LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bam Adebayo has two primary goals to accomplish at the Paris Olympics. The first one is obvious: a gold medal.

The second one: getting a picture with Simone Biles.

Among Biles’ biggest fans — literally — going into the Paris Games is a group of fellow Olympians, some of them more than 2 feet taller than she is, most of whom have never been to any sort of gymnastics meet in their lives. But make no mistake: The U.S. men’s basketball team loves her.

“She’s the best,” three-time Olympic medalist LeBron James said. “It’s that simple. She’s the best.”

It speaks to the power of Biles that, on an American roster with James and Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry and countless other greats from all sides of the sporting world, she’s not only the face of the U.S. Olympic Team — but it could be argued that she’s the face of the Paris Games, the most dominant and most captivating athlete in the world right now. Biles is the most decorated gymnast ever, with 37 medals from Olympic and world championship competitions.

And when the U.S. basketball players can be there to watch her in Paris, they will be. If the schedules align on the basketball off days — and there are opportunities, such as the Aug. 1 women’s all-around final — they’ll be figuring out ways to get tickets.

“I heard it’s really expensive to get in,” said U.S. guard Tyrese Haliburton, whose five-year, $245 million contract with the Indiana Pacers begins at the start of the next NBA season. “But I think I can make that work.”

At 4-foot-8, she could probably dunk a basketball if she thought about it and came up with some super-creative way to make it happen. At last month’s U.S. Olympic trials in Minneapolis, Biles reached a height of 12 feet – according to NBC – during the first tumbling pass of her floor routine. A basketball rim is 10 feet off the ground.

“To be that good — well, excuse me, to be that great — and she still keeps breaking barriers,” Adebayo said. “To be able to see that just one time and hopefully get a picture with her, it’d mean a lot because she’s done a lot for not only the faces of us but for her sport as a whole.”

U.S. guard Devin Booker will never have the most gold medals on his block; one of his neighbors in Phoenix just happens to be 23-time Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps. That’s the most golds in Olympic history.

Biles has seven Olympic medals, tying the most by any U.S. gymnast. And if Booker can be there to see her break that record, count him in.

“It’s really inspiring,” said Booker, who was part of the team at the Tokyo Olympics when the rules of the pandemic made it extremely difficult for athletes to attend other competitions. “That’s another thing I missed last go-round. I wasn’t able to watch any other events or see any other countries or anything. I’ll be there in full support if I have the time and the schedule matches up.”

Another thing that makes the basketball team marvel at Biles is her longevity.

The last 12 Olympic all-around competitions in women’s gymnastics have been won by teenagers; Biles was 19 when she won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She’s 27 now. She’d be the second-oldest Olympic women’s all-around champion ever if she wins in Paris.

With the expectation that this will be her last games, Durant is clear: “I’ve got to go see that,” he said.

“I was talking to a gymnast the other day and I didn’t know their peak is from like 15 to like 18 or 19 or something like that,” Durant said. “So, for her to be at that age and still elite, of course, yeah, I want to go check her out. I’ve always been a fan of what she was doing. Introduced me to that sport, really. I wasn’t really paying attention much until she started doing her thing. ... Simone is somebody who set the tone for what a champion, an Olympian, a winner in life should be.”

Biles still being the world’s best at 27, in her sport, makes about as much sense as a 39-year-old entering his 22nd NBA season and signing $100 million contracts to keep going and still playing at an extremely high level.

James sees the parallel between their career paths.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bam Adebayo has two primary goals to accomplish at the Paris Olympics. The first one is obvious: a gold medal.The second one: getting a picture with Simone Biles.Among Biles’ biggest fans — literally — going into the Paris Games is a group of fellow Olympians, some of them more than 2 feet taller than she is, most of whom have never been to any sort of gymnastics meet in their lives. But make no mistake: The U.S. men’s basketball team loves her.“She’s the best,” three-time Olympic medalist LeBron James said. “It’s that simple. She’s the best.”It speaks to the power of Biles that, on an American roster with James and Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry and countless other greats from all sides of the sporting world, she’s not only the face of the U.S. Olympic Team — but it could be argued that she’s the face of the Paris Games, the most dominant and most captivating athlete in the world right now. Biles is the most decorated gymnast ever, with 37 medals from Olympic and world championship competitions.And when the U.S. basketball players can be there to watch her in Paris, they will be. If the schedules align on the basketball off days — and there are opportunities, such as the Aug. 1 women’s all-around final — they’ll be figuring out ways to get tickets.“I heard it’s really expensive to get in,” said U.S. guard Tyrese Haliburton, whose five-year, $245 million contract with the Indiana Pacers begins at the start of the next NBA season. “But I think I can make that work.”At 4-foot-8, she could probably dunk a basketball if she thought about it and came up with some super-creative way to make it happen. At last month’s U.S. Olympic trials in Minneapolis, Biles reached a height of 12 feet – according to NBC – during the first tumbling pass of her floor routine. A basketball rim is 10 feet off the ground.“To be that good — well, excuse me, to be that great — and she still keeps breaking barriers,” Adebayo said. “To be able to see that just one time and hopefully get a picture with her, it’d mean a lot because she’s done a lot for not only the faces of us but for her sport as a whole.”U.S. guard Devin Booker will never have the most gold medals on his block; one of his neighbors in Phoenix just happens to be 23-time Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps. That’s the most golds in Olympic history.Biles has seven Olympic medals, tying the most by any U.S. gymnast. And if Booker can be there to see her break that record, count him in.“It’s really inspiring,” said Booker, who was part of the team at the Tokyo Olympics when the rules of the pandemic made it extremely difficult for athletes to attend other competitions. “That’s another thing I missed last go-round. I wasn’t able to watch any other events or see any other countries or anything. I’ll be there in full support if I have the time and the schedule matches up.”Another thing that makes the basketball team marvel at Biles is her longevity.The last 12 Olympic all-around competitions in women’s gymnastics have been won by teenagers; Biles was 19 when she won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She’s 27 now. She’d be the second-oldest Olympic women’s all-around champion ever if she wins in Paris.With the expectation that this will be her last games, Durant is clear: “I’ve got to go see that,” he said.“I was talking to a gymnast the other day and I didn’t know their peak is from like 15 to like 18 or 19 or something like that,” Durant said. “So, for her to be at that age and still elite, of course, yeah, I want to go check her out. I’ve always been a fan of what she was doing. Introduced me to that sport, really. I wasn’t really paying attention much until she started doing her thing. ... Simone is somebody who set the tone for what a champion, an Olympian, a winner in life should be.”Biles still being the world’s best at 27, in her sport, makes about as much sense as a 39-year-old entering his 22nd NBA season and signing $100 million contracts to keep going and still playing at an extremely high level.James sees the parallel between their career paths.

USA basketball team has two goals for Paris: win gold and see Simone Biles

By RONALD BLUM AP Major League Baseball writer

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was picked for the All-Star Game on Sunday just eight weeks after his debut, and the major league-leading Philadelphia Phillies had a big league-high seven selections.

Skenes, who turned 22 in May, was selected by the Pirates as the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, two days before the All-Star Game in Seattle. He made his first big league start on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts and 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. He has thrown 74 pitches of 100 mph or more.

Skenes’ final outing before the All-Star break is likely to be midweek, so he could be a possibility to start for the National League.

“That’d be cool. No expectations,” he said. “I don’t know who gets to decide that kind of thing, but that’d definitely be cool.”

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga joined Skenes and San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill as the only rookie All-Stars for the July 16 game at Arlington, Texas.

Philadelphia pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm were picked to join three starting Phillies position players: first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have six All-Stars after pitcher Tyler Glasnow, catcher Will Smith, first baseman Freddie Freeman, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and injured shortstop Mookie Betts joined starting DH Shohei Ohtani on the NL roster.

Cleveland topped the AL with five after first baseman Josh Naylor, closer Emmanuel Clase and designated hitter David Fry joined a pair of starters: third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Steven Kwan. San Diego also had five.

Atlanta pitcher Chris Sale earned his eighth All-Star selection, the first for the 36-year-old left-hander since seven straight from 2012-18. The gap is the longest for an All-Star since Albert Pujols earned his 11th trip for his final season in 2022, his first since 2015.

“It is definitely satisfying. I appreciate it for sure,” said Sale, acquired by Braves from Boston in December. “They took a chance and I’m happy to be able to do this for them.”

Texas closer Kirby Yates at 37 is the oldest All-Star and will be joined by second baseman Marcus Semien of the host World Series champion Rangers.

Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez was picked for the ninth time, matching Houston second baseman Jose Altuve for the most among the 67 players on this year’s rosters.

Merrill at 21 is the youngest All-Star and among 32 first-time picks.

Skenes is scheduled to have one more start for Pittsburgh, and his 11 games put him on track to have the fewest for player in an All-Star Game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Detroit’s Mark Fidrych in 1976, the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo in 1995 and Florida’s Dontrelle Willis in 2003 each had 13. (While Boston’s Don Schwall had 11 at the time of the first All-Star Game in 1961, he did not appear, and he had 15 when he pitched three innings three weeks later in that year’s second All-Star Game.)

San Diego outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., elected by fans to start, will miss the game because of a stress reaction in his right thigh bone. Betts, voted in by players for his eighth straight All-Star appearance, has been out since breaking his left hand on June 16.

Cincinnati’s 22-year-old speedster, Elly De La Cruz, got Betts’ spot after finishing second to him on the player ballot. Skenes and San Francisco outfielder Heliot Ramos were picked by MLB to replace Wheeler and Tatis.

Starting pitchers Corbin Burnes of Baltimore, Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox, Tanner Houck of Boston, Seth Lugo of Kansas City and Tarik Skubal of Detroit were voted to the AL staff by players, managers and coaches along with Clase, Yates and Mason Miller of Oakland.

AL reserves picked by players included Fry, Naylor, Perez, Semien, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City, third baseman Rafael Devers of Boston and outfielders Jarren Duran of Boston, Riley Greene of Detroit and Kyle Tucker of Houston.

MLB used four of its AL picks on players whose teams weren’t already represented: pitchers Tyler Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels and Logan Gilbert of Seattle, shortstop Carlos Correa of Minnesota and third baseman Isaac Paredes of Tampa Bay. Pitchers Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees and Cole Ragans of Kansas City also were selected.

Glasnow, Sale, Ranger Suárez and Wheeler were voted to the NL staff along with fellow starter Reynaldo López of Atlanta, while Hoffman, Strahm and Robert Suarez of San Diego won bullpen balloting.

NL reserves voted by players were Betts, Freeman, Hernández, Merrill, Smith, second baseman Luis Arraez of San Diego, third baseman Ryan McMahon of Colorado, outfielder Bryan Reynolds of Pittsburgh and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta.

All six of MLB’s NL selections were for players on teams still without All-Stars: pitchers Ryan Helsley of St. Louis, Imanaga, Tanner Scott of Miami and Logan Webb of San Francisco, along with shortstop CJ Abrams of Washington and first baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, also an MLB pick last year.

Notable players left off include Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, second baseman Jordan Westburg, who finished second in the final round of fan balloting, and outfielder Anthony Santander, fourth in fan voting.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto and DH Kyle Schwarber, both of Philadelphia, and San Diego third baseman Manny Machado were omitted despite finishing second in the last stage of the fan balloting. Schwarber has a strained groin.

De La Cruz was prepping for the All-Star trip in his own manner.

“I’m learning Japanese to speak to Ohtani,” he said through a translator.

