KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs defensive lineman B.J. Thompson remained hospitalized but was awake and responsive on Friday, one day after the second-year pro experienced a seizure during a team meeting and went into cardiac arrest at the Kansas City practice facility.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said the 25-year-old Thompson was placed on a ventilator and heavily sedated Thursday night at the University of Kansas Health System. He was brought out of sedation on Friday and his prognosis is good.

“He’s alert. He’s a wake. He’s coming through quite well,” Burkholder said. “We don’t have a diagnosis and in medicine sometimes you don’t have that. But he’s awake and alert and he’s headed in the right direction.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs defensive lineman B.J. Thompson remained hospitalized but was awake and responsive on Friday, one day after the second-year pro experienced a seizure during a team meeting and went into cardiac arrest at the Kansas City practice facility.Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said the 25-year-old Thompson was placed on a ventilator and heavily sedated Thursday night at the University of Kansas Health System. He was brought out of sedation on Friday and his prognosis is good.“He’s alert. He’s a wake. He’s coming through quite well,” Burkholder said. “We don’t have a diagnosis and in medicine sometimes you don’t have that. But he’s awake and alert and he’s headed in the right direction.”

Chiefs Player Doing Better

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino hit a tiebreaking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/luis-castillo-in-play-run-s-to-vinnie-pasquantino-aeanpa" target="_blank">two-run double</a>&nbsp;during Kansas City’s three-run fifth inning, and the Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 8-4 on Saturday.

Kyle Isbel had three RBIs for Kansas City, and Adam Frazier had two hits and scored two runs. The Royals earned their third consecutive win.

Kansas City trailed 3-2 before Frazier doubled and scored on Nick Loftin’s single in the fifth. With two outs and runners on the corners, Pasquantino slapped a grounder inside the first base bag.

“Guys seem to be putting together some really nice at-bats right now,” Pasquantino said. “Two-out, runners-in-scoring-position hits, that’s going to win you some games.”

J.P. Crawford and Mitch Garver homered for Seattle. Crawford finished with two hits and two RBIs.

Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (5-7) permitted a season-high five runs in five innings. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one.

“Early in the game, nothing was easy,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They were making him work through at-bats. They got a couple of huge two-out, two-run doubles that spread the gap. We weren’t able to overcome it.”

Said Castillo: “Two pitches I kind of left up there and those were the two pitches that cost us the game.”

Crawford put Seattle in front when he drilled Alec Marsh’s first pitch of the game for his fifth homer of the season. It was Crawford’s 11th career leadoff homer.

“First pitch of the game you’re not really expecting a home run, but I was able to bounce back,” Marsh said.

Marsh retired his next 13 batters — eight on strikeouts — before Garver’s seventh homer off the left-field foul pole tied it at 2 with one out in the fifth inning.

“He was locating all his stuff,” Garver said. “We put ourselves in poor counts. He was able to strike out eight real quick. Not a lot going for us in the first five.”

Three straight two-out singles, capped by Crawford’s grounder through the middle, produced another run for the Mariners.

Marsh (5-3) struck out a season-high eight in five-plus innings. He was charged with four runs and seven hits.

“His stuff was really good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That was the best I’ve seen his curveball and sweeper in a long time. Got a lot of swing and miss on it.”

Maikel Garcia hit a leadoff single in the first for Kansas City. He stole second and scored on Salvador Perez’s single.

“Good at-bats, right from the get-go, making Castillo work,” Quatraro said. “We put pressure on him, no easy outs, right from Maikel’s at-bat to start the game. To get him out of there after five was huge.”

Frazier made it 2-1 with a solo drive in the second for his second homer.

Isbel extended Kansas City’s lead to 7-4 with a two-run double with two out in the sixth against Kirby Snead. Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717912050137.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrated with teammates after Saturday's 8-4 win over Seattle. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrated with teammates after Saturday's 8-4 win over Seattle. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino hit a tiebreaking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/luis-castillo-in-play-run-s-to-vinnie-pasquantino-aeanpa" target="_blank">two-run double</a>&nbsp;during Kansas City’s three-run fifth inning, and the Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 8-4 on Saturday.Kyle Isbel had three RBIs for Kansas City, and Adam Frazier had two hits and scored two runs. The Royals earned their third consecutive win.Kansas City trailed 3-2 before Frazier doubled and scored on Nick Loftin’s single in the fifth. With two outs and runners on the corners, Pasquantino slapped a grounder inside the first base bag.“Guys seem to be putting together some really nice at-bats right now,” Pasquantino said. “Two-out, runners-in-scoring-position hits, that’s going to win you some games.”J.P. Crawford and Mitch Garver homered for Seattle. Crawford finished with two hits and two RBIs.Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (5-7) permitted a season-high five runs in five innings. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one.“Early in the game, nothing was easy,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They were making him work through at-bats. They got a couple of huge two-out, two-run doubles that spread the gap. We weren’t able to overcome it.”Said Castillo: “Two pitches I kind of left up there and those were the two pitches that cost us the game.”Crawford put Seattle in front when he drilled Alec Marsh’s first pitch of the game for his fifth homer of the season. It was Crawford’s 11th career leadoff homer.“First pitch of the game you’re not really expecting a home run, but I was able to bounce back,” Marsh said.Marsh retired his next 13 batters — eight on strikeouts — before Garver’s seventh homer off the left-field foul pole tied it at 2 with one out in the fifth inning.“He was locating all his stuff,” Garver said. “We put ourselves in poor counts. He was able to strike out eight real quick. Not a lot going for us in the first five.”Three straight two-out singles, capped by Crawford’s grounder through the middle, produced another run for the Mariners.Marsh (5-3) struck out a season-high eight in five-plus innings. He was charged with four runs and seven hits.“His stuff was really good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That was the best I’ve seen his curveball and sweeper in a long time. Got a lot of swing and miss on it.”Maikel Garcia hit a leadoff single in the first for Kansas City. He stole second and scored on Salvador Perez’s single.“Good at-bats, right from the get-go, making Castillo work,” Quatraro said. “We put pressure on him, no easy outs, right from Maikel’s at-bat to start the game. To get him out of there after five was huge.”Frazier made it 2-1 with a solo drive in the second for his second homer.Isbel extended Kansas City’s lead to 7-4 with a two-run double with two out in the sixth against Kirby Snead. Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Pasquantino doubled helps Royals past Mariners 8-4

CHICAGO (AP) — There was a delay in the fourth inning of Friday night’s Boston Red Sox-Chicago White Sox game after three small bottles were thrown toward the field.

A White Sox spokesperson described the bottles as plastic and “travel-sized.” The team said it was investigating, but there were no injuries.

The delay occurred before Paul DeJong batted with runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the fourth.

DeJong said during the White Sox TV broadcast that they were “flying full bottles of liquor.” He said a kid in the front row was hit in the head and had to leave.

Chicago snapped a 14-game losing streak with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sox-white-sox-score-bc979bbe0081701cdce0540ce321d65d">7-2 victory</a>&nbsp;over Boston.

Speaking after the win, White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn said he heard a kid was hit.

“I don’t know when that happened,” Vaughn said. “I was on-deck, (Gavin Sheets) was up and heard a loud thud and looked down and there was a little shot glass or something right in front of me.”

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol praised the response by ballpark security.

“I really don’t know where they came from,” Grifol said. “One landed close to me and closer to some fans there. The most important thing is we notified security and they took care of it. We didn’t have anymore issues.”

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar hit consecutive home runs in the first inning and Ha-Seong Kim hit a two-run shot in the sixth for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3 Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak.

Profar came through big again in the five-run eighth to blow it open. After Tatis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Profar cleared them with a double into the right-field corner. Luis Campusano hit an RBI single earlier in the inning to finish with three hits and two RBIs. Donovan Solano added an RBI single that inning.

The Padres had tied their longest losing streak of the season in a 4-3 defeat in the series opener on Thursday night in which they went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.

They got off to a fast start in this one against Brandon Pfaadt (2-5). Tatis extended his hitting streak to 13 games with his shot to straightaway center with one out in the first. It was his 11th. Profar followed with his ninth deep into the home run porch in right field. He flipped his bat near first base.

Tatis has reached base in 17 straight games. On Thursday night, he tied the franchise record by getting a hit in eight straight at-bats.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yainer Diaz homered in his fourth consecutive game and drove in three runs, and Framber Valdez pitched a four-hitter in the Houston Astros’ 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Yordan Alvarez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the five-run seventh inning by the Astros, who opened a weekend series at the Big A with their fifth win in eight games.

