MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Cruz homered and drove in five runs to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 11-9. Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario each had two hits for the Twins, who used a five-run seventh inning to maintain a three-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are still haunted by the memory of their overtime loss to the Patriots in last season’s AFC title game. They were so close. Four inches, in fact. That’s how far offside a Chiefs player was, a penalty on which the game turned. Now, as they get deeper into training camp, they are walking a fine line _ using the painful defeat as motivation and dwelling on an outcome they can never change.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says an Illinois license plate featuring the St. Louis Cardinals will be sold in support of public schools. The license plate was unveiled Thursday by White at Busch Stadium prior to the Cardinals game against the Chicago Cubs. The plates with the Cardinals “Birds on Bat” logo will be available for purchase after Labor Day. White says the plate offers an opportunity for fans to express pride for their team, while supporting public education in Illinois.

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — At one end of the room sat Tony Gonzalez. All the way across it was Ed Reed. Sometimes in the past, that’s as close to each other as the two new Hall of Famers cared to be. Same thing for Champ Bailey and Ty Law when it came to covering Gonzalez, the game-changing tight end and matchup nightmare for defensive backs. They’re all part of the Class of 2019 that will be inducted Saturday night. On Friday, they spoke about each other _ and the honor of entering the pro football shrine together.

National Headlines

CHICAGO (AP) _ Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels is expected to come off the injured list today and start against the Brewers at Wrigley Field. The 35-year-old four-time-All Star has been sidelined since suffering a left oblique strain at Cincinnati on June 28. Gio Gonzalez stars for Milwaukee. The lefty exited his previous game because of tightness in his left shoulder.

ATLANTA (AP) _ Trevor Bauer makes his Cincinnati debut tonight in Atlanta, four days after the Reds got him from Cleveland. The right-hander went 3-2 with a 4.54 ERA in six starts last month. Dallas Keuchel (KY’-kul) starts for the Braves, facing the Reds for the second time in his career. The left-hander went 2-3 with a 3.52 ERA in six starts last month.

HOUSTON (AP) _ Aaron Sanchez makes his debut for the Astros tonight, three days after the AL West leaders acquired him in a trade with Toronto. The 27-year-righty has lost 13 consecutive decisions to lead the majors in losses, but struck out 10 in his last start. Left-hander Marco Gonzales is scheduled to start for the visiting Mariners, who got walloped by Houston 10-2 last night.

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Marcus Stroman makes his first start for the Mets after being traded by Toronto. Stroman is 10-5 with a 2.93 ERA against National League teams in his career. He pitches at Pittsburgh against Chris Archer, who will make his second start against the Mets in a week. New York touched Archer for six runs in five innings last Sunday.

DENVER (AP) — The Rockies will see how outfielder David Dahl is feeling, a day after he sprained his right ankle while making an awkward catch in center at Coors Field. The first-time All-Star was carted off the field in obvious pain. The Rockies said X-rays were negative and the severity of the injury was being assessed.

Friday Scores

INTERLEAGUE
Final Chi White Sox 4 Philadelphia 3, 15 Innings

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Toronto 5 Baltimore 2
Final N-Y Yankees 4 Boston 2
Final Cleveland 7 L-A Angels 3
Final Texas 5 Detroit 4
Final Minnesota 11 Kansas City 9
Final Houston 10 Seattle 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chi Cubs 6 Milwaukee 2
Final Pittsburgh 8 N-Y Mets 4
Final Cincinnati 5 Atlanta 2
Final Colorado 5 San Francisco 4
Final Washington 3 Arizona 0
Final San Diego 5 L-A Dodgers 2

By Steve Carpenter – Blue Dragon Sports Information Director

Over the first 14 years of women’s soccer at Hutchinson Community College, there is a substantial list of Reno County players who have been major contributors to the ongoing success of the Blue Dragon program.

Hutch High’s Jordan Downing and Jazmin Hartshorn, Buhler’ s Stephanie Franz and Nickerson’s Kristen Arneson headline that local group.

Addi White is ready to join the club.

