Kansas City Royals (33-30, fourth in the AL Central) vs. Chicago White Sox (20-43, fifth in the AL Central)

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Seth Lugo (3-5, 3.45 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 45 strikeouts); White Sox: Davis Martin (2-6, 3.67 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 41 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE:&nbsp;Royals -177, White Sox +148

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago White Sox host the Kansas City Royals on Friday to start a three-game series.

Chicago has a 14-17 record at home and a 20-43 record overall. The White Sox have a 15-9 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.

Kansas City has a 33-30 record overall and a 14-17 record in road games. The Royals are 24-8 in games when they have more hits than their opponents.

The teams meet Friday for the fifth time this season. The Royals lead the season series 4-0.

TOP PERFORMERS: Miguel Vargas leads the White Sox with eight home runs while slugging .416. Mike Tauchman is 12 for 37 with five doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.

Vinnie Pasquantino ranks fourth on the Royals with 16 extra base hits (seven doubles, a triple and eight home runs). Bobby Witt Jr. is 8 for 39 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: White Sox: 3-7, .237 batting average, 4.39 ERA, outscored by seven runs

Royals: 5-5, .272 batting average, 4.05 ERA, outscored by four runs

INJURIES: White Sox: Luis Robert: day-to-day (head), Lenyn Sosa: 10-Day IL (hip), Miguel Castro: 60-Day IL (knee), Jonathan Cannon: 15-Day IL (back), Tyler Gilbert: 15-Day IL (knee), Fraser Ellard: 15-Day IL (lat), Martin Perez: 60-Day IL (forearm), Drew Thorpe: 60-Day IL (elbow), Prelander Berroa: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ky Bush: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jesse Scholtens: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Royals: Hunter Harvey: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Lucas Erceg: 15-Day IL (back), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Sam Long: 15-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 15-Day IL (shoulder)

Kansas City Royals (33-30, fourth in the AL Central) vs. Chicago White Sox (20-43, fifth in the AL Central)Chicago; Friday, 7:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Seth Lugo (3-5, 3.45 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 45 strikeouts); White Sox: Davis Martin (2-6, 3.67 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 41 strikeouts)BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE:&nbsp;Royals -177, White Sox +148BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago White Sox host the Kansas City Royals on Friday to start a three-game series.Chicago has a 14-17 record at home and a 20-43 record overall. The White Sox have a 15-9 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Kansas City has a 33-30 record overall and a 14-17 record in road games. The Royals are 24-8 in games when they have more hits than their opponents.The teams meet Friday for the fifth time this season. The Royals lead the season series 4-0.TOP PERFORMERS: Miguel Vargas leads the White Sox with eight home runs while slugging .416. Mike Tauchman is 12 for 37 with five doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.Vinnie Pasquantino ranks fourth on the Royals with 16 extra base hits (seven doubles, a triple and eight home runs). Bobby Witt Jr. is 8 for 39 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: White Sox: 3-7, .237 batting average, 4.39 ERA, outscored by seven runsRoyals: 5-5, .272 batting average, 4.05 ERA, outscored by four runsINJURIES: White Sox: Luis Robert: day-to-day (head), Lenyn Sosa: 10-Day IL (hip), Miguel Castro: 60-Day IL (knee), Jonathan Cannon: 15-Day IL (back), Tyler Gilbert: 15-Day IL (knee), Fraser Ellard: 15-Day IL (lat), Martin Perez: 60-Day IL (forearm), Drew Thorpe: 60-Day IL (elbow), Prelander Berroa: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ky Bush: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jesse Scholtens: 60-Day IL (elbow)Royals: Hunter Harvey: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Lucas Erceg: 15-Day IL (back), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Sam Long: 15-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 15-Day IL (shoulder)

White Sox host the Royals to open 3-game series

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kansas City Royals rookie outfielder Jac Caglianone got a pair of firsts out of the way with one swing of the bat Thursday.

Caglianone ripped Miles Mikolas' curveball into the right-field corner for an RBI double that scored Salvador Perez in the fourth inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals. It was the first career hit and RBI for the highly touted prospect who was selected sixth overall by Kansas City in the 2024 amateur draft.

“He’s a very decorated pitcher, a veteran and all that, so I knew his command was really good,” Caglianone said. “So, he started off two heaters up, get down 0-2, and luckily, just saw the curveball pop.”

Caglianone also added a nice running catch in right field to rob Alec Burleson of an extra base hit in the fifth in the Royals’ 6-5 loss.

“He tracked that ball really well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, it’s hit hard and going towards the line, so it was a really nice play.”

Caglianone went 0 for 5 in his major league debut on Monday, but he came close to picking up hits during three of those at-bats. Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II raced 92 feet to make a running catch just steps away from the outfield wall on his first career at-bat and 10-time Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman Nolan Arenado made a pair of off-balance throws to nail him at first base later in the game.

“It’s the big leagues,” Caglianone said. “These guys are really good at what they do. Yeah, it’s been good so far. A lot of hard contact, and just going to keep building on it.”

Caglianone had to wait an extra day to get his first hit after rain washed out Tuesday night’s game.

“I was able to have a nice dinner with my family,” Caglianone said. “Had a good night’s sleep, so I was good going into 18 innings today.”

The 22-year-old Caglianone hit .319 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 38 games with Triple-A Omaha after playing the first 12 games of the season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

“He’s going to impact a lot of games for us,” Quatraro said. “We’re pretty confident in that. You know, he’s been swinging the bat fine. Squared the ball up his first time as well, but for him to get that first one out of the way and kind of get that relaxation, that feel, is good for him, and it’s good for us.”

Caglianone said he was thinking about his father when he got the hit. The ball will go home with his dad, who was in the stands to watch the milestone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749220388202.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone gestures toward the dugout after hiding an RBI double during the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Thursday, June 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone gestures toward the dugout after hiding an RBI double during the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Thursday, June 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kansas City Royals rookie outfielder Jac Caglianone got a pair of firsts out of the way with one swing of the bat Thursday.Caglianone ripped Miles Mikolas' curveball into the right-field corner for an RBI double that scored Salvador Perez in the fourth inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals. It was the first career hit and RBI for the highly touted prospect who was selected sixth overall by Kansas City in the 2024 amateur draft.“He’s a very decorated pitcher, a veteran and all that, so I knew his command was really good,” Caglianone said. “So, he started off two heaters up, get down 0-2, and luckily, just saw the curveball pop.”Caglianone also added a nice running catch in right field to rob Alec Burleson of an extra base hit in the fifth in the Royals’ 6-5 loss.“He tracked that ball really well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, it’s hit hard and going towards the line, so it was a really nice play.”Caglianone went 0 for 5 in his major league debut on Monday, but he came close to picking up hits during three of those at-bats. Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II raced 92 feet to make a running catch just steps away from the outfield wall on his first career at-bat and 10-time Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman Nolan Arenado made a pair of off-balance throws to nail him at first base later in the game.“It’s the big leagues,” Caglianone said. “These guys are really good at what they do. Yeah, it’s been good so far. A lot of hard contact, and just going to keep building on it.”Caglianone had to wait an extra day to get his first hit after rain washed out Tuesday night’s game.“I was able to have a nice dinner with my family,” Caglianone said. “Had a good night’s sleep, so I was good going into 18 innings today.”The 22-year-old Caglianone hit .319 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 38 games with Triple-A Omaha after playing the first 12 games of the season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.“He’s going to impact a lot of games for us,” Quatraro said. “We’re pretty confident in that. You know, he’s been swinging the bat fine. Squared the ball up his first time as well, but for him to get that first one out of the way and kind of get that relaxation, that feel, is good for him, and it’s good for us.”Caglianone said he was thinking about his father when he got the hit. The ball will go home with his dad, who was in the stands to watch the milestone.“He can keep it,” Caglianone said.

Royals rookie Jac Caglianone gets first career hit and RBI

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Maikel Garcia homered, doubled and scored three times, and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 n the second game of a day-night doubleheader. Royals starter Cole Ragans pitched three innings in his return from the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. He allowed five runs on five hits, struck out four and walked three. Angel Zerpa (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings in relief and Carlos Estévez earned his 18th save in 21 tries. Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (3-5) was pulled after four-plus innings with fatigue-related issues. The Cardinals rallied to take game one of the doubleheader 6-5.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Maikel Garcia homered, doubled and scored three times, and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader on Thursday night.

Royals starter Cole Ragans pitched three innings in his return from the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. He allowed five runs on five hits, struck out four and walked three.

Angel Zerpa (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit, one walk and striking out four. Carlos Estévez earned his 18th save in 21 tries.

Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (3-5)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cardinals-liberatore-aa82962c8410ecf03ad11aa08eacf179">was pulled</a>&nbsp;after four-plus innings with fatigue-related issues. He allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits.

The Cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-cardinals-score-4eaaf422950730066d8cb42254da6a20">rallied</a>&nbsp;to take game one of the doubleheader 6-5 on Willson Contreras' RBI single in the tenth.

Garcia’s two-run homer in the first gave the Royals a 2-0 lead in the nightcap.

Freddy Fermin hit a curveball 406 feet into the third deck in left field to lead off the third, sparking a three-run rally. Jonathan India singled and scored and Garcia doubled and scored on a Salvador Perez single to give the Royals a 5-1 lead.

Contreras singled home the Cardinals’ first run in the first inning and jump started a four-run third with a two-run double. Nolan Arenado followed with a two-run homer to tie the game at 5-all.

Nick Loftin’s RBI single scored Mark Canha to break the tie in the fourth. Garcia walked and scored on a Perez single in the fifth.

Liberatore left the game after surrendering a leadoff walk to Garcia in the fifth.

Garcia’s homer gave the Royals a first-inning home run for the third straight game.