By RONALD BLUM AP Major League Baseball writerPittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was picked for the All-Star Game on Sunday just eight weeks after his debut, and the major league-leading Philadelphia Phillies had a big league-high seven selections.Skenes, who turned 22 in May, was selected by the Pirates as the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, two days before the All-Star Game in Seattle. He made his first big league start on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts and 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. He has thrown 74 pitches of 100 mph or more.Skenes’ final outing before the All-Star break is likely to be midweek, so he could be a possibility to start for the National League.“That’d be cool. No expectations,” he said. “I don’t know who gets to decide that kind of thing, but that’d definitely be cool.”Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga joined Skenes and San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill as the only rookie All-Stars for the July 16 game at Arlington, Texas.Philadelphia pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm were picked to join three starting Phillies position players: first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm.The Los Angeles Dodgers have six All-Stars after pitcher Tyler Glasnow, catcher Will Smith, first baseman Freddie Freeman, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and injured shortstop Mookie Betts joined starting DH Shohei Ohtani on the NL roster.Cleveland topped the AL with five after first baseman Josh Naylor, closer Emmanuel Clase and designated hitter David Fry joined a pair of starters: third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Steven Kwan. San Diego also had five.Atlanta pitcher Chris Sale earned his eighth All-Star selection, the first for the 36-year-old left-hander since seven straight from 2012-18. The gap is the longest for an All-Star since Albert Pujols earned his 11th trip for his final season in 2022, his first since 2015.“It is definitely satisfying. I appreciate it for sure,” said Sale, acquired by Braves from Boston in December. “They took a chance and I’m happy to be able to do this for them.”Texas closer Kirby Yates at 37 is the oldest All-Star and will be joined by second baseman Marcus Semien of the host World Series champion Rangers.Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez was picked for the ninth time, matching Houston second baseman Jose Altuve for the most among the 67 players on this year’s rosters.Merrill at 21 is the youngest All-Star and among 32 first-time picks.Skenes is scheduled to have one more start for Pittsburgh, and his 11 games put him on track to have the fewest for player in an All-Star Game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Detroit’s Mark Fidrych in 1976, the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo in 1995 and Florida’s Dontrelle Willis in 2003 each had 13. (While Boston’s Don Schwall had 11 at the time of the first All-Star Game in 1961, he did not appear, and he had 15 when he pitched three innings three weeks later in that year’s second All-Star Game.)San Diego outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., elected by fans to start, will miss the game because of a stress reaction in his right thigh bone. Betts, voted in by players for his eighth straight All-Star appearance, has been out since breaking his left hand on June 16.Cincinnati’s 22-year-old speedster, Elly De La Cruz, got Betts’ spot after finishing second to him on the player ballot. Skenes and San Francisco outfielder Heliot Ramos were picked by MLB to replace Wheeler and Tatis.Starting pitchers Corbin Burnes of Baltimore, Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox, Tanner Houck of Boston, Seth Lugo of Kansas City and Tarik Skubal of Detroit were voted to the AL staff by players, managers and coaches along with Clase, Yates and Mason Miller of Oakland.AL reserves picked by players included Fry, Naylor, Perez, Semien, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City, third baseman Rafael Devers of Boston and outfielders Jarren Duran of Boston, Riley Greene of Detroit and Kyle Tucker of Houston.MLB used four of its AL picks on players whose teams weren’t already represented: pitchers Tyler Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels and Logan Gilbert of Seattle, shortstop Carlos Correa of Minnesota and third baseman Isaac Paredes of Tampa Bay. Pitchers Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees and Cole Ragans of Kansas City also were selected.Glasnow, Sale, Ranger Suárez and Wheeler were voted to the NL staff along with fellow starter Reynaldo López of Atlanta, while Hoffman, Strahm and Robert Suarez of San Diego won bullpen balloting.NL reserves voted by players were Betts, Freeman, Hernández, Merrill, Smith, second baseman Luis Arraez of San Diego, third baseman Ryan McMahon of Colorado, outfielder Bryan Reynolds of Pittsburgh and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta.All six of MLB’s NL selections were for players on teams still without All-Stars: pitchers Ryan Helsley of St. Louis, Imanaga, Tanner Scott of Miami and Logan Webb of San Francisco, along with shortstop CJ Abrams of Washington and first baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, also an MLB pick last year.Notable players left off include Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, second baseman Jordan Westburg, who finished second in the final round of fan balloting, and outfielder Anthony Santander, fourth in fan voting.Catcher J.T. Realmuto and DH Kyle Schwarber, both of Philadelphia, and San Diego third baseman Manny Machado were omitted despite finishing second in the last stage of the fan balloting. Schwarber has a strained groin.De La Cruz was prepping for the All-Star trip in his own manner.“I’m learning Japanese to speak to Ohtani,” he said through a translator.

All Star Game rosters finalized

PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker is a two-time Gold Glove winner, helped lead his team to the World Series last season, has hit at least 33 home runs in each of the past two years and is currently on pace for about 40 homers this season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks' first baseman is also the current Daddy of Dodger Stadium.

But the 33-year-old slugger still hasn't been selected to an All-Star team. The trend continued on Sunday when Major League Baseball announced the NL and AL teams for the July 16 game in Arlington, Texas.

“It stings a little bit, but it is what it is," Walker told reporters after Sunday's win over the Padres. “Those guys deserve it. Nothing but credit to them.”

Later he added: “To be honest, I got the support and the respect of my teammates and my peers and my coaches, and nothing else really matters.”

Walker — who is batting .268 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs this season — is far from the only All-Star snub this season, but he's among the best current players who has never made it. Other notable omissions from this year's group include Baltimore's Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Anthony Santander, Philadelphia's Aaron Nola, San Diego's Manny Machado and New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil.

A few of those players — including Walker — could still find their way to Arlington for the mid-summer showdown.

A handful of current All-Stars, like Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis Jr., will likely miss the game because of injuries. That means MLB will select replacements in the coming days.

The demise of the St. Louis Cardinals might have been a short-lived phenomenon.

The Cardinals fell to 71-91 last season, finishing last in the NL Central and snapping a 15-season streak of above-.500 baseball. One year later, St. Louis appears back to its winning ways and would return the playoffs if the season ended today.

The Cardinals improved to 47-42 on Sunday after an 8-3 win over the Washington Nationals. They're 20-14 since June 1.

The rise of shortstop Masyn Winn, second baseman Nolan Gorman and outfielders Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson has given the team a youthful nucleus that's helped offset down years from veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.

On the pitching mound, the Cardinals have been remarkably healthy. Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn have all started at least 16 games this season, giving the club some certainty that few other teams can replicate.

Who is the current MLB player with the highest career WAR who has never played in an All-Star game?

MLB's recent attendance surge is continuing, and the sport could come close to averaging 30,000 fans per game for the first time since 2016.

MLB is drawing 28,707 fans per game through Saturday's games, according to baseball-reference.com. That's roughly 400 fans per game ahead of last year's pace, when the sport drew 28,291 per game through early July.

This year's average is expected to rise since the biggest draws are usually games in July and August, when the majority of the U.S. is out of school and families have more leisure time.

Arizona and Baltimore — two franchises with promising young teams — have seen their attendance jump by more than 6,000 per game this season over 2023. The biggest drop is from the New York Mets, whose crowds have plummeted by more than 6,000.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league with nearly 48,000 fans per game while the Oakland Athletics — who recently announced they are relocating to Sacramento before an expected move to Las Vegas — are averaging about 7,500 fans.

Kevin Kiermaier. The 34-year-old Toronto Blue Jays' center fielder has 36 career WAR and is a four-time Gold Glove winner. His best seasons came with the Tampa Bay Rays in the mid-2010s.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720458508799.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, left, congratulates Diamondbacks' Christian Walker in the dugout on a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, left, congratulates Diamondbacks' Christian Walker in the dugout on a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)</figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker is a two-time Gold Glove winner, helped lead his team to the World Series last season, has hit at least 33 home runs in each of the past two years and is currently on pace for about 40 homers this season.The Arizona Diamondbacks' first baseman is also the current Daddy of Dodger Stadium.But the 33-year-old slugger still hasn't been selected to an All-Star team. The trend continued on Sunday when Major League Baseball announced the NL and AL teams for the July 16 game in Arlington, Texas.“It stings a little bit, but it is what it is," Walker told reporters after Sunday's win over the Padres. “Those guys deserve it. Nothing but credit to them.”Later he added: “To be honest, I got the support and the respect of my teammates and my peers and my coaches, and nothing else really matters.”Walker — who is batting .268 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs this season — is far from the only All-Star snub this season, but he's among the best current players who has never made it. Other notable omissions from this year's group include Baltimore's Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Anthony Santander, Philadelphia's Aaron Nola, San Diego's Manny Machado and New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil.A few of those players — including Walker — could still find their way to Arlington for the mid-summer showdown.A handful of current All-Stars, like Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis Jr., will likely miss the game because of injuries. That means MLB will select replacements in the coming days.RETURN OF THE CARDINALSThe demise of the St. Louis Cardinals might have been a short-lived phenomenon.The Cardinals fell to 71-91 last season, finishing last in the NL Central and snapping a 15-season streak of above-.500 baseball. One year later, St. Louis appears back to its winning ways and would return the playoffs if the season ended today.The Cardinals improved to 47-42 on Sunday after an 8-3 win over the Washington Nationals. They're 20-14 since June 1.The rise of shortstop Masyn Winn, second baseman Nolan Gorman and outfielders Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson has given the team a youthful nucleus that's helped offset down years from veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.On the pitching mound, the Cardinals have been remarkably healthy. Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn have all started at least 16 games this season, giving the club some certainty that few other teams can replicate.TRIVIA TIMEWho is the current MLB player with the highest career WAR who has never played in an All-Star game?FANS IN THE SEATSMLB's recent attendance surge is continuing, and the sport could come close to averaging 30,000 fans per game for the first time since 2016.MLB is drawing 28,707 fans per game through Saturday's games, according to baseball-reference.com. That's roughly 400 fans per game ahead of last year's pace, when the sport drew 28,291 per game through early July.This year's average is expected to rise since the biggest draws are usually games in July and August, when the majority of the U.S. is out of school and families have more leisure time.Arizona and Baltimore — two franchises with promising young teams — have seen their attendance jump by more than 6,000 per game this season over 2023. The biggest drop is from the New York Mets, whose crowds have plummeted by more than 6,000.The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league with nearly 48,000 fans per game while the Oakland Athletics — who recently announced they are relocating to Sacramento before an expected move to Las Vegas — are averaging about 7,500 fans.TRIVIA ANSWERKevin Kiermaier. The 34-year-old Toronto Blue Jays' center fielder has 36 career WAR and is a four-time Gold Glove winner. His best seasons came with the Tampa Bay Rays in the mid-2010s.

This week in Major League Baseball

By Anne Rogers MLB.Com DENVER -- The Royals are sending four players to the 2024 All-Star Game -- and three of them are going for the first time.

Catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and starters Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans were all named to the American League All-Star roster, announced Sunday afternoon on MLB Network.

It’s the first time since 2016 that the Royals have four All-Star representatives, and Ragans and Lugo are the first Royals pitchers to be named to an All-Star Game since Jason Vargas in 2017.

This marks the first time in franchise history that the Royals will have two All-Star starting pitchers in the same season.

Witt, Lugo and Ragans are all first-time All-Stars, while Perez is heading to his ninth Midsummer Classic. The All-Star Game is set for July 16 (8 p.m. ET, FOX) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

By Anne Rogers MLB.Com DENVER -- The Royals are sending four players to the 2024 All-Star Game -- and three of them are going for the first time.Catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and starters Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans were all named to the American League All-Star roster, announced Sunday afternoon on MLB Network.It’s the first time since 2016 that the Royals have four All-Star representatives, and Ragans and Lugo are the first Royals pitchers to be named to an All-Star Game since Jason Vargas in 2017.This marks the first time in franchise history that the Royals will have two All-Star starting pitchers in the same season.Witt, Lugo and Ragans are all first-time All-Stars, while Perez is heading to his ninth Midsummer Classic. The All-Star Game is set for July 16 (8 p.m. ET, FOX) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Witt, Salvy, Lugo and Ragans earn All-Star nods

DENVER (AP) — Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homered, Brady Singer won for the first time on the road this season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.

“It’s huge,” Witt said. “Anytime you get a win is big, but also doing it in that form and fashion, that just shows what our offense can do. And I still think we can even do more."

Garcia’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning off right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Garcia homered for first time since May 17, a span of 183 at-bats. He has six homers this season.

Melendez homered in the seventh, and Witt hit his 15th to cap a three-hit day in a three-run ninth.

“Maikel put a good at-bat together," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Pretty sure he wasn’t trying to hit a home run, but a good swing on a pitch that has given him some trouble.”

