The Junction City Brigade squeaked by the Sabetha Bravos in the first game of a Wednesday night doubleheader at Rathert Field 3-2, but in the nightcap the Brigade used their bats to propel them to a 12-1 win. Game two was called after seven innings due to a 10-run rule.
Junction City improved to 14-2 with the wins. The Brigade will host the Manhattan Barnstormers tonight at seven p.m. You can hear that game on 107.9 FM / 1420 KJCK AM beginning at 6:50 p.m.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer struck out a season-high 12 in 6 2/3 innings, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 on Wednesday.
Bauer (6-6) had the 23rd double-figure strikeout game of his career and his fourth this season. The right-hander gave up one run and didn’t allow a hit until rookie Humberto Arteaga singled with two outs in the fifth.
Bauer matched a career high by throwing 127 pitches and held the Royals to three hits. He got a standing ovation and tipped his cap on the way to the dugout after being removed with two on in the seventh.
Jake Bauers and Tyler Naquin homered off Jakob Junis in the fourth. Bauers had gone 15 at-bats without a hit before his leadoff blast.
Jason Kipnis, Oscar Mercado and Jordan Luplow also drove in runs for Cleveland. Francisco Lindor was 3 for 4 and scored two runs.
Junis (4-7) allowed four runs in six innings and hasn’t won since May 30.
Lucas Duda homered in the ninth for Kansas City off Nick Wittgren. Pinch-hitter Alex Gordon singled in a run before Wittrgren struck our Billy Hamilton and Whit Merrfield to end the game. The Royals struck out 16 times.
Hunter Dozier, whose ninth-inning grand slam off closer Brad Hand gave the Royals an 8-6 win on Tuesday night, struck out in all four at-bats.
Bauer hit Cam Gallagher with a 3-2 breaking pitch with one out in the third. Bauer also hit Jorge Soler in the left shoulder to lead off the seventh, prompting the Royals right fielder to stare at the pitcher before he slowly walked to first
Bauer was removed after Gallagher drew a two-out walk, but Nick Goody retired Billy Hamilton on a popup.
Arteaga hit a sharp ground ball under the glove of first baseman Bobby Bradley, who made a diving attempt in the fifth. After Gallagher singled to right, Hamilton’s bloop double scored Arteaga.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Brad Hand’s sublime season came to stunning end.
For once, the Royals mustered some late-game magic.
Hunter Dozier’s grand slam capped Kansas City’s five-run rally in the ninth inning off Hand, Cleveland’s previously perfect All-Star closer, as the Royals rallied for an 8-6 win over the Indians on Tuesday night.
Hand (4-3) had been 22 for 22 in save chances and is likely on his way to being selected to represent the Indians when they host the All-Star game at Progressive Field next month.
But the left-hander did not record an out against the Royals, who entered the ninth down 6-3 before storming back.
“It was a fun comeback,” said Royals manager Ned Yost. “It was an uplifting comeback. We always come to this place and it’s just a handful for us here in Cleveland — every time, I don’t know why. I’d much rather play them at our park, but it is always a handful. To battle back and take this one here was nice.”
The Royals had been 0-42 when trailing after eight innings before recording their biggest ninth-inning comeback in two years.
Nicky Lopez had an RBI infield single before Kansas City loaded the bases and Dozier connected on Hand’s first pitch — a slider — for his first career grand slam and 13th homer.
“Yeah,” said Dozier, downplaying his big moment. “That was really cool.”
Hand looked shaky from the outset, and was pulled after allowing five hits in just 13 pitches.
“He just proved he’s human,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He had been pretty much flawless. It hurts to lose a game, but to expect somebody to never give up runs is not realistic.”
Hand offered no excuses, saying he wasn’t tired despite pitching five times in the past six days.
“I felt physically good,” he said. “I’d let him (Francona) know if something felt tired or whatever, but I felt good, just didn’t make some pitches. I got ahead, was trying to bury a few sliders and left them up. Sometimes when you throw too many strikes, it comes back to hurt you. Just got ahead of a few of those batters and made some mistakes.”
Kevin McCarthy (2-1) pitched the eighth and stumbled into a win, and Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his 10th save, striking out Carlos Santana with a runner at second for the final out.
Tyler Naquin hit a two-run homer and Santana, Roberto Perez and Mike Freeman had solo shots for the Indians, who were three outs away from their fifth straight win before Hand imploded.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The first-ever Movie Night, hosted by the Junior Wildcats Club, is coming to Bill Snyder Family Stadium on the evening of July 14. K-State fans of all ages are invited to this free, family-friendly event.