The Royals are at the Chicago White Sox on Friday night to open a series, while the Cardinals are home against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749220274289.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Jonathan India turns a double play over St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar during the fourth inning in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Thursday, June 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Jonathan India turns a double play over St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar during the fourth inning in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Thursday, June 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Maikel Garcia homered, doubled and scored three times, and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 n the second game of a day-night doubleheader. Royals starter Cole Ragans pitched three innings in his return from the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. He allowed five runs on five hits, struck out four and walked three. Angel Zerpa (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings in relief and Carlos Estévez earned his 18th save in 21 tries. Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (3-5) was pulled after four-plus innings with fatigue-related issues. The Cardinals rallied to take game one of the doubleheader 6-5.<h2>Story</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Maikel Garcia homered, doubled and scored three times, and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader on Thursday night.Royals starter Cole Ragans pitched three innings in his return from the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. He allowed five runs on five hits, struck out four and walked three.Angel Zerpa (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit, one walk and striking out four. Carlos Estévez earned his 18th save in 21 tries.Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (3-5)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cardinals-liberatore-aa82962c8410ecf03ad11aa08eacf179">was pulled</a>&nbsp;after four-plus innings with fatigue-related issues. He allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits.The Cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-cardinals-score-4eaaf422950730066d8cb42254da6a20">rallied</a>&nbsp;to take game one of the doubleheader 6-5 on Willson Contreras' RBI single in the tenth.Garcia’s two-run homer in the first gave the Royals a 2-0 lead in the nightcap.Freddy Fermin hit a curveball 406 feet into the third deck in left field to lead off the third, sparking a three-run rally. Jonathan India singled and scored and Garcia doubled and scored on a Salvador Perez single to give the Royals a 5-1 lead.Contreras singled home the Cardinals’ first run in the first inning and jump started a four-run third with a two-run double. Nolan Arenado followed with a two-run homer to tie the game at 5-all.Nick Loftin’s RBI single scored Mark Canha to break the tie in the fourth. Garcia walked and scored on a Perez single in the fifth.<h2>Key moment</h2>Liberatore left the game after surrendering a leadoff walk to Garcia in the fifth.<h2>Key stat</h2>Garcia’s homer gave the Royals a first-inning home run for the third straight game.<h2>Up next</h2>The Royals are at the Chicago White Sox on Friday night to open a series, while the Cardinals are home against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Garcia homers as the Royals beat the Cards 7-5 to split doubleheader

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored with 0.3 seconds left for Indiana’s first and only lead of the game and the Pacers, the last-minute comeback kings of these playoffs, did it again to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. The Pacers were down by 15 with 9:42 left, matching the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in a finals game since Dallas came from 15 down to beat Miami on June 2, 2011. The coach of those Mavericks: Rick Carlisle. The coach of these Pacers: Rick Carlisle.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers went to the Eastern Conference finals last year and got swept. He went to the Olympics last summer and didn’t play much. He came into this season with high expectations and his Indiana Pacers got off to a 10-15 start. And on top of that, some of his NBA peers evidently think he is overrated. But in the ultimate moments of these playoffs, most recently Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he keeps delivering. His jumper with 0.3 seconds gave the Pacers a 111-110 win over the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The defending champion Florida Panthers look to even things up in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 on Friday night. The Oilers won Game 1 in overtime on Leon Draisaitl's power-play goal following a puck-over-the-glass penalty on Florida's Tomas Nosek. The Panthers have won 10 of 11 playoff series since Matthew Tkachuk arrived via trade and Paul Maurice was hired as coach, making the final all three years. Connor McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers hope to sweep the first two games of the best-of-seven series at home before play shifts to Sunrise, Florida next week.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin will have plenty on the line when they join forces this fall in Pittsburgh. Rodgers, a four-time MVP quarterback, is hoping to end his career on a more upbeat note after two miserable seasons with the New York Jets. Tomlin, the NFL's longest tenured head coach, hasn't had a single losing season in his 18 years in Pittsburgh. Bringing in Rodgers offers the Steelers their best chance to be competitive in 2025, though it could come at the cost of the club being in position to find its quarterback of the future in the 2026 draft.

PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff's first Grand Slam title came at the 2023 U.S. Open by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Gauff will need to beat Sabalenka again for a second major trophy. They will meet Saturday at the French Open in the first championship match there between the No. 1 and No. 2 women since 2013. This is Gauff's second final on the clay in Paris. She lost in 2022 to Iga Swiatek. Gauff says she got nervous back then but now has the perspective that a loss would not feel like the end of the world. Sabalenka seeks her fourth Slam title. The others came on hard courts.

LONDON (AP) — David Beckham, the former England soccer captain who has been an ambassador for the U.N. children’s fund, is to receive a knighthood in next week’s honors list from King Charles III, according to U.K. media reports. Without citing sources, the BBC said Friday that Beckham is set to receive the honor for his soccer career and his contributions to British society. The knighthood will make Beckham “Sir David” and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, “Lady Beckham.” In 2003, Beckham was awarded the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, for services to soccer. The Associated Press has not been able to immediately confirm the reports.

HOUSTON (AP) — When Cam Smith made his MLB debut on opening day for the Houston Astros it was the third-fastest that someone had gone from the draft to the majors. Selected 14th overall in by the Cubs in last year’s draft, Smith played just 32 minor league games, including just five games at the Double-A level, before moving to the big leagues. But behind the rookie’s meteoric ascent to the big leagues was years of work, preparation and planning coupled with a team working behind the scenes to help him reach the majors in near record time.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) — UFC 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili defends the championship against Sean O’Malley and Julianna Peña defends her 135-pound belt against two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison in the main bouts of UFC 316 Saturday night at the Prudential Center. O’Malley lost his championship to Dvalishvili when the two fought last year. O’Malley says he’s on a complete detox of all his vices. He’s cleansed himself of scrolling social media, stopped the hours of gaming each day and said he even quit smoking marijuana for a more a focused lifestyle as a father and as a fighter ahead of his championship fight.

FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup kicks off in Miami on June 14, featuring some of soccer’s biggest stars like Lionel Messi and greatest teams like Real Madrid. But the launch of the new-look tournament, staged in the United States, also comes with uncertainty over how it will be embraced in an already bloated calendar where soccer is played virtually year-round. This is world governing body FIFA’s big play to get a stronghold in the club game, which is dominated by the Champions League and the Premier League.

When a game is on the line in these NBA playoffs, Tyrese Haliburton delivers. The Indiana guard’s jumper with 0.3 seconds left gave the Pacers a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. It was Indiana’s only lead of the game and capped a 15-point fourth quarter comeback. The teams are officially off on Friday. Practices will resume Saturday. Game 2 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

INTERLEAGUE Final St. Louis 6 Kansas City 5 Final Toronto 9 Philadelphia 1 Final Houston 8 Pittsburgh 2 Final Kansas City 7 St. Louis 5

AMERICAN LEAGUE Final Chicago White Sox 3 Detroit 2 Final Baltimore 4 Seattle 3 Final Athletics 14 Minnesota 3 Final N.Y. Yankees 4 Cleveland 0 Final Tampa Bay 4 Texas 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Arizona 11 Atlanta 10 Final San Francisco 3 San Diego 2 Final L.A. Dodgers 6 N.Y. Mets 5 Final Chicago Cubs 7 Washington 1

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Final Indiana 111 Oklahoma City 110

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739459822020.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored with 0.3 seconds left for Indiana’s first and only lead of the game and the Pacers, the last-minute comeback kings of these playoffs, did it again to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. The Pacers were down by 15 with 9:42 left, matching the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in a finals game since Dallas came from 15 down to beat Miami on June 2, 2011. The coach of those Mavericks: Rick Carlisle. The coach of these Pacers: Rick Carlisle.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers went to the Eastern Conference finals last year and got swept. He went to the Olympics last summer and didn’t play much. He came into this season with high expectations and his Indiana Pacers got off to a 10-15 start. And on top of that, some of his NBA peers evidently think he is overrated. But in the ultimate moments of these playoffs, most recently Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he keeps delivering. His jumper with 0.3 seconds gave the Pacers a 111-110 win over the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder.EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The defending champion Florida Panthers look to even things up in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 on Friday night. The Oilers won Game 1 in overtime on Leon Draisaitl's power-play goal following a puck-over-the-glass penalty on Florida's Tomas Nosek. The Panthers have won 10 of 11 playoff series since Matthew Tkachuk arrived via trade and Paul Maurice was hired as coach, making the final all three years. Connor McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers hope to sweep the first two games of the best-of-seven series at home before play shifts to Sunrise, Florida next week.PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin will have plenty on the line when they join forces this fall in Pittsburgh. Rodgers, a four-time MVP quarterback, is hoping to end his career on a more upbeat note after two miserable seasons with the New York Jets. Tomlin, the NFL's longest tenured head coach, hasn't had a single losing season in his 18 years in Pittsburgh. Bringing in Rodgers offers the Steelers their best chance to be competitive in 2025, though it could come at the cost of the club being in position to find its quarterback of the future in the 2026 draft.PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff's first Grand Slam title came at the 2023 U.S. Open by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Gauff will need to beat Sabalenka again for a second major trophy. They will meet Saturday at the French Open in the first championship match there between the No. 1 and No. 2 women since 2013. This is Gauff's second final on the clay in Paris. She lost in 2022 to Iga Swiatek. Gauff says she got nervous back then but now has the perspective that a loss would not feel like the end of the world. Sabalenka seeks her fourth Slam title. The others came on hard courts.LONDON (AP) — David Beckham, the former England soccer captain who has been an ambassador for the U.N. children’s fund, is to receive a knighthood in next week’s honors list from King Charles III, according to U.K. media reports. Without citing sources, the BBC said Friday that Beckham is set to receive the honor for his soccer career and his contributions to British society. The knighthood will make Beckham “Sir David” and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, “Lady Beckham.” In 2003, Beckham was awarded the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, for services to soccer. The Associated Press has not been able to immediately confirm the reports.HOUSTON (AP) — When Cam Smith made his MLB debut on opening day for the Houston Astros it was the third-fastest that someone had gone from the draft to the majors. Selected 14th overall in by the Cubs in last year’s draft, Smith played just 32 minor league games, including just five games at the Double-A level, before moving to the big leagues. But behind the rookie’s meteoric ascent to the big leagues was years of work, preparation and planning coupled with a team working behind the scenes to help him reach the majors in near record time.MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) — UFC 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili defends the championship against Sean O’Malley and Julianna Peña defends her 135-pound belt against two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison in the main bouts of UFC 316 Saturday night at the Prudential Center. O’Malley lost his championship to Dvalishvili when the two fought last year. O’Malley says he’s on a complete detox of all his vices. He’s cleansed himself of scrolling social media, stopped the hours of gaming each day and said he even quit smoking marijuana for a more a focused lifestyle as a father and as a fighter ahead of his championship fight.FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup kicks off in Miami on June 14, featuring some of soccer’s biggest stars like Lionel Messi and greatest teams like Real Madrid. But the launch of the new-look tournament, staged in the United States, also comes with uncertainty over how it will be embraced in an already bloated calendar where soccer is played virtually year-round. This is world governing body FIFA’s big play to get a stronghold in the club game, which is dominated by the Champions League and the Premier League.When a game is on the line in these NBA playoffs, Tyrese Haliburton delivers. The Indiana guard’s jumper with 0.3 seconds left gave the Pacers a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. It was Indiana’s only lead of the game and capped a 15-point fourth quarter comeback. The teams are officially off on Friday. Practices will resume Saturday. Game 2 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