“Just trying to put the ball in play,” Garcia said.

Singer (5-5) gave one run and six hits — all singles — and stuck out seven in seven innings for his first road victory since Aug. 8, 2023, in Boston. He is 5-5 with a 2.93 ERA this season, 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in eight road starts.

Nolan Jones hit run-scoring single to break Singer’s shutout with two outs in the seventh inning, but Singer retired Aaron Schunk on a fly to deep left field to preserve a 5-1 lead.

“My first time pitching in Coors Field in this air, so I really didn’t know how the ball would move or if the sinker would work as well as it has been,” Singer said. "I was able to use it. I think it worked pretty well, and the slider was a big pitch. Pitching on the road is a little bit different. It is good to win this last game of the series.”

Nine-time All-Star Salvador Perez had two singles, the first the 1,500th of his 13-year career, and Michael Massey and Garcia also had two hits. The Royals were 4 for 7 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 51 in their previous nine road games. They had lost five straight on the road.

Gordon gave up eight hits and stuck out four without a walk in an economical 6 1/3 innings. He threw 78 pitches, 62 strikes.

Jake Cave had two hits and Michael Toglia reached base on a single and two walks for the Rockies, who had a three-game winning streak broken. Ezequiel Tovar was 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 24 at-bats, a career long.

Perez singled to open second inning off Gordon, and singles by Massey and Felix Fermin drove in the first run. Garcia homered on a one-out 1-2 changeup, his 382-foot fly just clearing the left field fence.

“If you reconstruct the second inning, made some really good pitches,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. "Jam shot to Perez and two ground balls that went through the infield. Garcia went down and got a pretty good changeup.”

Massey and Fermin had RBIs in the eighth.

Royals: 2B/OF Adam Frazier (thumb) was hitless in four at-bats from the leadoff spot in his first game since being activated from the injured list Friday. He was replaced for defensive purposes in the seventh inning.

Rockies: Gordon was purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start and RHP Dakota Hudson (2-12, 5.84 ERA) was designated for assignment. Hudson set a franchise record for most losses before the All-Star Game. … RHP German Marquez (Tommy John surgery) nearing a return to the rotation and is expected to make a final rehab start Tuesday, likely for Double-A Hartford. The Rockies roster is at 39. … OF Kris Bryant (oblique strain) will accompany the team on the seven-game road trip and will begin hitting on the field Monday. “That’s another big step,” manager Bud Black said. Bryant has been out since June 3.

Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.60 ERA) was set to face Cincinnati LHP Andrew Abbott (8-6, 3.28) in the first game of a four-game series Monday at Great American Ball Park. ... Royals RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74) was scheduled to oppose Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00) on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720431731860.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tanner Gordon in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tanner Gordon in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homered, Brady Singer won for the first time on the road this season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.“It’s huge,” Witt said. “Anytime you get a win is big, but also doing it in that form and fashion, that just shows what our offense can do. And I still think we can even do more."Garcia’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning off right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Garcia homered for first time since May 17, a span of 183 at-bats. He has six homers this season.Melendez homered in the seventh, and Witt hit his 15th to cap a three-hit day in a three-run ninth.“Maikel put a good at-bat together," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Pretty sure he wasn’t trying to hit a home run, but a good swing on a pitch that has given him some trouble.”“Just trying to put the ball in play,” Garcia said.Singer (5-5) gave one run and six hits — all singles — and stuck out seven in seven innings for his first road victory since Aug. 8, 2023, in Boston. He is 5-5 with a 2.93 ERA this season, 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in eight road starts.Nolan Jones hit run-scoring single to break Singer’s shutout with two outs in the seventh inning, but Singer retired Aaron Schunk on a fly to deep left field to preserve a 5-1 lead.“My first time pitching in Coors Field in this air, so I really didn’t know how the ball would move or if the sinker would work as well as it has been,” Singer said. "I was able to use it. I think it worked pretty well, and the slider was a big pitch. Pitching on the road is a little bit different. It is good to win this last game of the series.”Nine-time All-Star Salvador Perez had two singles, the first the 1,500th of his 13-year career, and Michael Massey and Garcia also had two hits. The Royals were 4 for 7 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 51 in their previous nine road games. They had lost five straight on the road.Gordon gave up eight hits and stuck out four without a walk in an economical 6 1/3 innings. He threw 78 pitches, 62 strikes.Jake Cave had two hits and Michael Toglia reached base on a single and two walks for the Rockies, who had a three-game winning streak broken. Ezequiel Tovar was 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 24 at-bats, a career long.Perez singled to open second inning off Gordon, and singles by Massey and Felix Fermin drove in the first run. Garcia homered on a one-out 1-2 changeup, his 382-foot fly just clearing the left field fence.“If you reconstruct the second inning, made some really good pitches,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. "Jam shot to Perez and two ground balls that went through the infield. Garcia went down and got a pretty good changeup.”Massey and Fermin had RBIs in the eighth.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 2B/OF Adam Frazier (thumb) was hitless in four at-bats from the leadoff spot in his first game since being activated from the injured list Friday. He was replaced for defensive purposes in the seventh inning.Rockies: Gordon was purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start and RHP Dakota Hudson (2-12, 5.84 ERA) was designated for assignment. Hudson set a franchise record for most losses before the All-Star Game. … RHP German Marquez (Tommy John surgery) nearing a return to the rotation and is expected to make a final rehab start Tuesday, likely for Double-A Hartford. The Rockies roster is at 39. … OF Kris Bryant (oblique strain) will accompany the team on the seven-game road trip and will begin hitting on the field Monday. “That’s another big step,” manager Bud Black said. Bryant has been out since June 3.UP NEXTRockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.60 ERA) was set to face Cincinnati LHP Andrew Abbott (8-6, 3.28) in the first game of a four-game series Monday at Great American Ball Park. ... Royals RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74) was scheduled to oppose Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00) on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Garcia, Melendez, Witt homer top help Royals rout Rockies 10-1


DENVER (AP) — Maikel Garcia,
MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homered, Brady Singer won for the
first time on the road this season and the Kansas City Royals beat
the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing
streak. Garcia’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning
off right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-1), who was making his major league
debut. Melendez homered in the seventh, and Witt hit his 15th to cap
a three-hit day in a three-run ninth. Singer (5-5) gave one run and
six hits — all singles — and stuck out seven in seven innings for
his first road victory since Aug. 8, 2023, in Boston. Nolan Jones hit
run-scoring single to break Singer’s shutout with two outs in the
seventh.


WASHINGTON (AP) — Willson
Contreras hit his second homer of the series and Kyle Gibson (7-3)
tossed five innings as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the
Washington Nationals 8-3 Sunday at Nationals Park. Contreras’ line
drive 395-foot homer off Nationals reliever Derek Law in the seventh
left the yard at 108.9 mph. He also singled and scored twice with
three RBIs. The Cardinals have won five of their last seven and have
the best record in the National League since May 12 at 32-18 (.640).
Nationals starter DJ Herz (1-3) lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing five
runs, four earned, on five hits with two walks.


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian
Yelich and Blake Perkins both homered, had three hits and drove in
three runs as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers
9-2 Sunday to snap a seven-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium. Eric
Haase had a two-run homer in the fifth inning for the Brewers, who
avoided a sweep in the weekend matchup of National League division
leaders and are one of three teams in the majors not to have a losing
streak of at least four games this season. Chris Taylor supplied the
Dodgers’ runs with a two-run shot in the seventh inning. Los
Angeles ended up going deep eight times in the series.


UNDATED (AP) — Pete Alonso
will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New
York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time. Baltimore’s
Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm also have committed
to the July 15 event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Ken
Griffey Jr. is the only three-time champion of the derby, which
started in 1985, winning in 1994, 1998 and 1999. Alonso won the
competition in 2019 as a rookie of Cleveland’s Progressive Field,
then repeated in 2021 at Denver’s Coors Field.


UNDATED (AP) — Pittsburgh
pitcher Paul Skenes was picked for the All-Star Game just eight weeks
after his debut, and major league-leading Philadelphia had a big
league-high seven selections. The 22-year-old Skenes made his first
big league appearance on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10
starts. Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga joined Skenes and San Diego
outfielder Jackson Merrill as the only rookies for the July 16 game
at Arlington, Texas. Philadelphia pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger
Suárez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm joined three starting
teammates: first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and
third baseman Alec Bohm.


CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bowman
secured a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs when he held on for
the victory on a rainy street course in downtown Chicago. It was
Bowman’s first win since Las Vegas in March 2022 and No. 8 for his
career. He is the 12th Cup Series driver to win this year, leaving
four remaining spots in the playoffs with six races left in the
regular season. The race was stopped for more than 100 minutes
because of rain, and NASCAR set a cutoff time of 8:20 p.m. CDT
because of the fading sunlight. Tyler Reddick made a late push, but
he got into a wall trying to catch up to Bowman. Ty Gibbs was third,
followed by Joey Hand and Michael McDowell.


SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Davis
Thompson is a PGA Tour winner and it wasn't even close. Thompson
opened with five birdies in six holes to pull away. He shot a 64 and
set the 72-hole scoring record at the John Deere Classic at 28-under
256, winning by four strokes. The victory gets him in the British
Open in two weeks. The Georgia native also goes to the Masters for
the first time next April. The real battle was for second place. C.T.
Pan tied for second with Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton and
Stanford alum Michael Thorbjornsen. Pan gets the British Open spot
based on his world ranking.


LONDON (AP) — Defending
champion Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner are one win each
away from meeting in the Wimbledon semifinals. Both reached the
quarterfinals with victories Sunday. Alcaraz beat Ugo Humbert 6-3,
6-4, 1-6, 7-5, and Sinner eliminated Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (9).
Next for Alcaraz is a match against Tommy Paul. Sinner plays Daniil
Medvedev, who advanced when Grigor Dimitrov stopped playing with an
injury. French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached her first
Wimbledon quarterfinal when Madison Keys had to retire with a leg
injury in the third set. Donna Vekic and Lulu Sun reached the
quarterfinals, too.


UNDATED (AP) — Giannis
Antetokounmpo is now an Olympian. Antetokounmpo is heading to the
Olympics for the first time, after he scored 23 points and Greece
held off Croatia 80-69 on Sunday in one of the four men’s
basketball qualifying tournament finals being held to determine the
final spots in the 12-team field for the Paris Games. Brazil also is
going to the Paris Olympics, after a 19-0 run over the final 3:21 of
the first quarter set the tone in what became a surprisingly easy
94-69 victory over Latvia. So is Spain, which held off the Bahamas
for its seventh consecutive Olympic berth. And Puerto Rico grabbed
the last spot by beating Lithuania.


LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kevin
Durant is dealing with calf soreness that has kept him from being a
full participant in USA Basketball’s training camp for the Paris
Olympics, though he has assured team officials that he does not
expect the issue to be a major one. Durant is the second forward who
hasn’t been able to be a full participant in the U.S. camp that had
its second day of on-floor workouts Sunday; Boston forward Jayson
Tatum was excused from the first two days of camp workouts for
personal reasons and is expected to be on the floor with his U.S.
teammates for the first time on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718617262520.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
DENVER (AP) — Maikel Garcia,
MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homered, Brady Singer won for the
first time on the road this season and the Kansas City Royals beat
the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing
streak. Garcia’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning
off right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-1), who was making his major league
debut. Melendez homered in the seventh, and Witt hit his 15th to cap
a three-hit day in a three-run ninth. Singer (5-5) gave one run and
six hits — all singles — and stuck out seven in seven innings for
his first road victory since Aug. 8, 2023, in Boston. Nolan Jones hit
run-scoring single to break Singer’s shutout with two outs in the
seventh.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Willson
Contreras hit his second homer of the series and Kyle Gibson (7-3)
tossed five innings as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the
Washington Nationals 8-3 Sunday at Nationals Park. Contreras’ line
drive 395-foot homer off Nationals reliever Derek Law in the seventh
left the yard at 108.9 mph. He also singled and scored twice with
three RBIs. The Cardinals have won five of their last seven and have
the best record in the National League since May 12 at 32-18 (.640).
Nationals starter DJ Herz (1-3) lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing five
runs, four earned, on five hits with two walks.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian
Yelich and Blake Perkins both homered, had three hits and drove in
three runs as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers
9-2 Sunday to snap a seven-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium. Eric
Haase had a two-run homer in the fifth inning for the Brewers, who
avoided a sweep in the weekend matchup of National League division
leaders and are one of three teams in the majors not to have a losing
streak of at least four games this season. Chris Taylor supplied the
Dodgers’ runs with a two-run shot in the seventh inning. Los
Angeles ended up going deep eight times in the series.
UNDATED (AP) — Pete Alonso
will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New
York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time. Baltimore’s
Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm also have committed
to the July 15 event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Ken
Griffey Jr. is the only three-time champion of the derby, which
started in 1985, winning in 1994, 1998 and 1999. Alonso won the
competition in 2019 as a rookie of Cleveland’s Progressive Field,
then repeated in 2021 at Denver’s Coors Field.
UNDATED (AP) — Pittsburgh
pitcher Paul Skenes was picked for the All-Star Game just eight weeks
after his debut, and major league-leading Philadelphia had a big
league-high seven selections. The 22-year-old Skenes made his first
big league appearance on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10
starts. Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga joined Skenes and San Diego
outfielder Jackson Merrill as the only rookies for the July 16 game
at Arlington, Texas. Philadelphia pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger
Suárez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm joined three starting
teammates: first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and
third baseman Alec Bohm.
CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bowman
secured a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs when he held on for
the victory on a rainy street course in downtown Chicago. It was
Bowman’s first win since Las Vegas in March 2022 and No. 8 for his
career. He is the 12th Cup Series driver to win this year, leaving
four remaining spots in the playoffs with six races left in the
regular season. The race was stopped for more than 100 minutes
because of rain, and NASCAR set a cutoff time of 8:20 p.m. CDT
because of the fading sunlight. Tyler Reddick made a late push, but
he got into a wall trying to catch up to Bowman. Ty Gibbs was third,
followed by Joey Hand and Michael McDowell.
SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Davis
Thompson is a PGA Tour winner and it wasn't even close. Thompson
opened with five birdies in six holes to pull away. He shot a 64 and
set the 72-hole scoring record at the John Deere Classic at 28-under
256, winning by four strokes. The victory gets him in the British
Open in two weeks. The Georgia native also goes to the Masters for
the first time next April. The real battle was for second place. C.T.
Pan tied for second with Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton and
Stanford alum Michael Thorbjornsen. Pan gets the British Open spot
based on his world ranking.
LONDON (AP) — Defending
champion Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner are one win each
away from meeting in the Wimbledon semifinals. Both reached the
quarterfinals with victories Sunday. Alcaraz beat Ugo Humbert 6-3,
6-4, 1-6, 7-5, and Sinner eliminated Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (9).
Next for Alcaraz is a match against Tommy Paul. Sinner plays Daniil
Medvedev, who advanced when Grigor Dimitrov stopped playing with an
injury. French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached her first
Wimbledon quarterfinal when Madison Keys had to retire with a leg
injury in the third set. Donna Vekic and Lulu Sun reached the
quarterfinals, too.
UNDATED (AP) — Giannis
Antetokounmpo is now an Olympian. Antetokounmpo is heading to the
Olympics for the first time, after he scored 23 points and Greece
held off Croatia 80-69 on Sunday in one of the four men’s
basketball qualifying tournament finals being held to determine the
final spots in the 12-team field for the Paris Games. Brazil also is
going to the Paris Olympics, after a 19-0 run over the final 3:21 of
the first quarter set the tone in what became a surprisingly easy
94-69 victory over Latvia. So is Spain, which held off the Bahamas
for its seventh consecutive Olympic berth. And Puerto Rico grabbed
the last spot by beating Lithuania.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kevin
Durant is dealing with calf soreness that has kept him from being a
full participant in USA Basketball’s training camp for the Paris
Olympics, though he has assured team officials that he does not
expect the issue to be a major one. Durant is the second forward who
hasn’t been able to be a full participant in the U.S. camp that had
its second day of on-floor workouts Sunday; Boston forward Jayson
Tatum was excused from the first two days of camp workouts for
personal reasons and is expected to be on the floor with his U.S.
teammates for the first time on Monday.SUNDAY
SCORESMAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUE
Final	Detroit	5	Cincinnati	1	
Final	Cleveland	5	San
Francisco	4	
Final	Miami	7	Chicago White
Sox	4	
Final	Chicago Cubs	5	L.A.
Angels	0	
Final	Kansas
City	10	Colorado	1	AMERICAN
LEAGUE
Final	Minnesota	3	Houston	2	
Final	Texas	13	Tampa Bay	2	
Final	Baltimore	6	Oakland	3	
Final	Toronto	5	Seattle	4	
Final	Boston	3	N.Y. Yankees	0	NATIONAL
LEAGUE
Final	Atlanta	6	Philadelphia	0	
Final	St.
Louis	8	Washington	3	
Final	N.Y.
Mets	3	Pittsburgh	2	
Final	Arizona	9	San Diego	1

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

WICHITA, Kansas – Baseball ‘Round The Clock, once a staple of the NBC World Series in Wichita, is returning to the NBC in 2024 after an eight-year hiatus. Fans will have the opportunity to watch 11 games over the course of 33 hours, starting at noon on Saturday, July 27 and running through a 6:00pm game on Sunday, July 28.

“Baseball ‘Round the Clock has historically been one of the most exciting and unique events in the NBC World Series,” said NBC tournament director Katie Woods, “For the 90th tournament, it was time to bring it back. We’re ready to introduce a new generation of competitors to some of the same elements – Midnight Madness, the cuckoo clock check-ins and ‘I survived’ shirts – that diehard NBC fans remember.”

Baseball played at all hours has long been a tradition of the NBC. National Baseball Congress founder Hap Dumont came up with the idea of having late-night and early-morning games in the tournament to make games accessible to Wichita fans working swing and graveyard shifts early in the tournament’s history. NBC tournament director Steve Shaad formalized the tradition in 1990 with the introduction of ‘Baseball ‘Round the Clock” as 17 games in 56 hours. BRTC ran every year after that at the NBC through 2016 before it was discontinued.

Fans ready to take on the challenge of surviving all 33 hours of Baseball ‘Round the Clock in 2024 can purchase their Baseball ‘Round the Clock (BRTC) tickets now at nbcbaseball.com for $20. BRTC tickets get participants entry in to all 11 games, as well as a punch card and wristband that will be used for check-ins at least once per game. When check-ins sound, participants have 10 minutes to report to the designated check-in spot and get their card punched to continue in the competition. Participants who have their card punched at every check-in will receive a free t-shirt, a tournament pass for the rest of the tournament, and will be entered into a raffle to win a series of grand prizes.

Director of Community Partnership Brian Turner was a part of the Baseball ‘Round the Clock staff for six years during his tenure with the Wichita Wingnuts, and is looking forward to taking on the challenge once again.

“There’s no event quite like Baseball ‘Round the Clock,” said Turner, “It’s a generational event, and we’re excited to bring it back with a new look, for both old and new fans, in 2024.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720365554040.png" alt="NBC World Series" />
 <figcaption>NBC World Series</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kansas – Baseball ‘Round The Clock, once a staple of the NBC World Series in Wichita, is returning to the NBC in 2024 after an eight-year hiatus. Fans will have the opportunity to watch 11 games over the course of 33 hours, starting at noon on Saturday, July 27 and running through a 6:00pm game on Sunday, July 28.“Baseball ‘Round the Clock has historically been one of the most exciting and unique events in the NBC World Series,” said NBC tournament director Katie Woods, “For the 90th tournament, it was time to bring it back. We’re ready to introduce a new generation of competitors to some of the same elements – Midnight Madness, the cuckoo clock check-ins and ‘I survived’ shirts – that diehard NBC fans remember.”Baseball played at all hours has long been a tradition of the NBC. National Baseball Congress founder Hap Dumont came up with the idea of having late-night and early-morning games in the tournament to make games accessible to Wichita fans working swing and graveyard shifts early in the tournament’s history. NBC tournament director Steve Shaad formalized the tradition in 1990 with the introduction of ‘Baseball ‘Round the Clock” as 17 games in 56 hours. BRTC ran every year after that at the NBC through 2016 before it was discontinued.Fans ready to take on the challenge of surviving all 33 hours of Baseball ‘Round the Clock in 2024 can purchase their Baseball ‘Round the Clock (BRTC) tickets now at nbcbaseball.com for $20. BRTC tickets get participants entry in to all 11 games, as well as a punch card and wristband that will be used for check-ins at least once per game. When check-ins sound, participants have 10 minutes to report to the designated check-in spot and get their card punched to continue in the competition. Participants who have their card punched at every check-in will receive a free t-shirt, a tournament pass for the rest of the tournament, and will be entered into a raffle to win a series of grand prizes.Director of Community Partnership Brian Turner was a part of the Baseball ‘Round the Clock staff for six years during his tenure with the Wichita Wingnuts, and is looking forward to taking on the challenge once again.“There’s no event quite like Baseball ‘Round the Clock,” said Turner, “It’s a generational event, and we’re excited to bring it back with a new look, for both old and new fans, in 2024.”

Baseball `Round the Clock` returns to the NBC World Series

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered for the fourth time in five games, Austin Gomber won for the first time in seven weeks and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night.

Gomber (2-5) allowed a run on six hits in seven innings and struck out three in his first victory since May 15. He outdueled Royals ace Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon having three hits to help Colorado win its third straight.

“That was the best result that I’ve had in a while, but I’ve felt really good the last couple of weeks. I’ve just been kind of honing it in," Gomber said. “I thought I had a really good fastball, a good curveball, some good sliders at times. But really I thought it was kind of the fastball, curveball that kind of carried it for me today.”

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said the way Gomber mixed his fastball and breaking pitches kept his hitters off balance.

“I think when we looked hard, he threw soft and vice versa,” Quatraro said. “We didn’t square up a whole lot of balls, so you’ve got to give him credit.”

Lugo (11-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs — two earned. He struck out five and walked two.

In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th homer of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached on third baseman Maikel Garcia’s throwing error.

Doyle has had an exceptionally strong homestand, going 11 for 17 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs in five games.

Doyle drove Lugo’s 1-1 offering over the fence in right-center and into the Rockies bullpen 408 feet away.

“Guys like him are not easy to face and he’s been doing really well all year,” Doyle said about Lugo. “He’s been throwing really well all year and to get a hit like that off him is pretty huge for me, and to fire the team up a little bit. We played a good rest of the game.”

The drive snapped Lugo’s scoreless innings streak at 13 and led to his first loss on the road this season. He had dominated in his nine previous road starts, going 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA.

“I felt like I really had to battle out there,” Lugo said. “A few little things mechanically were off, but I felt like I made some good pitches. I made a few mistakes, but the defense played great behind me and we kept the team in the game and had a chance the whole way. So that's a positive I can take away from that."

Vinnie Pasquantino homered for Kansas City, and Hunter Renfroe had three hits. The Royals are 2-9 in their last 11 road games.

Pasquantino connected off Gomber with two outs in the sixth inning. Salvador Perez followed Pasquantino’s homer with a drive down the line in right that Jake Cave caught on the run, crashing into the wall. Kansas City right fielder Kyle Isbel reciprocated in the bottom of the sixth when he robbed Doyle of extra bases, snaring a sinking line drive to center at the end of a long run.

With Kansas City runners at the corners with two outs in the ninth, Victor Vodnik retired pinch-hitter Michael Massey on an infield grounder for his first save.

McMahon’s RBI single fifth made it 3-0.

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, completing a 447-day rehab and recovery from Tommy John surgery. He made just three starts in 2023 before undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in April 2023. He’ll work out of the bullpen, at least initially. LHP Walter Pennington, who retired both batters that he faced Friday night in his major league debut, has been optioned to Omaha to make roster room for Bubic.

