LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas wasted little time issuing a forceful response to the NCAA after it received a notice of allegations that leveled serious accusations against its storied men’s basketball program and its Hall of Fame coach.

Not only did the school deny many of the charges, and seek to diminish others, it also attempted to shift the narrative to one of victim by suggesting the NCAA is trying to make an example out of the Jayhawks.

“It’s no secret that there is tremendous pressure on the NCAA to respond to the federal court proceedings involving college basketball,” said Jayhawks coach Bill Self, who was singled out in the NCAA notice. “Compelled to reassure member institutions and the general public that it can police its member institutions, the NCAA enforcement staff has responded in an unnecessarily aggressive manner.”The reason is simple: The NCAA also is under intense scrutiny.

The organization announced in late 2017, shortly after an FBI probe revealed a seedy underbelly of college basketball, the formation of a commission to provide recommendations on cleaning up the sport. Chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the panel returned a number of suggestions ranging from the reformation of AAU and youth basketball to addressing the NBA’s one-and-done rule.

But the commission also called for the NCAA to enact “significant increases in penalties imposed on institutions and individuals for violations of NCAA rules.” In the case of Level I violations, the panel said, schools should be subjected to financial penalties, postseason bans and other penalties.

Now, many schools believe the NCAA is taking those suggestions to an extreme.

“In its haste and attempt to regain control (of college basketball),” Self said, “the enforcement staff has created a false narrative regarding me and our basketball program.”

That accusation in some ways is just as damning as those leveled by the NCAA against one of college basketball’s bluebloods.

It’s also a common one for schools that have run afoul the rules.

In January, the NCAA banned Missouri’s football, baseball and softball programs from postseason play for a year while placing the entire athletic department on probation following a two-year inquiry that revealed academic misconduct involving a former tutor.

The school has appealed the decision with Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright calling the penalties “harsh and inconsistent” and athletic director Jim Sterk calling them “simply unfair.”

“The Committee on Infractions abused its discretion in applying penalties in this case,” Sterk said at the time. “It is hard to fathom the university could be cited for exemplary cooperation throughout this case, yet end up with these unprecedented penalties that could unfairly and adversely impact current and future Mizzou student-athletes.”

North Carolina State, which like Kansas was linked to the FBI’s college basketball corruption case, was hit with four charges that included two top-level counts tied to former coach Mark Gottfried, former assistant coach Orlando Early and departed one-and-done player Dennis Smith Jr.

The school, which is nearing its 90-day deadline to respond to its notice of allegations, likewise made it clear in a statement that it would not blindly accept the NCAA punishments.

“We are prepared to be accountable where we believe it is appropriate,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said, “and vigorously defend this great university and its athletics program where we feel necessary.”

Sounds a lot like the response from Kansas officials.

“It is a point that schools have made for many years,” said Gene Marsh of the Alabama law firm Jackson Lewis and chairman of the NCAA’s committee on infractions from 2004-06.

“When schools get on the wrong end of the gun,” Marsh said, “they often complain they are being singled out or used for a larger purpose. It really doesn’t matter. The NCAA penalty system provides no debit or credits should a decision-maker — a hearing panel or judicial body — think the school has been especially targeted.”

Among the charges leveled at Kansas on Monday were multiple Level 1 violations tied primarily to recruiting, a lack of institutional control and a responsibility charge Self will be forced to answer.

While the NCAA notice does not detail what the basketball program is accused of doing, Kansas was among the most prominent programs swept up in an NCAA probe into a pay-for-play scheme that began with an FBI investigation into apparel company Adidas. A former Adidas employee testified he made payments to the family of one recruit and the guardian of a current player, and text messages presented in court back up the accusation that Self and his coaching staff had a close relationship with the employee.

The school did not dispute some of the allegations, and Chancellor Douglas Girod said “we will accept responsibility for proven violations of NCAA bylaws.” But Girod also said his school would not accept the NCAA using it as an example in an era in which it, too, is under scrutiny.

Michael Buckner, whose Florida law firm focuses on sports-related legal and compliance issues, said the reality is that smaller schools tend to commit more significant violations and face much harsher penalties.