INTERLEAGUE Final St. Louis 6 Kansas City 5 Final Toronto 9 Philadelphia 1 Final Houston 8 Pittsburgh 2 Final Kansas City 7 St. Louis 5AMERICAN LEAGUE Final Chicago White Sox 3 Detroit 2 Final Baltimore 4 Seattle 3 Final Athletics 14 Minnesota 3 Final N.Y. Yankees 4 Cleveland 0 Final Tampa Bay 4 Texas 3NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Arizona 11 Atlanta 10 Final San Francisco 3 San Diego 2 Final L.A. Dodgers 6 N.Y. Mets 5 Final Chicago Cubs 7 Washington 1NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Final Indiana 111 Oklahoma City 110

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KUAthletics.com LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Highlighted by a marquee home matchup with UConn, a trip to North Carolina and an appearance at Madison Square Garden against Duke, Kansas men's basketball on Wednesday announced its loaded non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Additionally, KU will also face power conference foes Missouri and NC State and three more top programs in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.

Kansas will host a total of 16 games inside historic Allen Fieldhouse in 2025-26, including six non-conference matchups (Green Bay, Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UConn, Towson and Davidson). Season ticket renewal information for the 2025-26 season is available online by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/feature/MBB-2025-26-Season-Tickets">here</a>&nbsp;or by getting in touch with your account representative. Those interested in purchasing new season tickets can fill out a form&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.fanthreesixty.com/2025_ticket_interest_form_mbb?mnemonic=ku">here</a>&nbsp;to be contacted by a ticket representative.

"Once again we have a non-conference schedule that should be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules that anyone will play," KU head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;said. "We have a home game against UConn game in early December, away matchups at North Carolina and NC State and neutral games Duke in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, the three games at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and another with Missouri in Kansas City. Those, along with the Big 12 competition, make this a very tough and demanding schedule. Our non-conference slate should certainly prepare us for what will be considered another great Big 12 season.

"Kansas will open the season at ACC foe Louisville in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 24, at the KFC Yum! Center. KU will then host Fort Hays State in an exhibition contest on Tuesday, Oct. 28 in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks will open regular season play on Monday, Nov. 3 against Green Bay. Four days later, Kansas will play at fellow blue blood North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since 2022 with KU claiming the last two contests – 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game and 92-89 in Allen Fieldhouse last November.

KU then returns home for a pair of contests against Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Nov. 11 and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15.Kansas and Duke will square off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden. Since 2020, KU has won its last five Champions Classic contests. In fact, beginning in 2016, KU has won eight of its last nine Champions Classic battles.

Kansas will make its debut in the Players Era, Nov. 24-27, in Las Vegas. KU will play three games in the event with details and opponents for the Players Era to be announced later.

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Kansas returns home to host UConn for the second time in the past three seasons. These two powers have won three of the last four NCAA National Championships with KU in 2022 and UConn in 2023 and 2024.In the last meeting, then-No. 5 Kansas defeated then-No. 4 UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas will face Border Showdown foe Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will then travel to NC State on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a return game from last season where KU defeated NC State, 75-60, on Dec. 14, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas closes out non-conference play hosting Towson on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Davidson on Monday, Dec. 22.Specific dates and times for the Big 12's 18-game league schedule, along with television details will be announced later. The Big 12 Championship will be March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday set for March 15.In 2024-25, Kansas ranked 12th in NCAA Division I in strength of schedule, marking the 18th time under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;that the Jayhawks have recorded a top 20 toughest schedule in the nation with 14 of those in the top 10, and 10 in the top three.

Kansas Men's Basketball 2025-26 Schedule (Home games in ALL CAPS; Times and TV to be announced later)

Oct. 24 (Fri.) – at Louisville (Exhibition) Oct. 28 (Tue.) – FORT HAYS STATE (EXHIBITION) Nov. 3 (Mon.) – GREEN BAY Nov. 7 (Fri.) – at North Carolina Nov. 11 (Tue.) – TEXAS A&amp;M-CORPUS CHRISTI Nov. 15 (Sat.) – PRINCETON Nov. 18 (Tue.) – vs. Duke (Champions Classic, New York City)Nov. 24-27 (Mon.-Thurs.) – at Players Era (Las Vegas) Dec. 2 (Tue.) – CONNECTICUT Dec. 7 (Sun.) – vs. Missouri (Kansas City, Mo.) Dec. 13 (Sat.) – at NC State Dec.16 (Tue.) – TOWSON Dec. 22 (Mon.) - DAVIDSON&nbsp;&nbsp;

KUAthletics.com LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Highlighted by a marquee home matchup with UConn, a trip to North Carolina and an appearance at Madison Square Garden against Duke, Kansas men's basketball on Wednesday announced its loaded non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.Additionally, KU will also face power conference foes Missouri and NC State and three more top programs in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.Kansas will host a total of 16 games inside historic Allen Fieldhouse in 2025-26, including six non-conference matchups (Green Bay, Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UConn, Towson and Davidson). Season ticket renewal information for the 2025-26 season is available online by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/feature/MBB-2025-26-Season-Tickets">here</a>&nbsp;or by getting in touch with your account representative. Those interested in purchasing new season tickets can fill out a form&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.fanthreesixty.com/2025_ticket_interest_form_mbb?mnemonic=ku">here</a>&nbsp;to be contacted by a ticket representative."Once again we have a non-conference schedule that should be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules that anyone will play," KU head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;said. "We have a home game against UConn game in early December, away matchups at North Carolina and NC State and neutral games Duke in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, the three games at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and another with Missouri in Kansas City. Those, along with the Big 12 competition, make this a very tough and demanding schedule. Our non-conference slate should certainly prepare us for what will be considered another great Big 12 season."Kansas will open the season at ACC foe Louisville in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 24, at the KFC Yum! Center. KU will then host Fort Hays State in an exhibition contest on Tuesday, Oct. 28 in Allen Fieldhouse.The Jayhawks will open regular season play on Monday, Nov. 3 against Green Bay. Four days later, Kansas will play at fellow blue blood North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since 2022 with KU claiming the last two contests – 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game and 92-89 in Allen Fieldhouse last November.KU then returns home for a pair of contests against Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Nov. 11 and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15.Kansas and Duke will square off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden. Since 2020, KU has won its last five Champions Classic contests. In fact, beginning in 2016, KU has won eight of its last nine Champions Classic battles.Kansas will make its debut in the Players Era, Nov. 24-27, in Las Vegas. KU will play three games in the event with details and opponents for the Players Era to be announced later.On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Kansas returns home to host UConn for the second time in the past three seasons. These two powers have won three of the last four NCAA National Championships with KU in 2022 and UConn in 2023 and 2024.In the last meeting, then-No. 5 Kansas defeated then-No. 4 UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse.Kansas will face Border Showdown foe Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will then travel to NC State on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a return game from last season where KU defeated NC State, 75-60, on Dec. 14, in Allen Fieldhouse.Kansas closes out non-conference play hosting Towson on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Davidson on Monday, Dec. 22.Specific dates and times for the Big 12's 18-game league schedule, along with television details will be announced later. The Big 12 Championship will be March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday set for March 15.In 2024-25, Kansas ranked 12th in NCAA Division I in strength of schedule, marking the 18th time under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;that the Jayhawks have recorded a top 20 toughest schedule in the nation with 14 of those in the top 10, and 10 in the top three.Kansas Men's Basketball 2025-26 Schedule (Home games in ALL CAPS; Times and TV to be announced later) Oct. 24 (Fri.) – at Louisville (Exhibition) Oct. 28 (Tue.) – FORT HAYS STATE (EXHIBITION) Nov. 3 (Mon.) – GREEN BAY Nov. 7 (Fri.) – at North Carolina Nov. 11 (Tue.) – TEXAS A&amp;M-CORPUS CHRISTI Nov. 15 (Sat.) – PRINCETON Nov. 18 (Tue.) – vs. Duke (Champions Classic, New York City)Nov. 24-27 (Mon.-Thurs.) – at Players Era (Las Vegas) Dec. 2 (Tue.) – CONNECTICUT Dec. 7 (Sun.) – vs. Missouri (Kansas City, Mo.) Dec. 13 (Sat.) – at NC State Dec.16 (Tue.) – TOWSON Dec. 22 (Mon.) - DAVIDSON&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas Basketball unveils non-conference schedule

Although Great Bend's softball season ended earlier than many hoped, the team still dominated much of the regular season, and is being recognized for their performance.&nbsp;

Sophomore pitcher Chayla Prendergast worked the bulk of the innings for the Panthers this year, leading the team to an undefeated WAC record and earning the honor of being named WAC Player of the Year. She pitched 121.2 innings for Great Bend, logging a 15-4 record with a 2.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts. She was also a steady presence at the plate, hitting for a .310 average with two home runs and 14 RBIs.&nbsp;

At the head of the undefeated conference run was head coach Carrie Minton, who earned coach of the year honors for the Conference. The Panthers dominated in their run, outscoring opponents by an average of 12.75 to 3.&nbsp;

Other Panthers on the All-WAC Team were senior DeShawna Bryant, junior Alyssa McCauley, and sophomore Kya Behr. Members of the second team were juniors Kamryn Koelsch and Katherine Mazouch.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749134143658.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Although Great Bend's softball season ended earlier than many hoped, the team still dominated much of the regular season, and is being recognized for their performance.&nbsp;Sophomore pitcher Chayla Prendergast worked the bulk of the innings for the Panthers this year, leading the team to an undefeated WAC record and earning the honor of being named WAC Player of the Year. She pitched 121.2 innings for Great Bend, logging a 15-4 record with a 2.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts. She was also a steady presence at the plate, hitting for a .310 average with two home runs and 14 RBIs.&nbsp;At the head of the undefeated conference run was head coach Carrie Minton, who earned coach of the year honors for the Conference. The Panthers dominated in their run, outscoring opponents by an average of 12.75 to 3.&nbsp;Other Panthers on the All-WAC Team were senior DeShawna Bryant, junior Alyssa McCauley, and sophomore Kya Behr. Members of the second team were juniors Kamryn Koelsch and Katherine Mazouch.&nbsp;

Great Bend Softball's Chayla Prendergast named WAC Player of the Year, Carrie Minton named Coach of the Year

Great Bend Panther Baseball celebrated a phenomenal year in the final season of head coach Randy Beck's tenure, making a postseason run to the state title game, and the postseason honors are beginning to roll in.&nbsp;

Among those being celebrated in the Spring window are Panther senior starting pitcher and outfielder Carson Umphres, who has been named WAC Player of the Year. Umphres logged an excellent season on the mound, finishing with a 7-2 record along with an ERA of 1.67. At the plate, he hit for a .450 average with five homers and 31 RBIs.