Rockies: Trying to give Ryan Feltner bit of a break from a heavy workload, manager Bud Black opted to push back Feltner’s scheduled start Sunday by a day. Feltner is now slated to start Monday night in Cincinnati. The Rockies called up RHP Tanner Gordon from their Triple A affiliate in Albuquerque and he’s slated to make his major league debut as the starter for the Rockies in Sunday’s series finale.

RHP Brady Singer (4-5, 3.05 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals on Sunday in the finale of their three-game set at Colorado. He’ll be opposed by RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 0.00), who was promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque and is slated to make his MLB debut.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720363672985.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Colorado Rockies' Brenton Doyle, center, hugs Ezequiel Tovar as Vinny Castilla, special assistant to the general manager, looks on as Doyle returns to the dugout after hitting a teo-run home run off Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo in the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Colorado Rockies' Brenton Doyle, center, hugs Ezequiel Tovar as Vinny Castilla, special assistant to the general manager, looks on as Doyle returns to the dugout after hitting a teo-run home run off Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo in the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered for the fourth time in five games, Austin Gomber won for the first time in seven weeks and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night.Gomber (2-5) allowed a run on six hits in seven innings and struck out three in his first victory since May 15. He outdueled Royals ace Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon having three hits to help Colorado win its third straight.“That was the best result that I’ve had in a while, but I’ve felt really good the last couple of weeks. I’ve just been kind of honing it in," Gomber said. “I thought I had a really good fastball, a good curveball, some good sliders at times. But really I thought it was kind of the fastball, curveball that kind of carried it for me today.”Royals manager Matt Quatraro said the way Gomber mixed his fastball and breaking pitches kept his hitters off balance.“I think when we looked hard, he threw soft and vice versa,” Quatraro said. “We didn’t square up a whole lot of balls, so you’ve got to give him credit.”Lugo (11-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs — two earned. He struck out five and walked two.In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th homer of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached on third baseman Maikel Garcia’s throwing error.Doyle has had an exceptionally strong homestand, going 11 for 17 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs in five games.Doyle drove Lugo’s 1-1 offering over the fence in right-center and into the Rockies bullpen 408 feet away.“Guys like him are not easy to face and he’s been doing really well all year,” Doyle said about Lugo. “He’s been throwing really well all year and to get a hit like that off him is pretty huge for me, and to fire the team up a little bit. We played a good rest of the game.”The drive snapped Lugo’s scoreless innings streak at 13 and led to his first loss on the road this season. He had dominated in his nine previous road starts, going 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA.“I felt like I really had to battle out there,” Lugo said. “A few little things mechanically were off, but I felt like I made some good pitches. I made a few mistakes, but the defense played great behind me and we kept the team in the game and had a chance the whole way. So that's a positive I can take away from that."Vinnie Pasquantino homered for Kansas City, and Hunter Renfroe had three hits. The Royals are 2-9 in their last 11 road games.Pasquantino connected off Gomber with two outs in the sixth inning. Salvador Perez followed Pasquantino’s homer with a drive down the line in right that Jake Cave caught on the run, crashing into the wall. Kansas City right fielder Kyle Isbel reciprocated in the bottom of the sixth when he robbed Doyle of extra bases, snaring a sinking line drive to center at the end of a long run.With Kansas City runners at the corners with two outs in the ninth, Victor Vodnik retired pinch-hitter Michael Massey on an infield grounder for his first save.McMahon’s RBI single fifth made it 3-0.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: LHP Kris Bubic has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, completing a 447-day rehab and recovery from Tommy John surgery. He made just three starts in 2023 before undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in April 2023. He’ll work out of the bullpen, at least initially. LHP Walter Pennington, who retired both batters that he faced Friday night in his major league debut, has been optioned to Omaha to make roster room for Bubic.Rockies: Trying to give Ryan Feltner bit of a break from a heavy workload, manager Bud Black opted to push back Feltner’s scheduled start Sunday by a day. Feltner is now slated to start Monday night in Cincinnati. The Rockies called up RHP Tanner Gordon from their Triple A affiliate in Albuquerque and he’s slated to make his major league debut as the starter for the Rockies in Sunday’s series finale.UP NEXTRHP Brady Singer (4-5, 3.05 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals on Sunday in the finale of their three-game set at Colorado. He’ll be opposed by RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 0.00), who was promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque and is slated to make his MLB debut.

Gomber outduels Lugo in the Rockies' 3-1 victory over the Royals

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered for the fourth time in five games, Austin Gomber won for the first time in seven weeks and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night. Gomber (2-5) allowed a run on six hits in seven innings and struck out three in his first victory since May 15. He outdueled Royals ace Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon having three hits to help Colorado win its third straight. Lugo (11-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs — two earned. He struck out five and walked two. In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th homer of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached on third baseman Maikel Garcia’s throwing error.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top prospect James Wood launched his first career major league home run — a three-run shot — and added a two-run double for a career-high five RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 14-6. Keibert Ruiz went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a three-run homer off Cardinals starter Lance Lynn. Lynn allowed a career worst 11 runs — 10 earned — on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings. MacKenzie Gore gave up five runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. Jacob Barnes notched the win with two scoreless innings.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins singled in the fourth inning for his 12th straight hit in an at-bat. MLB says that ties the longest streak in major league history. Miranda entered the game Saturday against the Houston Astros with 10 consecutive hits. He was hit on the arm in his first plate appearance. After being examined by the Twins training staff, Miranda remained in the game. In the second inning, he drove Hunter Brown’s first pitch into center field for an RBI single. He's now tied with Johnny Kling in 1902, Pinky Higgins in 1938 and Walt Dropo in 1952 for the longest such streak.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James didn’t need another Olympic experience to complete some missing box on his resume or add to a legacy that was secured long, long ago. He decided to play this summer for one simple reason — because he wants to. Taking his first steps toward becoming the first U.S. men’s basketball player to compete at the Olympics in three different decades, James hit the floor Saturday with the team that the Americans are sending to the Paris Games later this month. Training camp opened in Las Vegas, the start of a 5 1/2-week quest where the only acceptable ending will be the U.S. winning gold for a fifth consecutive time.

UNDATED (AP) — Thomas Walkup had 19 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 13 points in 21 minutes and Greece moved one victory from the Paris Games, eliminating Luka Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 from the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament. Doncic finished with 21 points in the game Saturday in Piraeus, Greece, which marked the first time the two NBA megastars faced one another while representing their senior national teams. The matchup was one of eight semifinals taking place to determine the last four berths in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Games. Greece will meet Croatia on Sunday in the final of the Greece tournament.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Uruguay advanced to the Copa America semifinals with a 4-2 victory over Brazil on penalty kicks after the teams played to a scoreless draw. Manuel Ugarte scored the winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout. The teams combined for a tournament-high 41 fouls and just four shots on goal during a bruising, choppy match with little of the impressive soccer for which both South American powerhouses are known. Uruguay led 3-1 after three rounds of the shootout when goalkeeper Sergio Rochet stopped Éder Militão and Douglas Luiz hit the post.

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — England beat Switzerland 5-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024 after a 1-1 draw in extra time. England converted all of its first four penalties before Trent Alexander-Arnold won the game with the fifth. Manuel Akanji saw Switzerland’s first penalty kick saved to leave his team trailing. England, which lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy in a penalty shootout, goes on to play either Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday for a spot in the final.

BERLIN (AP) — The Netherlands came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and book its place in the European Championship semifinals. An own goal from Mert Muldur in the 76th minute, only six after Stefan De Vrij canceled Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Turkey, was enough for the Dutch in the last of the quarterfinals. The Netherlands will next face England in the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday. Spain faces France in the first on Tuesday.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — Police say Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson has been killed in a car crash in Maryland. The 24-year-old Jackson was one of three people who died Saturday in an overnight three-car crash in Prince George’s County. State police say 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel and 24-year-old Anthony Lytton, Jr., who were teammates of Jackson in high school and former college players, were also killed. Police said the car they were in was clipped by another vehicle. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor and charges could be coming, police say. Jackson was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings in April.

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bowman sees a Chicago street course full of possibilities. He also sees a major potential problem. Bowman says, "All the winners behind us in points make my life harder for sure.” That’s the situation for a group of NASCAR Cup Series contenders fighting for five remaining spots in the playoffs after Joey Logano became this season’s 11th different winner last weekend in Tennessee. Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher and Bowman occupy the last five playoff spots on points at the moment. Truex is in a strong position with seven races left in the regular season, but a win for a driver below Bowman in the standings could shake up the playoff field once again.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718617262520.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered for the fourth time in five games, Austin Gomber won for the first time in seven weeks and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night. Gomber (2-5) allowed a run on six hits in seven innings and struck out three in his first victory since May 15. He outdueled Royals ace Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon having three hits to help Colorado win its third straight. Lugo (11-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs — two earned. He struck out five and walked two. In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th homer of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached on third baseman Maikel Garcia’s throwing error.WASHINGTON (AP) — Top prospect James Wood launched his first career major league home run — a three-run shot — and added a two-run double for a career-high five RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 14-6. Keibert Ruiz went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a three-run homer off Cardinals starter Lance Lynn. Lynn allowed a career worst 11 runs — 10 earned — on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings. MacKenzie Gore gave up five runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. Jacob Barnes notched the win with two scoreless innings.MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins singled in the fourth inning for his 12th straight hit in an at-bat. MLB says that ties the longest streak in major league history. Miranda entered the game Saturday against the Houston Astros with 10 consecutive hits. He was hit on the arm in his first plate appearance. After being examined by the Twins training staff, Miranda remained in the game. In the second inning, he drove Hunter Brown’s first pitch into center field for an RBI single. He's now tied with Johnny Kling in 1902, Pinky Higgins in 1938 and Walt Dropo in 1952 for the longest such streak.LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James didn’t need another Olympic experience to complete some missing box on his resume or add to a legacy that was secured long, long ago. He decided to play this summer for one simple reason — because he wants to. Taking his first steps toward becoming the first U.S. men’s basketball player to compete at the Olympics in three different decades, James hit the floor Saturday with the team that the Americans are sending to the Paris Games later this month. Training camp opened in Las Vegas, the start of a 5 1/2-week quest where the only acceptable ending will be the U.S. winning gold for a fifth consecutive time.UNDATED (AP) — Thomas Walkup had 19 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 13 points in 21 minutes and Greece moved one victory from the Paris Games, eliminating Luka Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 from the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament. Doncic finished with 21 points in the game Saturday in Piraeus, Greece, which marked the first time the two NBA megastars faced one another while representing their senior national teams. The matchup was one of eight semifinals taking place to determine the last four berths in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Games. Greece will meet Croatia on Sunday in the final of the Greece tournament.LAS VEGAS (AP) — Uruguay advanced to the Copa America semifinals with a 4-2 victory over Brazil on penalty kicks after the teams played to a scoreless draw. Manuel Ugarte scored the winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout. The teams combined for a tournament-high 41 fouls and just four shots on goal during a bruising, choppy match with little of the impressive soccer for which both South American powerhouses are known. Uruguay led 3-1 after three rounds of the shootout when goalkeeper Sergio Rochet stopped Éder Militão and Douglas Luiz hit the post.DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — England beat Switzerland 5-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024 after a 1-1 draw in extra time. England converted all of its first four penalties before Trent Alexander-Arnold won the game with the fifth. Manuel Akanji saw Switzerland’s first penalty kick saved to leave his team trailing. England, which lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy in a penalty shootout, goes on to play either Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday for a spot in the final.BERLIN (AP) — The Netherlands came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and book its place in the European Championship semifinals. An own goal from Mert Muldur in the 76th minute, only six after Stefan De Vrij canceled Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Turkey, was enough for the Dutch in the last of the quarterfinals. The Netherlands will next face England in the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday. Spain faces France in the first on Tuesday.UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — Police say Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson has been killed in a car crash in Maryland. The 24-year-old Jackson was one of three people who died Saturday in an overnight three-car crash in Prince George’s County. State police say 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel and 24-year-old Anthony Lytton, Jr., who were teammates of Jackson in high school and former college players, were also killed. Police said the car they were in was clipped by another vehicle. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor and charges could be coming, police say. Jackson was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings in April.CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bowman sees a Chicago street course full of possibilities. He also sees a major potential problem. Bowman says, "All the winners behind us in points make my life harder for sure.” That’s the situation for a group of NASCAR Cup Series contenders fighting for five remaining spots in the playoffs after Joey Logano became this season’s 11th different winner last weekend in Tennessee. Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher and Bowman occupy the last five playoff spots on points at the moment. Truex is in a strong position with seven races left in the regular season, but a win for a driver below Bowman in the standings could shake up the playoff field once again.SATURDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	L.A. Angels	7	Chicago Cubs	0	Final	Cleveland	5	San Francisco	4	Final	Miami	4	Chicago White Sox	3	Final	Detroit	5	Cincinnati	3	Final	Colorado	3	Kansas City	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Yankees	14	Boston	4	Final	Minnesota	9	Houston	3	Final	Texas	4	Tampa Bay	3	Final	Toronto	5	Seattle	4	Final	Oakland	19	Baltimore	8	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Mets	5	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Washington	14	St. Louis	6	Final	Atlanta	5	Philadelphia	1	Final	L.A. Dodgers	5	Milwaukee	3	Final	Arizona	7	San Diego	5

Sunday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

The student-athletes attending 2024 Big 12 Football Media Days presented by Totino's have been announced. In addition to the players, each school’s head coach will also be in attendance.