“This unfounded belief comes up often when universities from the Power Five conferences are charged with NCAA rules violations,” he said.

Of course, that won’t stop name-brand programs from calling out the NCAA for perceived injustices, whether they are tied to academic fraud, recruiting or some other misconduct.

“We understand this is a unique moment in collegiate athletics,” Kansas officials said in a statement, “and we recognize the NCAA finds itself in a challenging position. But we don’t believe these allegations are the most appropriate way to address long-standing challenges in college basketball.”

 

Thursday Morning Sports with KWBW’s Rob Dreher.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. –  Maize South traveled back to Hutchinson to resume their game that was rescheduled due to lightning Wednesday at the Salthawk Soccer Complex. The score resumed with Maize South leading 2-0 over Hutch with 13 minutes remaining in the first half.  The Mavericks added 8 more goals for a 10-0 win over the Salthawks.

PHOENIX (AP) — Pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a game-ending double play with two runners on the base and the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals fell short in a ninth-inning rally, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7. The Cardinals ‘ division lead was cut to 1 ½ games over Milwaukee. St. Louis and Arizona were back on the field about 11 hours after the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 win in 19 innings.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josh Donaldson had a career-high three doubles while driving in four runs, Dansby Swanson had a career-high four hits and drove in two, and the NL East champion Braves cruised to a 10-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. With their playoff seed secure and nothing on the line, the Braves sent reliever Josh Tomlin to the mound for his first start of the season. Sean Newcomb led a parade of six more relievers, helping the Braves snap a four-game losing streak to the Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged the need to press for points against Kansas City last Sunday, knowing full well the Chiefs would be hard to stop. Perhaps no other team in the league forces their opponents to be quite so uncomfortable, even to the point of fundamentally altering their in-game strategy.

PHOENIX (AP) — St. Louis starting pitcher Michael Wacha left the Cardinals’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with right shoulder tightness. Wacha had a 2-0 count on Diamondbacks right fielder Abraham Almonte in the bottom of the second inning when a trainer came out to check on him. After a short conversation on the mound, Wacha and the trainer walked into the Cardinals dugout. Wacha was charged with two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 24 Kansas State goes into its Big 12 opener at Oklahoma State undefeated under new coach Chris Klieman. The last time the Wildcats were 3-0 was 2015, and they lost their fourth game in their Big 12 opener that season at Stillwater. But this K-State team has the Big 12’s best defense, allowing 256 total yards and 13 points a game. Oklahoma State will be a test. The Cowboys have the league’s top rusher and top passer while averaging 534 yards and 45 points a game.

National Headlines

DETROIT (AP) _ The Minnesota Twins are AL Central champions for the first time since 2010 following a 5-1 win at Detroit. Randy Dobnak allowed one hit in six sparkling innings, but Minnesota trailed until Luis Arraez smacked a two-run homer in the seventh. Eddie Rosario also hit a two-run blast for the Twins, who were able to celebrate when Cleveland lost 8-3 to the Chicago White Sox.

CINCINNATI (AP) _ The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up an NL playoff berth by winning for the 17th time in 19 games, a 9-2 rout of the Reds in Cincinnati. Ryan Braun belted a grand slam and Eric Thames immediately followed with a solo shot while the Brewers put together a six-run first inning. Jordan Lyles allowed two runs and three hits over five innings to help the Brew Crew pull within 1 ½ games of the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals.

PHOENIX (AP) _ The Cardinals blew a 5-2 lead by surrendering seven runs in the sixth inning of a 9-7 loss to Arizona. Wilmer Flores had four RBIs for the DBacks, including a two-run homer that capped the sixth-inning fireworks. St. Louis scored twice in the ninth and had the potential go-ahead run at the plate until pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a game-ending double play.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Domingo Germán’s administrative leave under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy has been extended through the World Series, leaving the New York Yankees without their winningest pitcher for the postseason. Germán was placed on leave for seven days last Thursday for an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend last week. MLB and the players’ association agreed to the extension on today, ending his season. Germán was 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 24 starts and three relief appearances over 143 innings this year.

