SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov put his hands at either end of the Stanley Cup and began skating away to start the celebration that the Florida Panthers have wanted forever.

And as he began to hoist hockey's chalice for the first time, he had one thought.

A 37-pound trophy wasn't too much for him. A three-game slide wasn't too much for the Panthers. There was no stumble with the Cup, no collapse with the Cup on the line. The Panthers are champions for the first time, after taking about the hardest path possible to the title.

Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves and the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Monday night in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. It was the third title-round appearance in Florida's 30-year history; it was swept in 1996 by Colorado and routed 4-1 by Vegas last season. And that loss last year was what this team needed.

“You have to go through it first,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, “to know what it takes to get it done.”

This time, they were on the right side of history — after avoiding what would have been a historic collapse. The Panthers won the first three games of the series, then lost the next three and needed a win on Monday to avoid joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings as the only teams to lose the final after taking a 3-0 lead in the title round.

“It's not what I thought it would be,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “It's so much better.”

It wasn’t easy. Not even close. But it's done.

Barkov handed the Cup to Bobrovsky and the celebration was on. It took until the very end for the Panthers to deny Connor McDavid his first title, and Edmonton what would have been its first Cup since 1990.

“You want to become a true champion and you want to win,” said Bobrovsky, a champion for the first time at 35. “But at the end of the day, you don't do it for the Cups. You do it for the love of the game.”

McDavid won the Conn Smythe as MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He didn't come out for the trophy. It's not the one he wanted, anyway. The Cup is what they play for, and it was Florida that hoisted it.

“No player in the world wants to win the Stanley Cup more than him,” Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl said of McDavid, who had one of the greatest individual postseasons in NHL history with 42 points. “He does everything right, every single day.”

But the Panthers did a little more right on Monday. And that's the difference.

“It’s not a dream anymore. It’s not a dream. It’s reality,” said Tkachuk, who got traded to Florida two summers ago with this as his goal. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. ... I can’t believe how good these two years have been. So thankful for this group of guys. It’s the best place, best guys. It’s something really special here with what we have.”

Mattias Janmark had the goal for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots for the Oilers. The Oilers also couldn’t snap Canada’s title drought; it’s been 1993 and counting since a team based in Canada won the Cup.

Montreal was the last to do so, 30 seasons ago. Since then, there have been seven attempts by teams from Canadian-based cities — Vancouver in 1994 and 2011, Calgary in 2004, the Oilers in 2006, Ottawa in 2007 and the Canadiens in 2021 — to win titles, and all were in vain.

South Florida now has one of everything when it comes to titles from the four major pro sports leagues in the U.S. The Miami Dolphins were champions twice, the then-Florida Marlins were champions twice, the Miami Heat have three titles and now the Panthers have joined the party.

Welcome, Stanley. The Panthers have been waiting. Maurice hoisted the Cup by the bench, closed his eyes tight to control the emotion and let out a yell. General manager Bill Zito didn't bother even trying to not let the yell out. And in the stands, Tkachuk's family — his father, Keith, never won a Cup — reveled in the moment, knowing their surname will soon be on Lord Stanley.

Bobrovsky was as cool as could be, even in the biggest moments. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard had a good look from the right circle with about 14 seconds left in the second period; Bobrovsky blocked the shot, and the puck bounced off him and into the air.

No problem. Bobrovsky took his stick and batted the puck away again, more like he was playing morning pickleball at a park than in the biggest game of his life — literally, the last line of defense against the Oilers, and against a piece of history that the Panthers desperately fought to avoid.

Florida led this title series 3-0, then got outscored 18-5 in Games 4, 5 and 6 to waste three chances at winning the Cup. Edmonton was one win away from becoming the second team in NHL history to win the Cup after dropping the first three games; Toronto did it to Detroit in 1942, and no team has pulled off such a comeback since.

“They should have their heads up high,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "There’s lots to be proud of.”

The Panthers brought in seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette — she was born in Canada and became a dual U.S. citizen in 2005 — to sing the national anthems. Hardly anybody could hear her; the Oilers fans drowned her out for “O Canada,” the Panthers fans did the same for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They had Panthers legend Roberto Luongo bang the ceremonial bass drum after that; he urged fans to “let’s go” with an extra word in there that needed to be bleeped a few times.

“We have a great team on our side,” said Luongo, whose number was retired by the Panthers and is now part of the team's front office. “And the boys really dug deep.”

The pregame was raucous. The stage was set.

And the teams came out absolutely ablaze.

The Panthers got the first goal just 4:27 into the game when Verhaeghe waved his stick at the puck that was fired in from the left side by Evan Rodrigues and got just enough to redirect it past Skinner for a 1-0 lead — the first Florida lead since the end of Game 3.

They waited more than a week to be back on top. They stayed there for just over two minutes.

Janmark got behind the Florida defense and beat Bobrovsky over the right shoulder at 6:44, knotting things right back up and ensuring that this Game 7 of the final — like all 17 of the previous such games — wouldn’t end 1-0.

It stayed that way through wild ebbs and flows — the Oilers controlled long stretches, the Panthers would counter, back and forth — until Reinhart scored late in the second to put Florida up 2-1. It capped a crazy sequence, one where Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov wound up in the net to help prevent an Edmonton goal seconds before Reinhart beat Skinner. The goal was Reinhart’s 67th of the season, extending his Florida single-season record, and it was up to the Panthers to make it hold up.

“The determination,” Maurice said, “was clear.”

Florida was an NHL-best 44-0-3 entering Monday when leading after two periods this season. An NHL-best 85-2-6 in that situation in the two seasons under coach Maurice, too.

They slammed the door, one last time. And the Cup was their reward.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov put his hands at either end of the Stanley Cup and began skating away to start the celebration that the Florida Panthers have wanted forever.And as he began to hoist hockey's chalice for the first time, he had one thought.“It's heavy,” he said.A 37-pound trophy wasn't too much for him. A three-game slide wasn't too much for the Panthers. There was no stumble with the Cup, no collapse with the Cup on the line. The Panthers are champions for the first time, after taking about the hardest path possible to the title.Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves and the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Monday night in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. It was the third title-round appearance in Florida's 30-year history; it was swept in 1996 by Colorado and routed 4-1 by Vegas last season. And that loss last year was what this team needed.“You have to go through it first,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, “to know what it takes to get it done.”This time, they were on the right side of history — after avoiding what would have been a historic collapse. The Panthers won the first three games of the series, then lost the next three and needed a win on Monday to avoid joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings as the only teams to lose the final after taking a 3-0 lead in the title round.“It's not what I thought it would be,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “It's so much better.”It wasn’t easy. Not even close. But it's done.Barkov handed the Cup to Bobrovsky and the celebration was on. It took until the very end for the Panthers to deny Connor McDavid his first title, and Edmonton what would have been its first Cup since 1990.“You want to become a true champion and you want to win,” said Bobrovsky, a champion for the first time at 35. “But at the end of the day, you don't do it for the Cups. You do it for the love of the game.”McDavid won the Conn Smythe as MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He didn't come out for the trophy. It's not the one he wanted, anyway. The Cup is what they play for, and it was Florida that hoisted it.“No player in the world wants to win the Stanley Cup more than him,” Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl said of McDavid, who had one of the greatest individual postseasons in NHL history with 42 points. “He does everything right, every single day.”But the Panthers did a little more right on Monday. And that's the difference.“It’s not a dream anymore. It’s not a dream. It’s reality,” said Tkachuk, who got traded to Florida two summers ago with this as his goal. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. ... I can’t believe how good these two years have been. So thankful for this group of guys. It’s the best place, best guys. It’s something really special here with what we have.”Mattias Janmark had the goal for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots for the Oilers. The Oilers also couldn’t snap Canada’s title drought; it’s been 1993 and counting since a team based in Canada won the Cup.Montreal was the last to do so, 30 seasons ago. Since then, there have been seven attempts by teams from Canadian-based cities — Vancouver in 1994 and 2011, Calgary in 2004, the Oilers in 2006, Ottawa in 2007 and the Canadiens in 2021 — to win titles, and all were in vain.South Florida now has one of everything when it comes to titles from the four major pro sports leagues in the U.S. The Miami Dolphins were champions twice, the then-Florida Marlins were champions twice, the Miami Heat have three titles and now the Panthers have joined the party.Welcome, Stanley. The Panthers have been waiting. Maurice hoisted the Cup by the bench, closed his eyes tight to control the emotion and let out a yell. General manager Bill Zito didn't bother even trying to not let the yell out. And in the stands, Tkachuk's family — his father, Keith, never won a Cup — reveled in the moment, knowing their surname will soon be on Lord Stanley.“This is for them,” Tkachuk said.Bobrovsky was as cool as could be, even in the biggest moments. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard had a good look from the right circle with about 14 seconds left in the second period; Bobrovsky blocked the shot, and the puck bounced off him and into the air.No problem. Bobrovsky took his stick and batted the puck away again, more like he was playing morning pickleball at a park than in the biggest game of his life — literally, the last line of defense against the Oilers, and against a piece of history that the Panthers desperately fought to avoid.Florida led this title series 3-0, then got outscored 18-5 in Games 4, 5 and 6 to waste three chances at winning the Cup. Edmonton was one win away from becoming the second team in NHL history to win the Cup after dropping the first three games; Toronto did it to Detroit in 1942, and no team has pulled off such a comeback since.Edmonton almost did it. Almost.“They should have their heads up high,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "There’s lots to be proud of.”The Panthers brought in seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette — she was born in Canada and became a dual U.S. citizen in 2005 — to sing the national anthems. Hardly anybody could hear her; the Oilers fans drowned her out for “O Canada,” the Panthers fans did the same for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They had Panthers legend Roberto Luongo bang the ceremonial bass drum after that; he urged fans to “let’s go” with an extra word in there that needed to be bleeped a few times.“We have a great team on our side,” said Luongo, whose number was retired by the Panthers and is now part of the team's front office. “And the boys really dug deep.”The pregame was raucous. The stage was set.And the teams came out absolutely ablaze.The Panthers got the first goal just 4:27 into the game when Verhaeghe waved his stick at the puck that was fired in from the left side by Evan Rodrigues and got just enough to redirect it past Skinner for a 1-0 lead — the first Florida lead since the end of Game 3.They waited more than a week to be back on top. They stayed there for just over two minutes.Janmark got behind the Florida defense and beat Bobrovsky over the right shoulder at 6:44, knotting things right back up and ensuring that this Game 7 of the final — like all 17 of the previous such games — wouldn’t end 1-0.It stayed that way through wild ebbs and flows — the Oilers controlled long stretches, the Panthers would counter, back and forth — until Reinhart scored late in the second to put Florida up 2-1. It capped a crazy sequence, one where Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov wound up in the net to help prevent an Edmonton goal seconds before Reinhart beat Skinner. The goal was Reinhart’s 67th of the season, extending his Florida single-season record, and it was up to the Panthers to make it hold up.“The determination,” Maurice said, “was clear.”Florida was an NHL-best 44-0-3 entering Monday when leading after two periods this season. An NHL-best 85-2-6 in that situation in the two seasons under coach Maurice, too.They slammed the door, one last time. And the Cup was their reward.