The two-day event will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Tuesday, July 9 and Wednesday, July 10. 

ESPNU and Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will provide television coverage beginning at Noon CT on Wednesday and 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday.

Arizona State, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech and Utah will be present July 9 while Arizona, Baylor, BYU, UCF, Colorado, Houston, Kansas and West Virginia will take the stage July 10.

The student-athletes attending 2024 Big 12 Football Media Days presented by Totino's have been announced. In addition to the players, each school’s head coach will also be in attendance.The two-day event will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Tuesday, July 9 and Wednesday, July 10. ESPNU and Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will provide television coverage beginning at Noon CT on Wednesday and 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday.Arizona State, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech and Utah will be present July 9 while Arizona, Baylor, BYU, UCF, Colorado, Houston, Kansas and West Virginia will take the stage July 10.ArizonaQB Noah FifitaDB Gunner MaldonadoLB Jacob ManuWR Tetairoa McMillanArizona StateDB Xavion AlfordOL Leif FautanuRB Cameron SkatteboDL Clayton SmithBaylorWR Ketron JacksonLB Matt JonesRB Richard ReeseLB Keaton ThomasDB Carl Williams, IVBYUDE Tyler BattyOL Connor PayDB Jakob RobinsonWR Darius LassiterWR Chase RobertsUCFQB KJ JeffersonRB RJ HarveyWR Kobe HudsonDT Lee HunterLB Deshawn PaceCincinnatiDB Derrick CanteenP Mason Fletcher RB Corey Kiner OL Luke Kandra ColoradoATH Travis HunterQB Shedeur SandersS Shilo SandersP Mark VassettHoustonOL Tank JenkinsDB Latrell McCutchin, Sr.LB Jamal MorrisQB Donovan SmithIowa StateDB Beau FreylerWR Jayden HigginsWR Jaylin NoelDL J.R. SingletonKansasQB Jalon DanielsDB Mello DotsonRB Devin NealDE Jereme RobinsonKansas StateQB Avery JohnsonOL Hadley PanzerLB Austin MooreDE Brendan MottDB Marques SigleOklahoma StateQB Alan BowmanRB Ollie Gordon IILB Nick MartinLB Collin OliverTCUWR Jack BechDL Caleb FoxQB Josh HooverOL Mike NicholsLB Namdi ObiazorTexas TechRB Tahj BrooksQB Behren MortonLB Bryce RamirezLB Jacob RodriguezOL Caleb RogersUtahTE Brant KuitheLB Karene ReidQB Cameron RisingDT Junior TafunaWest VirginiaDB Aubrey BurksQB Garrett GreeneDL Sean MartinOL Wyatt Milum

Big 12 Football Media Days set for Tuesday and Wednesday

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics will honor a group of 10 outstanding individuals with induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame in August.

The 2024 Hall of Fame class includes two football greats in Nick Leckey and Kevin Lockett, a pair of men's basketball legends in Askia Jones and Jacob Pullen, former women's basketball head coach Deb Patterson, Diana Miller (women's basketball), Scott Sellers (track and field), Kim Zschau (volleyball), and Carl and Mary Ice (contributors).

"This year's class of 10 individuals is a phenomenal group, and we are thrilled to welcome them into the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame," said Kenny Lannou, Executive Associate Athletics Director for Communications and K-State Athletics Hall of Fame Chairperson. "Each of these inductees have made a lasting impact on K-State Athletics and Kansas State University, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Manhattan this fall for a special induction weekend."

The class is the 14th in the history of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, including the charter class of 1990, and will be honored during the weekend of August 30. Official induction ceremonies will take place on Friday, August 30, before the inductees are recognized at halftime of the football game against UT Martin the following day.

More ceremony details will be announced later this summer.

K-State Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2024 Biographies

The all-time wins leader in Kansas State women's basketball history after compiling a 350-226 record over her 18 seasons at the helm. Kansas State had just four NCAA tournament appearances when Patterson took over in 1996. In just her first season the Wildcats went 19-12, posting their first winning conference record in five years and first NCAA appearance in 10 years. Patterson guided the program to nine NCAA tournament appearances, nine 20-win seasons, two Big 12 regular season titles (2004 and 2008) and one WNIT crown (2006). Under Patterson, 10 Wildcats garnered All-America honors and two were named Big 12 Player of the Year (Nicole Ohlde 2003, 2004 and Kendra Wecker 2005). Five of K-State's top-six career scorers played under Patterson. She was twice named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2008 after leading the Wildcats to third and first place finishes, respectively. She was named a finalist for national coach of the year on three separate occasions (2002, 2003 and 2005) by two different organizations. In addition to coaching K-State, Patterson served as an assistant for three gold medal winning USA National Teams (1997, 1998 and 2000).

Long-time supporters of both University and athletics projects and programs. Carl Ice is a career railroader and served as president and CEO of BNSF Railway. He began his career with Santa Fe Railway after graduating from the Kansas State University College of Engineering in 1979. His wife, Mary, is a 1980 graduate of the College of Health and Human Sciences and earned a master's degree from the College of Education. Together they serve on the board of trustees of the KSU Foundation, and, in October 2019, Carl became Chairman of the KSU Foundation Board of Directors. Carl is also a past chair of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, former member of the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Advisory Council, and through the Ice's generosity have been honored as the first college in Kansas State University history to be named the "Carl R. Ice College of Engineering". Mary is a former member of the President's Advisory Committee in Intercollegiate Athletics and the Ahearn Fund Advisory Group along with K-State Alumni Association board of directors and also served as president of the College of Health and Human Sciences Alumni Advisory Board.

A four-year letterman (1989-94) for head coaches Lon Kruger and Dana Altman, Jones led the Wildcats to 85 wins to go with 4 postseason appearances (2 NCAA Tournaments and 2 NITs). He finished his career with 1,834 points, which ranks fourth all-time in school history. Jones is perhaps best known for his school-record 62-point effort vs. Fresno State in the 1994 Postseason NIT. Many of Jones's accolades from that game still stand, as he holds school records for most points in a half (45), most 3-point field goals made (14) and attempted (18). During a record-setting senior year in 1993-94, Jones became the second Wildcat (joining Mitch Richmond) to score 700 or more points in a single season. His 22.1 points per game average that season still ranks sixth for a single season, while his 20.2 points per game average in league play places eighth. In addition, Jones' name still ranks among the best in many single-season and career 3-point categories, including first in single-season made (110) and attempted (279), second in career 3-point field goals attempted (624) and third in career 3-point field goals made (237). His 38.0 career 3-point field goal percentage also still places 10th.

Leckey did not allow a sack his entire career at K-State and started 41 consecutive games. In the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Leckey earned First Team All-America honors. He was a finalist for the 2003 Rimington Trophy (nation's best center) and was an All-Big 12 First Team honoree in both 2002 and 2003. He helped lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 Championship in 2003. Leckey was selected in the 2004 NFL Draft by Arizona and played seven years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints.

Lockett was a Third Team All-America and first team all-conference honoree in both 1995 and 1996. A semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation's best wide receiver) in 1996, Lockett was named a First Team Academic All-American in both 1995 and 1996, while he was a four-time academic all-conference honoree. Following his playing days in Manhattan, Lockett was selected in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft by Kansas City, playing seven years in the NFL.

Miller completed her playing career in the Little Apple in 1991 as K-State's all-time leading scorer with 1,705 points and currently ranks seventh, with 1,705 points. In 1990, Miller was named an Honorable Mention All-American, a Kodak all-district team selection and the 1990 co-Big Eight Player of the Year after averaging 17.3 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game and leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament. She earned All-Big 8 First Team honors in both 1990 and 1991. In 1991, she averaged 19.2 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. During her career, Miller scored in double figures in 88 of 114 games, with 28 20-plus point games. She started 113 consecutive games during career and ranks in the top 10 in 15-of-18 K-State career categories.

A four-year letterman (2007-11) for head coach Frank Martin, Pullen helped the Wildcats to 95 wins and four postseason appearances (3 NCAA Tournaments and 1 NIT) as well as the Elite Eight in 2010. The school's all-time leading scorer (2,132 points), he was the first three-time team captain. Pullen became the second Wildcat (joining Mike Evans) and the sixth Big 12 player to eclipse 2,000 career points. He earned All-America status twice in his distinguished playing career, first as a junior in 2010 and lastly as a senior in 2011. Pullen was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, including first team in 2010 and 2011, while he was twice named to the All-Defensive Team. He first won All-America honors as a third team selection from The Sporting News and an honorable mention pick from The Associated Press in 2010 after helping the Wildcats total a school-record 29 wins and their first trip to the Elite Eight in 22 seasons. He repeated his third-team honors as a senior in 2011 from the AP, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)/ State Farm, The Sporting News and Yahoo! Sports after guiding the Wildcats to a 23-win season and another NCAA Tournament appearance. Pullen became just the third player in school history to be selected as a John R. Wooden Award All-American. He captured the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, as the best player under 6-foot by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Pullen averaged a team-best 20.2 points during his All-American senior season on 42.6 percent shooting, including 38.1 percent from 3-point range, with 3.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. His 38 points against Wisconsin in the NCAA Southeast Regional Third Round on March 19, 2011, were the most by a Wildcat in a NCAA Tournament contest. He set the career scoring mark with his 38 vs. the Badgers. Pullen averaged a team-best 19.3 points during his All-American junior campaign with 3.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He registered 37 consecutive double-digit scoring games, which is the longest single-season streak and the second-longest in school history. Pullen's 110 3-point field goals tied Askia Jones for the most in a single season at K-State. He ranks in the Top 5 in 17 career categories at K-State and in the Top 10 in six career categories in Big 12 history. Pullen was the first Wildcat with at least 1,800 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds and 200 steals. Following his time in Manhattan, Pullen has played professionally all over the world, including currently in Italy.

Sellers was a three-time NCAA high jump champion - 2007 outdoor (2.31m/7-7.25) and both indoor (2.24m/7-4.50) and outdoor (2.26m/7-5) in 2009. An overall eight-time NCAA All-American, Sellers reached the NCAA National Championships both indoor and outdoor his entire collegiate career. He was a two-time Big 12 Champion - 2007 outdoor (7-7.75) and 2008 indoor (7-6.00). He is currently No. 2 in both K-State indoor (2.29m/7-06.00) and outdoor (2.33m/7-07.75) high jump records. Sellers was awarded the USTFCCCA Field Scholar Athlete of the Year award in 2009 and named the Big 12 men's outdoor Performer of the Year in 2007 and indoor in 2008. He also earned multiple academic awards, including as a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection.