Valdez (5-3) struck out eight in his seventh complete game and his first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astros-valdez-no-hitter-guardians-houston-4638017011fd652b15eec587e693620e">since his no-hitter last August</a>. Valdez frequently dominates the Angels, including three career outings with at least 12 strikeouts along with five victories in eight career starts at Angel Stadium.

Valdez dedicated his performance to teammate Cristian Javier, who had Tommy John surgery this week and won’t return to the mound until late next season at the earliest.

“It’s one of those games for your record, for yourself, for your future, is really good,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “I spoke to Cristian earlier today, and I told him, ‘I’m going to throw a really good game today, because we need it.’”

Valdez didn’t walk a batter until Taylor Ward drew a walk with two outs in the ninth. Manager Joe Espada decided to allow Valdez to face only one more hitter, and shortstop Jeremy Peña made a diving catch on Kevin Pillar’s line drive for the final out.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — By the time he was old enough to watch NHL games growing up in Sweden, Oliver Ekman-Larsson began dreaming about playing in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-nhl-4de06ad802822cfb70e15c1c64af2268">the Stanley Cup Final</a>.

Now he’s here, a member of the Florida Panthers in a series against the Edmonton Oilers that marks the furthest distance between two teams in a final in NHL history. That would not have mattered to that kid yearning to be in this spot.

“I would probably go back and forth to Sweden if I got a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final,” he said.

OK, it’s not quite that far, but the 2,543 miles (4,092 kilometers) between the Panthers and Oilers home arenas eclipses the old record set by Vancouver and Boston in 2011 — a series that went the full seven games. Four years after that, the Oilers drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-connor-mcdavid-c06d84a3498358a1e6e0d5947c1e3d2e">Connor McDavid</a>&nbsp;in the same home arena they’ll play Game 1 in Saturday night, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-8c28622cf8a569fef8fedbdae49e46ca">full-circle moment</a>&nbsp;for the face of the sport.

“We spend a lot of time on that plane,” McDavid said. “We’re one of the most traveled in the league, so it’s only fitting that we’re going to play in the furthest Stanley Cup Final of all time.”

BOSTON (AP) — The Mavericks couldn’t figure out how best to utilize big man Kristaps Porzingis during his three seasons in Dallas.

Three years later, the Mavericks now have a big Porzingis problem in the NBA Finals.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the start of the series that he didn’t think Porzingis received nearly enough praise for his ability as a shot blocker and someone who can alter opponents’ shots.

The 7-footer did both in his rousing return to the court in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-celtics-mavericks-score-521bcb5c7ea943a61ecc218e9364cfc8">Boston’s 107-89 Game 1 victory</a>, while also providing a scoring punch — 20 points in 21 minutes of action — that jumpstarted the blowout.

It was a full display of his skillset by Boston that was never fully used during Porzingis’ time in Dallas.

“He plays his role,” Kidd said. “I think that’s one of the things that’s underrated about KP. When you ask him to do something, he does it. He doesn’t complain about his role. He goes out there and tries to help his team win.”

What’s more, he did it in his first game back after missing more than a month of action because of a strained right calf muscle.

“Even if I have time off, I can jump right back in and I feel the same way,” Porzingis said. “I know how to do this. That’s it, just having that confidence, going out there whatever, first round or Finals, just going out there with full confidence and giving what I have to the team.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714991701059.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — There was a delay in the fourth inning of Friday night’s Boston Red Sox-Chicago White Sox game after three small bottles were thrown toward the field.A White Sox spokesperson described the bottles as plastic and “travel-sized.” The team said it was investigating, but there were no injuries.The delay occurred before Paul DeJong batted with runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the fourth.DeJong said during the White Sox TV broadcast that they were “flying full bottles of liquor.” He said a kid in the front row was hit in the head and had to leave.Chicago snapped a 14-game losing streak with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sox-white-sox-score-bc979bbe0081701cdce0540ce321d65d">7-2 victory</a>&nbsp;over Boston.Speaking after the win, White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn said he heard a kid was hit.“I don’t know when that happened,” Vaughn said. “I was on-deck, (Gavin Sheets) was up and heard a loud thud and looked down and there was a little shot glass or something right in front of me.”White Sox manager Pedro Grifol praised the response by ballpark security.“I really don’t know where they came from,” Grifol said. “One landed close to me and closer to some fans there. The most important thing is we notified security and they took care of it. We didn’t have anymore issues.”SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar hit consecutive home runs in the first inning and Ha-Seong Kim hit a two-run shot in the sixth for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3 Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak.Profar came through big again in the five-run eighth to blow it open. After Tatis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Profar cleared them with a double into the right-field corner. Luis Campusano hit an RBI single earlier in the inning to finish with three hits and two RBIs. Donovan Solano added an RBI single that inning.The Padres had tied their longest losing streak of the season in a 4-3 defeat in the series opener on Thursday night in which they went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.They got off to a fast start in this one against Brandon Pfaadt (2-5). Tatis extended his hitting streak to 13 games with his shot to straightaway center with one out in the first. It was his 11th. Profar followed with his ninth deep into the home run porch in right field. He flipped his bat near first base.Tatis has reached base in 17 straight games. On Thursday night, he tied the franchise record by getting a hit in eight straight at-bats.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yainer Diaz homered in his fourth consecutive game and drove in three runs, and Framber Valdez pitched a four-hitter in the Houston Astros’ 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.Yordan Alvarez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the five-run seventh inning by the Astros, who opened a weekend series at the Big A with their fifth win in eight games.Valdez (5-3) struck out eight in his seventh complete game and his first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astros-valdez-no-hitter-guardians-houston-4638017011fd652b15eec587e693620e">since his no-hitter last August</a>. Valdez frequently dominates the Angels, including three career outings with at least 12 strikeouts along with five victories in eight career starts at Angel Stadium.Valdez dedicated his performance to teammate Cristian Javier, who had Tommy John surgery this week and won’t return to the mound until late next season at the earliest.“It’s one of those games for your record, for yourself, for your future, is really good,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “I spoke to Cristian earlier today, and I told him, ‘I’m going to throw a really good game today, because we need it.’”Valdez didn’t walk a batter until Taylor Ward drew a walk with two outs in the ninth. Manager Joe Espada decided to allow Valdez to face only one more hitter, and shortstop Jeremy Peña made a diving catch on Kevin Pillar’s line drive for the final out.SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — By the time he was old enough to watch NHL games growing up in Sweden, Oliver Ekman-Larsson began dreaming about playing in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-nhl-4de06ad802822cfb70e15c1c64af2268">the Stanley Cup Final</a>.Now he’s here, a member of the Florida Panthers in a series against the Edmonton Oilers that marks the furthest distance between two teams in a final in NHL history. That would not have mattered to that kid yearning to be in this spot.“I would probably go back and forth to Sweden if I got a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final,” he said.OK, it’s not quite that far, but the 2,543 miles (4,092 kilometers) between the Panthers and Oilers home arenas eclipses the old record set by Vancouver and Boston in 2011 — a series that went the full seven games. Four years after that, the Oilers drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-connor-mcdavid-c06d84a3498358a1e6e0d5947c1e3d2e">Connor McDavid</a>&nbsp;in the same home arena they’ll play Game 1 in Saturday night, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-8c28622cf8a569fef8fedbdae49e46ca">full-circle moment</a>&nbsp;for the face of the sport.“We spend a lot of time on that plane,” McDavid said. “We’re one of the most traveled in the league, so it’s only fitting that we’re going to play in the furthest Stanley Cup Final of all time.”BOSTON (AP) — The Mavericks couldn’t figure out how best to utilize big man Kristaps Porzingis during his three seasons in Dallas.Three years later, the Mavericks now have a big Porzingis problem in the NBA Finals.Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the start of the series that he didn’t think Porzingis received nearly enough praise for his ability as a shot blocker and someone who can alter opponents’ shots.The 7-footer did both in his rousing return to the court in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-celtics-mavericks-score-521bcb5c7ea943a61ecc218e9364cfc8">Boston’s 107-89 Game 1 victory</a>, while also providing a scoring punch — 20 points in 21 minutes of action — that jumpstarted the blowout.It was a full display of his skillset by Boston that was never fully used during Porzingis’ time in Dallas.“He plays his role,” Kidd said. “I think that’s one of the things that’s underrated about KP. When you ask him to do something, he does it. He doesn’t complain about his role. He goes out there and tries to help his team win.”What’s more, he did it in his first game back after missing more than a month of action because of a strained right calf muscle.“Even if I have time off, I can jump right back in and I feel the same way,” Porzingis said. “I know how to do this. That’s it, just having that confidence, going out there whatever, first round or Finals, just going out there with full confidence and giving what I have to the team.”