Umphres is committed to continue his college baseball career at Northeast Texas Community College, and is spending his summer as a member of the Great Bend Bat Cats.

Other Panther honorees on the All-WAC team are senior Daxton Minton, and juniors Ian Premer and Koehn Ribordi.&nbsp;

Members of the second team were senior Hunter Herrman and junior Trenton Kern.

Great Bend Panther Baseball celebrated a phenomenal year in the final season of head coach Randy Beck's tenure, making a postseason run to the state title game, and the postseason honors are beginning to roll in.&nbsp;Among those being celebrated in the Spring window are Panther senior starting pitcher and outfielder Carson Umphres, who has been named WAC Player of the Year. Umphres logged an excellent season on the mound, finishing with a 7-2 record along with an ERA of 1.67. At the plate, he hit for a .450 average with five homers and 31 RBIs.Umphres is committed to continue his college baseball career at Northeast Texas Community College, and is spending his summer as a member of the Great Bend Bat Cats.Other Panther honorees on the All-WAC team are senior Daxton Minton, and juniors Ian Premer and Koehn Ribordi.&nbsp;Members of the second team were senior Hunter Herrman and junior Trenton Kern.

Great Bend High School's Carson Umphres named WAC Player of the Year

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Final rematch. After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series the way they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — When the Stanley Cup was brought out onto the ice prior to Game 1 of the final, just as it was last year, everything the Edmonton Oilers expressed about this time being different came into focus.

“Last year, I was kind of looking at it with googly eyes,” goaltender Stuart Skinner said. “ This year seeing it, it’s: ‘I was here last year, I saw it. It’s time to get back to work and do my thing.' It definitely felt completely different."

The Oilers made the start of the series completely different, erasing a multigoal deficit to beat the defending Florida Panthers 4-3 on Wednesday night on Leon Draisaitl's power play goal in overtime. A year since falling behind three games to none, Edmonton has a lead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-24f00e2c6c7ea4b7dc104ac6337290fc">in the rematch</a>&nbsp;and is one step closer to flipping the script.

“It's huge,” said Skinner, who made some big stops among his 29 saves. “The way that we showed up right from the get go and the way that we continued to keep on going, even though we were down by two, that shows a lot of character by us.”

Draisaitl provided the heroics, scoring on the power play with 31 seconds left in the OT period after Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass. The goal was his third in overtime this year in the playoffs, tying the record for a single postseason, after Draisaitl had six during the regular season.

“He’s invaluable,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who set up the tying and winning goals. “He does so many good things: clutch, faceoffs. You name it, he does it.”

For a while, it appeared the Oilers would lose Game 1 this year as well. Draisaitl's goal 1:06 in was followed later in the first period by Sam Bennett deflecting a shot past Skinner after falling into him.

Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the NHL's situation room ruling that the Oilers' Jake Walman tripped Bennett into Skinner. The resulting penalty paved the way for Florida's Brad Marchand to score the go-ahead goal on a power play.

Bennett scored his second of the night early in the second period to put the Panthers up 3-1. They entered 31-0 over the past three playoffs since coach Paul Maurice took over when leading at the first or second intermission.

“I mean, they pushed,” Marchand said. "They obviously are a very good team, and doesn’t take much for them to score. So, not surprising, the push they did. They’re a great team. We've just got to keep going.”

Fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson brought the crowd back to life early in the second, and fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm — playing in just his&nbsp;second game back&nbsp;from an extended injury absence — tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid.

Florida counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky's made some incredible saves, including one to rob Trent Frederic earlier in overtime. In between, he was greeted with derisive chants of “Ser-gei! Ser-gei!” that followed goals he allowed.

At the other end, Skinner made a handful of saves that were vital to keeping the Panthers from extending their lead or going back ahead late in the third, getting friendlier chants of “Stuuuu! Stuuuu!" every time he turned aside a difficult shot.

“He was great again,” McDavid said. “He gave us a chance.”

Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749126141129.jpeg" alt="Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl (29) scores against Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) as Aaron Ekblad (5) and Gustav Forsling (42) defend while Edmonton’s Kasperi Kapanen (42) and Evander Kane (91) watch during the first overtime period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Darryl Dyck//The Canadian Press via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl (29) scores against Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) as Aaron Ekblad (5) and Gustav Forsling (42) defend while Edmonton’s Kasperi Kapanen (42) and Evander Kane (91) watch during the first overtime period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Darryl Dyck//The Canadian Press via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Final rematch. After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series the way they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.<h2>Story</h2>EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — When the Stanley Cup was brought out onto the ice prior to Game 1 of the final, just as it was last year, everything the Edmonton Oilers expressed about this time being different came into focus.“Last year, I was kind of looking at it with googly eyes,” goaltender Stuart Skinner said. “ This year seeing it, it’s: ‘I was here last year, I saw it. It’s time to get back to work and do my thing.' It definitely felt completely different."The Oilers made the start of the series completely different, erasing a multigoal deficit to beat the defending Florida Panthers 4-3 on Wednesday night on Leon Draisaitl's power play goal in overtime. A year since falling behind three games to none, Edmonton has a lead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-24f00e2c6c7ea4b7dc104ac6337290fc">in the rematch</a>&nbsp;and is one step closer to flipping the script.“It's huge,” said Skinner, who made some big stops among his 29 saves. “The way that we showed up right from the get go and the way that we continued to keep on going, even though we were down by two, that shows a lot of character by us.”Draisaitl provided the heroics, scoring on the power play with 31 seconds left in the OT period after Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass. The goal was his third in overtime this year in the playoffs, tying the record for a single postseason, after Draisaitl had six during the regular season.“He’s invaluable,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who set up the tying and winning goals. “He does so many good things: clutch, faceoffs. You name it, he does it.”For a while, it appeared the Oilers would lose Game 1 this year as well. Draisaitl's goal 1:06 in was followed later in the first period by Sam Bennett deflecting a shot past Skinner after falling into him.Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the NHL's situation room ruling that the Oilers' Jake Walman tripped Bennett into Skinner. The resulting penalty paved the way for Florida's Brad Marchand to score the go-ahead goal on a power play.Bennett scored his second of the night early in the second period to put the Panthers up 3-1. They entered 31-0 over the past three playoffs since coach Paul Maurice took over when leading at the first or second intermission.“I mean, they pushed,” Marchand said. "They obviously are a very good team, and doesn’t take much for them to score. So, not surprising, the push they did. They’re a great team. We've just got to keep going.”Fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson brought the crowd back to life early in the second, and fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm — playing in just his&nbsp;second game back&nbsp;from an extended injury absence — tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid.Florida counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky's made some incredible saves, including one to rob Trent Frederic earlier in overtime. In between, he was greeted with derisive chants of “Ser-gei! Ser-gei!” that followed goals he allowed.At the other end, Skinner made a handful of saves that were vital to keeping the Panthers from extending their lead or going back ahead late in the third, getting friendlier chants of “Stuuuu! Stuuuu!" every time he turned aside a difficult shot.“He was great again,” McDavid said. “He gave us a chance.”<h2>Up next</h2>Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4.

Draisaitl scores in OT, Oilers beat the Panthers in overtime in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by rain. The Cardinals said the I-70 rivals will finish their season series with a split doubleheader Thursday. The Royals won the series opener in St. Louis 10-7 on Tuesday. The Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City last month. Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone made his major league debut in the series opener, going hitless in five at-bats.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by rain.

The Cardinals said the I-70 rivals will finish their season series with a split doubleheader Thursday.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-cardinals-score-caglianone-e097941d2205aa261dbce617f18050f2">The Royals won the series opener</a>&nbsp;in St. Louis 10-7 on Tuesday. The Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City last month.

Royals top prospect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-royals-jac-caglianone-3f76d42e95c4b332e44d716b8211ff74">Jac Caglianone made his major league debut</a>&nbsp;in the series opener, going hitless in five at-bats.

The forecast called for rain to continue well past the scheduled start time Wednesday.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by rain. The Cardinals said the I-70 rivals will finish their season series with a split doubleheader Thursday. The Royals won the series opener in St. Louis 10-7 on Tuesday. The Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City last month. Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone made his major league debut in the series opener, going hitless in five at-bats.<h2>Story</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by rain.The Cardinals said the I-70 rivals will finish their season series with a split doubleheader Thursday.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-cardinals-score-caglianone-e097941d2205aa261dbce617f18050f2">The Royals won the series opener</a>&nbsp;in St. Louis 10-7 on Tuesday. The Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City last month.Royals top prospect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-royals-jac-caglianone-3f76d42e95c4b332e44d716b8211ff74">Jac Caglianone made his major league debut</a>&nbsp;in the series opener, going hitless in five at-bats.The forecast called for rain to continue well past the scheduled start time Wednesday.