Zschau was a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection in volleyball (1997 &amp; 1998 - unanimous) who was invited to 1998 USA National Team Trials. She was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree (1996 &amp; 1997 – first team; 1998 – second team). She is 1 of 4 players in school history with 1000+ kills and digs. She ranks third in career games played at K-State with 457. She is 1 of 2 players with three seasons of 300+ kills and digs (1996: 399k, 386d; 1997: 476k, 383d; 1998: 473k, 455d). Zschau ranks second with 4 career 20/20 double-doubles and owns the mark for the most double-doubles in school history with 69. She ranks fourth in school history in 20-kills matches with 16 and ranks fifth in school history for 20-dig matches with 11. She is among the K-State career rankings for attacks (2nd; 4632); kills (2nd; 1646); and digs (3rd 1578, most by an outside hitter).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720278389227.jpeg" alt="K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics will honor a group of 10 outstanding individuals with induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame in August.The 2024 Hall of Fame class includes two football greats in Nick Leckey and Kevin Lockett, a pair of men's basketball legends in Askia Jones and Jacob Pullen, former women's basketball head coach Deb Patterson, Diana Miller (women's basketball), Scott Sellers (track and field), Kim Zschau (volleyball), and Carl and Mary Ice (contributors)."This year's class of 10 individuals is a phenomenal group, and we are thrilled to welcome them into the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame," said Kenny Lannou, Executive Associate Athletics Director for Communications and K-State Athletics Hall of Fame Chairperson. "Each of these inductees have made a lasting impact on K-State Athletics and Kansas State University, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Manhattan this fall for a special induction weekend."The class is the 14th in the history of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, including the charter class of 1990, and will be honored during the weekend of August 30. Official induction ceremonies will take place on Friday, August 30, before the inductees are recognized at halftime of the football game against UT Martin the following day.More ceremony details will be announced later this summer.K-State Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2024 BiographiesDeb PattersonThe all-time wins leader in Kansas State women's basketball history after compiling a 350-226 record over her 18 seasons at the helm. Kansas State had just four NCAA tournament appearances when Patterson took over in 1996. In just her first season the Wildcats went 19-12, posting their first winning conference record in five years and first NCAA appearance in 10 years. Patterson guided the program to nine NCAA tournament appearances, nine 20-win seasons, two Big 12 regular season titles (2004 and 2008) and one WNIT crown (2006). Under Patterson, 10 Wildcats garnered All-America honors and two were named Big 12 Player of the Year (Nicole Ohlde 2003, 2004 and Kendra Wecker 2005). Five of K-State's top-six career scorers played under Patterson. She was twice named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2008 after leading the Wildcats to third and first place finishes, respectively. She was named a finalist for national coach of the year on three separate occasions (2002, 2003 and 2005) by two different organizations. In addition to coaching K-State, Patterson served as an assistant for three gold medal winning USA National Teams (1997, 1998 and 2000).Carl &amp; Mary IceLong-time supporters of both University and athletics projects and programs. Carl Ice is a career railroader and served as president and CEO of BNSF Railway. He began his career with Santa Fe Railway after graduating from the Kansas State University College of Engineering in 1979. His wife, Mary, is a 1980 graduate of the College of Health and Human Sciences and earned a master's degree from the College of Education. Together they serve on the board of trustees of the KSU Foundation, and, in October 2019, Carl became Chairman of the KSU Foundation Board of Directors. Carl is also a past chair of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, former member of the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Advisory Council, and through the Ice's generosity have been honored as the first college in Kansas State University history to be named the "Carl R. Ice College of Engineering". Mary is a former member of the President's Advisory Committee in Intercollegiate Athletics and the Ahearn Fund Advisory Group along with K-State Alumni Association board of directors and also served as president of the College of Health and Human Sciences Alumni Advisory Board.Askia JonesA four-year letterman (1989-94) for head coaches Lon Kruger and Dana Altman, Jones led the Wildcats to 85 wins to go with 4 postseason appearances (2 NCAA Tournaments and 2 NITs). He finished his career with 1,834 points, which ranks fourth all-time in school history. Jones is perhaps best known for his school-record 62-point effort vs. Fresno State in the 1994 Postseason NIT. Many of Jones's accolades from that game still stand, as he holds school records for most points in a half (45), most 3-point field goals made (14) and attempted (18). During a record-setting senior year in 1993-94, Jones became the second Wildcat (joining Mitch Richmond) to score 700 or more points in a single season. His 22.1 points per game average that season still ranks sixth for a single season, while his 20.2 points per game average in league play places eighth. In addition, Jones' name still ranks among the best in many single-season and career 3-point categories, including first in single-season made (110) and attempted (279), second in career 3-point field goals attempted (624) and third in career 3-point field goals made (237). His 38.0 career 3-point field goal percentage also still places 10th.Nick LeckeyLeckey did not allow a sack his entire career at K-State and started 41 consecutive games. In the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Leckey earned First Team All-America honors. He was a finalist for the 2003 Rimington Trophy (nation's best center) and was an All-Big 12 First Team honoree in both 2002 and 2003. He helped lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 Championship in 2003. Leckey was selected in the 2004 NFL Draft by Arizona and played seven years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints.Kevin LockettLockett was a Third Team All-America and first team all-conference honoree in both 1995 and 1996. A semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation's best wide receiver) in 1996, Lockett was named a First Team Academic All-American in both 1995 and 1996, while he was a four-time academic all-conference honoree. Following his playing days in Manhattan, Lockett was selected in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft by Kansas City, playing seven years in the NFL.Diana MillerMiller completed her playing career in the Little Apple in 1991 as K-State's all-time leading scorer with 1,705 points and currently ranks seventh, with 1,705 points. In 1990, Miller was named an Honorable Mention All-American, a Kodak all-district team selection and the 1990 co-Big Eight Player of the Year after averaging 17.3 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game and leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament. She earned All-Big 8 First Team honors in both 1990 and 1991. In 1991, she averaged 19.2 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. During her career, Miller scored in double figures in 88 of 114 games, with 28 20-plus point games. She started 113 consecutive games during career and ranks in the top 10 in 15-of-18 K-State career categories.Jacob PullenA four-year letterman (2007-11) for head coach Frank Martin, Pullen helped the Wildcats to 95 wins and four postseason appearances (3 NCAA Tournaments and 1 NIT) as well as the Elite Eight in 2010. The school's all-time leading scorer (2,132 points), he was the first three-time team captain. Pullen became the second Wildcat (joining Mike Evans) and the sixth Big 12 player to eclipse 2,000 career points. He earned All-America status twice in his distinguished playing career, first as a junior in 2010 and lastly as a senior in 2011. Pullen was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, including first team in 2010 and 2011, while he was twice named to the All-Defensive Team. He first won All-America honors as a third team selection from The Sporting News and an honorable mention pick from The Associated Press in 2010 after helping the Wildcats total a school-record 29 wins and their first trip to the Elite Eight in 22 seasons. He repeated his third-team honors as a senior in 2011 from the AP, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)/ State Farm, The Sporting News and Yahoo! Sports after guiding the Wildcats to a 23-win season and another NCAA Tournament appearance. Pullen became just the third player in school history to be selected as a John R. Wooden Award All-American. He captured the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, as the best player under 6-foot by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Pullen averaged a team-best 20.2 points during his All-American senior season on 42.6 percent shooting, including 38.1 percent from 3-point range, with 3.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. His 38 points against Wisconsin in the NCAA Southeast Regional Third Round on March 19, 2011, were the most by a Wildcat in a NCAA Tournament contest. He set the career scoring mark with his 38 vs. the Badgers. Pullen averaged a team-best 19.3 points during his All-American junior campaign with 3.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He registered 37 consecutive double-digit scoring games, which is the longest single-season streak and the second-longest in school history. Pullen's 110 3-point field goals tied Askia Jones for the most in a single season at K-State. He ranks in the Top 5 in 17 career categories at K-State and in the Top 10 in six career categories in Big 12 history. Pullen was the first Wildcat with at least 1,800 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds and 200 steals. Following his time in Manhattan, Pullen has played professionally all over the world, including currently in Italy.Scott SellersSellers was a three-time NCAA high jump champion - 2007 outdoor (2.31m/7-7.25) and both indoor (2.24m/7-4.50) and outdoor (2.26m/7-5) in 2009. An overall eight-time NCAA All-American, Sellers reached the NCAA National Championships both indoor and outdoor his entire collegiate career. He was a two-time Big 12 Champion - 2007 outdoor (7-7.75) and 2008 indoor (7-6.00). He is currently No. 2 in both K-State indoor (2.29m/7-06.00) and outdoor (2.33m/7-07.75) high jump records. Sellers was awarded the USTFCCCA Field Scholar Athlete of the Year award in 2009 and named the Big 12 men's outdoor Performer of the Year in 2007 and indoor in 2008. He also earned multiple academic awards, including as a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection.Kim ZschauZschau was a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection in volleyball (1997 &amp; 1998 - unanimous) who was invited to 1998 USA National Team Trials. She was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree (1996 &amp; 1997 – first team; 1998 – second team). She is 1 of 4 players in school history with 1000+ kills and digs. She ranks third in career games played at K-State with 457. She is 1 of 2 players with three seasons of 300+ kills and digs (1996: 399k, 386d; 1997: 476k, 383d; 1998: 473k, 455d). Zschau ranks second with 4 career 20/20 double-doubles and owns the mark for the most double-doubles in school history with 69. She ranks fourth in school history in 20-kills matches with 16 and ranks fifth in school history for 20-dig matches with 11. She is among the K-State career rankings for attacks (2nd; 4632); kills (2nd; 1646); and digs (3rd 1578, most by an outside hitter).

 Kansas State Announces 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame Class

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review.

“I knew the guy had a good sinker and sweeper, so I wanted to get something up in the zone,” Doyle said. “I took the first ball and was going to be pretty aggressive with the next pitch, just wanted it up in the zone, and I got it.”

The winning double was Doyle's seventh extra-base hit in his last four games, the most by a Colorado player in a four-game span since Charlie Blackmon also had seven from June 13-16, 2019. Doyle's batting average stands at .274, 71 points higher than his average at the end of last year, his first full season in the majors.

“When you’re producing, putting good swings on the baseball and finding barrels, you know this game can be a lot more fun and confidence can also raise with that. I’m in a good spot," said Doyle, who worked hard in the offseason fine-tuning his swing.

Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.

The Royals went up 1-0 in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored an out later on a single by Perez.

Toglia connected on a 2-2 offering from Cole Ragans in the third inning, sending it the opposite way and just barely over the fence in left. Left fielder Dairon Blanco made a leaping attempt at the wall, his glove appearing to make glancing contact with the cupped hands of a fan who also tried to catch the ball. The ball dropped into the first row of the bleachers. The replay review upheld the home run call, ruling there was no conclusive evidence the spectator had interfered with Blanco in the field of play.

“I would have been pretty upset, like very upset actually,” Toglia said. “Because it’s not easy. But every one counts and I’m glad that one went my way.”

Ragans, though, had a replay review on a homer go against him for the second straight start. He also saw a home run call upheld in his last start against Cleveland when replay review could not determine whether a ball struck a metal support for netting before appearing to hit off the foul pole.

“At the end of the day, you just got to move on,” Ragans said. “It’s early in the game. It’s a 1-1 tie. ... It’s out of my hands. Nothing that I can do about it. Just got to move on and keep executing."

The Royals moved in front on an unearned run in the fourth inning, and the Rockies tied it at 2 in the sixth on Elias Díaz's RBI single.

Both starters turned in solid performances, with Ragans going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight but had four wild pitches, the most in a game by a pitcher this season. Colorado’s Kyle Freeland also went seven innings and allowed two runs — one earned — on seven hits.

Rockies RHP Germán Márquez is getting closer to returning from reconstructive elbow surgery. Márquez threw 69 pitches for Double-A Hartford on Thursday in his second rehab start, striking out two and walking one. He reached 99 mph with his fastball. “He came out of that fine,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s healthy. He feels good.” Márquez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, is expected to have one more rehab start Tuesday with Hartford and could rejoin the Rockies during their seven-game road trip next week that leads up to the All-Star break July 15-18.