Top Cats: Panthers win their 1st Stanley Cup, top Oilers 2-1 in Game 7

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs released defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs on Monday after two recent arrests in Alabama.

The 27-year-old Buggs, who signed a $1,292,500 contract with Kansas City for the upcoming season, turned himself in May 30 after he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal cruelty. Two dogs that were under Buggs’ care were allegedly found neglected and malnourished, and one of the dogs had to be euthanized.

On June 16, Buggs was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs released defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs on Monday after two recent arrests in Alabama.The 27-year-old Buggs, who signed a $1,292,500 contract with Kansas City for the upcoming season, turned himself in May 30 after he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal cruelty. Two dogs that were under Buggs’ care were allegedly found neglected and malnourished, and one of the dogs had to be euthanized.On June 16, Buggs was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Kansas City Chiefs release DL Isaiah Buggs after 2 recent arrests in Alabama

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tony Vitello jumped into the stands to share a group hug with the legion of Tennessee fans who invaded Omaha. His players ran a lap around the warning track high-fiving them. Kavares Tears squatted in right field taking in the moment with a towel over his eyes.

Tennessee at long last won its first national championship in baseball.

Christian Moore hit a leadoff homer, Dylan Dreiling went deep for the third time in three games and Tennessee survived anxious moments late to take the title with a 6-5 victory over Texas A&amp;M on Monday night in Game 3 of the College World Series finals.

The Volunteers bounced back from a Game 1 loss to win two straight and become the first No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament to win the title since Miami in 1999.

“Kids are tough these days. They will do what you ask them to do,” said Vitello, the Vols’ seventh-year coach. “I know our fans got us through that tough inning. That was a group effort on the mound. If you’re in the SEC, you’re going to be a superstar player, but you need to be a good teammate, and that’s what these guys were.”

Tennessee (60-13) held an Aggies team averaging 8.5 runs per game for the season to six runs over the last 20 innings of the finals, with Zander Sechrist and Nate Snead doing the heavy lifting on Monday before Texas A&amp;M came back to score four runs and get the tying run at the plate in the ninth.

Aaron Combs struck out Hayden Schott and Ted Burton to end the game and set off a Tennessee celebration behind the pitcher’s mound.

Tennessee had made runs at the title before. The Vols reached the CWS in 2021 and went 0-2. The next year they were the No. 1 national seed and lost at home in a three-game super regional. They were back in Omaha last year and won a game. And they slugged their way back again this year, making it to the finals for the first time since the 1951 team lost to Oklahoma in the championship game.

Minutes after the final pitch, the 45-year-old Vitello shared an embrace with his father, Greg, a longtime state champion high school baseball and soccer coach in St. Louis.

“I felt like I was the dad and he was the kid because he wouldn’t stop crying,” Vitello said. “I had to rub some dirt on him.”

The Vols are the eighth Southeastern Conference school to win a national title in baseball. Those eight have combined for 16 titles. The SEC has won five in a row, all by different schools, and 10 of the last 15.

Texas A&amp;M threatened to cut into a 3-1 deficit in the sixth and seventh innings, but Snead got the Vols out of trouble both times.

Dreiling, the CWS Most Outstanding Player, connected for his 23rd homer of the season and Hunter Ensley evaded Jackson Appel’s tag at the plate as he scored on Tears’ double to make it 6-1 going to the eighth. Since the CWS best-of-three finals began in 2003, Dreiling is the only player to homer in three games.

“I kind of blacked out again in the moment,” Dreiling said. “I know first pitch I overswung on a heater way up. I told myself just see the ball deep and put a good swing on something. He gave me a changeup over the middle. I tried to stay back and put a good swing on it.”

The Vols’ two homers Monday moved them into a tie with the 1998 LSU team for most in an NCAA Tournament (37) and gave them 184 for the season, four behind the 1997 LSU team’s NCAA record of 188.

Texas A&amp;M created some anxiety for the Vols in the eighth, scoring twice and threatening to get more with two runners on base with one out. Kirby Connell got two strikes, pumped his left fist twice coming off the mound, gave a primal scream and skipped over the third-base line on his way back to the dugout.

The Aggies scored twice in the ninth, the second run coming home on a wild pitch, to make it a one-run game before Combs finished it off.

“Tough one to swallow,” Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “You make it this far, you want to win your last game.”

Among the fans on hand in Tennessee orange were football great Peyton Manning, football coach Josh Heupel, men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes and country music artist Morgan Wallen. Temperature at first pitch was a humid 98 degrees.

Moore took Tennessee fans’ minds off the heat, at least for a moment, when he drove Justin Lamkin’s fourth pitch, an elevated fastball, off the back wall of the left-field bullpen for his team-leading 34th homer of the season.

The Aggies overcame late-season injuries, including one to star outfielder Braden Montgomery, to reach their first CWS finals. Their 53 wins were their most since 1993.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719308530392.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Tennessee coach Tony Vitello, center, celebrates with his team following their victory over Texas A&amp;M in Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Tennessee coach Tony Vitello, center, celebrates with his team following their victory over Texas A&amp;M in Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tony Vitello jumped into the stands to share a group hug with the legion of Tennessee fans who invaded Omaha. His players ran a lap around the warning track high-fiving them. Kavares Tears squatted in right field taking in the moment with a towel over his eyes.Tennessee at long last won its first national championship in baseball.Christian Moore hit a leadoff homer, Dylan Dreiling went deep for the third time in three games and Tennessee survived anxious moments late to take the title with a 6-5 victory over Texas A&amp;M on Monday night in Game 3 of the College World Series finals.The Volunteers bounced back from a Game 1 loss to win two straight and become the first No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament to win the title since Miami in 1999.“Kids are tough these days. They will do what you ask them to do,” said Vitello, the Vols’ seventh-year coach. “I know our fans got us through that tough inning. That was a group effort on the mound. If you’re in the SEC, you’re going to be a superstar player, but you need to be a good teammate, and that’s what these guys were.”Tennessee (60-13) held an Aggies team averaging 8.5 runs per game for the season to six runs over the last 20 innings of the finals, with Zander Sechrist and Nate Snead doing the heavy lifting on Monday before Texas A&amp;M came back to score four runs and get the tying run at the plate in the ninth.Aaron Combs struck out Hayden Schott and Ted Burton to end the game and set off a Tennessee celebration behind the pitcher’s mound.Tennessee had made runs at the title before. The Vols reached the CWS in 2021 and went 0-2. The next year they were the No. 1 national seed and lost at home in a three-game super regional. They were back in Omaha last year and won a game. And they slugged their way back again this year, making it to the finals for the first time since the 1951 team lost to Oklahoma in the championship game.Minutes after the final pitch, the 45-year-old Vitello shared an embrace with his father, Greg, a longtime state champion high school baseball and soccer coach in St. Louis.“I felt like I was the dad and he was the kid because he wouldn’t stop crying,” Vitello said. “I had to rub some dirt on him.”The Vols are the eighth Southeastern Conference school to win a national title in baseball. Those eight have combined for 16 titles. The SEC has won five in a row, all by different schools, and 10 of the last 15.Texas A&amp;M threatened to cut into a 3-1 deficit in the sixth and seventh innings, but Snead got the Vols out of trouble both times.Dreiling, the CWS Most Outstanding Player, connected for his 23rd homer of the season and Hunter Ensley evaded Jackson Appel’s tag at the plate as he scored on Tears’ double to make it 6-1 going to the eighth. Since the CWS best-of-three finals began in 2003, Dreiling is the only player to homer in three games.“I kind of blacked out again in the moment,” Dreiling said. “I know first pitch I overswung on a heater way up. I told myself just see the ball deep and put a good swing on something. He gave me a changeup over the middle. I tried to stay back and put a good swing on it.”The Vols’ two homers Monday moved them into a tie with the 1998 LSU team for most in an NCAA Tournament (37) and gave them 184 for the season, four behind the 1997 LSU team’s NCAA record of 188.Texas A&amp;M created some anxiety for the Vols in the eighth, scoring twice and threatening to get more with two runners on base with one out. Kirby Connell got two strikes, pumped his left fist twice coming off the mound, gave a primal scream and skipped over the third-base line on his way back to the dugout.The Aggies scored twice in the ninth, the second run coming home on a wild pitch, to make it a one-run game before Combs finished it off.“Tough one to swallow,” Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “You make it this far, you want to win your last game.”Among the fans on hand in Tennessee orange were football great Peyton Manning, football coach Josh Heupel, men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes and country music artist Morgan Wallen. Temperature at first pitch was a humid 98 degrees.Moore took Tennessee fans’ minds off the heat, at least for a moment, when he drove Justin Lamkin’s fourth pitch, an elevated fastball, off the back wall of the left-field bullpen for his team-leading 34th homer of the season.The Aggies overcame late-season injuries, including one to star outfielder Braden Montgomery, to reach their first CWS finals. Their 53 wins were their most since 1993.