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

The Kansas State Wildcats now have their backs against the wall in the postseason, as they dropped game one of the Super Regional round to the Virginia Cavaliers, 7-4.

Kansas State got the scoring party started first by jumping out to a 3-0 lead, but gave up two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to fall behind by 4-3.

A solo home run by David Bishop in the top of the seventh tied things up at four a piece, but in the bottom of the inning the Cavaliers jumped ahead thanks to a three-run home run.

Kansas State had some chances in the final two frames but couldn’t push any runs across.

The win moves Virginia one step closer to the College World Series, and the Wildcats will need to win two in a row to take the series win.

Historically, 78% of teams who win game one of a Super Regional round win the series overall, so the Wildcats will need to buck that trend to see their season continue.

The Kansas State Wildcats now have their backs against the wall in the postseason, as they dropped game one of the Super Regional round to the Virginia Cavaliers, 7-4.Kansas State got the scoring party started first by jumping out to a 3-0 lead, but gave up two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to fall behind by 4-3.A solo home run by David Bishop in the top of the seventh tied things up at four a piece, but in the bottom of the inning the Cavaliers jumped ahead thanks to a three-run home run.Kansas State had some chances in the final two frames but couldn’t push any runs across.The win moves Virginia one step closer to the College World Series, and the Wildcats will need to win two in a row to take the series win.Historically, 78% of teams who win game one of a Super Regional round win the series overall, so the Wildcats will need to buck that trend to see their season continue.

K-State falls in Super Regional 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. tied it with a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1799275757442941300" target="_blank">triple</a>&nbsp;in the ninth inning and scored on Nelson&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/mlb/status/1799276504599175486?s=61&amp;t=9pp7XIs0RmuX6Pu3uceB6g" target="_blank">Velázquez’s fielder’s choice</a>&nbsp;to give the Kansas City Royals a 10-9 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night after they trailed 8-0 in the fourth.

After Maikel Garcia’s RBI grounder cut it to 9-8, Witt tripled into the corner in left.

“He’s a tremendous player.” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “He hit a pitch that probably was not even a strike. He does those things. He’s a really talented guy and he got us tonight.”

The Mariners intentionally walked the bases full and Velázquez followed with a grounder for the Royals’ third walk-off victory of the season.

“Just put the ball in play and something good can happen,” Velázquez said. “We stand together the whole game, no matter what. We still play hard for 27 outs.”

Kansas City had its largest comeback victory of the year and Seattle its largest blown lead.

“We’re never out of a game,” Witt said. “With this team we have, you’ve just got to do your part and the next guy’s going to do his part. That’s how resilient we are.”

Witt had three hits, extending his hitting streak to eight games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. tied it with a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1799275757442941300" target="_blank">triple</a>&nbsp;in the ninth inning and scored on Nelson&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/mlb/status/1799276504599175486?s=61&amp;t=9pp7XIs0RmuX6Pu3uceB6g" target="_blank">Velázquez’s fielder’s choice</a>&nbsp;to give the Kansas City Royals a 10-9 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night after they trailed 8-0 in the fourth.After Maikel Garcia’s RBI grounder cut it to 9-8, Witt tripled into the corner in left.“He’s a tremendous player.” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “He hit a pitch that probably was not even a strike. He does those things. He’s a really talented guy and he got us tonight.”The Mariners intentionally walked the bases full and Velázquez followed with a grounder for the Royals’ third walk-off victory of the season.“Just put the ball in play and something good can happen,” Velázquez said. “We stand together the whole game, no matter what. We still play hard for 27 outs.”Kansas City had its largest comeback victory of the year and Seattle its largest blown lead.“We’re never out of a game,” Witt said. “With this team we have, you’ve just got to do your part and the next guy’s going to do his part. That’s how resilient we are.”Witt had three hits, extending his hitting streak to eight games.

KC overcomes 8 run deficit to beat Mariners 

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women's basketball program announced Friday that Ava Jones will medically retire from basketball.

Jones was injured in a car/pedestrian accident in Louisville, Kentucky on July 5, 2022. Jones was a Nickerson High School student in town for an AAU basketball tournament at the time.

She will remain on scholarship and continue to attend the University of Iowa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668040995679.jpeg" alt="Ava Jones- photo by Judd Weil" />
 <figcaption>Ava Jones- photo by Judd Weil</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women's basketball program announced Friday that Ava Jones will medically retire from basketball.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ava Jones’ Iowa women&#39;s basketball career is over. The Hawkeyes unfortunately announced Friday that she will medically retire from college basketball.<a href="https://t.co/RSvIEroAuy">https://t.co/RSvIEroAuy</a>&mdash; Hawk Central (@hawkcentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/hawkcentral/status/1799101578911080765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Jones was injured in a car/pedestrian accident in Louisville, Kentucky on July 5, 2022. Jones was a Nickerson High School student in town for an AAU basketball tournament at the time.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FIowaWBB%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0MxLG4VxwniHoL5nkj1gWywVfQNGGqpf8tALrzxt9cLnwerUjexWsQ58H3oZ1tbNTl&show_text=true&width=500&preview=comet_preview" width="500" height="616" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>She will remain on scholarship and continue to attend the University of Iowa.

Former Nickerson High School star, Ava Jones' basketball career is over

Super regionals are the next stop on the NCAA baseball tournament’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/baseball/d1/2024" target="_blank">Road to Omaha.</a>

Four of the best-of-three series are Friday through Sunday: Evansville (38-24) at No. 1 national seed Tennessee (53-11); UConn (35-24) at No. 8 Florida State (45-15); Kansas State (35-24) at No. 12 Virginia (44-15); and West Virginia (36-22) at No. 4 North Carolina (45-14).

The four series Saturday through Monday: No. 15 Oregon State (45-14) at No. 2 Kentucky (43-14); No. 10 North Carolina State (36-20) at No. 7 Georgia (42-15); Florida (32-28) at No. 6 Clemson (44-14); and Oregon (40-18) at No. 3 Texas A&amp;M (47-13).

The eight winners advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, starting June 14.

Home runs per game are on a record pace for the season, but long balls in the national tournament are down so far. There were 257 homers in 100 regional games this year; 299 were hit in 101 games in 2023.

Most of the remaining 16 teams pack a wallop, though. Nine have hit at least 100 homers, and only two have hit fewer than 85.

No. 1 national seed Tennessee has hit a school-record 159, the most since LSU had 188 in 1997.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-baseball-condon-d61f001aaa75244164ed03ed5d72db6d">Charlie Condon of No. 7 Georgia</a>&nbsp;leads the nation with 36, the most since Rice’s Lance Berkman had 41 in 1997, and five other players in the top 10 are in supers.

Since the tournament went to its current format in 1999, the team hosting a super regional on its home field has won 69.3%. That’s 131 of 189 and does not include three series that were played at neutral sites.

Evansville and West Virginia are making their first appearances in super regionals, and both present wonderful storylines.

The Purples Aces, in their own state, play in the shadows of Big Ten programs Indiana and Purdue and Missouri Valley Conference powerhouse Indiana State. Since their previous NCAA appearance in 2006, they’ve won one MVC regular-season title (2014) and finished fourth or lower 14 of the other 17 years. This year’s conference tournament championship, which earned them the automatic NCAA bid, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baseball-regionals-959d7fc7f2bac89830f348fc39c8fcbd">their first since ‘06.</a>

West Virginia hopes to send&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baseball-west-virginia-mazey-a3c2413c57764d344f764c2bd2e5a638">coach Randy Mazey</a>&nbsp;into retirement with a trip to the CWS. The Mountaineers went two and out in the Big 12 Tournament before sweeping through regionals.

Ten players projected by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2024-mock-draft-may-2" target="_blank">MLB.com</a>&nbsp;to be taken in the first round of the amateur draft are playing in supers.

Among them are the projected top four picks — Condon, the Georgia 3B, Oregon State 2B Travis Bazzana, Florida 1B-P Jac Caglianone and Texas A&amp;M RF Braden Montgomery.