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vázquez has been ordered held without bond following his arrest on multiple felony charges, including sexual assault of a minor. Vázquez was taken into custody last week by Pennsylvania State Police on an arrest warrant from Florida stemming from illicit electronic communication with an underage girl. A judge denied bond for the 28-year-old Vázquez during a brief hearing on Wednesday.

Wednesday Scores

INTERLEAGUE
Final Atlanta 10 Kansas City 2

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 5 Detroit 1
Final Toronto 3 Baltimore 2
Final Tampa Bay 4 N-Y Yankees 0
Final Boston 10 Texas 3
Final Chi White Sox 8 Cleveland 3
Final Houston 3 Seattle 0
Final Oakland 3 L-A Angels 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Arizona 9 St. Louis 7
Final Milwaukee 9 Cincinnati 2
Final Washington 5 Philadelphia 2
Final N-Y Mets 10 Miami 3
Final Pittsburgh 4 Chi Cubs 2
Final San Francisco 2 Colorado 1
Final L-A Dodgers 6 San Diego 4

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Thur- Philadelphia at Green Bay 8:20 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will have surgery to repair the left shoulder he injured over the weekend, though the club hopes its budding star will be ready by opening day next season.

Mondesi hit .263 with nine homers and 62 RBIs to go with 20 doubles, 10 triples and 43 stolen bases. But he was limited to just 102 games after sustaining a subluxation to his shoulder in July, then hurting it again in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Royals trainer Nick Kenney said Wednesday that the recovery time is usually about six months.
The 24-year-old Mondesi, who is not eligible for arbitration until 2021, is considered one of the cornerstones of the Royals’ youth movement. He’s just the seventh player in club history with at least 40 steals and 10 triples, and the first since Carlos Beltran during the 2003 season.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes talk football and the Jonas Brothers during a Wednesday presser.

HEAD COACH ANDY REID

OPENING STATEMENT: “The guys that won’t practice today are Fish (Eric Fisher), Tyreek (Hill) and Damien Williams. Everybody else will be out at practice. We look forward to the challenge of playing Detroit. We know that they’re a good football team. They’re undefeated right now and doing one heck of a job. My hat goes out to (Lions Head Coach) Matt Patricia. He has really changed that place around, and their personnel department. They have good players. They have good coaches. They’re playing hard, aggressive football. So, our guys are starting today. Getting back in and making sure that we study them and go through the different phases that we need to go through before we play. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: What about what the Lions have done in the past two weeks has impressed you the most?

REID: “They’ve got a good scheme, and then they play hard. They tackle well. They have made a living off of turnovers on defense. Offensively, they’re scoring some points. You have to make sure that you stay on top of that. They’ve got a quarterback that has been around a while and knows the game. They’ve got some skill guys that can also play right in there. Special teams are doing a good job, too.”

Q: Are they making a living off of actually taking the ball away on defense or more so capitalizing on opposing offense’s mistake?

REID: “They tackle the ball, and on a few of those the ball has come out. Fumbles have been one thing. They’ve had a couple of interceptions right in there, that’s also a part of it.”

Q: Matt Patricia is coming from the Bill Belichick tree, similar to your coaching start and learning under Mike Holmgren. How long does it take for a coach to find who they truly are?

REID: “That’s a good question. You develop your own thing. You put your own name on it and you go. You do it as a player. You do it as a coach. Probably do it in any profession that we’re in. It normally starts right away. You can’t help but carry some things over, but if you’re copying somebody then the players read through that – particularly with a player that comes in that was with you somewhere else, then you have a problem. You’ve got to be yourself. (Patricia) has done that. He’s done a nice job. He had a big responsibility with New England, being a coordinator for the number of years that he was. I think he has kind of put his own mark on it.”

Q: How do you feel that the defensive rotation of players has gone thus far through the first three games?

REID: “You try to keep guys fresh and throw fastballs in there. I think it’s been good. It’s been good to get some of these young guys some experience in there, too. That pays off for you down the road. I think they’re playing fast and aggressive. They seem to have a good grasp of the concepts and scheme that we’re trying to do.”