Tennessee earns first national title in baseball with 6-5 win over Texas A&M

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole Ragans struck out 11 for his first win in a month, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Monday night for just their fourth win in 15 games.

Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe hit solo homers off Roddery Muñoz (1-3), who has allowed six home runs in his last 10 innings.

Ragans (5-5) allowed one run, four hits and three walks in six innings. He had been 0-2 in five starts since beating Detroit on May 22.

“Change up was good,” Ragans said. “Got some good swing-and-miss on it, got some pop ups with it. Overall, I commanded it pretty well.”

“When he can get ahead and attack, that’s when you see a lot of swing-and-miss,” Royals interim manager Paul Hoover said. “A team that hasn’t seen him and he’s executing four different pitches for strikes. That’s tough on any lineup.”

Kansas City pitchers struck out a season-high 15.

Chris Stratton, John Schreiber and James McArthur each followed with a hitless inning as the Marlins were held to four hits or fewest for the 12th time.

McArthur got his 13th save in 17 chances as the Royals stopped a three-game losing streak.

“It’s tough to win when you score one run,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I thought we had a chance in a couple of innings there. Just couldn’t get the big hit. Ragans is the story tonight. Just kept us off-balance all night.”

Bryan De La Cruz had a two-out RBI double in the third.

“My sinker was a little difficult to locate tonight,” Muñoz said. “There were some pitches that were not exactly what I wanted. I was trying to attack, be very aggressive. They were competing and they won in that situation.”

Muñoz gave up four runs, six hits and four walks in six innings.

“The problem is command catches up with him,” Schumaker said. “Putting himself in better situations, count-wise, is going to be the key to his development.”

Pasquantino led off the fourth with his eighth home run and Perez followed with his 12th on the next pitch, ending an 0-for-17 slump with the Royals’ first consecutive home runs since March 31. Kansas City, which entered with a 25-inning scoreless streak, also got Kyle Isbel’s two-out RBI single in the three-run inning.

“It wasn’t fun, but there was no panic,” Pasquantino said of the offensive slump. “What do we need to do to rectify that? Tonight was a nice step in that direction.”

Renfroe hit a 434-foot drive in the sixth for his seventh homer.

“It’s been a while,” Renfroe said. “It’s been a rough 10 days. Just to be able to hit a ball solid and get back into the groove of things is pretty fantastic.”

Michael Massey returned from a sprained lower back that had sidelined him since May 24 and was 1 for 3 as a designated hitter.

CJ Alexander, a 27-year-old who had been in the minor leagues since 2018, made his major league debut at third base for the Royals and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Kansas City selected Alexander’s contract from Omaha, optioned outfielder Nelson Velázquez to the Triple-A team and designed left-hander Jake Brentz for assignment.

Otto López had two hits for the Marlins, who are 6-14 in June.

Royals: INF Adam Frazier placed on 10-day IL (right thumb sprain), retroactive to Sunday.

Marlins RHP Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 3.60 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Seth Lugo (10-2, 2.42) on Tuesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719308370836.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, and relief pitcher James McArthur celebrate after their baseball game against the Miami Marlins Monday, June 24, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 4-1. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, and relief pitcher James McArthur celebrate after their baseball game against the Miami Marlins Monday, June 24, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 4-1. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole Ragans struck out 11 for his first win in a month, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Monday night for just their fourth win in 15 games.Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe hit solo homers off Roddery Muñoz (1-3), who has allowed six home runs in his last 10 innings.Ragans (5-5) allowed one run, four hits and three walks in six innings. He had been 0-2 in five starts since beating Detroit on May 22.“Change up was good,” Ragans said. “Got some good swing-and-miss on it, got some pop ups with it. Overall, I commanded it pretty well.”“When he can get ahead and attack, that’s when you see a lot of swing-and-miss,” Royals interim manager Paul Hoover said. “A team that hasn’t seen him and he’s executing four different pitches for strikes. That’s tough on any lineup.”Kansas City pitchers struck out a season-high 15.Chris Stratton, John Schreiber and James McArthur each followed with a hitless inning as the Marlins were held to four hits or fewest for the 12th time.McArthur got his 13th save in 17 chances as the Royals stopped a three-game losing streak.“It’s tough to win when you score one run,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I thought we had a chance in a couple of innings there. Just couldn’t get the big hit. Ragans is the story tonight. Just kept us off-balance all night.”Bryan De La Cruz had a two-out RBI double in the third.“My sinker was a little difficult to locate tonight,” Muñoz said. “There were some pitches that were not exactly what I wanted. I was trying to attack, be very aggressive. They were competing and they won in that situation.”Muñoz gave up four runs, six hits and four walks in six innings.“The problem is command catches up with him,” Schumaker said. “Putting himself in better situations, count-wise, is going to be the key to his development.”Pasquantino led off the fourth with his eighth home run and Perez followed with his 12th on the next pitch, ending an 0-for-17 slump with the Royals’ first consecutive home runs since March 31. Kansas City, which entered with a 25-inning scoreless streak, also got Kyle Isbel’s two-out RBI single in the three-run inning.“It wasn’t fun, but there was no panic,” Pasquantino said of the offensive slump. “What do we need to do to rectify that? Tonight was a nice step in that direction.”Renfroe hit a 434-foot drive in the sixth for his seventh homer.“It’s been a while,” Renfroe said. “It’s been a rough 10 days. Just to be able to hit a ball solid and get back into the groove of things is pretty fantastic.”Michael Massey returned from a sprained lower back that had sidelined him since May 24 and was 1 for 3 as a designated hitter.CJ Alexander, a 27-year-old who had been in the minor leagues since 2018, made his major league debut at third base for the Royals and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.Kansas City selected Alexander’s contract from Omaha, optioned outfielder Nelson Velázquez to the Triple-A team and designed left-hander Jake Brentz for assignment.Otto López had two hits for the Marlins, who are 6-14 in June.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: INF Adam Frazier placed on 10-day IL (right thumb sprain), retroactive to Sunday.UP NEXTMarlins RHP Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 3.60 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Seth Lugo (10-2, 2.42) on Tuesday night.

Ragans strikes out 11 as Royals beat Marlins 4-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball on Sunday following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut.

Martínez, 22, has been on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster since November 2022. He went 1 for 3 with a strikeout on Friday at Cleveland.

“Orelvis was upset, disappointed and pretty honest for a young kid when he told us,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before the team's finale against the Guardians. “He's obviously humbled and knows he made a mistake. We're going to support him through the process.”

Martínez is eligible to return for the final six games of the regular season but is ineligible for any postseason games this year. He issued a statement apologizing to the Blue Jays and their fans.

“For the past two years, I have been trying to start a family with my girlfriend. During the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work done, we were prescribed a treatment, which included a medication called Rejun 50,” Martínez said in a statement released by the players' association.

“Unfortunately, Rejun 50 contains a banned substance called Clomiphene. We wanted to keep this matter private, even within our family, and trusted the doctor who assured us this treatment did not include performance-enhancing drugs. Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA. With that said, I took full responsibility for my actions and accepted my suspension.”

Martínez signed with Toronto in July 2018 for a $3.51 million bonus and climbed his way up the Blue Jays' minor league system. He hit .260 with 16 homers, 46 RBIs and an .867 OPS in 63 games this season at Triple-A Buffalo.

“He was unaware the substance was banned, but obviously, it's a big mistake,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said in the visiting dugout at Progressive Field. “We're obviously extremely disappointed and very surprised.”

Martínez will lose about half his salary. His contract calls for $740,000 while in the major leagues and $120,600 while in the minors, both the minimum.

“I will learn from this experience and come back to the field in September," Martínez said.

He became the eighth player penalized for performance-enhancing drugs this year, the second under the major league program. Noelvi Marté, a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, was suspended for the first 80 games of the season under the major league program following a positive test for Boldenone.

NEW YORK (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball on Sunday following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut.Martínez, 22, has been on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster since November 2022. He went 1 for 3 with a strikeout on Friday at Cleveland.“Orelvis was upset, disappointed and pretty honest for a young kid when he told us,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before the team's finale against the Guardians. “He's obviously humbled and knows he made a mistake. We're going to support him through the process.”Martínez is eligible to return for the final six games of the regular season but is ineligible for any postseason games this year. He issued a statement apologizing to the Blue Jays and their fans.“For the past two years, I have been trying to start a family with my girlfriend. During the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work done, we were prescribed a treatment, which included a medication called Rejun 50,” Martínez said in a statement released by the players' association.“Unfortunately, Rejun 50 contains a banned substance called Clomiphene. We wanted to keep this matter private, even within our family, and trusted the doctor who assured us this treatment did not include performance-enhancing drugs. Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA. With that said, I took full responsibility for my actions and accepted my suspension.”Martínez signed with Toronto in July 2018 for a $3.51 million bonus and climbed his way up the Blue Jays' minor league system. He hit .260 with 16 homers, 46 RBIs and an .867 OPS in 63 games this season at Triple-A Buffalo.“He was unaware the substance was banned, but obviously, it's a big mistake,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said in the visiting dugout at Progressive Field. “We're obviously extremely disappointed and very surprised.”Martínez will lose about half his salary. His contract calls for $740,000 while in the major leagues and $120,600 while in the minors, both the minimum.“I will learn from this experience and come back to the field in September," Martínez said.He became the eighth player penalized for performance-enhancing drugs this year, the second under the major league program. Noelvi Marté, a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, was suspended for the first 80 games of the season under the major league program following a positive test for Boldenone.