A feature film selected by the public will be shown on the Carl and Mary Ice Video Boards at the north end of the stadium, giving the community an opportunity to share an outdoor theatre experience by watching from the field.
Fans can help select the movie by voting for one of these three new releases: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; and Incredibles 2. Vote now on K-State’s official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/kstatesports through 12 p.m. on Friday. The winning movie will be announced July 1.
Families are encouraged to start the evening by attending the Women’s Basketball Mid-Summer Bash from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The free, outdoor carnival features a dunk tank, inflatable games, petting zoo, a photo booth, face painting and a number of kids’ games. Willie Wildcat will also be in attendance, and the K-State women’s basketball players will sign autographs during the event.
Parking for both events will be available for free in the stadium’s east lot. Fans should enter at Gate M of Bill Snyder Family Stadium beginning at 6:30 p.m., and the feature presentation will begin at approximately 7:15 p.m.
Fans will have the option to sit on the field on blankets or in the south end zone stands, while accessible seating will be available. Lawn chairs are not permitted on the field of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Similar to a regular football game day, no outside food or drink is allowed in the stadium, except for 1-liter bottles of commercial-brand water that has not been opened. Limited concessions will be available for purchase.
The Junior Wildcats Club is proud to host Movie Night. Open to all K-State kids ages 2 to 12, Junior Wildcats experience the fun and excitement of the K-State Wildcats through exclusive Club events and annual membership benefits. Join the Club for just $25 per child (or only $20 for Ahearn Fund and Alumni Association members) to receive free admission to all home women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and baseball regular-season games along with exclusive gifts, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and special offers. Sign-up now at www.JuniorWildcatsClub.com.
Additional Movie Night Details:
Vote for the Movie You Want to See on K-State’s Official Facebook Page:
RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jason Kipnis spun as he approached home plate and deftly avoided being soaked with ice water by teammate Francisco Lindor.
Right now, Kipnis and the Indians are making all the right moves.
Kipnis homered leading off the 10th inning as Cleveland continued its impressive June with a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night in a game delayed 2 hours, 23 minutes by rain.
Cleveland’s second baseman connected on a 1-0 pitch from Wily Peralta (2-4), driving it into the right-field seats for his sixth homer — and first walk-off since September.
The Junction City Brigade rolled to a pair of wins over the Sabetha Bravos in Sabetha Monday evening. The final scores were 8-3 and 14-5.
Junction City is 12-2 on the season.
The two teams will play again Wednesday evening at Rathert Field with the game times scheduled at 5 and 7 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In the span of a week, Hunter Dozier went from the injured list to the delivery room to the star role in the Kansas City Royals’ 6-1 win over the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.
The young slugger hit a three-run shot during a five-run third inning Sunday, made a couple of stellar defensive plays at third base and gave Homer Bailey and the Kansas City bullpen all the offense they needed against the Twins on a soggy, overcast afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
“I knew my timing was going to be off,” said Dozier, who had been sidelined the last three weeks with an oblique strain. “I felt better today. Hopefully keep getting better and better.”
Dozier returned to the team on Friday after spending the previous night in the hospital, where his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child. And while he struggled at the plate in his first couple of games back, that timing seemed to have returned against Minnesota.
“They struck him out with a slider the first time up, and the second time they tried the same ploy,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, “and it didn’t work.”
Bailey (7-6) only made one significant mistake, leaving a pitch over the plate that Eddie Rosario steered inside the right-field foul pole. Otherwise, the revitalized right-hander followed back-to-back scoreless starts against Detroit and Seattle by giving up five hits and a walk.
The Royals’ bullpen shut down the Twins the rest of the way. Kevin McCarthy left the bases loaded in the seventh, then recorded the next six outs to earn his first career save.
“I’d hoped it would come a little sooner,” he said, “but I’m glad I got it.”
Alex Gordon added two RBIs and Nicky Lopez also drove in a run for the Royals, who did most of their damage against Michael Pineda (4-4) in the third inning. Pineda wound up lasting five, allowing eight hits while taking his first loss since May 5 at Yankee Stadium.
He didn’t get much support as the Twins stranded 11 runners on base.
“Bailey threw the ball well. He had to work for everything, but he made good pitches when he had to,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “When you get that big hit or a couple of big hits, it can give you a lift. It’s tough to get that first big hit with people on base, and we didn’t get that.”
With rain in the forecast, Bailey and Pineda engaged in a tidy pitchers’ duel through the first couple innings. But that ended abruptly when Pineda took the mound in the third.
After retiring Martin Maldonado, the big right-hander gave up a base hit to Billy Hamilton — the first of what would become five straight. And they came in quite the variety: Whit Merrifield delivered on a hit-and-run, Lopez had a bunt single and Gordon doubled down the right-field line.