Super regionals are the next stop on the NCAA baseball tournament’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/baseball/d1/2024" target="_blank">Road to Omaha.</a>Four of the best-of-three series are Friday through Sunday: Evansville (38-24) at No. 1 national seed Tennessee (53-11); UConn (35-24) at No. 8 Florida State (45-15); Kansas State (35-24) at No. 12 Virginia (44-15); and West Virginia (36-22) at No. 4 North Carolina (45-14).The four series Saturday through Monday: No. 15 Oregon State (45-14) at No. 2 Kentucky (43-14); No. 10 North Carolina State (36-20) at No. 7 Georgia (42-15); Florida (32-28) at No. 6 Clemson (44-14); and Oregon (40-18) at No. 3 Texas A&amp;M (47-13).The eight winners advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, starting June 14.<h2>ABOUT THOSE HOMERS</h2>Home runs per game are on a record pace for the season, but long balls in the national tournament are down so far. There were 257 homers in 100 regional games this year; 299 were hit in 101 games in 2023.Most of the remaining 16 teams pack a wallop, though. Nine have hit at least 100 homers, and only two have hit fewer than 85.No. 1 national seed Tennessee has hit a school-record 159, the most since LSU had 188 in 1997.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-baseball-condon-d61f001aaa75244164ed03ed5d72db6d">Charlie Condon of No. 7 Georgia</a>&nbsp;leads the nation with 36, the most since Rice’s Lance Berkman had 41 in 1997, and five other players in the top 10 are in supers.<h2>HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE</h2>Since the tournament went to its current format in 1999, the team hosting a super regional on its home field has won 69.3%. That’s 131 of 189 and does not include three series that were played at neutral sites.<h2>WELCOME TO THE PARTY</h2>Evansville and West Virginia are making their first appearances in super regionals, and both present wonderful storylines.The Purples Aces, in their own state, play in the shadows of Big Ten programs Indiana and Purdue and Missouri Valley Conference powerhouse Indiana State. Since their previous NCAA appearance in 2006, they’ve won one MVC regular-season title (2014) and finished fourth or lower 14 of the other 17 years. This year’s conference tournament championship, which earned them the automatic NCAA bid, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baseball-regionals-959d7fc7f2bac89830f348fc39c8fcbd">their first since ‘06.</a>West Virginia hopes to send&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baseball-west-virginia-mazey-a3c2413c57764d344f764c2bd2e5a638">coach Randy Mazey</a>&nbsp;into retirement with a trip to the CWS. The Mountaineers went two and out in the Big 12 Tournament before sweeping through regionals.<h2>IT’S KIND OF DRAFTY</h2>Ten players projected by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2024-mock-draft-may-2" target="_blank">MLB.com</a>&nbsp;to be taken in the first round of the amateur draft are playing in supers.Among them are the projected top four picks — Condon, the Georgia 3B, Oregon State 2B Travis Bazzana, Florida 1B-P Jac Caglianone and Texas A&amp;M RF Braden Montgomery.

K-State, Virginia ready to square off in NCAA super regional

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has been very public, seemingly chaotic and dominated by famous names. Totally Hollywood, in other words. The Lakers’ reported plan to offer a massive contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley is the latest twist in the monthlong race to replace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-darvin-ham-fired-ab9cb7152c6351ceb1142e8d434866f4">Darvin Ham, who was fired May 3</a>&nbsp;after two seasons. On Thursday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40295979/dan-hurley-meet-lakers-friday-coaching-job-sources-say" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;Hurley is traveling to Los Angeles for a Friday meeting with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss. Citing unidentified sources in the report, ESPN also said Hurley informed UConn of his interest in talking to the Lakers on Wednesday and spoke to his players Thursday.

BOSTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis didn’t want to make predictions about how his body would respond heading into the NBA Finals after he spent more than a month on the sideline with a calf injury. Just fine, it turned out. Jaylen Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1798888660781199409" target="_blank">scored 22 points</a>, Porzingis made an&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1798891017434976315" target="_blank">immediate impact off the bench</a>&nbsp;and added 20 and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1. Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title.

CHICAGO (AP) — Jarren Duran and Enmanuel Valdez homered, Tanner Houck pitched seven solid innings and the Boston Red Sox handed the White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, beating Chicago 14-2 on Thursday night. The White Sox surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team while extending baseball’s longest slide this season. They are a major league-worst 15-48.

PARIS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/french-open-2024-iga-swiatek-e09b179070b7f41fc1a3145fe7842134">Iga Swiatek</a>&nbsp;is as good as it gets in tennis at the moment, especially at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/french-open">French Open</a>. Been that way for quite some time. So her unyielding success against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coco-gauff-french-open-2024-59c90a160c43d81e546be6012682003d">Coco Gauff</a>&nbsp;just about everywhere — and certainly at Roland Garros — should come as no surprise by now. Swiatek continued her mastery over Gauff and extended her winning streak in Paris to 20 matches with a 6-2, 6-4 victory in the semifinals on Thursday. In Saturday’s title match, Swiatek will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/french-open-6-5-2024-results-b5550e0e500c05b170cb30c973c85616">No. 12 Jasmine Paolini of Italy</a>, a 6-3, 6-1 winner against unseeded 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the second semifinal.

NEW YORK (AP) — Trent Grisham homered and had three RBIs, doubling his totals in both categories, and the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 8-5 victory Thursday night for their eighth straight win. New York slugger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juan-soto-injury-yankees-3a4d72a58e67f8e6e2cc9c3142127b66">Juan Soto was removed with left forearm discomfort</a>&nbsp;following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning. He will undergo imaging Friday, and Boone said it’s too early to tell if the star right fielder will need to miss time. Gleyber Torres bounced a two-run double inside first base for the Yankees (45-19), who broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors. They moved to 25-6 in the last 31 games and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022.

PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics organizers on Friday unveiled a display of the five Olympic rings mounted on the Eiffel Tower as the French capital marks 50 days until the start of the Summer Games. The structure of rings, made of recycled French steel, will be displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River. Each ring is 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter.&nbsp;Thousands of athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-paris-innovations-opening-ceremony-cad9eda58cc0c4c86e4a7a61519062c7">opening ceremony at sunset on July 26.</a>

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Florida junior Parker Valby won the 10,000 meters in a meet-record time and the Gators took the women’s team lead Thursday in the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. Valby finished in 31 minutes, 46.09 seconds for her fifth NCAA title. She pulled away on the third lap. Florida has 26 points after six of the 21 events. Nebraska was second with 22, followed by Oregon with 15. In the men’s decathlon, Texas’ Leo Neugebauer shattered his own NCAA record with 8,961 points to defend his title. Neugebauer broke the decathlon world record in the discus at 189-4 and he matched his personal best of 17-1 in the pole vault. Neugebauer headed into the final event with 8,309 points — the second-most ever after nine.