Blue Jays' Orelvis Martínez gets 80-game drug suspension 2 days after debut

Sports in Kansas has named Great Bend High School softball coach Carrie Minton the Class 5A Co-Coach of the Year. Minton shares the honor with Bishop Carroll's Steve Harshberger, who coached the Golden Eagles to their 15th state championship this spring.

Minton led Great Bend to its first state appearance in nine seasons. Sports in Kansas noted that 11 of the 15 Lady Panthers this year were freshmen or sophomores. Great Bend finished the season at 22-7, including a 10-2 run against Western Athletic Conference schools. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719234100287.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Sports in Kansas has named Great Bend High School softball coach Carrie Minton the Class 5A Co-Coach of the Year. Minton shares the honor with Bishop Carroll's Steve Harshberger, who coached the Golden Eagles to their 15th state championship this spring.Minton led Great Bend to its first state appearance in nine seasons. Sports in Kansas noted that 11 of the 15 Lady Panthers this year were freshmen or sophomores. Great Bend finished the season at 22-7, including a 10-2 run against Western Athletic Conference schools.

Minton named 5A Co-Coach of the Year by Sports in KS

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tennessee’s prodigious home run prowess arrived too late in Game 1 of the College World Series finals.

Tennessee’s Dylan Dreiling hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, Cal Stark went deep in the eighth and after Nate Snead turned back a scoring threat by Texas A&amp;M in the bottom of the ninth, the Volunteers had forced a deciding third game with a 4-1 victory Sunday.

One of the teams will win its first national title in baseball and become the fifth straight champion from the Southeastern Conference when they meet Monday night.

“I felt we were more true to who we were today in pregame, in the dugout, during the game,” Vols coach Tony Vitello said. “It’s easy to say that because we end up doing OK on the scoreboard. But I’d rather go into battle with that group the way they showed up today, and hope they do the same tomorrow.”

Tennessee (59-13) is trying to become the first No. 1 national seed to win the championship since Miami in 1999. The Vols were down seven runs when Dreiling and Hunter Ensley hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning of a 9-5 loss Saturday.

They trailed just 1-0 in the seventh Sunday when Dreiling sent Kaiden Wilson’s 1-1 pitch 390 feet into the right-field seats to give the Vols a much-needed jolt after they left the bases loaded twice and managed just four hits through six innings.

The Vols had been 2 for 20 with runners in scoring position over the first two games of the finals when Dreiling connected. Tennessee was up three runs when Stark, its No. 9 batter, homered in the eighth. He had been 0 for 16 with nine strikeouts in the CWS before he launched a pitch from Wilson over the left-field bullpen.

“We always know we’re one inning away,” Stark said. “We keep stacking quality at-bats together and good things will end up happening. The kid to my right (Dreiling) put a good swing on the ball and gave us a lot of momentum going late into the game.”

Snead, who earned his sixth save, was called on after the Aggies’ first two batters singled in the bottom of the ninth. He got a groundout and flyout before Kavares Tears went to the warning track to catch pinch-hitter Ryan Targac’s fly that stayed in the park with the help of the wind blowing in.

This will be the fifth CWS finals since 2018, and second straight, to go three games.

“To think you’re going to roll right through it in two games would be ... That would have been nice,” Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “We get to play the last college baseball game of the season, and that’s awesome.”

The Vols, who lost the finals opener 9-5 Saturday, haven’t dropped consecutive games since March 16-17 at Alabama.

Jace LaViolette’s team-leading 29th homer of the season, 50th of his career and first of the CWS put the Aggies up 1-0 in the first inning. It also was the first RBI in five games for LaViolette, who has been playing on a sore right hamstring.

“In the moment, that felt great,” LaViolette said. “Would it have felt a lot better if we had won that? It’s baseball. There’s ebb and flows. You try not to ride the highs and lows and I feel I’ve been riding the low a little too much.”

The Aggies had only one runner reach second against Drew Beam before Aaron Combs (3-1) took over with no outs in the fifth. Combs worked out of trouble in the sixth and left with one out in the ninth.

Schlossnagle, having won Saturday, decided to make it a bullpen day in order to save Justin Lamkin for a possible Game 3. Lampkin has thrown eight shutout innings over two CWS starts.

Zane Badmaev, who hadn’t started since he was at then-Division II Tarleton State in 2020, did his part as an opener. He was lifted for Chris Cortez after he gave up a single leading off the second inning. Cortez left in the sixth after a four-pitch walk. He blamed dehydration.

Wilson (0-2) came on and coaxed Stark’s inning-ending double play, but he couldn’t hold off the nation’s top home run-hitting team in the seventh and eighth.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tennessee’s prodigious home run prowess arrived too late in Game 1 of the College World Series finals.It showed up right on time in Game 2.Tennessee’s Dylan Dreiling hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, Cal Stark went deep in the eighth and after Nate Snead turned back a scoring threat by Texas A&amp;M in the bottom of the ninth, the Volunteers had forced a deciding third game with a 4-1 victory Sunday.One of the teams will win its first national title in baseball and become the fifth straight champion from the Southeastern Conference when they meet Monday night.“I felt we were more true to who we were today in pregame, in the dugout, during the game,” Vols coach Tony Vitello said. “It’s easy to say that because we end up doing OK on the scoreboard. But I’d rather go into battle with that group the way they showed up today, and hope they do the same tomorrow.”Tennessee (59-13) is trying to become the first No. 1 national seed to win the championship since Miami in 1999. The Vols were down seven runs when Dreiling and Hunter Ensley hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning of a 9-5 loss Saturday.They trailed just 1-0 in the seventh Sunday when Dreiling sent Kaiden Wilson’s 1-1 pitch 390 feet into the right-field seats to give the Vols a much-needed jolt after they left the bases loaded twice and managed just four hits through six innings.The Vols had been 2 for 20 with runners in scoring position over the first two games of the finals when Dreiling connected. Tennessee was up three runs when Stark, its No. 9 batter, homered in the eighth. He had been 0 for 16 with nine strikeouts in the CWS before he launched a pitch from Wilson over the left-field bullpen.“We always know we’re one inning away,” Stark said. “We keep stacking quality at-bats together and good things will end up happening. The kid to my right (Dreiling) put a good swing on the ball and gave us a lot of momentum going late into the game.”Snead, who earned his sixth save, was called on after the Aggies’ first two batters singled in the bottom of the ninth. He got a groundout and flyout before Kavares Tears went to the warning track to catch pinch-hitter Ryan Targac’s fly that stayed in the park with the help of the wind blowing in.This will be the fifth CWS finals since 2018, and second straight, to go three games.“To think you’re going to roll right through it in two games would be ... That would have been nice,” Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “We get to play the last college baseball game of the season, and that’s awesome.”The Vols, who lost the finals opener 9-5 Saturday, haven’t dropped consecutive games since March 16-17 at Alabama.Jace LaViolette’s team-leading 29th homer of the season, 50th of his career and first of the CWS put the Aggies up 1-0 in the first inning. It also was the first RBI in five games for LaViolette, who has been playing on a sore right hamstring.“In the moment, that felt great,” LaViolette said. “Would it have felt a lot better if we had won that? It’s baseball. There’s ebb and flows. You try not to ride the highs and lows and I feel I’ve been riding the low a little too much.”The Aggies had only one runner reach second against Drew Beam before Aaron Combs (3-1) took over with no outs in the fifth. Combs worked out of trouble in the sixth and left with one out in the ninth.Schlossnagle, having won Saturday, decided to make it a bullpen day in order to save Justin Lamkin for a possible Game 3. Lampkin has thrown eight shutout innings over two CWS starts.Zane Badmaev, who hadn’t started since he was at then-Division II Tarleton State in 2020, did his part as an opener. He was lifted for Chris Cortez after he gave up a single leading off the second inning. Cortez left in the sixth after a four-pitch walk. He blamed dehydration.Wilson (0-2) came on and coaxed Stark’s inning-ending double play, but he couldn’t hold off the nation’s top home run-hitting team in the seventh and eighth.

Tennessee forces College World Series finals to a third game with a 4-1 win over Texas A&M

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Max Scherzer Scherzer retired the first 13 batters he faced,
and 15 of 16 overall, over five scoreless innings in the Rangers’
4-0 win Sunday over the Kansas City Royals. The 39-year-old Scherzer
hadn’t started a game for the Rangers since Game 3 of the World
Series on Oct. 30, when he exited after three scoreless innings
because of back tightness. He had surgery in mid-December to repair a
herniated disk in his lower back, then during his rehab dealt with a
nerve issue that was diagnosed and still an issue after he
experienced right thumb soreness. The only Royals batter to reach
against him was MJ Melendez, who had a ground-rule double with one
out in the fifth. Scherzer struck out four without a walk while
throwing 39 of his 57 pitches for strikes.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
Tennessee’s prodigious home run prowess arrived too late in Game 1
of the College World Series finals. It showed up right on time in
Game 2. Tennessee’s Dylan Dreiling hit the go-ahead homer in the
seventh inning, Cal Stark went deep in the eighth and after Nate
Snead turned back a scoring threat by Texas A&amp;M in the bottom of
the ninth, the Volunteers had forced a deciding third game with a 4-1
victory Sunday. One of the teams will win its first national title in
baseball and become the fifth straight champion from the Southeastern
Conference when they meet Monday night.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez has been suspended for
80 games by Major League Baseball following a positive test for the
performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene. The announcement comes two
days after the 22-year-old Martínez made his major league debut. He
issued a statement Sunday apologizing to the Blue Jays and their fans
and saying he and his girlfriend were trying to start a family, so he
visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic where he was
prescribed treatment that included a banned substance. Martínez has
been on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster since November 2022. He went 1
for 3 with a strikeout on Friday at Cleveland.