The big blow came from Dozier, though. His three-run shot soared over the visiting bullpen in left field, giving Kansas City a 5-0 lead and the youngster another boost in his All-Star bid.
Dozier is among the three AL finalists at third base in voting that begins Wednesday.
“In the third inning they got some soft contact. I hang one pitch, my slider and they hit a big homer,” Pineda said. “That cost me the game. I just tried to compete.”
Bailey’s streak of 16 2/3 scoreless innings finally ended when Rosario cracked his 20th homer of the year leading off the fourth inning. But Bailey got a modicum of revenge in the sixth, when he struck out Rosario after a 14-pitch at-bat to conclude his afternoon.
STATS AND STREAKS
The Twins’ Jorge Polanco extended his 36-game on-base streak with a single in the seventh. That is tied for fifth-longest in club history. … Luis Arraez had his first four-hit game for Minnesota. … Bailey has not allowed more than three runs in a start since April 30.
NEGRO LEAGUES SALUTE
The Royals wore uniforms of the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs and the Twins dressed as the St. Paul Gophers from 1908 for their throwback day at the K. It also was “Dressed to the Nines” day at the park, and many fans came dressed in suits, dresses and vintage clothing.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins OF Byron Buxton hit before the game to test his right wrist, and manager Rocco Baldelli said it’s possible he could play Tuesday. “We have to make sure he’s 100 percent before we activate him for a game,” Baldelli said. “We’re very close to making a decision.” … RHP Jose Berrios should make his next start despite leaving Saturday’s game with a blister, Baldelli said.
UP NEXT
The Royals head to Cleveland on Monday night to open a three-game set with RHP Brad Keller (3-9, 4.45 ERA) on the hill. The Twins are off Monday before starting a three-game set against Tampa Bay.
The Junction City Brigade will play a doubleheader at Sabetha Monday evening. Game times are 5:15 and 7:30 p.m.
The Brigade’s scheduled games against Sabetha this past Friday and Saturday were rained out.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Twins encountered a brief roadblock en route to another win over the Royals.
C.J. Cron homered and singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Minnesota beat Kansas City 5-3 on Saturday after blowing a 3-0 lead in the eighth.
“It was a good team win, for sure,” Cron said. “I just tried to drive the ball somewhere. (Wily Peralta) got me out last night with a slider down. This one was not down, fortunately. But that’s baseball. A foot more to the left and that’s a double play.”
Miguel Sanó and Jake Cave also homered for the Twins. Eddie Rosario’s double to deep right off Peralta (2-3) scored Cave for a two-run cushion.
Trevor May (2-1) worked a scoreless ninth and Blake Parker retired the side in the 10th for his 10th save in 11 chances. AL Central-leading Minnesota has won two straight after losing four of its previous five.
Both starters had strong outings. The Twins’ José Berríos allowed two runs on five hits in seven efficient innings. He took a shutout into the eighth, when he allowed the first two runners to reach and was removed with a blister on his right ring finger.
“He was phenomenal in some tough conditions,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He went out and did what we needed. He went deep into the game without a ton of pitches. He did exactly what he wanted to do.
“Unfortunately, he had to deal with the blister. With the blister, it came out pretty good. It’s actually in a location that you wouldn’t normally associate with a troubling blister.”
Berrios didn’t think the blister would cause him to miss a start.
“It feels great,” he said. “I had a blister in the eighth inning. After the first hitter, I saw it and took it out. Then it started to burn. I’m good.”
Danny Duffy worked eight innings for the Royals, allowing three solo homers and three other hits, walking two and striking out four.
“The solo home runs got him,” manager Ned Yost said. “None of them were, like, extremely horrible pitches but they were all in their strengths. They weren’t, like, hanging breaking balls. They weren’t pitches up in the zone. But they were pitches to each individual hitter’s strength, and they ended up not missing them.”
In the 10th, Luis Arraez led off with a single and moved to second when Cave was hit by a pitch. Cron’s grounder eluded Hunter Dozier at third to put the Twins ahead.
Humberto Arteaga started the Royals’ rally in the eighth with his first major league hit, a single to right. He scored on Alex Gordon’s two-out double off Taylor Rogers, and Dozier tied it with a two-run single.
A baserunning gaffe by Whit Merrifield cost the Royals in the first. Gordon grounded to first with runners on first and third and none out, and Merrifield broke from third but then froze. Cron tagged out Gordon and got Merrifield in a rundown for a double play.
“C.J. is a defender who does a lot of very positive things for us,” Baldelli said. “He has a very instinctual player.”
Sanó led off the second with a 454-foot blast to center, his ninth homer of the season.
