CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes in the first 9 ½ minutes against what used to be his hometown team, Terrance Mitchell had two interceptions and rookie Kareem Hunt scored on a 69-yard run to seal the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 24-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The Chiefs (3-0) beat the Chargers for the seventh straight time and have won 12 straight AFC West games. Los Angeles’ Philip Rivers threw three interceptions and the Chargers fell to 0-3 in their first season playing in the 27,000-seat StubHub Center after moving from San Diego.

After a quick start, the Chiefs held on through a defensive struggle in the second half. They got two huge plays in the closing minutes: Justin Houston’s sack of Rivers and then Hunt’s sensational run when he cut back against the flow and raced 69 yards down the left sideline with 1:49 left. The rookie finished with 172 yards on 17 carries.

The game couldn’t have started more differently for Smith, who grew up in the San Diego area, and Rivers.

Rivers was intercepted by Mitchell on the game’s third play from scrimmage. Four plays later, Smith hit Tyreek Hill on a 30-yard touchdown pass.

Rivers moved the Chargers into Chiefs territory before Marcus Peters intercepted a pass intended for tight end Antonio Gates and returned it 38 yards to the Los Angeles 34. Four plays later, Smith threw a shovel pass to Albert Wilson for a 14-0 lead.

The Chargers got it together and drove for Melvin Gordon’s 11-yard scoring scamper to cut it to 14-7. Rivers floated a 44-yarder to Travis Benjamin for the drive’s big gain.

After the Chargers forced a three-and-out, Rivers threw his third interception, when Mitchell leaped in front of Tyrell Williams for the pickoff.

The Chargers’ defense began playing better. The Chiefs moved to the Los Angeles 25 before Smith was sacked on consecutive plays, first by Melvin Ingram and then by Joey Bosa and Corey Liuget. Cairos Santos missed a 51-yard field goal, but Rayshawn Jenkins was whistled for roughing the kicker, giving the Chiefs the ball on the 18. The drive fizzled and Santos kicked a 34-yarder to make it 17-7.

Chargers rookie Younghoe Koo kicked a 29-yard field goal as the clock expired to cut the lead to 17-10 at halftime. A week earlier, Koo missed a 44-yard attempt as time expired that would have given the Chargers a win against the Miami Dolphins in their home opener. In the season opener, Koo had a potential game-tying, 44-yarder blocked at Denver and the Broncos won 24-21.

RIVERS’ AIR WOES

It was the ninth time Rivers threw three interceptions. He led the NFL in pickoffs twice in the last three seasons, including last year when he had a career-high 21. Peters almost had another interception in the third quarter but the ball bounced off his hands. Daniel Sorensen appeared to come up with a deflected pass in the fourth quarter but video review showed it touched the ground first.

INGRAM & BOSA

Ingram had a career-high three sacks and Bosa had a half sack for the Chargers, who need big seasons from the pass-rushing duo.

ANTHEM

With widespread rebuke around the league toward President Donald Trump for his obscene criticism of the kneeling by players during the national anthem in protest of social injustice, five Chargers either knelt or sat during the national anthem. Many of their teammates linked arms and stood. About 10 Chiefs sat.

INJURIES

Chargers: Gordon injured his knee late in the second quarter. He returned in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Return home to host the Washington Redskins a week from Monday night.

Chargers: Host the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie right-hander Lucas Giolito pitched seven strong innings and Avisail Garcia drove in three runs with his 18th homer and a double to lead the Chicago White Sox past the fading Kansas City Royals 8-1 on Sunday.

Kevan Smith had a solo homer and a single for two RBIs as Chicago took two of three from the Royals and dropped them 5½ games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card. Kansas City has seven games left.

Lorenzo Cain’s solo homer in the fourth was the only run off Giolito (3-3).

One of the top prospects for the rebuilding White Sox, the 23-year-old Giolito allowed five hits while striking out five and walking none in his 11th career start. He has given up just four runs over 20 innings in his last three outings.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Will Grier threw for 347 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, Justin Crawford ran for 125 yards and another score and West Virginia pulled away late to beat pesky Kansas 56-34 on Saturday.

David Sills V had 130 yards and two TDs receiving, and Kennedy McKoy also reached the end zone twice, as the Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) beat Kansas (1-3, 0-1) for the sixth time in seven meetings.

They did it by overcoming a career game from sophomore Khalil Herbert, who ran for 291 yards and two TDs. It was the third-most yards by a Kansas player on the ground in school history.