CHICAGO (AP) — New
York Mets closer Edwin Díaz is facing a 10-game suspension after
being ejected from the team’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. The
right-hander came on in the ninth to try to seal the victory for the
Mets, but was tossed by third-base umpire Vic Carapazza before
throwing a pitch after an inspection of his glove and throwing hand.
Both Díaz and manager Carlos Mendoza said the umpire said he thought
the pitcher had too much of a combination of rosin, sweat and dirt on
his throwing hand. Carapazza said in a pool report after game it
“definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat” on Díaz’s hand.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) —
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of pulling
off one of the biggest comebacks in sports history. They can win the
Stanley Cup in Game 7 of the final against the Florida Panthers on
Monday night after falling behind 3-0 in the series and reeling off
three consecutive victories. The previous time an NHL team with that
deficit came all the way back to hoist the Cup was the Toronto Maple
Leafs in 1942. The Oilers are doing their best to block out the
ramifications of this improbable rally by focusing on the final game
of the season.

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP)
— Scottie Scheffler beat Tom Kim on the first playoff hole to win
the Travelers Championship on Sunday. He had to wait out a disruption
by climate protesters who sprayed powder on the 18th green. It was
his sixth win of the year. That’s the most in one PGA Tour season
since Tiger Woods won six in 2009. And Scheffler still has two months
to go. It was Scheffler’s fourth victory of the year in the PGA
Tour’s $20 million, limited-field signature events. He earned $3.6
million.

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Christian Pulisic scored in the third minute and assisted on
Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th as the United States cruised
past Bolivia 2-0 in their Copa America opener. Among six invited
guests to South America’s championship, the U.S. is expected to
advance from Group C to the quarterfinals along with Uruguay. Bolivia
lost its 13th straight Copa America match dating to 2015 and has one
win in its last 31. The 11th-ranked U.S. plays Panama on Thursday at
Atlanta and closes the group against Uruguay on July 1 at Kansas
City, Missouri.

SAMAMMISH, Wash.
(AP) — Amy Yang built a huge lead and survived a couple of late
mistakes to win her long-awaited first major title, a three-shot
victory in the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship. Yang closed with an
even-par 72 at Sahalee to finish at 7-under 281. She was nearly
flawless for the first 15 holes and reached 10 under for the
tournament for a seven-shot lead before running into a little bit of
trouble. But none of her pursuers was able to mount a significant
charge. At age 34, Yang is the oldest major winner on the LPGA Tour
since Angela Stanford won the 2018 Evian Championship at age 40.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —
Simone Manuel has earned an individual race at the Olympics on the
final night of the U.S. swimming trials, winning the 50-meter
freestyle. Coming back from overtraining syndrome, which hampered her
preparations leading up to the Tokyo Games, Manuel won the frantic
dash in 24.13 seconds. Gretchen Walsh took the second spot. In the
final race of the nine-day trials in Indianapolis, Bobby Finke blew
away the field in the 1,500 free. He'll head to the Olympics looking
to defend the gold medals he won in the 800 and 1,500 freestyle at
Tokyo. The real race was for the last spot on the Olympic team. David
Johnston edged Luke Whitlock by only 26-hundredths of a second after
nearly 15 minutes of racing.

DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP)
— NHRA great John Force was alert and talking to safety workers
immediately after a fiery, 300-mph crash Sunday in the Virginia
Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. John Force Racing said the
75-year-old Force was examined at the track by the NHRA Medical Team
before being transported by medical helicopter to a facility for
further evaluation. During the first round of Funny Car eliminations,
the engine exploded Force’s car at the finish line, with the
vehicle going across the centerline and striking the left concrete
guard wall, then careening back across into the right wall. Three
weeks ago in New Hampshire, Force raced to his record 157th NHRA
victory and second of the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718617262520.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Max Scherzer Scherzer retired the first 13 batters he faced,
and 15 of 16 overall, over five scoreless innings in the Rangers’
4-0 win Sunday over the Kansas City Royals. The 39-year-old Scherzer
hadn’t started a game for the Rangers since Game 3 of the World
Series on Oct. 30, when he exited after three scoreless innings
because of back tightness. He had surgery in mid-December to repair a
herniated disk in his lower back, then during his rehab dealt with a
nerve issue that was diagnosed and still an issue after he
experienced right thumb soreness. The only Royals batter to reach
against him was MJ Melendez, who had a ground-rule double with one
out in the fifth. Scherzer struck out four without a walk while
throwing 39 of his 57 pitches for strikes.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
Tennessee’s prodigious home run prowess arrived too late in Game 1
of the College World Series finals. It showed up right on time in
Game 2. Tennessee’s Dylan Dreiling hit the go-ahead homer in the
seventh inning, Cal Stark went deep in the eighth and after Nate
Snead turned back a scoring threat by Texas A&amp;M in the bottom of
the ninth, the Volunteers had forced a deciding third game with a 4-1
victory Sunday. One of the teams will win its first national title in
baseball and become the fifth straight champion from the Southeastern
Conference when they meet Monday night.NEW YORK (AP) —
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez has been suspended for
80 games by Major League Baseball following a positive test for the
performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene. The announcement comes two
days after the 22-year-old Martínez made his major league debut. He
issued a statement Sunday apologizing to the Blue Jays and their fans
and saying he and his girlfriend were trying to start a family, so he
visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic where he was
prescribed treatment that included a banned substance. Martínez has
been on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster since November 2022. He went 1
for 3 with a strikeout on Friday at Cleveland.CHICAGO (AP) — New
York Mets closer Edwin Díaz is facing a 10-game suspension after
being ejected from the team’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. The
right-hander came on in the ninth to try to seal the victory for the
Mets, but was tossed by third-base umpire Vic Carapazza before
throwing a pitch after an inspection of his glove and throwing hand.
Both Díaz and manager Carlos Mendoza said the umpire said he thought
the pitcher had too much of a combination of rosin, sweat and dirt on
his throwing hand. Carapazza said in a pool report after game it
“definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat” on Díaz’s hand.SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) —
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of pulling
off one of the biggest comebacks in sports history. They can win the
Stanley Cup in Game 7 of the final against the Florida Panthers on
Monday night after falling behind 3-0 in the series and reeling off
three consecutive victories. The previous time an NHL team with that
deficit came all the way back to hoist the Cup was the Toronto Maple
Leafs in 1942. The Oilers are doing their best to block out the
ramifications of this improbable rally by focusing on the final game
of the season.CROMWELL, Conn. (AP)
— Scottie Scheffler beat Tom Kim on the first playoff hole to win
the Travelers Championship on Sunday. He had to wait out a disruption
by climate protesters who sprayed powder on the 18th green. It was
his sixth win of the year. That’s the most in one PGA Tour season
since Tiger Woods won six in 2009. And Scheffler still has two months
to go. It was Scheffler’s fourth victory of the year in the PGA
Tour’s $20 million, limited-field signature events. He earned $3.6
million.ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Christian Pulisic scored in the third minute and assisted on
Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th as the United States cruised
past Bolivia 2-0 in their Copa America opener. Among six invited
guests to South America’s championship, the U.S. is expected to
advance from Group C to the quarterfinals along with Uruguay. Bolivia
lost its 13th straight Copa America match dating to 2015 and has one
win in its last 31. The 11th-ranked U.S. plays Panama on Thursday at
Atlanta and closes the group against Uruguay on July 1 at Kansas
City, Missouri.SAMAMMISH, Wash.
(AP) — Amy Yang built a huge lead and survived a couple of late
mistakes to win her long-awaited first major title, a three-shot
victory in the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship. Yang closed with an
even-par 72 at Sahalee to finish at 7-under 281. She was nearly
flawless for the first 15 holes and reached 10 under for the
tournament for a seven-shot lead before running into a little bit of
trouble. But none of her pursuers was able to mount a significant
charge. At age 34, Yang is the oldest major winner on the LPGA Tour
since Angela Stanford won the 2018 Evian Championship at age 40.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —
Simone Manuel has earned an individual race at the Olympics on the
final night of the U.S. swimming trials, winning the 50-meter
freestyle. Coming back from overtraining syndrome, which hampered her
preparations leading up to the Tokyo Games, Manuel won the frantic
dash in 24.13 seconds. Gretchen Walsh took the second spot. In the
final race of the nine-day trials in Indianapolis, Bobby Finke blew
away the field in the 1,500 free. He'll head to the Olympics looking
to defend the gold medals he won in the 800 and 1,500 freestyle at
Tokyo. The real race was for the last spot on the Olympic team. David
Johnston edged Luke Whitlock by only 26-hundredths of a second after
nearly 15 minutes of racing.DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP)
— NHRA great John Force was alert and talking to safety workers
immediately after a fiery, 300-mph crash Sunday in the Virginia
Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. John Force Racing said the
75-year-old Force was examined at the track by the NHRA Medical Team
before being transported by medical helicopter to a facility for
further evaluation. During the first round of Funny Car eliminations,
the engine exploded Force’s car at the finish line, with the
vehicle going across the centerline and striking the left concrete
guard wall, then careening back across into the right wall. Three
weeks ago in New Hampshire, Force raced to his record 157th NHRA
victory and second of the season.SUNDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Atlanta	3	N.Y.
Yankees	1	Final	Tampa
Bay	3	Pittsburgh	1	Final	Miami	6	Seattle	4	Final	Boston	7	Cincinnati	4	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	11	Chicago
White Sox	2	Final	Houston	8	Baltimore	1	Final	Texas	4	Kansas
City	0	Final	Cleveland	6	Toronto	5	Final	Minnesota	3	Oakland	0	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	4	Arizona	1	Final	St.
Louis	5	San Francisco	3	Final	Washington	2	Colorado	1	Final	Milwaukee	6	San
Diego	2

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Max Scherzer couldn’t wait to finally get back on the mound for the Texas Rangers. The three-time Cy Young Award winner also knew when he had done enough in his season debut.