Royals at Cardinals postponed by rain, will be part of split doubleheader Thursday

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl drove the bus again for the Edmonton Oilers when they erased a multigoal deficit to beat the Florida Panthers in overtime in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Final rematch. Draisaitl scored the opening goal 66 seconds in and finished it by scoring in OT on the power play. McDavid set up Mattias Ekholm's tying goal in the third period and Draisaitl's overtime winner. They're the leading scorers in the playoffs and the biggest reason the Oilers are three wins from their first title in 35 years.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In these NBA Finals, a team is four wins away from getting the last laugh. Ask anyone on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers if they’re still fueled by doubters, and the answer is probably going to be an immediate “yes.” Thunder star and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 11th in his draft. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton went 12th in his. Both sides have undrafted players in their rotation. Here they are: The NBA Finals, which start Thursday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunder have, by far, the NBA’s best record this season. The Pacers have the league’s second-best record since Jan. 1, including playoffs. And both teams have rolled through the postseason.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s support of Pete Rose was among the factors Major Legaue Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred weighed when he decided last month that permanent bans by the sport ended with death, which allows the career hits leader to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Manfred announced the new interpretation on May 13, a decision that allows Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson to be considered for a Hall committee vote in December 2027. Manfred also said computer technology to appeal ball/strike calls could be in place for the 2026 regular season.

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic has eliminated 2024 runner-up Alexander Zverev in the French Open quarterfinals 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Djokovic's victory Wednesday night allowed him to reach his 51st Grand Slam semifinal and move two wins away from his record 25th major trophy. Next up is a showdown for Djokovic on Friday against No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Sinner beat No. 62 Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 earlier Wednesday. Not only hasn’t Sinner ceded a set yet, he only has dropped a total of 36 games through five matches over the past 1 1/2 weeks. The other men's semifinal will be Carlos Alcaraz against Lorenzo Musetti.

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have hired Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their head coach, opting for a young, emerging leader to rebuild a franchise that has regressed over the past few seasons. That's according to a person familiar with the search who spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the hire hasn’t officially been announced. Ott will be the team’s fourth head coach in four seasons and replaces Mike Budenholzer, who was fired following a miserable 36-46 season. The 40-year-old Ott has worked for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau’s firing brought back some of the confusion and chaos the New York Knicks had seemingly left behind. After an era of stability and more success than they had enjoyed in a quarter of a century, the Knicks opened a coaching search few could have predicted when they fired Thibodeau on Tuesday. Coaching searches weren’t unusual in New York for much of the 2000s, but the Knicks weren’t winning then. This time, they had just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years before losing to Rick Carlisle’s Pacers, and were an early favorite to do it again next year. So changing course brought swift and strong reaction.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Reese Atwood hit a go-ahead, two-run single for Texas when Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady was trying to walk her intentionally in the sixth inning, and the Longhorns beat the Red Raiders 2-1 in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals. Teagan Kavan pitched a three-hitter for Texas, which can secure its first national title with a victory in Game 2 on Thursday night. Texas Tech would have to win two straight to claim its first championship in its first WCWS appearance. The Red Raiders scored with the help of an obstruction call in the fifth inning.

CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Rory McIlroy has explained his decision not to speak to the media during last month's PGA Championship. McIlroy said Wednesday he was annoyed that news had leaked about his driver failing to pass inspection before the tournament. McIlroy said the results of equipment tests are supposed to be confidential and noted that Scottie Scheffler’s driver had also failed before the championship, but that was not reported until afterward. McIlroy says he didn't want to discuss his driver or say something he regretted. He also says he was unhappy with his poor play and the long days he spent at Quail Hollow.

A sports bettor who heckled Olympic champion sprinter Gabby Thomas during a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia has been banned by the betting site FanDuel Sportsbook. In a statement sent Wednesday to The Associated Press, FanDuel wrote that it “condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes.” Thomas finished fourth in a 100-meter race won by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The bettor wrote in a social media post that he “made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” He posted a picture of his parlay that had Jefferson-Wooden winning the 100. Thomas, the 200-meter Olympic champion at the Paris Games last summer, explained the heckling incident on X.

INTERLEAGUE Kansas City at St. Louis 12:45 p.m (Postponed) Final Pittsburgh 3 Houston 0 Final Toronto 2 Philadelphia 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE Final Boston 11 L.A. Angels 9 Final Cleveland 4 N.Y. Yankees 0 Final Tampa Bay 5 Texas 4 Final Detroit 5 Chicago White Sox 4 Final Baltimore 3 Seattle 2 Final Minnesota 6 Athletics 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Colorado 3 Miami 2 Final Milwaukee 9 Cincinnati 1 Final Washington 2 Chicago Cubs 0 Final Arizona 2 Atlanta 1 Final San Francisco 6 San Diego 5 Final N.Y. Mets 6 L.A. Dodgers 1

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Final (OT) Edmonton 4 Florida 3

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743762837774.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Final rematch. After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series the way they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl drove the bus again for the Edmonton Oilers when they erased a multigoal deficit to beat the Florida Panthers in overtime in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Final rematch. Draisaitl scored the opening goal 66 seconds in and finished it by scoring in OT on the power play. McDavid set up Mattias Ekholm's tying goal in the third period and Draisaitl's overtime winner. They're the leading scorers in the playoffs and the biggest reason the Oilers are three wins from their first title in 35 years.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In these NBA Finals, a team is four wins away from getting the last laugh. Ask anyone on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers if they’re still fueled by doubters, and the answer is probably going to be an immediate “yes.” Thunder star and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 11th in his draft. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton went 12th in his. Both sides have undrafted players in their rotation. Here they are: The NBA Finals, which start Thursday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunder have, by far, the NBA’s best record this season. The Pacers have the league’s second-best record since Jan. 1, including playoffs. And both teams have rolled through the postseason.NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s support of Pete Rose was among the factors Major Legaue Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred weighed when he decided last month that permanent bans by the sport ended with death, which allows the career hits leader to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Manfred announced the new interpretation on May 13, a decision that allows Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson to be considered for a Hall committee vote in December 2027. Manfred also said computer technology to appeal ball/strike calls could be in place for the 2026 regular season.PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic has eliminated 2024 runner-up Alexander Zverev in the French Open quarterfinals 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Djokovic's victory Wednesday night allowed him to reach his 51st Grand Slam semifinal and move two wins away from his record 25th major trophy. Next up is a showdown for Djokovic on Friday against No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Sinner beat No. 62 Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 earlier Wednesday. Not only hasn’t Sinner ceded a set yet, he only has dropped a total of 36 games through five matches over the past 1 1/2 weeks. The other men's semifinal will be Carlos Alcaraz against Lorenzo Musetti.PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have hired Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their head coach, opting for a young, emerging leader to rebuild a franchise that has regressed over the past few seasons. That's according to a person familiar with the search who spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the hire hasn’t officially been announced. Ott will be the team’s fourth head coach in four seasons and replaces Mike Budenholzer, who was fired following a miserable 36-46 season. The 40-year-old Ott has worked for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers.NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau’s firing brought back some of the confusion and chaos the New York Knicks had seemingly left behind. After an era of stability and more success than they had enjoyed in a quarter of a century, the Knicks opened a coaching search few could have predicted when they fired Thibodeau on Tuesday. Coaching searches weren’t unusual in New York for much of the 2000s, but the Knicks weren’t winning then. This time, they had just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years before losing to Rick Carlisle’s Pacers, and were an early favorite to do it again next year. So changing course brought swift and strong reaction.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Reese Atwood hit a go-ahead, two-run single for Texas when Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady was trying to walk her intentionally in the sixth inning, and the Longhorns beat the Red Raiders 2-1 in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals. Teagan Kavan pitched a three-hitter for Texas, which can secure its first national title with a victory in Game 2 on Thursday night. Texas Tech would have to win two straight to claim its first championship in its first WCWS appearance. The Red Raiders scored with the help of an obstruction call in the fifth inning.CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Rory McIlroy has explained his decision not to speak to the media during last month's PGA Championship. McIlroy said Wednesday he was annoyed that news had leaked about his driver failing to pass inspection before the tournament. McIlroy said the results of equipment tests are supposed to be confidential and noted that Scottie Scheffler’s driver had also failed before the championship, but that was not reported until afterward. McIlroy says he didn't want to discuss his driver or say something he regretted. He also says he was unhappy with his poor play and the long days he spent at Quail Hollow.A sports bettor who heckled Olympic champion sprinter Gabby Thomas during a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia has been banned by the betting site FanDuel Sportsbook. In a statement sent Wednesday to The Associated Press, FanDuel wrote that it “condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes.” Thomas finished fourth in a 100-meter race won by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The bettor wrote in a social media post that he “made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” He posted a picture of his parlay that had Jefferson-Wooden winning the 100. Thomas, the 200-meter Olympic champion at the Paris Games last summer, explained the heckling incident on X.

INTERLEAGUE Kansas City at St. Louis 12:45 p.m (Postponed) Final Pittsburgh 3 Houston 0 Final Toronto 2 Philadelphia 1AMERICAN LEAGUE Final Boston 11 L.A. Angels 9 Final Cleveland 4 N.Y. Yankees 0 Final Tampa Bay 5 Texas 4 Final Detroit 5 Chicago White Sox 4 Final Baltimore 3 Seattle 2 Final Minnesota 6 Athletics 1NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Colorado 3 Miami 2 Final Milwaukee 9 Cincinnati 1 Final Washington 2 Chicago Cubs 0 Final Arizona 2 Atlanta 1 Final San Francisco 6 San Diego 5 Final N.Y. Mets 6 L.A. Dodgers 1NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Final (OT) Edmonton 4 Florida 3

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

&nbsp;(AP Kansas City) - Kansas City Royals (32-29, fourth in the AL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (33-27, second in the NL Central)

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 16 strikeouts); Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 34 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE:&nbsp;Cardinals -131, Royals +110; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Kansas City Royals lead 1-0 in a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis has a 19-9 record in home games and a 33-27 record overall. The Cardinals have the third-best team batting average in MLB play at .259.

Kansas City is 32-29 overall and 13-16 in road games. The Royals have the seventh-ranked team batting average in the AL at .248.

Wednesday's game is the fifth time these teams match up this season. The season series is tied 2-2.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Arenado has 10 doubles, a triple and six home runs for the Cardinals. Pedro Pages is 3 for 29 with two home runs over the past 10 games.