Kansas City RHP Seth Lugo (11-2, 2.17 ERA), who’s tied for the major league lead in wins, was scheduled to start Saturday against LHP Austin Gomber (1-5, 4.72 ERA).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720276834112.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Colorado Rockies' Brenton Doyle gestures to the dugout after hitting a double to drive in two runs off Kansas City Royals relief pitcher John Schreiber in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 5, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Colorado Rockies' Brenton Doyle gestures to the dugout after hitting a double to drive in two runs off Kansas City Royals relief pitcher John Schreiber in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 5, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review.“I knew the guy had a good sinker and sweeper, so I wanted to get something up in the zone,” Doyle said. “I took the first ball and was going to be pretty aggressive with the next pitch, just wanted it up in the zone, and I got it.”The winning double was Doyle's seventh extra-base hit in his last four games, the most by a Colorado player in a four-game span since Charlie Blackmon also had seven from June 13-16, 2019. Doyle's batting average stands at .274, 71 points higher than his average at the end of last year, his first full season in the majors.“When you’re producing, putting good swings on the baseball and finding barrels, you know this game can be a lot more fun and confidence can also raise with that. I’m in a good spot," said Doyle, who worked hard in the offseason fine-tuning his swing.Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.The Royals went up 1-0 in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored an out later on a single by Perez.Toglia connected on a 2-2 offering from Cole Ragans in the third inning, sending it the opposite way and just barely over the fence in left. Left fielder Dairon Blanco made a leaping attempt at the wall, his glove appearing to make glancing contact with the cupped hands of a fan who also tried to catch the ball. The ball dropped into the first row of the bleachers. The replay review upheld the home run call, ruling there was no conclusive evidence the spectator had interfered with Blanco in the field of play.Toglia was relieved by the decision.“I would have been pretty upset, like very upset actually,” Toglia said. “Because it’s not easy. But every one counts and I’m glad that one went my way.”Ragans, though, had a replay review on a homer go against him for the second straight start. He also saw a home run call upheld in his last start against Cleveland when replay review could not determine whether a ball struck a metal support for netting before appearing to hit off the foul pole.“At the end of the day, you just got to move on,” Ragans said. “It’s early in the game. It’s a 1-1 tie. ... It’s out of my hands. Nothing that I can do about it. Just got to move on and keep executing."The Royals moved in front on an unearned run in the fourth inning, and the Rockies tied it at 2 in the sixth on Elias Díaz's RBI single.Both starters turned in solid performances, with Ragans going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight but had four wild pitches, the most in a game by a pitcher this season. Colorado’s Kyle Freeland also went seven innings and allowed two runs — one earned — on seven hits.TRAINER’S ROOMRockies RHP Germán Márquez is getting closer to returning from reconstructive elbow surgery. Márquez threw 69 pitches for Double-A Hartford on Thursday in his second rehab start, striking out two and walking one. He reached 99 mph with his fastball. “He came out of that fine,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s healthy. He feels good.” Márquez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, is expected to have one more rehab start Tuesday with Hartford and could rejoin the Rockies during their seven-game road trip next week that leads up to the All-Star break July 15-18.UP NEXTKansas City RHP Seth Lugo (11-2, 2.17 ERA), who’s tied for the major league lead in wins, was scheduled to start Saturday against LHP Austin Gomber (1-5, 4.72 ERA).

Brenton Doyle breaks 8th-inning tie with 2-run double, Rockies beat Royals 4-2

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies’ 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review. Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a tying homer in the ninth inning, Masyn Winn scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 11th, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6. Contreras struck out with one out in the 11th and Winn on third against Dylan Floro, but the ball got past catcher Riley Adams. In the ninth, Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan left a 2-2 fastball over the middle of the plate to Contreras, who sent it 407 feet over the wall in right-center to make it 5-all.

NEW YORK (AP) — A major league-best 49-21 through June 12, the New York Yankees are a big league-worst 5-15 since. The Yankees wasted a three-run lead against the Boston Red Sox in the latest deflating defeat when Masataka Yoshida hit a tying, two-run homer off Clay Holmes with two outs in the ninth inning and Ceddane Rafaela homered against Tommy Kahnle leading off the 10th. Boston’s 5-3 win sent the Yankees to their 14th loss in 18 games, a slide that started at Fenway Park on June 15.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday. Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.

LONDON (AP) — Andy Murray’s Wimbledon career has come to an anticlimactic end because Emma Raducanu pulled out of their mixed doubles first-round match. Raducanu cited an issue with her surgically repaired right wrist. They were supposed to compete in that event Saturday. The 37-year-old Murray is a two-time singles champion at the All England Club who has said he will head into retirement after competing at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics, which start later this month. Mixed doubles was supposed to be the last event at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament for Murray, who withdrew from singles because of an operation to remove a cyst from his spine on June 22 and exited in the first round of men’s doubles alongside his older brother, Jamie.

LONDON (AP) — Rain delayed play for a second straight day at Wimbledon, with organizers already having some catching up to do after several matches were suspended overnight. Light rain fell over the All England Club and play on the outside courts was postponed until at least 12:45 p.m. (1145 GMT), a delay of 1 hour, 45 minutes. Saturday's schedule was already crammed after four of the men’s third-round matches were not completed on Friday including Ben Shelton’s match against Denis Shapovalov which was first up on No. 1 Court. Ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur received a walkover into the fourth round when Lucas Pouille withdrew with an abdominal injury.

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Substitute Mikel Merino has headed Spain into the semifinals at the European Championship as his goal in the final minute of extra time saw La Roja snatch a 2-1 win over Germany and brought an end to Toni Kroos’ career. Florian Wirtz’s equaliser in the last minute had sent the intense quarterfinal between two of the best teams in the tournament to extra time. Dani Olmo netted the opener early in the second half. Spain defender Dani Carvajal was sent off late for a second yellow card and will be suspended for Tuesday’s semifinal against Portugal or France. Fellow defender Robin le Normand will also miss the match after picking up a booking.

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — France has beaten Portugal 5-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the European Championship semifinals and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s bid to win the title in his last appearance at the tournament. The game finished 0-0 following extra time and after Joao Felix hit a post with a penalty in the shootout, Theo Hernández converted the clinching kick. France had lost in penalty shootouts at its last two major tournaments — in the last 16 at the Euros in 2021 and in the 2022 World Cup final. The 39-year-old Ronaldo has said this will be his last European Championship. France will play Spain in the semifinals after its extra-time win over Germany in Stuttgart.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ismael Koné scored in the sixth round of the shootout after a third save by Maxime Crépeau and Canada advanced to the semifinals of its first Copa America with a victory over Venezuela. The Canadians won 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals. Jacob Shaffelburg scored in the 13th minute for Canada before Salomón Rondón got the equalizer in the 64th minute for Venezuela. The victory earned 48th-ranked Canada a rematch with Lionel Messi and Argentina on Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russia says that 10 of its wrestlers who were offered spots at the Paris Olympics as neutrals will refuse to compete. The Russian wrestling federation says that its officials, coaches and athletes held a meeting and “came to an unanimous decision — to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games.” The wrestlers would have been the largest group of Russians in any one sport competing in Paris under the Individual Neutral Athlete program launched by the International Olympic Committee to allow some athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to compete during the war in Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718617262520.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies’ 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review. Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.WASHINGTON (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a tying homer in the ninth inning, Masyn Winn scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 11th, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6. Contreras struck out with one out in the 11th and Winn on third against Dylan Floro, but the ball got past catcher Riley Adams. In the ninth, Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan left a 2-2 fastball over the middle of the plate to Contreras, who sent it 407 feet over the wall in right-center to make it 5-all.NEW YORK (AP) — A major league-best 49-21 through June 12, the New York Yankees are a big league-worst 5-15 since. The Yankees wasted a three-run lead against the Boston Red Sox in the latest deflating defeat when Masataka Yoshida hit a tying, two-run homer off Clay Holmes with two outs in the ninth inning and Ceddane Rafaela homered against Tommy Kahnle leading off the 10th. Boston’s 5-3 win sent the Yankees to their 14th loss in 18 games, a slide that started at Fenway Park on June 15.LAS VEGAS (AP) — After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday. Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.LONDON (AP) — Andy Murray’s Wimbledon career has come to an anticlimactic end because Emma Raducanu pulled out of their mixed doubles first-round match. Raducanu cited an issue with her surgically repaired right wrist. They were supposed to compete in that event Saturday. The 37-year-old Murray is a two-time singles champion at the All England Club who has said he will head into retirement after competing at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics, which start later this month. Mixed doubles was supposed to be the last event at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament for Murray, who withdrew from singles because of an operation to remove a cyst from his spine on June 22 and exited in the first round of men’s doubles alongside his older brother, Jamie.LONDON (AP) — Rain delayed play for a second straight day at Wimbledon, with organizers already having some catching up to do after several matches were suspended overnight. Light rain fell over the All England Club and play on the outside courts was postponed until at least 12:45 p.m. (1145 GMT), a delay of 1 hour, 45 minutes. Saturday's schedule was already crammed after four of the men’s third-round matches were not completed on Friday including Ben Shelton’s match against Denis Shapovalov which was first up on No. 1 Court. Ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur received a walkover into the fourth round when Lucas Pouille withdrew with an abdominal injury.STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Substitute Mikel Merino has headed Spain into the semifinals at the European Championship as his goal in the final minute of extra time saw La Roja snatch a 2-1 win over Germany and brought an end to Toni Kroos’ career. Florian Wirtz’s equaliser in the last minute had sent the intense quarterfinal between two of the best teams in the tournament to extra time. Dani Olmo netted the opener early in the second half. Spain defender Dani Carvajal was sent off late for a second yellow card and will be suspended for Tuesday’s semifinal against Portugal or France. Fellow defender Robin le Normand will also miss the match after picking up a booking.HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — France has beaten Portugal 5-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the European Championship semifinals and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s bid to win the title in his last appearance at the tournament. The game finished 0-0 following extra time and after Joao Felix hit a post with a penalty in the shootout, Theo Hernández converted the clinching kick. France had lost in penalty shootouts at its last two major tournaments — in the last 16 at the Euros in 2021 and in the 2022 World Cup final. The 39-year-old Ronaldo has said this will be his last European Championship. France will play Spain in the semifinals after its extra-time win over Germany in Stuttgart.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ismael Koné scored in the sixth round of the shootout after a third save by Maxime Crépeau and Canada advanced to the semifinals of its first Copa America with a victory over Venezuela. The Canadians won 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals. Jacob Shaffelburg scored in the 13th minute for Canada before Salomón Rondón got the equalizer in the 64th minute for Venezuela. The victory earned 48th-ranked Canada a rematch with Lionel Messi and Argentina on Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russia says that 10 of its wrestlers who were offered spots at the Paris Olympics as neutrals will refuse to compete. The Russian wrestling federation says that its officials, coaches and athletes held a meeting and “came to an unanimous decision — to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games.” The wrestlers would have been the largest group of Russians in any one sport competing in Paris under the Individual Neutral Athlete program launched by the International Olympic Committee to allow some athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to compete during the war in Ukraine.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — There is a Lowe family reunion this weekend in Texas. The mother of big league players Nathaniel and Josh is getting to watch her sons play against each other for the first time since being diagnosed with brain cancer last year. Wendy Lowe was unable to attend at Tampa Bay last October when Nathaniel Lowe and the Texas Rangers played against younger brother Josh and the Rays in an AL Wild Card playoff series. She was going through chemotherapy then. When the two teams met in Florida the first week this season, neither brother played because both were on the injured list.FRIDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Chicago Cubs	5	L.A. Angels	1	Final	Detroit	5	Cincinnati	4	Final	Chicago White Sox	3	Miami	2	Final	San Francisco	4	Cleveland	2	Final	Colorado	4	Kansas City	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Boston	5	N.Y. Yankees	3	Final	Texas	3	Tampa Bay	0	Final	Houston	13	Minnesota	12	Final	Seattle	2	Toronto	1	Final	Baltimore	3	Oakland	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	14	N.Y. Mets	2	Final	St. Louis	7	Washington	6	Final	Philadelphia	8	Atlanta	6	Final	San Diego	10	Arizona	8	Final	L.A. Dodgers	8	Milwaukee	5