The Blue Dragon sophomore forward, who played her high school ball at Buhler, led the 2019 Blue Dragons onto the practice field for the first time on Thursday as Hutchinson prepares for its August 22 season opener against Trinidad State at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

“Addi has the athleticism and the drive to do that,” said head coach Sammy Lane, who began his 15th season with the Blue Dragons. “With Steph, Jazmin and Jordan, their sophomore years were the years that they really flourished. I really hope Addi flourishes this season.”

White started in seven of 13 games played as a freshman, missing the final four games of the season with an injury. White finished the season with six goals and two assists last season as Hutchinson posted a 13-3-1 overall record, but was eliminated in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament by Johnson County.

One of White’s top moments of her freshman season came on October 10, 2019 against Hesston College. Playing on her home high school field in Buhler – the game moved to Buhler because of poor field conditions at the Salthawk Sports Complex. White had the game-winning goal in a 6-0 win over the Larks.

White, biggest single-game output was a two-goal game in an 11-0 win over North Iowa on September 1.

“I was able to use my speed to score goals and get a lot of chances last season,” White said. “Losing in the Region VI Tournament was a heartbreaker. I’m excited for this year. We have a lot of good girls coming in. There is a lot of drive on this team and we want it.”

White is also hoping to keep the Reno County legacy alive with a strong 2019 season.

“I am a local girl and it’s been neat to see others from around here have success here,” White said. “It’s great to see a lot of familiar faces as our games. I’m excited about this season.”

With that, White will be counted on as a goal scorer. Only 34 percent of Hutchinson’s offense returns. In addition to White’s six goals, sophomore Sydney Blackwell is the returning team leader with nine goals.

Asked to break down her game as to where she needs to improve going into her sophomore season, White said she must improve her first touch to be able to utilize her speed.

Lane would also like to see more composure in front of the goal for White to finish scoring chances.

“With the fact that she’s a sophomore, that should come more naturally to her,” Lane said. “She is very fast and she has a great work ethic to go with that speed.”

GODDARD, Kan. – The MAYB summer season will end with the highly competitive National Championship Tournament finals on August 4th in Goddard, Ks.

This years boys’ event is hosted by Goddard Eisenhower High School. This year over 600 teams throughout the nation participated in this fast growing event. Over 30 states were represented making this event a true National Championship!

Championship games start at 10:00 am with the final game scheduled for around 5:45 pm.

The best of the best play for championship rings on Sunday.

MLB Baseball Scores from Friday, August 2nd:

INTERLEAGUE:

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — At one end of the room sat Tony Gonzalez. All the way across it was Ed Reed.

Sometimes in the past, that’s as close to each other as the two new Hall of Famers cared to be.

Same thing for Champ Bailey and Ty Law when it came to covering Gonzalez, the game-changing tight end and matchup nightmare for defensive backs.

They’re all part of the class of 2019 that will be inducted Saturday night. On Friday, they spoke about each other — and the honor of entering the pro football shrine together.

“It was a hassle dealing with Tony,” said Reed, a five-time All-Pro for Baltimore as a ball-hawking safety and member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, as were Gonzalez, Bailey and Law. “Tony was tough. You needed somebody else to help you. I’d tell Terrell Suggs, ‘You got to hit him before you pass rush.’

“Tony was crafty, big, tough to get around, a basketball guy.”

True. Gonzalez was a two-sport star at Cal. Clearly he chose the right profession, making six All-Pro teams, catching more passes (1,325) than anyone except Jerry Rice, and becoming the most accomplished tight end in NFL history.

Entering the hall with three exceptional DBs was striking for Gonzalez, whose ability to outrun linebackers and outmuscle or even outjump safeties and cornerbacks made him a dominant performer for 17 seasons.

“I loved it because he was the best,” Bailey said of his matchups with Gonzalez while both were in the AFC West, the tight end with Kansas City, the cornerback with Denver. Rarely did defensive coordinators ask cornerbacks to take on Gonzalez, but Bailey had the smarts, skill and temperament to do so.