Scherzer retired the first 13 batters he faced, and 15 of 16 overall, over five scoreless innings in the Rangers’ 4-0 win Sunday over the Kansas City Royals.

“Everything from a baseball standpoint was telling me to go back out there. You know, I’m pitching well, I’m throwing the ball well,” Scherzer said. “I just don’t know how I’m going to recover from this. ... I was feeling my forearm kind of fatigued.”

The 39-year-old Scherzer hadn’t started a game for the Rangers since Game 3 of the World Series on Oct. 30, when he exited after three scoreless innings because of back tightness. He had surgery in mid-December to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, then during his rehab dealt with a nerve issue that was diagnosed and still an issue after he experienced right thumb soreness.

The only Royals batter to reach against him was MJ Melendez, who had a ground-rule double with one out in the fifth. Scherzer struck out four without a walk while throwing 39 of his 57 pitches for strikes.

“I’ll be honest, we weren’t sure exactly where he was. ... It just makes you appreciate how good this man is,” manager Bruce Bochy said.

“It shows the true veteran he is,” Texas shortstop Corey Seager said. “Just all around a really good outing, big morale boost for our whole team.”

Reigning champion Texas (37-40) already had a 3-0 lead when José Ureña replaced him on the mound to start the sixth inning, and finished off the team’s second consecutive shutout win.

Scherzer, who turns 40 on July 27, needed only 27 pitches to get through the first three innings. He then had back-to-back 15-pitch innings before coming out of the game after a conversation in the dugout with Bochy and pitching coach Mike Maddux.

“I think there’s a notion out there that I always fight to stay in ballgames, and there’s some pretty good clips of me doing that,” Scherzer said. “There’s probably 20 other times where I’m actually telling the manager I’m coming out, I need to come out of the ballgame. ... I’m very aware of my arm. I’m very aware of where I’m at, and what I can and can’t do. I know you’re going to introduce more risk if I continue to go back out there. And so, you know, we have to minimize risk at this point.”

His fourth and final strikeout Sunday was the 3,371st in his career to match Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux for 11th on MLB’s career list — the four-time Cy Young winner who is the brother of the Texas pitching coach. Scherzer is second among active pitchers with his strikeouts, his 215 wins and 449 starts, trailing Justin Verlander in each of those categories.

After the deadline trade last summer that sent him from the New York Mets to Texas, Scherzer was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season starts for the Rangers before being sidelined by a muscle strain in his shoulder. He returned to make two starts in the AL Championship Series, then made his World Series appearance.

It was Scherzer’s first regular-season start since Sept. 12, when he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings at Toronto.

Scherzer struck out 17 over 11 innings and had a 4.91 ERA in three rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. The first was on April 24, but he was then sidelined by the nerve issue until the other two on June 9 and 15.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Max Scherzer couldn’t wait to finally get back on the mound for the Texas Rangers. The three-time Cy Young Award winner also knew when he had done enough in his season debut.Scherzer retired the first 13 batters he faced, and 15 of 16 overall, over five scoreless innings in the Rangers’ 4-0 win Sunday over the Kansas City Royals.“Everything from a baseball standpoint was telling me to go back out there. You know, I’m pitching well, I’m throwing the ball well,” Scherzer said. “I just don’t know how I’m going to recover from this. ... I was feeling my forearm kind of fatigued.”The 39-year-old Scherzer hadn’t started a game for the Rangers since Game 3 of the World Series on Oct. 30, when he exited after three scoreless innings because of back tightness. He had surgery in mid-December to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, then during his rehab dealt with a nerve issue that was diagnosed and still an issue after he experienced right thumb soreness.The only Royals batter to reach against him was MJ Melendez, who had a ground-rule double with one out in the fifth. Scherzer struck out four without a walk while throwing 39 of his 57 pitches for strikes.“I’ll be honest, we weren’t sure exactly where he was. ... It just makes you appreciate how good this man is,” manager Bruce Bochy said.“It shows the true veteran he is,” Texas shortstop Corey Seager said. “Just all around a really good outing, big morale boost for our whole team.”Reigning champion Texas (37-40) already had a 3-0 lead when José Ureña replaced him on the mound to start the sixth inning, and finished off the team’s second consecutive shutout win.Scherzer, who turns 40 on July 27, needed only 27 pitches to get through the first three innings. He then had back-to-back 15-pitch innings before coming out of the game after a conversation in the dugout with Bochy and pitching coach Mike Maddux.“I think there’s a notion out there that I always fight to stay in ballgames, and there’s some pretty good clips of me doing that,” Scherzer said. “There’s probably 20 other times where I’m actually telling the manager I’m coming out, I need to come out of the ballgame. ... I’m very aware of my arm. I’m very aware of where I’m at, and what I can and can’t do. I know you’re going to introduce more risk if I continue to go back out there. And so, you know, we have to minimize risk at this point.”His fourth and final strikeout Sunday was the 3,371st in his career to match Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux for 11th on MLB’s career list — the four-time Cy Young winner who is the brother of the Texas pitching coach. Scherzer is second among active pitchers with his strikeouts, his 215 wins and 449 starts, trailing Justin Verlander in each of those categories.After the deadline trade last summer that sent him from the New York Mets to Texas, Scherzer was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season starts for the Rangers before being sidelined by a muscle strain in his shoulder. He returned to make two starts in the AL Championship Series, then made his World Series appearance.It was Scherzer’s first regular-season start since Sept. 12, when he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings at Toronto.Scherzer struck out 17 over 11 innings and had a 4.91 ERA in three rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. The first was on April 24, but he was then sidelined by the nerve issue until the other two on June 9 and 15.

Scherzer returns, Rangers beat Royals 4-0

LAWRENCE, Kan. – As construction continues on the transformational Gateway District and a reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Kansas Jayhawks have determined the locations of their home games for the 2024 season.

Kansas Football will play all six of its home games in 2024 in the Kansas City metropolitan area, including its first two home games against Lindenwood and UNLV at Children’s Mercy Park – the home to Sporting Kansas City. The Jayhawks will play their four Big 12 Conference home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium against TCU (Sept. 28), Houston (Oct. 19), Iowa State (Nov. 9) and Colorado (Nov. 23). 

The alternate venues enable Kansas Athletics to provide increased fan amenities and a full event experience that would not be possible in a reduced capacity Memorial Stadium. Most importantly, playing the six games outside Lawrence is necessary to keep the Gateway District construction on schedule and ensure that KU can host its 2025 home games in Lawrence.

"This plan for the 2024 season has an incredible number of benefits for our student-athletes, our fans and supporters, our campus partners and the Kansas Football program. While we are disappointed we can’t play in Lawrence, ultimately, we want to create the best possible experience for all involved, and playing two games at Children’s Mercy Park and four games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium allows us to do that. It has been a thrill to see construction begin in earnest in Lawrence on the Gateway District and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and this decision allows that construction to continue on a necessary timeline while also benefiting the overall budget of the project and the 2024 fan experience."

Fans looking to support the Jayhawks throughout the 2024 season can purchase a full six-game season ticket package beginning at $275. There will also be a family zone opportunity for $200 per ticket. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a four-game package for the games solely at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas Football is coming off a 9-4 season in 2023, winning the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against UNLV for the program’s first bowl victory since 2008. The Jayhawks won nine games in a season for just the seventh time in program history. Head Coach Lance Leipold will welcome back several key members of the 2023 team, including running back Devin Neal, receivers Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner and quarterback Jalon Daniels on offense.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – As construction continues on the transformational Gateway District and a reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Kansas Jayhawks have determined the locations of their home games for the 2024 season.Kansas Football will play all six of its home games in 2024 in the Kansas City metropolitan area, including its first two home games against Lindenwood and UNLV at Children’s Mercy Park – the home to Sporting Kansas City. The Jayhawks will play their four Big 12 Conference home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium against TCU (Sept. 28), Houston (Oct. 19), Iowa State (Nov. 9) and Colorado (Nov. 23). The alternate venues enable Kansas Athletics to provide increased fan amenities and a full event experience that would not be possible in a reduced capacity Memorial Stadium. Most importantly, playing the six games outside Lawrence is necessary to keep the Gateway District construction on schedule and ensure that KU can host its 2025 home games in Lawrence."This plan for the 2024 season has an incredible number of benefits for our student-athletes, our fans and supporters, our campus partners and the Kansas Football program. While we are disappointed we can’t play in Lawrence, ultimately, we want to create the best possible experience for all involved, and playing two games at Children’s Mercy Park and four games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium allows us to do that. It has been a thrill to see construction begin in earnest in Lawrence on the Gateway District and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and this decision allows that construction to continue on a necessary timeline while also benefiting the overall budget of the project and the 2024 fan experience."Fans looking to support the Jayhawks throughout the 2024 season can purchase a full six-game season ticket package beginning at $275. There will also be a family zone opportunity for $200 per ticket. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a four-game package for the games solely at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.Kansas Football is coming off a 9-4 season in 2023, winning the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against UNLV for the program’s first bowl victory since 2008. The Jayhawks won nine games in a season for just the seventh time in program history. Head Coach Lance Leipold will welcome back several key members of the 2023 team, including running back Devin Neal, receivers Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner and quarterback Jalon Daniels on offense.