Vinnie Pasquantino leads the Royals with eight home runs while slugging .399. Maikel Garcia is 13 for 40 with a double, a triple and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 6-4, .235 batting average, 4.66 ERA, outscored by 13 runs

Royals: 4-6, .263 batting average, 4.03 ERA, outscored by eight runs

INJURIES: Cardinals: Jordan Walker: 10-Day IL (wrist), Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat)

Royals: Maikel Garcia: day-to-day (thumb), Lucas Erceg: 15-Day IL (back), Cole Ragans: 15-Day IL (groin), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hunter Harvey: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Sam Long: 15-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 15-Day IL (shoulder)

<h2>Story</h2>&nbsp;(AP Kansas City) - Kansas City Royals (32-29, fourth in the AL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (33-27, second in the NL Central)St. Louis; Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 16 strikeouts); Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 34 strikeouts)BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE:&nbsp;Cardinals -131, Royals +110; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Kansas City Royals lead 1-0 in a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.St. Louis has a 19-9 record in home games and a 33-27 record overall. The Cardinals have the third-best team batting average in MLB play at .259.Kansas City is 32-29 overall and 13-16 in road games. The Royals have the seventh-ranked team batting average in the AL at .248.Wednesday's game is the fifth time these teams match up this season. The season series is tied 2-2.TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Arenado has 10 doubles, a triple and six home runs for the Cardinals. Pedro Pages is 3 for 29 with two home runs over the past 10 games.Vinnie Pasquantino leads the Royals with eight home runs while slugging .399. Maikel Garcia is 13 for 40 with a double, a triple and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 6-4, .235 batting average, 4.66 ERA, outscored by 13 runsRoyals: 4-6, .263 batting average, 4.03 ERA, outscored by eight runsINJURIES: Cardinals: Jordan Walker: 10-Day IL (wrist), Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat)Royals: Maikel Garcia: day-to-day (thumb), Lucas Erceg: 15-Day IL (back), Cole Ragans: 15-Day IL (groin), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hunter Harvey: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Sam Long: 15-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 15-Day IL (shoulder)

Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals meet in game 2 of series

KStateSports.com MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Three K-State pitchers received recognition for their efforts on the field and in the classroom, as&nbsp;Jacob Frost,&nbsp;James Guyette&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lincoln Sheffield&nbsp;were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team Tuesday morning. The trio mark the sixth time K-State has landed multiple players on the Academic All-District Team, while it is second straight under head coach&nbsp;Pete Hughes. Jacob Frost&nbsp;earned All-District honors for the second consecutive year, as the senior maintained a 3.86 GPA in communication studies. The left-hander from St. Louis, Missouri had a 5.97 ERA and struck out a team-leading 75 batters, including 45 caught looking in 2025, while he held opponents to a .238 batting average. With a 3.56 GPA in criminology, sophomore&nbsp;James Guyette&nbsp;led the bullpen with four saves, while his 51 strikeouts ranked third overall. A product of Newbury Park, California, Guyette made a team-high 24 appearances with a 4-3 record and 4.70 ERA. In his first season with the Wildcats, junior&nbsp;Lincoln Sheffield&nbsp;posted a 7-4 record with a 5.45 ERA, leading the pitching staff in wins. A native of Flowood, Mississippi, Sheffield was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and compiled a 3.79 GPA in management. Over 15 starts, he delivered five quality outings and pitched at least five innings in seven outings. He led the team with 74 1/3 innings pitched, striking out 70 batters – second most on the squad – while issuing only 19 walks. K-State finished its 2025 campaign with a 32-26 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, the program's first back-to-back appearances since 2010–11.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749041914959.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KStateSports.com MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Three K-State pitchers received recognition for their efforts on the field and in the classroom, as&nbsp;Jacob Frost,&nbsp;James Guyette&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lincoln Sheffield&nbsp;were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team Tuesday morning. The trio mark the sixth time K-State has landed multiple players on the Academic All-District Team, while it is second straight under head coach&nbsp;Pete Hughes. Jacob Frost&nbsp;earned All-District honors for the second consecutive year, as the senior maintained a 3.86 GPA in communication studies. The left-hander from St. Louis, Missouri had a 5.97 ERA and struck out a team-leading 75 batters, including 45 caught looking in 2025, while he held opponents to a .238 batting average. With a 3.56 GPA in criminology, sophomore&nbsp;James Guyette&nbsp;led the bullpen with four saves, while his 51 strikeouts ranked third overall. A product of Newbury Park, California, Guyette made a team-high 24 appearances with a 4-3 record and 4.70 ERA. In his first season with the Wildcats, junior&nbsp;Lincoln Sheffield&nbsp;posted a 7-4 record with a 5.45 ERA, leading the pitching staff in wins. A native of Flowood, Mississippi, Sheffield was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and compiled a 3.79 GPA in management. Over 15 starts, he delivered five quality outings and pitched at least five innings in seven outings. He led the team with 74 1/3 innings pitched, striking out 70 batters – second most on the squad – while issuing only 19 walks. K-State finished its 2025 campaign with a 32-26 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, the program's first back-to-back appearances since 2010–11.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Three K-State Baseball Players Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nick Loftin homered to start a six-run fifth inning, Bobby Witt Jr. also homered and the Kansas City Royals erased a five-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Tuesday night in the major league debut of top Royals’ prospect Jac Caglianone.

Caglianone, recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Monday, went hitless in five at bats.

Daniel Lynch IV, Steven Cruz (2-0), Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber and Taylor Clarke combined to pitch 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief before Carlos Estévez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.

Vinnie Pasquantino hit a game-tying two-run double off Cardinals reliever Steven Matz (3-2), and Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single to give Kansas City an 8-7 fifth inning lead.

Loftin hit his first home run since last June 18 to start the rally. After Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India singled, Witt hit a two-run single to right field to cut Kansas City’s deficit to 7-5 ending Cardinals starter Andre Pallante’s night.

Pallante allowed a career high-tying seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Alec Burleson hit a two-run home run to center field to cap off a five-run third inning and chase Michael Lorenzen (3-7) from the game after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Witt hit his seventh home run of the season to give Kansas City a 2-0 first inning lead.

Caglianone stepped up to the plate for the first time to lead off the top of the second inning. He lined a 2-2 pitch to the warning track in right-center field where Victor Scott II ran 92 feet to rob him of his first career hit.

St. Louis lost for the first time in eight games when scoring at least four runs in Pallante’s starts.

Royals LHP Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90) Wednesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749041506584.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Nick Loftin hits a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Nick Loftin hits a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nick Loftin homered to start a six-run fifth inning, Bobby Witt Jr. also homered and the Kansas City Royals erased a five-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Tuesday night in the major league debut of top Royals’ prospect Jac Caglianone.Caglianone, recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Monday, went hitless in five at bats.Daniel Lynch IV, Steven Cruz (2-0), Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber and Taylor Clarke combined to pitch 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief before Carlos Estévez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.Vinnie Pasquantino hit a game-tying two-run double off Cardinals reliever Steven Matz (3-2), and Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single to give Kansas City an 8-7 fifth inning lead.Loftin hit his first home run since last June 18 to start the rally. After Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India singled, Witt hit a two-run single to right field to cut Kansas City’s deficit to 7-5 ending Cardinals starter Andre Pallante’s night.Pallante allowed a career high-tying seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.Alec Burleson hit a two-run home run to center field to cap off a five-run third inning and chase Michael Lorenzen (3-7) from the game after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.Witt hit his seventh home run of the season to give Kansas City a 2-0 first inning lead.<h2>Key moment</h2>Caglianone stepped up to the plate for the first time to lead off the top of the second inning. He lined a 2-2 pitch to the warning track in right-center field where Victor Scott II ran 92 feet to rob him of his first career hit.<h2>Key stat</h2>St. Louis lost for the first time in eight games when scoring at least four runs in Pallante’s starts.<h2>Up next</h2>Royals LHP Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90) Wednesday night.

6 run 5th inning rally helps Royals beat Cardinals 10-7 in Jac Caglianone's debut

PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff has overcome 10 double-faults and the first set she’s dropped in the tournament to beat Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 at the French Open and reach the semifinals for the third time. Wednesday's contest was filled with plenty of mistakes by both Americans, who each has claimed one major championship. They combined for 101 unforced errors and just 40 winners across more than two hours under a closed roof at Court Philippe-Chatrier on a drizzly, chilly day. The No. 2-seeded Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open and was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have fired coach Tom Thibodeau, just days after their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers with a loss in Game 6 on Saturday night. They then decided to move on from Thibodeau, who led them to the postseason in four of his five seasons in New York. The decision was made by team president Leon Rose with approval from owner Jim Dolan, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday.

MIAMI (AP) — The struggling Colorado Rockies have ended their ignominious, record-setting streak of 22 consecutive series losses, which dated to last season. A nervy 3-2 victory at Miami on Tuesday night, highlighted by Hunter Goodman’s third home run in two games, gave Colorado two straight victories over the Marlins. That ensures the Rockies will leave town with their first series victory since taking two of three games from Arizona in Denver in mid-September. Colorado is a major league-worst 11-50. They won consecutive games for just the second time this year after beating Atlanta on April 30 and San Francisco the next day. Before the Rockies arrived in Miami, they’d gone 3-28 on the road.

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Several people were feared dead and many more injured in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in southern India. The incident on Wednesday happened as thousands of cricket fans gathered outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru city to celebrate the winners of the Indian Premier League, which is the world’s most popular T20 cricket tournament. Local media reported at least seven people had died in the crush. There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — It’s No. 25 Indiana vs. No. 47 Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. That’s not their seeding. That’s their media market ranking. To some, that might matter. A title matchup that starts Thursday night between the Pacers and Thunder has two young, fun teams that score a ton and are led by marketable stars. That the good news. Here’s the inevitable other side: The ratings, especially at the start of the series, probably aren’t going to be good because the home markets are so small. Those who like the NBA won’t be dissuaded by that. Those who don’t like the NBA will tout it as great failure.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers seemed to have been on a collision course to meet again in the Stanley Cup Final. A year since Florida won in seven games to capture the first title in franchise history, there’s an aura of inevitability around the rematch. The question is whether the conclusion of this one will be the Panthers becoming back-to-back NHL champions or Oilers captain Connor McDavid finally hoisting the Cup. Game 1 is Wednesday night at Edmonton.