“Tony was not necessarily fast, but fast enough. It was kind of refreshing for me to go against a bigger guy, not one of those (tight ends who play like wideouts). I knew if the ball ever came his way, I had to worry about that big body (Gonzalez played at 6-5, 250, Bailey at 6-0, 195) and try to make a play. I never got a pick on him. He was one of the best.”

Gonzalez echoed those thoughts about Reed, Bailey and Law, who was a teammate in Kansas City in 2006-07.

“Ed was the only safety (of the three), and he was a top guy,” Gonzalez said. “I loved going against him and seeing how I stacked up. I won some and lost some.

“I went the most against Champ, twice a year, because the Broncos would match him against me a lot. Man, that was tough.

“Ty was my teammate for a while and I learned a lot, how hard he worked at the game.”

The four were joined in an interview session by fellow enshrinees Kevin Mawae, a dominant center for 16 seasons — and, yes, a player on the 2000s All-Decade team — Johnny Robinson, Gil Brandt and the family of late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen.

All of them conveyed the same message: never back off from your goals.

“I never took my eye off the process,” said Bailey, who spent his first five pro seasons in Washington. “What was it going to take to succeed? Bu I dreamed big from the beginning.”

Bailey as mentored by a Hall of Famer, Darrell Green during his time in Washington. He also spent some time with Deion Sanders, also a Canton enshrine, as a Redskin.

“How did I get all this greatness around me?” he wondered. “It set my foundation.”

Law spoke of his roots in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, mentioning how his grandparents set him on the correct path when he could have strayed and wound up “six feet under.”

“Everything I have faced in my life, I can go back to Aliquippa and the lessons I learned,” he said.

Brandt, who from 1960-89 was the personnel director of the Cowboys and recently has been a league consultant for the draft, will lead off the induction ceremony on Saturday night. One of football’s great story tellers, he promises to leave plenty of time for the others on the docket to speak.

“It’s kind of surreal,” the 86-year-old Brandt said. “I have been at the hall since 1965; one of my jobs was getting helmets and other things signed. You always hope for something to happen, but it’s almost impossible to happen.”

On Saturday, the hall’s doors will open to Brandt and the other members of the 2019 class.

“Very special,” Brandt concluded. “Very.”

By MIKE COOK
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Nelson Cruz homered and drove in five runs to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 11-9 on Friday night.

Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario each had two hits for the Twins, who used a five-run seventh inning to maintain a three-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central.

Cruz broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run double off the scoreboard in right-center field. The ball hit about 5 feet lower than his RBI double in the fifth, which was a couple feet from clearing the wall.

Miguel Sanó, Luis Arraez and Jason Castro added RBIs in the inning for an 11-6 lead.

Trevor May (4-3) needed one pitch to get the final out of the seventh inning before newly acquired Sam Dyson struggled for the second straight game. Dyson allowed three runs in the eighth before Sergio Romo got the final four outs for his first save with Minnesota. Acquired last Saturday, Romo had 17 saves in 18 attempts for the Marlins.

After four straight outs, Richard Lovelady (0-1) allowed Kepler and Polanco to get on base to open the seventh.

Cruz, Minnesota’s designated hitter who had just two pinch-hit plate appearances in Miami the last three days, crushed a pitch into the second deck in left-field for a 2-1 lead in the first.

In his last eight starts, Cruz has eight home runs among his 15 hits and 18 RBI.

Hunter Dozier had his first career multi-homer game and Cam Gallagher hit a solo shot for Kansas City, losers of four straight and seven of eight.

Down 4-1, Dozier homered leading off a two-run fourth for the Royals. His solo shot in the fifth inning made it 5-4 Royals and came three batters after Gallagher homered to start the frame.

Minnesota starter Martin Pérez allowed seven hits and five earned runs in five innings. A balk also allowed a runner to score.

Glenn Sparkman allowed six earned runs on six hits in 4 2-3 innings for the Royals. In his last three starts, the right-hander has allowed 18 earned runs in 15 1-3 innings after his first career shutout July 16 against the White Sox. In seven road starts (0-4), Sparkman has a 9.08 ERA.