Kansas Football to Play 2 Games at Children’s Mercy Park; 4 at Arrowhead Stadium in 2024

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Great start. Great finish.

And now, after beating Tennessee 9-5 in the College World Series finals opener Saturday night, Texas A&amp;M faces its most difficult task of the season. The Aggies must knock off the high-powered No. 1 national seed one more time Sunday to claim their first national championship.

The Aggies (53-13) put themselves in position with Gavin Grahovac homering to begin the game, breaking it open with a five-run third inning and bringing in Evan Aschenbeck to pitch 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief to turn back a Tennessee offense that was starting to get cranked up.

“We all know what’s at stake,” Schlossnagle said. “There’s no Lombardi speech. We just try to keep them as loose as we can.”

Tennessee (58-13), trying to become the first No. 1 seed since 1999 to win the championship, will go into Sunday’s Game 2 having lost consecutive games just once this season and not since March 16-17 at Alabama.

“You find out different ways to respond, and you can either get frustrated that tonight went the way that it did, or you can get more determined,” Vols coach Tony Vitello said. “We’ve got guys that have done that a lot in the past where determination kicks up, play kicks up.”

The No. 3 Aggies capitalized on a couple errors that led to two runs — Tennessee has committed eight in four CWS games — and on the inability of pitchers Chris Stamos (3-1) and AJ Causey to consistently hit their spots.

Grahovac drove Stamos’ 0-2 fastball out to right for the first leadoff homer in a CWS finals since Sam Fuld did it for Stanford against Rice in Game 2 in 2003.

Causey walked Jace LaViolette leading off the third, Jackson Appel’s comebacker deflected off Causey’s foot for a base hit and Hayden Schott followed with an RBI single to start the Aggies’ five-run outburst.

Kaeden Kent, son of ex-major leaguer Jeff Kent, made it a seven-run game in the seventh with his homer into the right-field bullpen.

“Rounding the bases, I was able to take it in,” Kent said. “The bullpen was going crazy. The fans were so loud; these fans are amazing. I love playing in front of these fans. They help us out so much and so much credit to them.”

Kent, who entered the starting lineup two weeks ago after star Braden Montgomery broke his ankle in the super regionals, finished with three hits and four RBIs.

The Vols, the nation’s most prolific home-run hitting team in three decades, used the long ball to create some anxiety for the Aggies in the bottom of the seventh.

Dylan Dreiling’s two-run shot to right ended the night for reliever Josh Stewart (2-2), and Hunter Ensley’s high fly over the left-field fence off Brad Rudis made it 9-5. The Vols have 180 homers this season, eight behind LSU’s NCAA record set in 1997.

Ensley was the only batter Rudis faced. Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle brought in Aschenbeck, and the left-hander retired six in a row before back-to-back singles put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth. The National Stopper of the Year struck out Ensley and Kavares Tears to end the game.

“It’s just something I’ve been doing all year, just kind of try to give my team the best chance to win,” Aschenbeck said. “That’s what pitchers are there for. Our job as a relief pitcher is to come in and pick up the guys in front of us. To come into that opportunity, it was awesome because the atmosphere was crazy.

“It’s the College World Series. Everything’s cool about it.”

The Vols were 2 of 13 with runners in scoring position, 2 of 11 with two outs and they left 10 runners on base.

“Even though we didn’t bring our best,” Vitello said, “we were within striking distance against their guy there at the end of the game.”

Aschenbeck accounted for seven of the Aggies’ season high-tying 17 strikeouts. He has allowed just one earned run in his last nine appearances, spanning 25 2/3 innings.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Great start. Great finish.And now, after beating Tennessee 9-5 in the College World Series finals opener Saturday night, Texas A&amp;M faces its most difficult task of the season. The Aggies must knock off the high-powered No. 1 national seed one more time Sunday to claim their first national championship.The Aggies (53-13) put themselves in position with Gavin Grahovac homering to begin the game, breaking it open with a five-run third inning and bringing in Evan Aschenbeck to pitch 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief to turn back a Tennessee offense that was starting to get cranked up.“We all know what’s at stake,” Schlossnagle said. “There’s no Lombardi speech. We just try to keep them as loose as we can.”Tennessee (58-13), trying to become the first No. 1 seed since 1999 to win the championship, will go into Sunday’s Game 2 having lost consecutive games just once this season and not since March 16-17 at Alabama.“You find out different ways to respond, and you can either get frustrated that tonight went the way that it did, or you can get more determined,” Vols coach Tony Vitello said. “We’ve got guys that have done that a lot in the past where determination kicks up, play kicks up.”The No. 3 Aggies capitalized on a couple errors that led to two runs — Tennessee has committed eight in four CWS games — and on the inability of pitchers Chris Stamos (3-1) and AJ Causey to consistently hit their spots.Grahovac drove Stamos’ 0-2 fastball out to right for the first leadoff homer in a CWS finals since Sam Fuld did it for Stanford against Rice in Game 2 in 2003.Causey walked Jace LaViolette leading off the third, Jackson Appel’s comebacker deflected off Causey’s foot for a base hit and Hayden Schott followed with an RBI single to start the Aggies’ five-run outburst.Kaeden Kent, son of ex-major leaguer Jeff Kent, made it a seven-run game in the seventh with his homer into the right-field bullpen.“Rounding the bases, I was able to take it in,” Kent said. “The bullpen was going crazy. The fans were so loud; these fans are amazing. I love playing in front of these fans. They help us out so much and so much credit to them.”Kent, who entered the starting lineup two weeks ago after star Braden Montgomery broke his ankle in the super regionals, finished with three hits and four RBIs.The Vols, the nation’s most prolific home-run hitting team in three decades, used the long ball to create some anxiety for the Aggies in the bottom of the seventh.Dylan Dreiling’s two-run shot to right ended the night for reliever Josh Stewart (2-2), and Hunter Ensley’s high fly over the left-field fence off Brad Rudis made it 9-5. The Vols have 180 homers this season, eight behind LSU’s NCAA record set in 1997.Ensley was the only batter Rudis faced. Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle brought in Aschenbeck, and the left-hander retired six in a row before back-to-back singles put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth. The National Stopper of the Year struck out Ensley and Kavares Tears to end the game.“It’s just something I’ve been doing all year, just kind of try to give my team the best chance to win,” Aschenbeck said. “That’s what pitchers are there for. Our job as a relief pitcher is to come in and pick up the guys in front of us. To come into that opportunity, it was awesome because the atmosphere was crazy.“It’s the College World Series. Everything’s cool about it.”The Vols were 2 of 13 with runners in scoring position, 2 of 11 with two outs and they left 10 runners on base.“Even though we didn’t bring our best,” Vitello said, “we were within striking distance against their guy there at the end of the game.”Aschenbeck accounted for seven of the Aggies’ season high-tying 17 strikeouts. He has allowed just one earned run in his last nine appearances, spanning 25 2/3 innings.

Texas A&M beats Tennessee 9-5 in Game 1 of College World Series finals

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jon Gray allowed two hits over five innings to rebound from his worst major league start and Wyatt Langford hit an eighth-inning grand slam that led the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 6-0 on Saturday.

Gray (3-3) gave up back-to-back third-inning singles while throwing 51 of 72 pitches for strikes. He gave nine earned runs and 11 hits in three innings-plus last Monday in a 14-2 loss to the New York Mets.

Langford, a rookie who debuted on opening day, connected off Angel Zerpa for the Rangers' first grand slam this season.

World Series champion Texas has won three straight following a five-game losing streak. Kansas City has lost 10 of 13, scoring 36 runs in those games.

Josh Smith hit a solo homer in the fourth off Michael Wacha (4-6) and Adolis García hit a run-scoring comebacker in the eighth as Marcus Semien slid home ahead of Zerpa's throw.

Jacob Latz, David Robertson and Brock Burke finished the three-hitter, just the third shutout against the Royals this season. Seventeen consecutive Kansas City batters were retired between Adam Frazier’s third-inning single and pinch-hitter Nelson Velázquez’s one-out single in the ninth.

Wacha gave up three hits and one walk in five innings. It was his first start since May 31, when his left foot was fractured by a comebacker on his fourth pitch against San Diego.

