than a month after she filed a lawsuit against the
university’s athletic association. The school issued a statement
saying Victoria “Tori” Bowles was dismissed because she refused
to cooperate with an internal investigation into the crash. Her
attorneys claim she is being retaliated against for filing the
lawsuit, which also names former Georgia player and first-round NFL
draft pick Jalen Carter. The Jan. 15 crash killed Willock and the
driver of the Ford Expedition, Chandler LeCroy.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan doesn't have a lot of details
to share with players on the proposed deal with the Saudi backers of
LIV Golf. That's according to two of players attending his first
meeting with players since Monahan returned to work three weeks ago.
Rickie Fowler says there's a lot of moving parts. Tom Hoge says
there's a real possibility the deal doesn't get finalized. Only 25
players from the 70-man field attended the 90-minute meeting. Several
top players already have been involved in remote meetings from their
position on the policy board or advisory council.TUESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Tampa
Bay	4	St. Louis	2	Final	Seattle	2	San
Diego	0	Final	L.A.
Angels	7	San Francisco	5	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	6	Minnesota	0	Final	Cleveland	1	Toronto	0	Final	Houston	7	Baltimore	6	Final	Kansas
City	9	Boston	3	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	7	Chicago White Sox	1	Final	Texas	6	Oakland	1	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	8	Washington	4	Final	Miami	3	Cincinnati	2	Final	Chicago
Cubs	3	N.Y. Mets	2	Final	Atlanta	8	Pittsburgh	6	Final	Washington	5	Philadelphia	4	Final	Colorado	7	Milwaukee	3	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	5	Arizona	4

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are taking a different approach to the preseason a year after sitting the starters backfired on them.

Coach Sean Payton, who last week walked back critical comments of his predecessor and others in a misguided defense of Russell Wilson, has said all along that he’ll play his starters in the preseason, beginning with Denver’s game at Arizona on Friday.

That includes Wilson, who didn’t take a snap last year until the opener at Seattle — after he’d signed a nearly quarter-billion dollar extension.

After reiterating over the weekend his intention to play his starters, Payton expounded upon those plans after a Monday practice that was closed to the public, suggesting his front-line players could see somewhere between 15 and 18 snaps in the first exhibition game.

“It’s not time in the game; it’s really more of a pitch count for these guys,” Payton said.

Asked what he wanted to see in the Broncos’ first preseason action, Payton said there was plenty, beginning with his players going full speed with a full grasp of their assignments so that the coaching staff can “evaluate them versus a different scheme.”

“It’s probably just as easy to answer the question as to what I don’t want to see,” Payton continued. “I don’t want to see 10 guys on the field. I don’t want to see uniforms off after we’re done playing, sunglasses on and Gilligan hats on and interviews during the game. That’s what I don’t want to see, but we will communicate all of that.”

Floppy or bucket hats — or what Payton calls “Gilligan” hats — are a popular NFL trend and coincidentally, Nathaniel Hackett was fond of wearing one when he was the Broncos’ head coach last year.

Payton wasn’t aiming another potshot at his predecessor, however, just expressing his disdain for players who don the hats on the sideline after their day is done.

Payton recently expressed remorse after telling a reporter the work Hackett did in Denver last year constituted “one of the worst coaching jobs in the NFL” and saying there were “20 dirty hands” around Wilson’s career-worst season in 2022. Those comments drew criticism from Jets coach Robert Saleh, who hired Hackett as his offensive coordinator in January, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers and Hackett himself. Payton said he regretted his sharp words, which are sure to be rehashed when the Jets visit the Broncos in Week 5.

Payton also said in that interview that he was doing just about everything the opposite of what was done last year in Denver, where Hackett ditched training camp staples such as 7-on-7 passing drills and 1-on-1 pass rush drills and hardly ever had his players go full speed or hit each other in full pads, all in an effort to keep them from getting hurt.

The approach backfired when the Broncos got off to a poor start and never recovered, in large part because of an injury epidemic in the opening weeks of the season.

Payton’s team has also been dealing with a rash of injuries, beginning with wide receiver Tim Patrick’s torn left Achilles almost a year to the day after he tore his right ACL. Patrick will miss the entire season for a second straight year.