Boston 107, Dallas 89&nbsp; &nbsp;Boston leads series 1-0

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698749277422.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has been very public, seemingly chaotic and dominated by famous names. Totally Hollywood, in other words. The Lakers’ reported plan to offer a massive contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley is the latest twist in the monthlong race to replace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-darvin-ham-fired-ab9cb7152c6351ceb1142e8d434866f4">Darvin Ham, who was fired May 3</a>&nbsp;after two seasons. On Thursday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40295979/dan-hurley-meet-lakers-friday-coaching-job-sources-say" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;Hurley is traveling to Los Angeles for a Friday meeting with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss. Citing unidentified sources in the report, ESPN also said Hurley informed UConn of his interest in talking to the Lakers on Wednesday and spoke to his players Thursday.BOSTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis didn’t want to make predictions about how his body would respond heading into the NBA Finals after he spent more than a month on the sideline with a calf injury. Just fine, it turned out. Jaylen Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1798888660781199409" target="_blank">scored 22 points</a>, Porzingis made an&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1798891017434976315" target="_blank">immediate impact off the bench</a>&nbsp;and added 20 and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1. Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title.CHICAGO (AP) — Jarren Duran and Enmanuel Valdez homered, Tanner Houck pitched seven solid innings and the Boston Red Sox handed the White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, beating Chicago 14-2 on Thursday night. The White Sox surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team while extending baseball’s longest slide this season. They are a major league-worst 15-48.PARIS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/french-open-2024-iga-swiatek-e09b179070b7f41fc1a3145fe7842134">Iga Swiatek</a>&nbsp;is as good as it gets in tennis at the moment, especially at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/french-open">French Open</a>. Been that way for quite some time. So her unyielding success against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coco-gauff-french-open-2024-59c90a160c43d81e546be6012682003d">Coco Gauff</a>&nbsp;just about everywhere — and certainly at Roland Garros — should come as no surprise by now. Swiatek continued her mastery over Gauff and extended her winning streak in Paris to 20 matches with a 6-2, 6-4 victory in the semifinals on Thursday. In Saturday’s title match, Swiatek will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/french-open-6-5-2024-results-b5550e0e500c05b170cb30c973c85616">No. 12 Jasmine Paolini of Italy</a>, a 6-3, 6-1 winner against unseeded 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the second semifinal.NEW YORK (AP) — Trent Grisham homered and had three RBIs, doubling his totals in both categories, and the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 8-5 victory Thursday night for their eighth straight win. New York slugger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juan-soto-injury-yankees-3a4d72a58e67f8e6e2cc9c3142127b66">Juan Soto was removed with left forearm discomfort</a>&nbsp;following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning. He will undergo imaging Friday, and Boone said it’s too early to tell if the star right fielder will need to miss time. Gleyber Torres bounced a two-run double inside first base for the Yankees (45-19), who broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors. They moved to 25-6 in the last 31 games and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022.PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics organizers on Friday unveiled a display of the five Olympic rings mounted on the Eiffel Tower as the French capital marks 50 days until the start of the Summer Games. The structure of rings, made of recycled French steel, will be displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River. Each ring is 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter.&nbsp;Thousands of athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-paris-innovations-opening-ceremony-cad9eda58cc0c4c86e4a7a61519062c7">opening ceremony at sunset on July 26.</a>EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Florida junior Parker Valby won the 10,000 meters in a meet-record time and the Gators took the women’s team lead Thursday in the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. Valby finished in 31 minutes, 46.09 seconds for her fifth NCAA title. She pulled away on the third lap. Florida has 26 points after six of the 21 events. Nebraska was second with 22, followed by Oregon with 15. In the men’s decathlon, Texas’ Leo Neugebauer shattered his own NCAA record with 8,961 points to defend his title. Neugebauer broke the decathlon world record in the discus at 189-4 and he matched his personal best of 17-1 in the pole vault. Neugebauer headed into the final event with 8,309 points — the second-most ever after nine.THURSDAY'S SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLAMERICAN LEAGUEKansas City 4, Cleveland 3NY Yankees 8, Minnesota 5Toronto 6, Baltimore 5Seattle 3, Oakland 0Boston 14, Chicago White Sox 2NATIONAL LEAGUEArizona 4, San Diego 3Colorado 3, St. Louis 2Cincinnati 8, Chicago Cubs 4Atlanta 5, Washington 2LA Dodgers 11, Pittsburgh 7NBA FINALSBoston 107, Dallas 89&nbsp; &nbsp;Boston leads series 1-0

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

CLEVELAND (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1798803133931323843" target="_blank">Kyle Isbel delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning</a>&nbsp;to score Adam Frazier, two innings after driving in the tying run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Thursday.

Frazier doubled off Hunter Gaddis (3-2) with two outs in the eighth and Isbel followed with a liner to right, giving Kansas City a split of the two-game series. The clubs were rained out on Wednesday.

“I had a lot of opportunities today, late in the game with a chance to take the lead,” Isbel said. “I put a good swing on a ball and got a good pitch to hit.”

The Royals pulled within four games of Cleveland in the division, winning for the third time in 10 games since May 25. Sam Long (1-1) pitched the seventh and James McArthur picked up his 12th save as Kansas City’s bullpen pitched 5 1/3 hitless innings.

“We don’t win if they don’t put up the zeroes,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “The Guardians have gone through a lot of these games, too, and that’s why these teams are winning.”

José Ramírez hit a solo homer and drove in two runs for the Guardians, who have the third-best record in baseball at 40-21, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. Cleveland entered the day an MLB-best 21-7 at home.

Isbel was in the lineup for the first time since Sunday, when he sustained a head injury in a collision with teammate Bobby Witt Jr. against San Diego. He also is recovering from small facial fractures after fouling a ball off his face at Tampa Bay on May 25.

“Some freak accidents,” Isbel said. “I don’t wish that upon anybody, but I’m feeling good.”

Kansas City scored twice in the sixth to tie it at 3. Hunter Renfroe doubled in Freddy Fermin, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1798798489595359732" target="_blank">MJ Melendez jumped over the attempted tag</a>&nbsp;of Guardians catcher Bo Naylor and touched home on Isbel’s grounder. Home plate umpire Chris Conroy called Melendez out, but it was overturned on a replay challenge by the Royals.

“It was a tough play, just an unfortunate turn that didn’t go our way,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “I haven’t seen the replay, but I’m sure they got it right.”

Ramírez, who leads the majors with 60 RBIs, gave the Guardians a 2-1 lead in the third with a 422-foot blast into the right-field stands. He also singled home Steven Kwan in the fourth to make it 3-1, chasing Royals starter Brady Singer.

“I think I’ve tried everything against (Ramírez) and he’s still gotten me,” Singer said. “He’s a real, real good hitter.”

Ramírez homered for the eighth time in 20 games and has 50 RBIs in his last 46 contests. He also moved past Manny Ramirez into eighth place in franchise history with 806 career RBIs.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee struck out seven in five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Singer went 3 2/3 innings and gave up two earned runs after missing his previous turn in the rotation with an illness.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717732189462.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez scores over Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor on an RBI from Kyle Isbel in the sixth inning of Thursday's 4-3 win. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez scores over Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor on an RBI from Kyle Isbel in the sixth inning of Thursday's 4-3 win. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1798803133931323843" target="_blank">Kyle Isbel delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning</a>&nbsp;to score Adam Frazier, two innings after driving in the tying run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Thursday.Frazier doubled off Hunter Gaddis (3-2) with two outs in the eighth and Isbel followed with a liner to right, giving Kansas City a split of the two-game series. The clubs were rained out on Wednesday.“I had a lot of opportunities today, late in the game with a chance to take the lead,” Isbel said. “I put a good swing on a ball and got a good pitch to hit.”The Royals pulled within four games of Cleveland in the division, winning for the third time in 10 games since May 25. Sam Long (1-1) pitched the seventh and James McArthur picked up his 12th save as Kansas City’s bullpen pitched 5 1/3 hitless innings.“We don’t win if they don’t put up the zeroes,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “The Guardians have gone through a lot of these games, too, and that’s why these teams are winning.”José Ramírez hit a solo homer and drove in two runs for the Guardians, who have the third-best record in baseball at 40-21, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. Cleveland entered the day an MLB-best 21-7 at home.Isbel was in the lineup for the first time since Sunday, when he sustained a head injury in a collision with teammate Bobby Witt Jr. against San Diego. He also is recovering from small facial fractures after fouling a ball off his face at Tampa Bay on May 25.“Some freak accidents,” Isbel said. “I don’t wish that upon anybody, but I’m feeling good.”Kansas City scored twice in the sixth to tie it at 3. Hunter Renfroe doubled in Freddy Fermin, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1798798489595359732" target="_blank">MJ Melendez jumped over the attempted tag</a>&nbsp;of Guardians catcher Bo Naylor and touched home on Isbel’s grounder. Home plate umpire Chris Conroy called Melendez out, but it was overturned on a replay challenge by the Royals.“It was a tough play, just an unfortunate turn that didn’t go our way,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “I haven’t seen the replay, but I’m sure they got it right.”Ramírez, who leads the majors with 60 RBIs, gave the Guardians a 2-1 lead in the third with a 422-foot blast into the right-field stands. He also singled home Steven Kwan in the fourth to make it 3-1, chasing Royals starter Brady Singer.“I think I’ve tried everything against (Ramírez) and he’s still gotten me,” Singer said. “He’s a real, real good hitter.”Ramírez homered for the eighth time in 20 games and has 50 RBIs in his last 46 contests. He also moved past Manny Ramirez into eighth place in franchise history with 806 career RBIs.Guardians starter Tanner Bibee struck out seven in five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Singer went 3 2/3 innings and gave up two earned runs after missing his previous turn in the rotation with an illness.

Isbel RBI in 8th inning lifts Royals past Guardians 4-3

BOSTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis didn’t want to make predictions about how his body would respond heading into the NBA Finals after he spent more than a month on the sideline with a calf injury.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Porzingis made an immediate impact off the bench and added 20 and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1.

Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title.

Porzingis, a 7-footer who had been sidelined since April 29, added six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.

“That’s the KP that helped us get to where we are today,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It doesn’t matter how long the guy is off, he’s going to make plays.”

The Mavericks can’t recover from a poor start in a Game 1 loss to the Celtics. AP correspondent Dave Ferry reports.