Rangers: 3B Josh Jung (fractured right wrist) will accompany the team on next week’s trip and could be ready to play by midweek.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jon Gray allowed two hits over five innings to rebound from his worst major league start and Wyatt Langford hit an eighth-inning grand slam that led the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 6-0 on Saturday.Gray (3-3) gave up back-to-back third-inning singles while throwing 51 of 72 pitches for strikes. He gave nine earned runs and 11 hits in three innings-plus last Monday in a 14-2 loss to the New York Mets.Langford, a rookie who debuted on opening day, connected off Angel Zerpa for the Rangers' first grand slam this season.World Series champion Texas has won three straight following a five-game losing streak. Kansas City has lost 10 of 13, scoring 36 runs in those games.Josh Smith hit a solo homer in the fourth off Michael Wacha (4-6) and Adolis García hit a run-scoring comebacker in the eighth as Marcus Semien slid home ahead of Zerpa's throw.Jacob Latz, David Robertson and Brock Burke finished the three-hitter, just the third shutout against the Royals this season. Seventeen consecutive Kansas City batters were retired between Adam Frazier’s third-inning single and pinch-hitter Nelson Velázquez’s one-out single in the ninth.Wacha gave up three hits and one walk in five innings. It was his first start since May 31, when his left foot was fractured by a comebacker on his fourth pitch against San Diego.<h2>Trainer’s room</h2>Rangers: 3B Josh Jung (fractured right wrist) will accompany the team on next week’s trip and could be ready to play by midweek.<h2>Up next</h2>

Gray pitches 2-hit ball over 5 innings to lift Rangers over Royals

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jon Gray allowed two hits over five innings to rebound from his worst major league start and Wyatt Langford hit an eighth-inning grand slam that led the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 6-0 on Saturday. Gray (3-3) gave up back-to-back third-inning singles while throwing 51 of 72 pitches for strikes. He gave nine earned runs and 11 hits in three innings-plus last Monday in a 14-2 loss to the New York Mets. Langford, a rookie who debuted on opening day, connected off Angel Zerpa for the Rangers' first grand slam this season. World Series champion Texas has won three straight following a five-game losing streak. Kansas City has lost 10 of 13, scoring 36 runs in those games.

DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon drew a bases-loaded walk on a full-count, pitch-clock violation by Kyle Finnegan, and the Colorado Rockies scored two runs in the ninth inning for an 8-7 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night. Colorado had four straight singles to open the ninth off Nationals closer Finnegan (2-4) to bring up McMahon. Hunter Goodman and Jake Cave singled to open the inning, and Brenton Doyle singled to tie it after fouling off two bunt attempts. Ezequiel Tovar hit a line single to right to load the bases. Luis Garcia hit two-run homer to give Washington a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning and CJ Abrams had three his including his 12th home run. The Nationals had won 10 of 13.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gavin Grahovac homered to begin the game, Texas A&amp;M broke it open with a five-run third inning and the Aggies moved within a win of their first national title in baseball with a 9-5 victory over Tennessee in the College World Series finals opener. Evan Aschenbeck pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief. Tennessee is trying to become the first No. 1 national seed since 1999 to win the championship. The Volunteers go into Sunday’s Game 2 having lost consecutive games just once this season and not since March 16-17 at Alabama.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It’s the greatest offer a team could get at the start of a season: Reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and as an added bonus, play host to it in your rink. One game. For everything. This is the reality for coach Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers. On one hand, they have blown a 3-0 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers in this Stanley Cup Final. On the other, there’s still Game 7 Monday night in Sunrise, Florida. Before his team left Edmonton Saturday, Maurice insisted the Panthers will focus on the opportunity ahead, not those wasted.

UNDATED (AP) — France isn’t the only country producing top prospects for the NBA — it just sort of seems that is the case. There are other international prospects expected to be selected in the NBA draft this week beyond France's Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher. Other international prospects include Nikola Topic and Nikola Djurisic of Serbia, Bobi Klintman of Sweden, Juan Nunez of Spain, and Ulrich Chomche of Cameroon.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Sha’Carri Richardson earned her spot in the Paris Olympics, winning the 100-meter final in a season-best 10.71 seconds at U.S. track trials. Her win in the final came by a margin of .09 seconds over training partner Melissa Jefferson, the 2022 U.S. champion. Another training partner, Twanisha Terry, finished third and also earned a spot on the women’s 100-meter team. Richardson, whose win at the 2021 Olympic trials was erased because of a positive test for marijuana, is the early favorite against Jefferson and what’s expected to be a stacked field of Jamaicans beginning Aug. 2 in Paris.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caeleb Dressel has locked up his second individual race in Paris, giving him another chance to shine after his stellar performance at the last Olympics. The winner of five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, Dressel claimed a victory in the men’s 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis. Keep an eye on Kate Douglass, too. She could be the biggest American star at the pool. Douglass locked up her third individual event at the Olympics with a victory in the 200 individual medley. Katie Ledecky will be swimming a bunch of events, too. She notched her fourth victory of the trials with a dominating win in the 800 freestyle.

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Cameron Young has shot the 13th round of 59 or lower on the PGA Tour. Young made a pair of eagles on par 4s. He finished with a par putt from just inside 10 feet for a 59 in the Travelers Championship. Young doesn't even have the course record at the TPC River Highlands. That belongs to Jim Furyk. He shot 58 at the Travelers Championship in 2016 for the PGA Tour record. Young had the first sub-60 round since Scottie Scheffler at the TPC Boston in 2020. It's the seventh sub-60 round this year on tours around the world.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718617262520.jpeg" alt="BARTON TEXTBOOK BILLBOARD.jpg" />
 <figcaption>BARTON TEXTBOOK BILLBOARD.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas — Jon Gray allowed two hits over five innings to rebound from his worst major league start and Wyatt Langford hit an eighth-inning grand slam that led the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 6-0 on Saturday. Gray (3-3) gave up back-to-back third-inning singles while throwing 51 of 72 pitches for strikes. He gave nine earned runs and 11 hits in three innings-plus last Monday in a 14-2 loss to the New York Mets. Langford, a rookie who debuted on opening day, connected off Angel Zerpa for the Rangers' first grand slam this season. World Series champion Texas has won three straight following a five-game losing streak. Kansas City has lost 10 of 13, scoring 36 runs in those games.DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon drew a bases-loaded walk on a full-count, pitch-clock violation by Kyle Finnegan, and the Colorado Rockies scored two runs in the ninth inning for an 8-7 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night. Colorado had four straight singles to open the ninth off Nationals closer Finnegan (2-4) to bring up McMahon. Hunter Goodman and Jake Cave singled to open the inning, and Brenton Doyle singled to tie it after fouling off two bunt attempts. Ezequiel Tovar hit a line single to right to load the bases. Luis Garcia hit two-run homer to give Washington a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning and CJ Abrams had three his including his 12th home run. The Nationals had won 10 of 13.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gavin Grahovac homered to begin the game, Texas A&amp;M broke it open with a five-run third inning and the Aggies moved within a win of their first national title in baseball with a 9-5 victory over Tennessee in the College World Series finals opener. Evan Aschenbeck pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief. Tennessee is trying to become the first No. 1 national seed since 1999 to win the championship. The Volunteers go into Sunday’s Game 2 having lost consecutive games just once this season and not since March 16-17 at Alabama.FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It’s the greatest offer a team could get at the start of a season: Reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and as an added bonus, play host to it in your rink. One game. For everything. This is the reality for coach Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers. On one hand, they have blown a 3-0 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers in this Stanley Cup Final. On the other, there’s still Game 7 Monday night in Sunrise, Florida. Before his team left Edmonton Saturday, Maurice insisted the Panthers will focus on the opportunity ahead, not those wasted.UNDATED (AP) — France isn’t the only country producing top prospects for the NBA — it just sort of seems that is the case. There are other international prospects expected to be selected in the NBA draft this week beyond France's Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher. Other international prospects include Nikola Topic and Nikola Djurisic of Serbia, Bobi Klintman of Sweden, Juan Nunez of Spain, and Ulrich Chomche of Cameroon.EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Sha’Carri Richardson earned her spot in the Paris Olympics, winning the 100-meter final in a season-best 10.71 seconds at U.S. track trials. Her win in the final came by a margin of .09 seconds over training partner Melissa Jefferson, the 2022 U.S. champion. Another training partner, Twanisha Terry, finished third and also earned a spot on the women’s 100-meter team. Richardson, whose win at the 2021 Olympic trials was erased because of a positive test for marijuana, is the early favorite against Jefferson and what’s expected to be a stacked field of Jamaicans beginning Aug. 2 in Paris.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caeleb Dressel has locked up his second individual race in Paris, giving him another chance to shine after his stellar performance at the last Olympics. The winner of five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, Dressel claimed a victory in the men’s 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis. Keep an eye on Kate Douglass, too. She could be the biggest American star at the pool. Douglass locked up her third individual event at the Olympics with a victory in the 200 individual medley. Katie Ledecky will be swimming a bunch of events, too. She notched her fourth victory of the trials with a dominating win in the 800 freestyle.CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Cameron Young has shot the 13th round of 59 or lower on the PGA Tour. Young made a pair of eagles on par 4s. He finished with a par putt from just inside 10 feet for a 59 in the Travelers Championship. Young doesn't even have the course record at the TPC River Highlands. That belongs to Jim Furyk. He shot 58 at the Travelers Championship in 2016 for the PGA Tour record. Young had the first sub-60 round since Scottie Scheffler at the TPC Boston in 2020. It's the seventh sub-60 round this year on tours around the world.CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Tom Kim has made just enough birdies to keep in front at the rain-softened Travelers Championship. But just barely. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was one shot behind. PGA champion Xander Schauffele was in the group another shot behind. Kim saved par on the final hole in the darkness for a 65. The third round was stopped for nearly three hours because of thunderstorms. The heavy rain drenched an already-soft TPC River Highlands. The tone was set early. Cameron Young shot 59 before the leaders teed off. Scheffler birdied his last four holes and was one back with Akshay Bhatia.SAMMAMISH, Wash. (AP) — Amy Yang shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship as she chases her first major victory. Yang was at 7-under 209 at Sahalee Country Club. The 34-year-old South Korean player has five LPGA Tour victories. Lauren Hartlage and Miyu Yamashita were tied for second. Hartlage shot her second straight 69 for the only bogey-free round of the day. Yamashita, from Japan, had her second 70 in a row. Sarah Schmelzel, the American who shared the second-round lead with Yang, shot a 74 to drop to 4 under. First-round leader Lexi Thompson had a 73 to drop into a tie for fifth at 3 under.