China will be eliminated from soccer World Cup qualification if it fails to beat Indonesia on Thursday. Even if it wins, it must also defeat Bahrain on June 10 to have any hope of moving to the next stage of the complex qualification process. China has reached only one previous men's World Cup. That was in 2002 when it lost all three games without scoring a goal. This is difficult to grasp. The country has 1.4 billion people and won 40 gold medals at the Olympics last year. But it can't find 11 elite men's soccer players.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored two goals and the United States beat Jamaica 4-0 after the team honored longtime defender Becky Sauerbrunn. Sentnor scored in the 19th minute then scored her second off a deflection 10 minutes later. Biyendolo scored in the 60th minute, three minutes after coming into the game as a substitute. She added a second in the 88th minute off a cross from Avery Patterson. Phallon Tullis-Joyce made her second consecutive in goal for the United States. Before the game, the United States honored Sauerbrunn, who retired from soccer late last year after a 16-year career.

TORONTO (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper hit a first-inning home run in his return to the starting lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays after he missed the last five games with a bruised right elbow. Harper played first base and batted third in his first game since he was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider last week. The Phillies went 1-4 without Harper and fell out of first place in the NL East.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy homered twice, including a tying shot in the ninth inning, and Freddie Freeman doubled home the winning run in the 10th to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Mets 6-5. Freeman’s slicing fly to deep left field was misplayed by Brandon Nimmo, who got twisted around and appeared to lose sight of the ball as it dropped on the warning track beside him. That allowed automatic runner Tommy Edman to score from second base with one out, ending New York’s four-game winning streak. The Dodgers earned their 20th comeback win of the season after blowing a 4-1 lead they established in the first. &nbsp; INTERLEAGUE Final Houston 3 Pittsburgh 0 Final Philadelphia 8 Toronto 3 Final Kansas City 10 St. Louis 7

AMERICAN LEAGUE Final N.Y. Yankees 3 Cleveland 2 Final Tampa Bay 5 Texas 1 Final L.A. Angels 4 Boston 3 Final Chicago White Sox 8 Detroit 1 Final Baltimore 5 Seattle 1 Final Minnesota 10 Athletics 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Colorado 3 Miami 2 Final Chicago Cubs 8 Washington 3 Final Cincinnati 4 Milwaukee 2 Final Arizona 8 Atlanta 3 Final San Diego 3 San Francisco 2 Final L.A. Dodgers 6 N.Y. Mets 5

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739459822020.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff has overcome 10 double-faults and the first set she’s dropped in the tournament to beat Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 at the French Open and reach the semifinals for the third time. Wednesday's contest was filled with plenty of mistakes by both Americans, who each has claimed one major championship. They combined for 101 unforced errors and just 40 winners across more than two hours under a closed roof at Court Philippe-Chatrier on a drizzly, chilly day. The No. 2-seeded Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open and was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open.NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have fired coach Tom Thibodeau, just days after their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers with a loss in Game 6 on Saturday night. They then decided to move on from Thibodeau, who led them to the postseason in four of his five seasons in New York. The decision was made by team president Leon Rose with approval from owner Jim Dolan, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday.MIAMI (AP) — The struggling Colorado Rockies have ended their ignominious, record-setting streak of 22 consecutive series losses, which dated to last season. A nervy 3-2 victory at Miami on Tuesday night, highlighted by Hunter Goodman’s third home run in two games, gave Colorado two straight victories over the Marlins. That ensures the Rockies will leave town with their first series victory since taking two of three games from Arizona in Denver in mid-September. Colorado is a major league-worst 11-50. They won consecutive games for just the second time this year after beating Atlanta on April 30 and San Francisco the next day. Before the Rockies arrived in Miami, they’d gone 3-28 on the road.BENGALURU, India (AP) — Several people were feared dead and many more injured in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in southern India. The incident on Wednesday happened as thousands of cricket fans gathered outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru city to celebrate the winners of the Indian Premier League, which is the world’s most popular T20 cricket tournament. Local media reported at least seven people had died in the crush. There was no immediate comment from the authorities.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — It’s No. 25 Indiana vs. No. 47 Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. That’s not their seeding. That’s their media market ranking. To some, that might matter. A title matchup that starts Thursday night between the Pacers and Thunder has two young, fun teams that score a ton and are led by marketable stars. That the good news. Here’s the inevitable other side: The ratings, especially at the start of the series, probably aren’t going to be good because the home markets are so small. Those who like the NBA won’t be dissuaded by that. Those who don’t like the NBA will tout it as great failure.EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers seemed to have been on a collision course to meet again in the Stanley Cup Final. A year since Florida won in seven games to capture the first title in franchise history, there’s an aura of inevitability around the rematch. The question is whether the conclusion of this one will be the Panthers becoming back-to-back NHL champions or Oilers captain Connor McDavid finally hoisting the Cup. Game 1 is Wednesday night at Edmonton.China will be eliminated from soccer World Cup qualification if it fails to beat Indonesia on Thursday. Even if it wins, it must also defeat Bahrain on June 10 to have any hope of moving to the next stage of the complex qualification process. China has reached only one previous men's World Cup. That was in 2002 when it lost all three games without scoring a goal. This is difficult to grasp. The country has 1.4 billion people and won 40 gold medals at the Olympics last year. But it can't find 11 elite men's soccer players.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored two goals and the United States beat Jamaica 4-0 after the team honored longtime defender Becky Sauerbrunn. Sentnor scored in the 19th minute then scored her second off a deflection 10 minutes later. Biyendolo scored in the 60th minute, three minutes after coming into the game as a substitute. She added a second in the 88th minute off a cross from Avery Patterson. Phallon Tullis-Joyce made her second consecutive in goal for the United States. Before the game, the United States honored Sauerbrunn, who retired from soccer late last year after a 16-year career.TORONTO (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper hit a first-inning home run in his return to the starting lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays after he missed the last five games with a bruised right elbow. Harper played first base and batted third in his first game since he was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider last week. The Phillies went 1-4 without Harper and fell out of first place in the NL East.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy homered twice, including a tying shot in the ninth inning, and Freddie Freeman doubled home the winning run in the 10th to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Mets 6-5. Freeman’s slicing fly to deep left field was misplayed by Brandon Nimmo, who got twisted around and appeared to lose sight of the ball as it dropped on the warning track beside him. That allowed automatic runner Tommy Edman to score from second base with one out, ending New York’s four-game winning streak. The Dodgers earned their 20th comeback win of the season after blowing a 4-1 lead they established in the first. &nbsp; INTERLEAGUE Final Houston 3 Pittsburgh 0 Final Philadelphia 8 Toronto 3 Final Kansas City 10 St. Louis 7AMERICAN LEAGUE Final N.Y. Yankees 3 Cleveland 2 Final Tampa Bay 5 Texas 1 Final L.A. Angels 4 Boston 3 Final Chicago White Sox 8 Detroit 1 Final Baltimore 5 Seattle 1 Final Minnesota 10 Athletics 3NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Colorado 3 Miami 2 Final Chicago Cubs 8 Washington 3 Final Cincinnati 4 Milwaukee 2 Final Arizona 8 Atlanta 3 Final San Diego 3 San Francisco 2 Final L.A. Dodgers 6 N.Y. Mets 5

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

The Quicksilver 10U (Meyer) softball team turned in a dominant performance over the weekend, going a perfect 7-0 to capture the championship title in a competitive 26-team tournament. The undefeated run boosts their season record to 19-4.&nbsp;

Fans will have another chance to see the Quicksilver teams in action this weekend at the&nbsp;Great Bend Bling Battle, where more than 50 teams across all age divisions will compete. Come out and support all the Quicksilver teams as they take the field in one of the area’s largest youth softball events of the summer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748963845270.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Quicksilver 10U (Meyer) softball team turned in a dominant performance over the weekend, going a perfect 7-0 to capture the championship title in a competitive 26-team tournament. The undefeated run boosts their season record to 19-4.&nbsp;Fans will have another chance to see the Quicksilver teams in action this weekend at the&nbsp;Great Bend Bling Battle, where more than 50 teams across all age divisions will compete. Come out and support all the Quicksilver teams as they take the field in one of the area’s largest youth softball events of the summer.

Quicksilver 10U (Meyer) wins championship at Wichita's Hawaiian Hitfest

By the Associated Press The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals to open a three-game series.

Kansas City Royals (31-29, fourth in the AL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (33-26, second in the NL Central)

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Michael Lorenzen (3-6, 4.33 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 52 strikeouts); Cardinals: Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.23 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 42 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE:&nbsp;Cardinals -143, Royals +121; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday to open a three-game series.

St. Louis has a 33-26 record overall and a 19-8 record at home. The Cardinals have the fifth-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .328.

Kansas City is 31-29 overall and 12-16 in road games. The Royals have a 26-10 record in games when they record at least eight hits.

The teams square off Tuesday for the fourth time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brendan Donovan has 18 doubles and four home runs for the Cardinals. Masyn Winn is 12 for 39 with three doubles and a home run over the last 10 games.

Vinnie Pasquantino leads the Royals with eight home runs while slugging .395. Salvador Perez is 11 for 39 with two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 6-4, .219 batting average, 4.14 ERA, outscored by 14 runs

Royals: 4-6, .271 batting average, 3.73 ERA, outscored by seven runs

By the Associated Press The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals to open a three-game series.Kansas City Royals (31-29, fourth in the AL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (33-26, second in the NL Central)St. Louis; Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Michael Lorenzen (3-6, 4.33 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 52 strikeouts); Cardinals: Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.23 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 42 strikeouts)BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE:&nbsp;Cardinals -143, Royals +121; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday to open a three-game series.St. Louis has a 33-26 record overall and a 19-8 record at home. The Cardinals have the fifth-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .328.Kansas City is 31-29 overall and 12-16 in road games. The Royals have a 26-10 record in games when they record at least eight hits.The teams square off Tuesday for the fourth time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Brendan Donovan has 18 doubles and four home runs for the Cardinals. Masyn Winn is 12 for 39 with three doubles and a home run over the last 10 games.Vinnie Pasquantino leads the Royals with eight home runs while slugging .395. Salvador Perez is 11 for 39 with two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 6-4, .219 batting average, 4.14 ERA, outscored by 14 runsRoyals: 4-6, .271 batting average, 3.73 ERA, outscored by seven runsINJURIES: Cardinals: Jordan Walker: 10-Day IL (wrist), Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat)Royals: Maikel Garcia: day-to-day (thumb), Lucas Erceg: 15-Day IL (back), Cole Ragans: 15-Day IL (groin), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hunter Harvey: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Sam Long: 15-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 15-Day IL (shoulder)

Cardinals play the Royals in first of 3-game series

Kansas Athletics achieved a new academic milestone during the Spring 2025 semester, as student-athletes combined for a department-record 3.50 GPA. The mark surpasses the previous record of 3.45, set just in the fall of 2024.A total of 431 student-athletes earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, accounting for 85 percent of all student-athletes. Of those, 124 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while another 307 posted term GPAs between 3.00 and 3.99. This is the sixth straight semester Kansas student-athletes have either tied or broken the department record.