All-Star Jayson Tatum finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Six players scored in double figures for the Celtics, who host Game 2 on Sunday.

Dallas cut the deficit to eight points in the third quarter, but Boston answered with a 14-0 run to quickly pull away again.

Luka Doncic led Dallas with 30 points. P.J. Washington added 14 points and eight rebounds. But Dallas couldn’t find offensive consistency beyond that, totaling just nine assists on its 35 field goals for the game. The Mavericks didn’t score 25 points in any quarter.

Doncic said the lopsided loss wouldn’t diminish the spirit of a team that lost the opening game in three of four series this postseason.

“Either you lose or you win,” Doncic said. “First to four, we’ve got to focus on the next game.”

Former Celtic Kyrie Irving struggled throughout, finishing with 12 points. He received a loud and extended chorus of boos Thursday when he was introduced before the game. It continued throughout the game whenever he touched the ball.

The treatment came after Irving sparred with Boston fans and was fined for using an obscene gesture during a 2022 playoff visit to TD Garden.

The Celtics, seeking their first championship since 2008, showed little rust from their 10-day layoff after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

They flowed with energy throughout, sharing the ball in the halfcourt and getting the ball to shooters for open 3s. They also attacked the interior of the Dallas defense and got to the rim for several dunks.

Meanwhile, apart from Doncic, who shot 12 of 26 from the field, Dallas struggled early to get into its sets and couldn’t find a consistent groove offensively.

The Mavericks led by one midway through the first quarter. The Celtics responded by outscoring them 44-16 to make it 58-29 in the second.

Things changed over the next 12 minutes of game action when Dallas used a 35-14 run, including 15 points by Doncic, to cut Boston’s lead to 72-64. But the Celtics were back up 86-66 entering the fourth.

Dallas had just five assists through the first three quarters, the the fewest any NBA team has had, in any game, through 36 minutes in the last three seasons.

Porzingis ended his 10-game hiatus when he came off the bench with 7:17 left in the first quarter in place of starter Al Horford. With the exception of a white compression sleeve on his right leg, it was hard to tell Porzingis was coming off an injury.

He got into the mix quickly, knocking down a pair of free throws after being fouled by Doncic. A possession later, the Latvian connected in his first field goal when he dropped on a short jumper over Doncic.

Minutes later he got loose in the paint for a two-handed dunk over Derrick Lively. On Dallas’ next possession, Porzingis was there to swat away Jaden Hardy’s layup attempt. The Celtics pushed the ball up the court and got the ball back to their big man, who calmly buried a 16-footer.

It was part of a 17-5 surge by Boston over the final 5:24 of the quarter that saw Porzingis go 4 for 5 from the field, score 11 points, block two shots and grab three rebounds. Boston carried a 37-20 lead into the second quarter.

Porzingis finished the half with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717731890981.png" alt="Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis dunks next to Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)" />
 <figcaption>Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis dunks next to Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis didn’t want to make predictions about how his body would respond heading into the NBA Finals after he spent more than a month on the sideline with a calf injury.Just fine, it turned out.Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Porzingis made an immediate impact off the bench and added 20 and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1.Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title.Porzingis, a 7-footer who had been sidelined since April 29, added six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.“That’s the KP that helped us get to where we are today,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It doesn’t matter how long the guy is off, he’s going to make plays.”The Mavericks can’t recover from a poor start in a Game 1 loss to the Celtics. AP correspondent Dave Ferry reports.All-Star Jayson Tatum finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Six players scored in double figures for the Celtics, who host Game 2 on Sunday.Dallas cut the deficit to eight points in the third quarter, but Boston answered with a 14-0 run to quickly pull away again.Luka Doncic led Dallas with 30 points. P.J. Washington added 14 points and eight rebounds. But Dallas couldn’t find offensive consistency beyond that, totaling just nine assists on its 35 field goals for the game. The Mavericks didn’t score 25 points in any quarter.Doncic said the lopsided loss wouldn’t diminish the spirit of a team that lost the opening game in three of four series this postseason.“Either you lose or you win,” Doncic said. “First to four, we’ve got to focus on the next game.”Former Celtic Kyrie Irving struggled throughout, finishing with 12 points. He received a loud and extended chorus of boos Thursday when he was introduced before the game. It continued throughout the game whenever he touched the ball.The treatment came after Irving sparred with Boston fans and was fined for using an obscene gesture during a 2022 playoff visit to TD Garden.The Celtics, seeking their first championship since 2008, showed little rust from their 10-day layoff after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.They flowed with energy throughout, sharing the ball in the halfcourt and getting the ball to shooters for open 3s. They also attacked the interior of the Dallas defense and got to the rim for several dunks.Meanwhile, apart from Doncic, who shot 12 of 26 from the field, Dallas struggled early to get into its sets and couldn’t find a consistent groove offensively.The Mavericks led by one midway through the first quarter. The Celtics responded by outscoring them 44-16 to make it 58-29 in the second.Things changed over the next 12 minutes of game action when Dallas used a 35-14 run, including 15 points by Doncic, to cut Boston’s lead to 72-64. But the Celtics were back up 86-66 entering the fourth.Dallas had just five assists through the first three quarters, the the fewest any NBA team has had, in any game, through 36 minutes in the last three seasons.Porzingis ended his 10-game hiatus when he came off the bench with 7:17 left in the first quarter in place of starter Al Horford. With the exception of a white compression sleeve on his right leg, it was hard to tell Porzingis was coming off an injury.He got into the mix quickly, knocking down a pair of free throws after being fouled by Doncic. A possession later, the Latvian connected in his first field goal when he dropped on a short jumper over Doncic.He wasn’t done.Minutes later he got loose in the paint for a two-handed dunk over Derrick Lively. On Dallas’ next possession, Porzingis was there to swat away Jaden Hardy’s layup attempt. The Celtics pushed the ball up the court and got the ball back to their big man, who calmly buried a 16-footer.It was part of a 17-5 surge by Boston over the final 5:24 of the quarter that saw Porzingis go 4 for 5 from the field, score 11 points, block two shots and grab three rebounds. Boston carried a 37-20 lead into the second quarter.Porzingis finished the half with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

Celtics rout Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 of NBA Finals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs backup B.J. Thompson was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday after the defensive lineman experienced a cardiac event during a team meeting, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the event, said team trainers and medical staff were able to react quickly and treat Thompson until paramedics arrived.

The Chiefs planned to wrap up their voluntary offseason workouts on Thursday, but a team spokesman said the practice would be pushed to Friday. That is when Chiefs coach Andy Reid and other players will speak to reporters.

The 27-year-old Thompson was a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs out of Stephen F. Austin in last year's draft. The only game Thompson appeared in was their regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, when Kansas City already had clinched its playoff spot and the game's outcome was meaningless. Thompson had two tackles in that game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717698357421.png" alt="FILE - Kansas City Chiefs’ B.J. Thompson (53) walks to the field before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. Chiefs backup B.J. Thompson was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday, June 6, 2024, after the defensive lineman experienced a cardiac event during a team meeting, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kansas City Chiefs’ B.J. Thompson (53) walks to the field before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. Chiefs backup B.J. Thompson was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday, June 6, 2024, after the defensive lineman experienced a cardiac event during a team meeting, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs backup B.J. Thompson was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday after the defensive lineman experienced a cardiac event during a team meeting, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the event, said team trainers and medical staff were able to react quickly and treat Thompson until paramedics arrived.The Chiefs planned to wrap up their voluntary offseason workouts on Thursday, but a team spokesman said the practice would be pushed to Friday. That is when Chiefs coach Andy Reid and other players will speak to reporters.The 27-year-old Thompson was a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs out of Stephen F. Austin in last year's draft. The only game Thompson appeared in was their regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, when Kansas City already had clinched its playoff spot and the game's outcome was meaningless. Thompson had two tackles in that game.

Chiefs lineman hospitalized after cardiac event during team meeting

The Kansas State High School Activities Association has selected sites for the 2025 KSHSAA state basketball championships. All seven sites have hosted at least once previously. For the first time since 2020, Barton Community College in Great Bend will not host a tournament.

"We here at Barton are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to host a KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament the past several years," said Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. "Barton put its best foot forward in providing a first-class experience for all qualifying teams and schools during that time."

After hosting the 1A Division I state championships last season, the Colby Event Center has been selected to host the 1A Division II state championships in 2025. The 2A tournaments will return to their traditional home at Bramlage Coliseum after a year’s hiatus.&nbsp;

The KSHSAA continues to have a strong relationship with Barton Community College who has hosted the 1A Division II Tournaments the last four years. Colby will be the fourth community to host the 1A Division II state championships since the class split into divisions in 2011. In 2019, Class 1A held a single tournament without divisions.