Linebacker Jonas Griffith (ACL) got hurt last week and linebacker Baron Browning (knee) is on the active/PUP list. Guard Yasir Durant (undisclosed) is on IR. Defensive lineman Mike Purcell (knee) is on the active/non-football injury list. Cornerback Riley Moss underwent a core muscle repair surgery last week and wide receiver KJ Hamler was released with a heart condition with plans to bring him back after the season starts.

Also, star safety Justin Simmons didn’t practice Monday and Payton said Simmons was dealing with a strained groin.

Payton didn’t say how long he expected Simmons to be out but did indicate it will be long enough to get a look at other safeties on the roster, and that most likely encompasses the preseason opener against the Cardinals.

“He’s a veteran player and a great communicator. He’s someone that’s always in the right spot, he’s savvy, he’s smart,” Payton said. “Some other younger guys will step in. … We’ll be smart with him and eventually get him back, but in the meantime other guys will get the chance to get in and get some reps.”

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are taking a different approach to the preseason a year after sitting the starters backfired on them.Coach Sean Payton, who last week walked back critical comments of his predecessor and others in a misguided defense of Russell Wilson, has said all along that he’ll play his starters in the preseason, beginning with Denver’s game at Arizona on Friday.That includes Wilson, who didn’t take a snap last year until the opener at Seattle — after he’d signed a nearly quarter-billion dollar extension.After reiterating over the weekend his intention to play his starters, Payton expounded upon those plans after a Monday practice that was closed to the public, suggesting his front-line players could see somewhere between 15 and 18 snaps in the first exhibition game.“It’s not time in the game; it’s really more of a pitch count for these guys,” Payton said.Asked what he wanted to see in the Broncos’ first preseason action, Payton said there was plenty, beginning with his players going full speed with a full grasp of their assignments so that the coaching staff can “evaluate them versus a different scheme.”“It’s probably just as easy to answer the question as to what I don’t want to see,” Payton continued. “I don’t want to see 10 guys on the field. I don’t want to see uniforms off after we’re done playing, sunglasses on and Gilligan hats on and interviews during the game. That’s what I don’t want to see, but we will communicate all of that.”Floppy or bucket hats — or what Payton calls “Gilligan” hats — are a popular NFL trend and coincidentally, Nathaniel Hackett was fond of wearing one when he was the Broncos’ head coach last year.Payton wasn’t aiming another potshot at his predecessor, however, just expressing his disdain for players who don the hats on the sideline after their day is done.Payton recently expressed remorse after telling a reporter the work Hackett did in Denver last year constituted “one of the worst coaching jobs in the NFL” and saying there were “20 dirty hands” around Wilson’s career-worst season in 2022. Those comments drew criticism from Jets coach Robert Saleh, who hired Hackett as his offensive coordinator in January, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers and Hackett himself. Payton said he regretted his sharp words, which are sure to be rehashed when the Jets visit the Broncos in Week 5.Payton also said in that interview that he was doing just about everything the opposite of what was done last year in Denver, where Hackett ditched training camp staples such as 7-on-7 passing drills and 1-on-1 pass rush drills and hardly ever had his players go full speed or hit each other in full pads, all in an effort to keep them from getting hurt.The approach backfired when the Broncos got off to a poor start and never recovered, in large part because of an injury epidemic in the opening weeks of the season.Payton’s team has also been dealing with a rash of injuries, beginning with wide receiver Tim Patrick’s torn left Achilles almost a year to the day after he tore his right ACL. Patrick will miss the entire season for a second straight year.Linebacker Jonas Griffith (ACL) got hurt last week and linebacker Baron Browning (knee) is on the active/PUP list. Guard Yasir Durant (undisclosed) is on IR. Defensive lineman Mike Purcell (knee) is on the active/non-football injury list. Cornerback Riley Moss underwent a core muscle repair surgery last week and wide receiver KJ Hamler was released with a heart condition with plans to bring him back after the season starts.Also, star safety Justin Simmons didn’t practice Monday and Payton said Simmons was dealing with a strained groin.Payton didn’t say how long he expected Simmons to be out but did indicate it will be long enough to get a look at other safeties on the roster, and that most likely encompasses the preseason opener against the Cardinals.“He’s a veteran player and a great communicator. He’s someone that’s always in the right spot, he’s savvy, he’s smart,” Payton said. “Some other younger guys will step in. … We’ll be smart with him and eventually get him back, but in the meantime other guys will get the chance to get in and get some reps.”