Cave and Cron homered in the eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: OF Byron Buxton (right wrist contusion) took practice swings and threw on Friday and likely will be activated next week from the 10-day injured list, Baldelli said.
ROSTER MOVES
Twins RHP Blake Parker was reinstated from family medical leave on Saturday. His wife was experiencing complications with her pregnancy. To make room on the roster, RHP Kohl Stewart was optioned to Triple-A Rochester.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Michael Pineda (4-3, 4.76 ERA) will start for Minnesota in the final game of the four-game series against right-hander Homer Bailey (6-6, 4.82).
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Minnesota Twins again showed the resilience that has allowed them to avoid a three-game losing streak this season.
Max Kepler’s RBI single drove in the tiebreaking run and Eddie Rosario added a run-scoring hit to cap Minnesota’s three-run rally in the eighth inning, and the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-7 Friday night.
Minnesota scored five runs in the last three innings.
“We never quit,” said Miguel Sano, whose tying home run leading off the eighth inning started the rally.
“I think we needed this win today to get back to the way of playing that we had a couple of weeks ago,” said Rosario, whose third single of the night gave the Twins their final run. “Everybody was encouraging each other in the dugout.”
Ryne Harper (3-0) pitched one-plus inning to pick up the win despite allowing Jorge Soler’s 21st leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth that pulled the Royals back within one. Taylor Rogers got the last six outs for his ninth save in 11 chances.
Cheslor Cuthbert had three hits and four RBIs — tying career highs in both — for the Royals, who have lost a major league-high 26 games in which they’ve held a lead. Kansas City has been outscored 177-125 after the sixth inning this season.
“Four of the five runs they scored late against the bullpen came on two strikes,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We just couldn’t put them away.”
Trailing 6-3 in the seventh — the Twins’ second three-run deficit of the game — they pulled within one on Nelson Cruz’s two-run single.
Sano’s homer off Jake Diekman (0-5) tied the score, and came after he struck out in his previous three at-bats.
“The first couple of at-bats I was struggling like the last few days,” Sano said. “I never put my head down. I come into work every day hard. I had the opportunity in that at-bat and I was lucky. I said I needed to do something, a walk, single, whatever. God gave me the opportunity to hit a homer.”
Pinch-hitter Mitch Garver then walked and Jonathan Schoop singled. Max Kepler’s single to right drove in pinch-runner Willians Astudillo with the go-ahead run, with Schoop advancing to third and Kepler taking second on the throw. After Jorge Polanco and Cruz hit fielder’s choice grounders, Rosario singled to left to drive in Polanco to make it 8-6.
“We had several guys come through at different moments,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It came with big hits, with getting on base and with the long ball. Our guys are resilient and they keep it going.”
Royals starter Jakob Junis allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.
Martin Perez gave up six runs — four earned — in five innings for the Twins.
The Royals scored three runs in the first inning for the second straight game. Cuthbert had an RBI double down the left-field line for the first run. With two outs, Humberto Arteaga rolled a grounder to short, but Polanco’s throw pulled first baseman C.J. Cron off the bag and Soler scored. Martin Maldonado singled against the shift to drive in Cuthbert to make it 3-0.
Cron led off the second with a 424-foot home run to center to get the Twins on the scoreboard.
Minnesota tied it in the fifth with two outs. Rosario’s single scored Schoop and sent Cruz to third. Rosario then stole second, and an errant throw by Maldonado allowed Cruz to score the tying run.
Cuthbert’s three-run home run in the fifth gave the Royals a 6-3 lead.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins C Garver came out of Thursday’s game with left heel soreness. He was not in the starting lineup Friday. “It was more of a precautionary removal last night,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He felt something and because he didn’t know what it was, he didn’t want to push himself in anyway. We wouldn’t want him to.” Garver entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
ROSTER MOVES
Twins RHP Blake Parker is expected to return from the Family Medical Emergency Leave List on Saturday. His wife was experiencing complications with her pregnancy. “There was a little bit of complications there, but everything seems to be back on track and good to go,” Parker said.
Royals 3B Hunter Dozier was recalled from his rehab assignment Friday. He has been on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain since June 3 (retroactive to May 31). He played Monday through Wednesday at Double-A Northwest Arkansas before returning to Kansas City Thursday for the birth of his second child. His wife, Amanda, gave birth to a daughter named Blake. … In a corresponding move, the Royals optioned OF Jorge Bonifacio to Triple-A Omaha.
UP NEXT
RHP Jose Berrios (8-3, 2.86 ERA) will start for Minnesota. He’ll face Royals LHP Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.64 ERA) in the third game of the four-game series.