“The student-athletes, coaches, school communities and officials who participated in the 1A Division I tournament in Colby last year had a great experience,” KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said. “Colby was given a chance last year and hosted great championship tournaments. We know they will do the same in 2025. With two new hotels coming online before the 2025 tournaments, the experience for teams, families, fans and officials will be even better.”

Barton Community College couldn’t commit to hosting for a fifth year due to potential events on their campus the week of the state basketball tournaments.

“Trevor Rolfs and his team of Heather Panning, Todd Moore, Brooke Thompson, Brandon Smith, Kelsey Feist, Megan Besecker and more did a tremendous job hosting for us the past three years and we thank them for the outstanding job they did,” KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Kyle Doperalski said. “We appreciate their team and also understand the need for them to pass on a hosting opportunity in 2025.”

Rolfs added a couple of things in the works caused Barton to hit pause on hosting state basketball.

"Increasing concerns about capacity, particularly with the impending renovation to the south upper level of our facility, combined with the potential for Barton to host Region VI playoff basketball in March 2025 led to this joint decision with KSHSAA."

2025 KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament hosts

6A:&nbsp; Wichita State University, Koch Arena

5A:&nbsp; Emporia Parks and Recreation, White Auditorium

4A:&nbsp; Tony’s Pizza Event Center, Salina

3A:&nbsp; Hutchinson Community College, Hutchinson Sports Arena

2A:&nbsp; Visit Manhattan, Bramlage Coliseum

1A DI:&nbsp; Dodge City High School and Dodge City Sports Commission, United Wireless Arena

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674239685271.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas State High School Activities Association has selected sites for the 2025 KSHSAA state basketball championships. All seven sites have hosted at least once previously. For the first time since 2020, Barton Community College in Great Bend will not host a tournament."We here at Barton are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to host a KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament the past several years," said Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. "Barton put its best foot forward in providing a first-class experience for all qualifying teams and schools during that time."After hosting the 1A Division I state championships last season, the Colby Event Center has been selected to host the 1A Division II state championships in 2025. The 2A tournaments will return to their traditional home at Bramlage Coliseum after a year’s hiatus.&nbsp;The KSHSAA continues to have a strong relationship with Barton Community College who has hosted the 1A Division II Tournaments the last four years. Colby will be the fourth community to host the 1A Division II state championships since the class split into divisions in 2011. In 2019, Class 1A held a single tournament without divisions.“The student-athletes, coaches, school communities and officials who participated in the 1A Division I tournament in Colby last year had a great experience,” KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said. “Colby was given a chance last year and hosted great championship tournaments. We know they will do the same in 2025. With two new hotels coming online before the 2025 tournaments, the experience for teams, families, fans and officials will be even better.”Barton Community College couldn’t commit to hosting for a fifth year due to potential events on their campus the week of the state basketball tournaments.“Trevor Rolfs and his team of Heather Panning, Todd Moore, Brooke Thompson, Brandon Smith, Kelsey Feist, Megan Besecker and more did a tremendous job hosting for us the past three years and we thank them for the outstanding job they did,” KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Kyle Doperalski said. “We appreciate their team and also understand the need for them to pass on a hosting opportunity in 2025.”Rolfs added a couple of things in the works caused Barton to hit pause on hosting state basketball."Increasing concerns about capacity, particularly with the impending renovation to the south upper level of our facility, combined with the potential for Barton to host Region VI playoff basketball in March 2025 led to this joint decision with KSHSAA."2025 KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament hosts6A:&nbsp; Wichita State University, Koch Arena5A:&nbsp; Emporia Parks and Recreation, White Auditorium4A:&nbsp; Tony’s Pizza Event Center, Salina3A:&nbsp; Hutchinson Community College, Hutchinson Sports Arena2A:&nbsp; Visit Manhattan, Bramlage Coliseum1A DI:&nbsp; Dodge City High School and Dodge City Sports Commission, United Wireless Arena1A DII:&nbsp; Colby Event Center, Colby

Barton has to pass on hosting state basketball in 2025

EDMONTON (AP)&nbsp; - When Kris Knoblauch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oilers-fire-coach-jay-woodcroft-3427499a7130680b171c0e51e819e10b">became coach</a>&nbsp;of the Edmonton Oilers, they had lost 10 of their first 13 games and the Stanley Cup was the last thing anyone on the team was talking about. Since then, no team in the NHL has won more games and Knoblauch is a big reason they are in the final. It comes as no surprise to those who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/flyers-hire-rising-star-knoblauch-as-assistant-coach-918aafb2c878403cb028be9e67b34c26">know Knoblauch</a>&nbsp;to see him making the most of his first chance to be an NHL head coach. The fall struggles feel far away now, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-8c28622cf8a569fef8fedbdae49e46ca">Oilers in the final</a>&nbsp;against Florida and four victories away from the franchise’s first championship since 1990. None of this seemed possible under Jay Woodcroft. Knoblauch replaced him Nov. 12 and brought a straightforward, calm approach to a star-studded team that needed a steady hand. Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals is Saturday.

BOSTON (AP) — As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-mavericks-celtics-c05210020bced129bb12bcf9fc841ffa">Dallas Mavericks</a>&nbsp;and Boston Celtics prepare to tip off the NBA Finals, the four biggest names in the series are looking at this moment through different lenses. Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-celtics-nba-finals-666a4277102481346e7c9b262528fde5">Celtics’ most tenured and scrutinized stars</a>&nbsp;on their roster – see it as a chance at redemption after falling just short two seasons ago and then failing to return last year. Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving see it as their first opportunity to make good on a partnership that began late last season after Irving was traded from Brooklyn following a tumultuous run of two-plus seasons with the Nets. Game one of the NBA Finals is tonight.

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Rodón has put his miserable first season with the Yankees behind, pitching like the All-Star expected by New York when it lavished a $162 million, eight-year contract on the left-hander. Rodón retired his first 16 batters and won a career-best sixth straight start Wednesday night, helping the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-twins-score-judge-rodon-e6091f061dfc79559f631d32bd47e37a">Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 9-5</a>&nbsp;for their seventh straight victory. Rodón is 8-2 with a 3.08 ERA, striking out 71 and walking 20 in 73 innings with a .217 opponents’ batting average. The 31-year-old left-hander has 39 strikeouts on sliders, 24 on fastballs, six on changeups and two on cutters.

