CHICAGO (AP) – Danny Duffy matched a career high with nine strikeouts, and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to six with a 9-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Duffy (4-5) scattered five hits over seven-plus shutout innings for Kansas City.

Mike Moustakas homered among his three hits as the Royals won their second straight in this weekend series. The Royals scored five times in the fourth – four with none out – to chase Chicago starter Hector Noesi (3-5).

Noesi allowed five runs – two earned – and eight hits while walking one and striking out four. Duffy last struck out nine on June 19, 2011, at St. Louis. He’s now 2-0 against Chicago. The left-hander was chased in the eighth inning after a leadoff single by Adam Eaton.

White Sox designated hitter Paul Konerko spoiled the shutout with a homer off Michael Mariotoff to open the ninth.

Three Junction City Brigade pitchers gave up a total of only six hits enroute to a 3-1 Brigade win over the Topeka Senators Friday night at Rathert Field.

JJ Benes went five innings, Jordan Witcig three, and Tyler Clapper closed out the game for Junction City on the mound.

Coach Shane Sieben said it’s the second time he’s been good for the Brigade. “Went five, didn’t give up a run, six strikeouts. His slider was really, really good. It was down. He was getting ahead of hitters.  I’ll bet his first pitch strike percentage was at least 60 percent, 70 percent. He was getting ahead of hitters. ”  Sieben added the Brigade played great defense behind him.

Witcig gave up just two hits while only one batter reached base against Clapper after being hit by a pitch.

Junction City, 4-2 overall and in the Mid Plains League, will host the Senators again Saturday night and Sunday night at 7 p.m. The Senators are also 4-2 overall and in the Mid Plains League.

CHICAGO (AP) – Lorenzo Cain had a two-run double to highlight a five-run first inning, Jeremy Guthrie pitched into the sixth inning and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to five games with a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Guthrie (3-6) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings to snap an 11-game winless streak. Guthrie’s last win was on April 9, against Tampa Bay.

Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler of the White Sox each had two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the first inning.

Jose Quintana (3-7) never recovered from the slow start, allowing six runs and eight hits in six innings.

Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 with an RBI for the White Sox.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Former five-star quarterback Jake Heaps, wide receiver Andrew Turzilli and running back Darrian Miller have left the Kansas football, coach Charlie Weis announced Friday.

Turzilli graduated in May and Heaps will graduate at the end of June. It is unclear whether they plan to enroll at another school, though NCAA rules state that they would be eligible to play immediately because they have completed their degree requirements.

Heaps transferred to Kansas from BYU, and redshirted under NCAA transfer rules. He began last season as the starter but eventually lost his job to freshman Montell Cozart.

Meanwhile, Weis said that Miller had left because of personal reasons. Miller was dismissed from the program shortly after Weis was hired, but was allowed back last season after one year at a junior college.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs released cornerback Brandon Flowers on Friday, shortly after finishing up three weeks of voluntary workouts in which the former starter was conspicuously absent.

Kansas City has been bumping up against the salary cap, so the move to part ways with Flowers was largely expected. He was due to make $5.25 million this season, and the former starter carried a salary cap number of $10.5 million next season.

The decision to release Flowers will save the Chiefs about $7.25 million this season and $7.5 million next season. That money could be used to help the Chiefs sign quarterback Alex Smith and linebacker Justin Houston to contract extensions.

Both of them are in the final year of their contracts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs released cornerback Brandon Flowers on Friday, shortly after finishing up three weeks of voluntary workouts in which the former starter was conspicuously absent.

Kansas City has been bumping up against the salary cap, so the move to part ways with Flowers was largely expected. He was due to make $5.25 million this season, and the former starter carried a salary cap number of $10.5 million next season.

The decision to release Flowers will save the Chiefs about $7.25 million this season and $7.5 million next season. That money could be used to help the Chiefs sign quarterback Alex Smith and linebacker Justin Houston to contract extensions.

Both of them are in the final year of their contracts.

 

The Junction City Brigade rallied from two early deficits to defeat the Midwest Athletics 6-5 in game one of a doubleheader at Rathert Field Wednesday night. In game two Dusty Mass was walked home with the go-ahead and winning run when B.B. Kimbrel drew a walk in the fifth inning. Junction City got two strong innings of relief pitching from Sean Talkington to win that game 3-2.

Brigade Head Coach Shane Sieben noted in the first game the hitters scored three runs in the bottom of the first to rally the team from an early 2-0 deficit. “I thought our hitters did a great job of taking good swings tonight, getting good pitches to hit.

In game two Talkington was the ace for Emporia State for much of the season, but after an injury to another pitcher he became the team’s closer. Sieben said, “He’s really good. He’s a firm right hander with a firm fastball, and his slider’s really good to. ”

Junction City improved to 3-2 overall on the season and 3-2 in the Mid-Plains League. The Midwest Athletics fell to 6-3 overall, and 3-2 in the League.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Yordano Ventura dominated the Indians for seven stingy innings, and the Kansas City Royals scored all of their runs on sacrifice flies in a 4-1 victory over Cleveland on Wednesday.

The four sacrifice flies tied a franchise record, and the Royals became only the second team to score four runs all on sacrifice flies since it became an official stat in 1954. The Expos did it in an 8-4, 14-inning loss to the Cubs on May 28, 1980, according to STATS.

Kansas City won its fourth in a row.

Ventura (4-5) allowed six hits while striking out three without a walk to win back-to-back starts for the first time. Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save.

Jarrod Dyson, Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar hit sacrifice flies off Trevor Bauer (1-3). Billy Butler later added another.

 

The Kansas State football matchup with Auburn on September 18 is officially sold out.

K-State Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Kenny Lannou issued that statement. He did report that there are a limited number of tickets for the remaining six games at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

They will be available for purchase online beginning Wednesday ( June 11 ), department officials have announced.

Fewer than 500 tickets remain available for the Stephen F. Austin ( Aug. 30 ), Texas Tech on ( Oct. 4 ), and Texas ( Oct. 25 ) matchups, and fewer than 1,300 tickets are available for the season finale against KU on Nov. 29.  Only scattered singles and restricted view seating are available for the UTEP ( Sept. 27 ) and Oklahoma State ( Nov. 1 ) games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith was cited for driving under the influence and careless driving after an officer witnessed him lose control and strike a light pole early Monday.

According to a copy of the police report, Smith was attempting to make a turn in Kansas City’s Power & Light entertainment district when he struck the light pole around 12:30 a.m. The officer reported that Smith “appeared confused and began mumbling statements that I did not understand.”

Smith declined medical attention. Along with citations for driving under the influence, he was also cited for failure to provide insurance.

The Chiefs said in a statement issued to The Associated Press on Tuesday that they were aware of the matter. The statement called the situation “disappointing” but declined further comment.