His ERA is 3.00 in six home starts (3-3).

TRAINERS ROOM
Twins: CF Byron Buxton was scratched about 90 minutes before the game with left shoulder soreness. Listed as day-to-day, Buxton crashed into the wall in Thursday’s loss in Miami. On the injured list since July 21 with right thumb inflammation, 1B C.J. Cron finished a two-game rehab assignment Friday morning in a Gulf Coast League game. Manager Rocco Baldelli expects him to be playing in a Twins game “pretty soon.”

UP NEXT
Minnesota RHP Kyle Gibson (10-4, 4.10), who was 2-0 with a 3.77 ERA in six July starts, is scheduled to face Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy (5-5, 4.42) Saturday. Duffy is 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA in his past three starts, going six innings in each turn.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs personnel spoke with the media at training camp Friday.

Chiefs Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub

Q: Head Coach Andy Reid said that you were involved in the decision to move Tremon Smith over to the offensive side of the ball. What led you to suggest that maybe he’d be better off there?

TOUB: “We talked a little bit about it last year and then we talked about it this year. We just thought that the timing was right. We were talking the other day and Andy decided to make the move. He had a good day today. If you watched him, he caught the ball well out of the backfield and he looks pretty natural over there.”

Q: What have you seen from Blake Bell from a special teams contribution standpoint?

TOUB: “Right now, Blake Bell is playing all of (Demetrius Harris’) positions. Right now, the plan is to have him be that guy. We got a lot of out Demetrius last year. He played three phases for us. I think he had the most special teams plays for a tight end in the whole league. He was setting the bar really high. We are not going to necessarily ask him to be that guy, but he’s going to be playing a lot of those same positions. He might be just a two-phase guy, but we’ll see.”

Q: Is the thought to keep Tyreek Hill as your punt returner or are you trying to find someone else to fill that spot?

TOUB: “We are trying to develop Mecole (Hardman) to be that guy, to pick up a whole bunch of reps there because Tyreek is getting so much on offense. I don’t think we ever want to be in a situation where we are going to take Tyreek out. We always want to have that threat that we’re going to have Tyreek back there. I think it’s important that teams get prepared to play against Tyreek.”

Q: Is there a clear-cut starting punt returner right now?

TOUB: “No, not yet. It’s too early to say. Mecole, he’s a work-in-progress. We have four preseason games that we have to see him in. We don’t know how he is going to react when the live bullets are coming down there. He’s catching the ball, been getting a lot of balls on the JUGS machine right now. He’s still getting better and better every day with his catching. He’s got to build confidence in himself and we have to build confidence in him.”

Q: Is there anybody else that might be a factor in returning punts?

TOUB: “Yeah. (Byron) Pringle is a guy, a kick returner, that at the end of last year before he got hurt, was really coming on. He almost made the team before he got hurt. He is a guy that we are really going to look hard at. Obviously, D-Rob (Demarcus Robinson) is another one that we could use in there. We have a plethora of guys. We have a lot of returners. We are fortunate in that way.”

Q: How has Harrison Butker developed and what are you seeing out of him?

TOUB: “He’s an ultimate pro. For his years, he’s really beyond his years. He’s a student of the game. He’s a perfectionist, and that’s what you want out of a kicker. He’s hard on himself. I think he’s only missed one field goal this whole camp, which is saying a lot — and it was a long one, it was a 58-yarder. He missed it, then he came back and made it. He made a nice long one today again. He’s right on track. He’s doing everything that we expect him to do. He has a very strong leg. We’re happy that he’s going to be with us for a very long time.”

Chiefs Player Quotes

QB PATRICK MAHOMES

Q: Have you had some of your magic crunch cereal yet?

MAHOMES: “I haven’t gotten to taste it just yet just because it just came into the stores. I’m excited for it, I’m excited for everything that it’s doing, helping my foundation and I know the fans are going out and buying it so I appreciate all them.”

Q: It’s flying off the shelves like crazy, have you seen any of that on social media?