Peyton Bender added 197 yards and a TD through the air, but he also threw a pair of picks, while a porous defense that allowed 40-plus points to Central Michigan and Ohio struggled once more.

The Mountaineers looked as if they’d cruise past the Jayhawks again when they put together four straight touchdown drives in the first half. Each covered at least 80 yards, none took more than 3:22 off the clock, and the result was a 28-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

Herbert finally stopped the onslaught with a 67-yard touchdown run, but the Mountaineers’ Mike Daniels picked off a tipped pass a couple minutes later and returned it for another score.

But the Mountaineers’ seemingly comfortable 35-13 halftime advantage didn’t last long.

Their offense suddenly hit the skids, punting four times and turning it over once during a five-possession series spanning the break. And a defense that had started to bottle up Herbert again became leaky, allowing short touchdown runs a couple minutes apart to make it 35-27.

Suddenly, the sparse crowd that turned out on a hot, sunny afternoon began to think back to 2013, when the Jayhawks stunned the Mountaineers 31-19 on a cool November day.

The teams swapped TDs in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers getting a second chance at the end zone after an offside penalty on a field goal, and it was still 42-34 with 7:35 left in the game.

Grier answered with a QB keeper then scored again a few minutes later to put it away.

THE TAKEAWAY

West Virginia: Grier had the Mountaineers humming early and late, but the offense sputtered out of rhythm during a long stretch in the middle of the game. Their counterparts on defense didn’t help much, getting pushed around by the Kansasoffensive line most of the afternoon.

Kansas: Miscues doomed the Jayhawks, from the pick-six to penalties when they were going for it in fourth-and-short situations. But while coach David Beaty insists there are no moral victories, the way Kansas responded to adversity was something to build upon.

UP NEXT

West Virginia has a week off before visiting No. 16 TCU on Oct. 7.

Kansas also gets a week off before Texas Tech visits Oct. 7.

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Gordon homered, Whit Merrifield drove in three runs and Danny Duffy pitched into the seventh inning to lead the Royals to an 8-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night, keeping Kansas City’s slim playoff hopes alive.

Salvador Perez went 2 for 4 with a pair of run-scoring doubles.

With eight games remaining, the Royals trail Minnesota by 4 ½ games for the second AL wild card.

Duffy (9-9) allowed two runs on eight hits in six-plus innings for his first win since Aug. 22.

Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season. The Chicago slugger is just the third major leaguer to begin his career with four straight seasons of at least 25 homers and 100 RBIs. Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols are the others.

Tim Anderson went 1 for 4 to extend his career-best hitting streak to 14 games.

Dylan Covey (0-7) allowed three runs on five hits in six innings. The right-hander still is looking for his first major-league win after 17 appearances (11 starts).

CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Davidson drove in three runs with his 26th homer and a double, Yoan Moncada hit a two-run drive and the Chicago White Sox overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 on Friday night.

Alcides Escobar lined a solo drive and Eric Hosmer singled for two RBIs in a six-run, third-inning inning for the Royals, who dropped 4½ games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card with nine games left.

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson made his major-league leading 27th error, and Moncada couldn’t handle a grounder at second, leading to four unearned runs in the third. Still, the White Sox moved past Detroit and out of the AL Central cellar for the first time since before the All-Star break.

White Sox rookie Reynaldo Lopez (3-3) allowed six runs — two earned — and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings to win his third straight start. Juan Minaya pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save, but was aided by a sharp game-ending double play. With Whit Merrifield on second and one out, Lorenzo Cain singled to right. Avisail Garcia threw out out Merrifield at the plate, then Cain was thrown out trying to advance to second on two crisp relays.

CHICAGO (AP) — A woman in the stands at Guaranteed Rate Field was hit in the mouth by a foul ball Friday night, but the Chicago White Sox say she refused treatment.

The woman was seated in box seats near the first-base railing, about 30 feet beyond the Royals’ dugout. She was struck by a ball that skipped into the stands off the bat of Kansas City designated hitter Brandon Moss.

Ushers and stadium personnel moved quickly to aid the woman, who remained seated for a while. She did not appear to need special assistance or move for treatment, although she did hold a napkin to her face.

A young girl at Yankee Stadium was injured by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier during Wednesday’s game against Minnesota, leading some players to call for protective netting to be extended. The Yankees said that girl was taken to the hospital for treatment.