"We are frankly running out of ways to describe the awe-inspiring performance of our student-athletes in the classroom," Director of Athletics&nbsp;Travis Goff&nbsp;said. "Each semester, our group finds new ways to elevate the standard as the landscape around them continues to change at a rapid pace. Their commitment to academic success has never wavered, but in fact strengthened during a transformational time in college athletics.

"Twelve programs earned a team GPA of 3.40 or higher. Six teams set new program records, led by swimming and diving with a 3.85 GPA, the highest of any program this semester. Volleyball followed closely with a 3.79, while women's basketball set a new program high with a 3.77. Men's Golf posted a 3.74 for its best-ever mark, and football continued its academic rise by setting a new program record with a 3.46. Women's Track and Field rounded out the record-breaking list with a 3.55. Softball also had a strong showing, tying its program record with a 3.48 GPA.

Several other teams turned in standout academic semesters, including soccer with a 3.64 GPA and women's golf with a 3.70. Rowing and tennis each recorded a 3.53, while baseball finished with a 3.42 and men's track and field earned a 3.25. Men's basketball posted a strong semester as well with a 3.12 GPA.

For a record seventh-straight semester, all teams reached a 3.0 or higher term GPA.&nbsp; &nbsp;

KUAthletics.com<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748954672056.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Athletics achieved a new academic milestone during the Spring 2025 semester, as student-athletes combined for a department-record 3.50 GPA. The mark surpasses the previous record of 3.45, set just in the fall of 2024.A total of 431 student-athletes earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, accounting for 85 percent of all student-athletes. Of those, 124 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while another 307 posted term GPAs between 3.00 and 3.99. This is the sixth straight semester Kansas student-athletes have either tied or broken the department record. "We are frankly running out of ways to describe the awe-inspiring performance of our student-athletes in the classroom," Director of Athletics&nbsp;Travis Goff&nbsp;said. "Each semester, our group finds new ways to elevate the standard as the landscape around them continues to change at a rapid pace. Their commitment to academic success has never wavered, but in fact strengthened during a transformational time in college athletics."Twelve programs earned a team GPA of 3.40 or higher. Six teams set new program records, led by swimming and diving with a 3.85 GPA, the highest of any program this semester. Volleyball followed closely with a 3.79, while women's basketball set a new program high with a 3.77. Men's Golf posted a 3.74 for its best-ever mark, and football continued its academic rise by setting a new program record with a 3.46. Women's Track and Field rounded out the record-breaking list with a 3.55. Softball also had a strong showing, tying its program record with a 3.48 GPA.Several other teams turned in standout academic semesters, including soccer with a 3.64 GPA and women's golf with a 3.70. Rowing and tennis each recorded a 3.53, while baseball finished with a 3.42 and men's track and field earned a 3.25. Men's basketball posted a strong semester as well with a 3.12 GPA.For a record seventh-straight semester, all teams reached a 3.0 or higher term GPA.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Kansas Student-Athletes Once Again Set Department GPA Record

PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has defeated Zheng Qinwen in straight sets to reach the French Open semifinals for the second time. Sabalenka is chasing her first title at Roland-Garros. She overcame a shaky start and windy conditions to prevail 7-6, 6-3 and extend her record against the Olympic champion to 7-1. The score did not fully reflect the closeness of the match with so little separating the rivals. But Sabalenka demonstrated why she is the world No. 1, making the difference on big points, while Zheng struggled with her serve in tense moments.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton weren't expected to be starring in the leading roles on the NBA Finals stage. At least not by many. Gilgeous-Alexander was cut from his junior varsity team as a ninth grader and was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers after his rookie year. The major college programs didn’t notice Haliburton until his senior year of high school. He wasn’t a one-and-done at Iowa State, wasn’t a top-10 pick and got traded from Sacramento during his third year in the league. Now, Gilgeous-Alexander is the league MVP in Oklahoma City and Haliburton is a two-time All-Star with Indiana and an Olympic gold medalist heading into the NBA Finals.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Francisco Alvarez drove in his first run in four weeks with a double leading off the 10th inning, and the New York Mets overcame Shohei Ohtani’s 23rd homer and tying sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Francisco Lindor hit a leadoff homer and a 10th-inning RBI single for the Mets, who opened this NLCS rematch with their eighth win in nine games. Ohtani hit a 424-foot solo shot off Max Kranick in the seventh, getting his fifth homer in seven games to tie Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh for the major league lead with 23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739459822020.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has defeated Zheng Qinwen in straight sets to reach the French Open semifinals for the second time. Sabalenka is chasing her first title at Roland-Garros. She overcame a shaky start and windy conditions to prevail 7-6, 6-3 and extend her record against the Olympic champion to 7-1. The score did not fully reflect the closeness of the match with so little separating the rivals. But Sabalenka demonstrated why she is the world No. 1, making the difference on big points, while Zheng struggled with her serve in tense moments.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton weren't expected to be starring in the leading roles on the NBA Finals stage. At least not by many. Gilgeous-Alexander was cut from his junior varsity team as a ninth grader and was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers after his rookie year. The major college programs didn’t notice Haliburton until his senior year of high school. He wasn’t a one-and-done at Iowa State, wasn’t a top-10 pick and got traded from Sacramento during his third year in the league. Now, Gilgeous-Alexander is the league MVP in Oklahoma City and Haliburton is a two-time All-Star with Indiana and an Olympic gold medalist heading into the NBA Finals.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Francisco Alvarez drove in his first run in four weeks with a double leading off the 10th inning, and the New York Mets overcame Shohei Ohtani’s 23rd homer and tying sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Francisco Lindor hit a leadoff homer and a 10th-inning RBI single for the Mets, who opened this NLCS rematch with their eighth win in nine games. Ohtani hit a 424-foot solo shot off Max Kranick in the seventh, getting his fifth homer in seven games to tie Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh for the major league lead with 23.Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault has the best record of any coach in the NBA this season. And he has the second-best record of any coach in his house. Daigneault is a coach, and a coach’s husband, too. His wife is Oklahoma assistant women’s gymnastics coach Ashley Kerr. She and the Sooners went 33-2 this season and won another national championship, their third in the last four years. So, as Daigneault chases his first NBA title, his wife has now been part of seven national championships over her career on the staffs at Florida and Oklahoma.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner beamed as they carried the Indiana Pacers shiny, new Eastern Conference championship trophy into their postgame news conferences Saturday night. Pascal Siakam needed help because he was also bringing the series MVP trophy. The Pacers have finally ended their 25-year NBA Finals drought. They enjoyed it with a fitting celebration for the team that plays in a state where basketball is treated like religion. These Pacers have managed to achieve the unthinkable after starting 10-15 and looking less like anything but a title contender. But now Indiana will try to exorcise the demons of its decades-long snake-bitten history when the Pacers take on the Oklahoma City .OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s run of four straight Women’s College World Series titles ended when Lauren Allred’s walk-off sacrifice fly gave Texas Tech a 3-2 victory in the semifinals. Coach Patty Gasso’s Sooners were down to their last strike in the top of the seventh inning when Abigale Dayton summoned a bit of magic, hitting a tying two-run homer against Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady. But the Red Raiders responded quickly in the bottom half. Mihyia Davis singled with one out and Hailey Toney followed with a double. Allred hit a fly ball to right field and Sydney Barker’s throw to the plate was wide, allowing Davis to score easily.PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff has earned her fifth consecutive trip to the French Open quarterfinals with a straight-set victory but still is catching flak because she forgot to bring her rackets to an earlier match. The No. 2-seeded Gauff has been engaging in a bit of back-and-forth with another American and Roland-Garros quarterfinalist, Frances Tiafoe, over the equipment blunder. Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open and was the runner-up in Paris in 2022. She beat No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5 on Monday. Tiafoe teasingly called the 21-year-old Gauff “Mrs. Mature.”PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner’s latest dominant performance at the French Open is a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 17 Andrey Rublev. The result on Monday night put Sinner back in the quarterfinals in Paris and extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches. Sinner won the U.S. Open last September and the Australian Open this January. Now he’ll try to get to the semifinals at Roland-Garros for the second consecutive year and faces 62nd-ranked Alexander Bublik on Wednesday. Sinner hasn't lost a set through the fourth round and has dropped just 30 games.FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s Aleksander Barkov thought the team meeting was over. He found it odd that the Panthers hadn’t been told they could leave. Turns out, there was a good reason. Two of them, actually. The Panthers hadn’t had an opportunity to spend any time at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital during their playoff run, so the team decided to bring some of the patients into the team facility for a visit instead. And the kids came bearing gifts for Barkov: the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward, and the King Clancy trophy for leadership and humanitarian work.BOSTON (AP) — It hasn’t taken Mike Trout long to regain his form after missing a month with a bruised left knee. Trout had three more hits on Monday night, including a 454-foot homer that was the longest at Fenway Park this year. The Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6. It was Trout's second three-hit game in three starts since returning from the injured list on Friday. In all, the 11-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP is 8 for 14 since coming off the IL. It was only his second home run in 35 career games at Fenway Park.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Final L.A. Angels 7 Boston 6 Final Detroit 13 Chicago White Sox 1 Final Minnesota 10 Athletics 4NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Colorado 6 Miami 4 Final Milwaukee 3 Cincinnati 2 Final San Diego 1 San Francisco 0 Final N.Y. Mets 4 L.A. Dodgers 3