MAHOMES: “I’ve seen it on Twitter for sure. People are posting pictures of them going to get it and getting several boxes at a time. I’m glad we have that fan base that will support me and everything I do to support my foundation and everything it does.”

Q: Did you have any input on the flavor or texture?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, I like Frosted Flakes so I said to make it as close to Frosted Flakes as they could, so they did it and it’s a little bit healthier. Less sugar, so I’m excited it’s that too, and I’ll be able to eat it a little bit here this season.”

Q: Some of them are buying it and not even eating the cereal, just saving the boxes, can you imagine that?

MAHOMES: “It is cool. I’ll definitely have a box that I will keep forever. Whenever you’re a little kid and you see the people on those cereal boxes it is a tremendous honor, so I’m excited I’ll be able to have my own.”

Q: Did you sign any of your new cereal boxes today?

MAHOMES: “I signed one. I saw several. It’s cool that people will go out there and get that. Like I said to support not only me, but my foundation and everything that is hopefully going to do for this community.”

Q: You had a lot of deep balls to Tyreek (Hill) today, you seem to be in-sync already, how is that going so far?

MAHOMES: “That’s what we are here for, to try to push the ball down field. Especially in training camp, you want to try to take advantage of those deep shots and get that timing down. I feel like we connected on those today and we’re going to keep working on that. Not just Tyreek (Hill), Demarcus Robinson, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and all those receivers. We’re going to keep trying to push the ball down field and connect on those deep plays so whenever the season comes, we can connect then.”

Q: What were you thinking when Tyreek (Hill) went down in practice the other day?

MAHOMES: “I didn’t think it was that bad just from how he got hit. I knew he probably had a little bit of a stinger because he got hit pretty hard when (Bashaud) Breeland went for the ball and made a good play. I kind of talked to him as he was walking off the field and he seemed fine, so I knew when we got up there it wasn’t going to be a big deal. It’s just kind of something that he got hit and it stung him a little bit.”

Q: From where you have started with Mecole (Hardman), where would you say he is now?

MAHOMES: “I think just growing in this offense. Whenever you’re in this offense, I mean you can see it with any rookie. Me in my first year or any of these younger guys there is a lot put on your plate. Coach Reid doesn’t kind of baby you into it, he gives you everything and throws everything at you. So as he (Mecole Hardman) picks up the offense, where he needs to go each route and he’s able to recognize coverage based off stuff we’re doing pre-snap or post-snap. I think that’s stuff he is picking up with every rep he’s getting. He’s not making the same mistake twice so those are good because when you get guys like that who can play at a high speed and learn from their mistakes, those guys end up being good players.”

Q: How much does it seem to help Mecole (Hardman) that he has Tyreek (Hill) out there?

MAHOMES: “Definitely. Seeing a guy who has a similar skillset with speed and that compact body and able to go out there and make tough catches. I mean when you see a guy that’s at the top level of that and see how you have to work to get there, it’s definitely something that has impacted him in a positive way.”

Q: Does a completed deep ball feel like it did when you were throwing it 10 years ago or does it feel so routine now?

MAHOMES: “No, it’s still a great feeling. Every time you take that shot and connect, when you’re playing NFL defenses, that’s what they are trying to prevent. They are doing everything they can to try to prevent those plays so you get limited chances so whenever you get that chance you want to make sure you connect on it.”

Q: How does this year’s defense compare to last?

MAHOMES: “We got a lot of players, so we know their defense is going to throw a lot of different looks at us. They’re definitely going to try to keep us underneath and underneath routes but that’s the blessing about this team is we got a lot of guys that are good at those too.”

Q: Between this training camp and last, what ways do you feel comfortable in these first few weeks?

MAHOMES: “I think I’ve seen more. I’ve seen more defenses, seen more different disguises and different stuff so just being able to file that in the memory bank and pull it out of the memory bank. When I see a defense maybe we haven’t necessarily scouted our defense for that I may have seen it last year and I’m able to know where to go with the ball whereas last year it was new to me every single time I saw a new look.”