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Easygoing Gardner Minshew never seems to get stressed out about anything. Aidan O’Connell said he has enjoyed getting to know and work with his new teammate. Who’s also his competitor. Both want the same thing — to become the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders — but they don’t appear ready to tear each other down to get there. They communicate in the quarterback room and on the practice field for organized team activities, trying to help each other get better. The Raiders need one of those quarterbacks to emerge as the starter and help the team beat low preseason expectations in which Las Vegas’ win total at&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.co.betmgm.com/en/sports/football-11/betting/usa-9/nfl-35" target="_blank">BetMGM Sportsbook</a>&nbsp;is 6 1/2 games.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696502488214.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>EDMONTON (AP)&nbsp; - When Kris Knoblauch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oilers-fire-coach-jay-woodcroft-3427499a7130680b171c0e51e819e10b">became coach</a>&nbsp;of the Edmonton Oilers, they had lost 10 of their first 13 games and the Stanley Cup was the last thing anyone on the team was talking about. Since then, no team in the NHL has won more games and Knoblauch is a big reason they are in the final. It comes as no surprise to those who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/flyers-hire-rising-star-knoblauch-as-assistant-coach-918aafb2c878403cb028be9e67b34c26">know Knoblauch</a>&nbsp;to see him making the most of his first chance to be an NHL head coach. The fall struggles feel far away now, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-8c28622cf8a569fef8fedbdae49e46ca">Oilers in the final</a>&nbsp;against Florida and four victories away from the franchise’s first championship since 1990. None of this seemed possible under Jay Woodcroft. Knoblauch replaced him Nov. 12 and brought a straightforward, calm approach to a star-studded team that needed a steady hand. Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals is Saturday.BOSTON (AP) — As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-mavericks-celtics-c05210020bced129bb12bcf9fc841ffa">Dallas Mavericks</a>&nbsp;and Boston Celtics prepare to tip off the NBA Finals, the four biggest names in the series are looking at this moment through different lenses. Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-celtics-nba-finals-666a4277102481346e7c9b262528fde5">Celtics’ most tenured and scrutinized stars</a>&nbsp;on their roster – see it as a chance at redemption after falling just short two seasons ago and then failing to return last year. Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving see it as their first opportunity to make good on a partnership that began late last season after Irving was traded from Brooklyn following a tumultuous run of two-plus seasons with the Nets. Game one of the NBA Finals is tonight.NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Rodón has put his miserable first season with the Yankees behind, pitching like the All-Star expected by New York when it lavished a $162 million, eight-year contract on the left-hander. Rodón retired his first 16 batters and won a career-best sixth straight start Wednesday night, helping the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-twins-score-judge-rodon-e6091f061dfc79559f631d32bd47e37a">Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 9-5</a>&nbsp;for their seventh straight victory. Rodón is 8-2 with a 3.08 ERA, striking out 71 and walking 20 in 73 innings with a .217 opponents’ batting average. The 31-year-old left-hander has 39 strikeouts on sliders, 24 on fastballs, six on changeups and two on cutters.HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Easygoing Gardner Minshew never seems to get stressed out about anything. Aidan O’Connell said he has enjoyed getting to know and work with his new teammate. Who’s also his competitor. Both want the same thing — to become the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders — but they don’t appear ready to tear each other down to get there. They communicate in the quarterback room and on the practice field for organized team activities, trying to help each other get better. The Raiders need one of those quarterbacks to emerge as the starter and help the team beat low preseason expectations in which Las Vegas’ win total at&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.co.betmgm.com/en/sports/football-11/betting/usa-9/nfl-35" target="_blank">BetMGM Sportsbook</a>&nbsp;is 6 1/2 games.WEDNESDAY'S SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLAMERICAN LEAGUEKansas City at Cleveland, ppd to Aug. 26NY Yankees 9, Minnesota 5Toronto 3, Baltimore 2Texas 9, Detroit 1Oakland 2, Seattle 1NATIONAL LEAGUECincinnati 12, Colorado 7San Francisco 9, Arizona 3NY Mets 9, Washington 1Philadelphia 2, Milwaukee 0Pittsburgh 10, LA Dodgers 6INTERLEAGUEBoston 9, Atlanta 0St. Louis 4, Houston 2Tampa Bay 5, Miami 3Chicago Cubs 7, White Sox 6LA Angels 3, San Diego 2

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Kansas City Royals (36-26, second in the AL Central) vs. Cleveland Guardians (40-20, first in the AL Central)

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Brady Singer (4-2, 2.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 64 strikeouts); Guardians: Nick Sandlin (4-0, 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 29 strikeouts)

<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports/" target="_blank">BETMGM SPORTSBOOK</a>: LINE Guardians -124, Royals +104; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Guardians host the Kansas City Royals, leading the series 1-0.

Cleveland is 21-7 at home and 40-20 overall. The Guardians have the seventh-best team ERA in baseball at 3.50.

Kansas City has gone 14-16 on the road and 36-26 overall. The Royals are 28-6 in games when they out-hit their opponents.

The teams play Wednesday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jose Ramirez has 13 doubles, a triple and 16 home runs while hitting .272 for the Guardians. David Fry is 12-for-32 with a double and four home runs over the past 10 games. ____________

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt’s Jr.'s throwing error led to Cleveland scoring three runs on an infield grounder in the seventh inning in the Guardians’ 8-5 win over the Royals on Tuesday night, the first matchup this season between the AL Central’s top two teams.

The Guardians trailed 5-0 in the fourth before storming back to win the three-game series opener and push their division lead to five over the Royals.

Witt clobbered a pair of two-run homers totaling nearly 1,000 feet, but his errant throw in the seventh swung the game to Cleveland.

“I made a mistake,” Witt said. “It cost us the game.”

After Tyler Freeman’s homer tied it 5-5 for the Guardians and chased Royals starter Seth Lugo, Cleveland loaded the bases on a fielder’s choice and two walks — one by Sam Long (0-1) — with two outs when David Fry hit a grounder up the middle.

Witt gloved it to the right of the base and initially tried to beat Josh Naylor to second for a force. When Witt realized he couldn’t get the sliding Naylor, he unleashed a wild throw that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had no chance of getting.

The ball wound up in the photographer’s pit, and because Naylor had already gotten to second base, he was awarded third and home.

“I should have just thrown the ball to first and made the play,” he said. “I just kind of slow played it and should have just made the decision to throw it to first. You learn from it and you try not to make those mistakes and do the little things right and tonight I didn’t.

“I’ve got to move on and learn from it,” he said while there was little conversation taking place in Kansas City’s subdued clubhouse following a tough loss.

Over in Cleveland’s side, it was a familiar scene — music and card games following the club’s 15th come-from-behind win.

“Our guys truly believe we’re one rally, one hit away from starting a rally to come back and we don’t quit,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “These guys don’t quit. And it’s just a testament to who they are. That’s who they’ve always been. And it’s just that belief that we’re going to come back.”

Rookie Cade Smith (3-0) came on for Triston McKenzie, and Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his AL-leading 19th save. Clase has given up just one earned run in 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717611577983.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. walks back to the dugout after striking out against Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Chase to end Tuesday's series opener in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. walks back to the dugout after striking out against Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Chase to end Tuesday's series opener in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City Royals (36-26, second in the AL Central) vs. Cleveland Guardians (40-20, first in the AL Central)Cleveland; Wednesday, 5:40 p.m.PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Brady Singer (4-2, 2.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 64 strikeouts); Guardians: Nick Sandlin (4-0, 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 29 strikeouts)<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports/" target="_blank">BETMGM SPORTSBOOK</a>: LINE Guardians -124, Royals +104; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Guardians host the Kansas City Royals, leading the series 1-0.Cleveland is 21-7 at home and 40-20 overall. The Guardians have the seventh-best team ERA in baseball at 3.50.Kansas City has gone 14-16 on the road and 36-26 overall. The Royals are 28-6 in games when they out-hit their opponents.The teams play Wednesday for the second time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jose Ramirez has 13 doubles, a triple and 16 home runs while hitting .272 for the Guardians. David Fry is 12-for-32 with a double and four home runs over the past 10 games. ____________CLEVELAND (AP) — Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt’s Jr.'s throwing error led to Cleveland scoring three runs on an infield grounder in the seventh inning in the Guardians’ 8-5 win over the Royals on Tuesday night, the first matchup this season between the AL Central’s top two teams.The Guardians trailed 5-0 in the fourth before storming back to win the three-game series opener and push their division lead to five over the Royals.Witt clobbered a pair of two-run homers totaling nearly 1,000 feet, but his errant throw in the seventh swung the game to Cleveland.“I made a mistake,” Witt said. “It cost us the game.”After Tyler Freeman’s homer tied it 5-5 for the Guardians and chased Royals starter Seth Lugo, Cleveland loaded the bases on a fielder’s choice and two walks — one by Sam Long (0-1) — with two outs when David Fry hit a grounder up the middle.Witt gloved it to the right of the base and initially tried to beat Josh Naylor to second for a force. When Witt realized he couldn’t get the sliding Naylor, he unleashed a wild throw that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had no chance of getting.The ball wound up in the photographer’s pit, and because Naylor had already gotten to second base, he was awarded third and home.Witt wished he could have a do-over.“I should have just thrown the ball to first and made the play,” he said. “I just kind of slow played it and should have just made the decision to throw it to first. You learn from it and you try not to make those mistakes and do the little things right and tonight I didn’t.“I’ve got to move on and learn from it,” he said while there was little conversation taking place in Kansas City’s subdued clubhouse following a tough loss.Over in Cleveland’s side, it was a familiar scene — music and card games following the club’s 15th come-from-behind win.“Our guys truly believe we’re one rally, one hit away from starting a rally to come back and we don’t quit,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “These guys don’t quit. And it’s just a testament to who they are. That’s who they’ve always been. And it’s just that belief that we’re going to come back.”Rookie Cade Smith (3-0) came on for Triston McKenzie, and Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his AL-leading 19th save. Clase has given up just one earned run in 2024.Naylor hit a two-run homer for the Guardians, who reached 40 wins in 60 games for just the fourth time in club history. They also did it in 1954 (42-18), 1995 (42-18) and 1999 (40-20).Witt connected in the third and fourth innings off Cleveland starter McKenzie, who has given up eight homers in his last three starts.Down 5-0 in the fourth after Witt’s second homer, the Guardians got Naylor’s 16th homer while scoring three in the fourth off Lugo, who came in leading the AL in wins (9) and was 6-0 in six road starts.