Q: Has the defense out here felt more improved and is it more difficult?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, they do a lot of stuff. It is hard to read, and they get me on a good amount of times and I think I have them picked up and they have something that goes off of something they may have done two days earlier. I think just having that and having that inbox where they can go and show one blitz one day and then do the exact opposite the other when it looks the same is something that will be hard for other offenses to progress against.”

Q: How are you developing the impromptu chemistry with the newer guys?

MAHOMES: “What we say is this offense always stays running. There’s never a dead route, there’s never a route that doesn’t have a chance of getting the ball. I rolled out to the right and I was very off balance and it was probably the ugliest 60-yard pass I have ever thrown in my life, but it got there and got caught and he scored the touchdown.”

Q: Being voted four out of the Top 100 players after your starting season, what does that say about your peers voting for you?

MAHOMES: “It’s definitely an honor to be on that list. There’s a lot of great football players in this league. I’m just going to go out there and be the best football player I can be and hopefully and we can go out there and win a Super Bowl and everyone can keep climbing that list as we go.”

Q: What kind of sense have you gotten from the new guys on defense with the new energy and the new confidence?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, they are going to keep coming at it every single time. I think that’s the biggest thing is no matter whether it’s a good play or a bad play, they are going to come back with that same energy that they are going to go after us every single play. You have to have that mentality and same as the offense does. If I throw an interception or play that doesn’t go the right way, that next play we’re coming in trying to get a touchdown. Having that mentality is something I feel like has grown and grown as this camp has gone on.”

Q: What do you enjoy most about Andy (Reid)’s personality?

MAHOMES: “I think the best thing about Coach Reid is, I mean of course, he expects a lot from us. He expects us to go out there and be the best person that we can be on the football field but the way he treats us as people I think is the best thing. He treats us and gives us respect. He pushes us to be great, but he cares about us as players and as people. That’s the biggest thing I love about Coach Reid.”

Q: Is there an example you have?

MAHOMES: “Every day you go in that meeting room and he’s asking and quizzing you in front of the class but he’s joking with you and being not just a coach but a great role model for you to look up to.”

K HARRISON BUTKER

Q: (Dave) Toub was saying that you spend a lot of time looking at other kickers? What do you get from that?

BUTKER: “I mean I look at a lot of guys. I think everybody has something that you can take from them. I mean I look at Justin Tucker (Ravens), he’s got a couple things that I like, Graham Gano (Panthers), (Greg) Zuerlein (Rams). I think there is 32 kickers in the league, and you’ve got to learn from each other and try to get better. Anyway that I can get better from looking at other guys is what I want to do.”

Q: (Dave) Toub was saying that before you guys even go into watch film as a group, you all watch your kicks three times through, is that something that you have always done?

BUTKER: “Yes. We get a lot of flack as kickers since we do not kick a ton. There is only so much kicking that you can do before you potentially injure yourself. I look at it as how can I put more work in that is not necessarily physically on the field, and how can I put more work in outside of the field. If I am watching film and I am taking notes, I’m getting that much better and putting that much more time in. I think the more you watch film, it just starts happening in your mind, so when you go out to kick it’s like your body just naturally does what you’ve been watching on film.”

Q: You’ve been having some great kicks, where right now are you most comfortable at in terms of distance?

BUTKER: “When it is warm outside I feel fresh. I feel good at 60 (yard line). I hit my normal ball. Yea when I’m fresh I definitely feel good.”

Q: Can you state the value of having Dave Toub be here year after year?

BUTKER: “It’s been great. I mean that is consistency to have the same special teams coach now going on his third year. I guess I’m tooting my own horn, but I think he has a great eye for talent to get me to come here. He’s been great. He’s let me kind of do my thing. I think he trusts me and is going to give me some pointers and tips along the way. He’s seen my work ethic, and he knows I’m trying to be the best kicker I can here, and he respects that and he helps me to flourish here.”

—chiefs.com—

Listen to updates from Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph, Mo. with the “Voice of the Chiefs” Mitch Holthus. The reports originally air weeknights at 5:25 p.m. on KWBW Radio 1450 am/98.5 fm.  Brought to you locally by Egbert Liquor.