Q: Now that you’ve had him for a few weeks, what is different now with LeSean McCoy’s game compared to the last time that you guys were together?

REID: “Yeah, he’s got a couple of grey hairs (laughter). He still has the vision and the shiftiness. He was never the fastest guy in the world. He’s fast enough, but that’s not his game. His game is the great vision and the ability, with the quick feet, to move. He still has that. He’s got a burst. He can catch. I mean, we’re not asking him to go on every down. We probably did that more in Philadelphia than what we’re doing now. So, I can’t answer that part because he’s in a rotation. The vision and the feet are about the same.”

Q: The only rookie receiver that you’ve had that has had more receiving yards through three games than Mecole Hardman was DeSean Jackson. Is there anything you see that is comparable between those two guys?

REID: “One thing is that they’re all legs. They both have little, short torsos with long legs – which is unique. They don’t weigh a ton. You put them on a scale, they’re going to be like one of our legs (laughter). But they can run and run fast. They both have a good feel for the game. Both of them are smart guys. DeSean is a real smart kid, an innately smart kid. So is Mecole.”

Q: Could you talk about Darrel Williams taking advantage of his opportunity this past Sunday against the Ravens?

REID: “He played for us last year in kind of the same type of role. He’s just Mr. Consistent and tough. He’s a smart kid, so he knows everything protection-wise that’s going on. Patient runner, but when he goes, he’s going to hit you. He brings a lot of weight behind him. He can put his shoulder down and get you a couple of extra yards there.”

Q: Did McCoy do anything above and beyond last week to get himself prepared for the Ravens game?

REID: “I think it’s just a willingness to spend time here. He just stayed and worked. It’s one of those injuries where the more you work it, the better you’re going to get. But it takes a lot of time and effort, and you have to kind of push through some things there. He did. He worked it, and as a result, he was able to play. I think it’s a good example to the guys. There are certain injuries that you can’t do that with. This is one that you can and you’re not going to hurt your career or your future – to not be able to walk or anything like that.”

Q: McCoy hasn’t missed a lot of time over the years. Is he just one of those guys that can push through some stuff?

REID: “That’s a tough position to play. You’re going to take a few hits, now. He’s quick enough, and that vision comes in handy, so he knows when to get down and then when to drop his shoulder and try to get extra yards. He’s been pretty good with that from even when he was young. It limits some of the unnecessary hits that you have to take.”

Q: What do you see from the defense that tells you that this unit can get better?

REID: “We’re so close. You see it. We’re right there. We’re getting our hands on the ball. But, we’re hesitant in some areas to go get the ball. There are small things. I look at that and I go, ‘Man, you give that a little time, shoot, those things change.’ Some of the guys have been in the league and I’ve seen it before, so you know that’s going to come. You just know it. Remember, things are at like warp speed out there, and it’s happening like right now in real time. It’s one of those things where you have to do it. You have to keep doing it and then it just becomes second nature.”

Q: So the improvement that you’re most likely going to see on the defensive side will mostly be from turnovers?

REID: “No, but that was the one you asked me about. You asked me about turnovers, so I’m saying that in turnovers, you’ll see improvement in that area, if we still have the opportunities like the ones we have had. Or, if we create opportunities like the one’s we’ve had. So, by putting yourself in the right position. But I think overall, the more you play in it, the better you get at it.”

Q: What are some of the challenges for you as an offensive play-caller and game-planner to go against a coach like Matt Patricia that likes to scheme defensively?

REID: “He’s very good at it. You can say, ‘Well, they played man coverage here, but they might come out and play Cover 2 here the next game.’ You don’t know. You make sure that you cover all of the bases with your guys. Like I said, their base scheme is tremendous. And then, they can go in different directions with it. I can tell by how disciplined his guys are, and I know that defense well enough in what they’re asking him to do – and they’re doing those things sound – that it looks like the players trust in it and believe in it.”

Q: From a confidence standpoint, how big was it for Frank Clark to get his first sack of the season last week against Baltimore?

REID: “It was good. That was a good sack. For as much as he’s doubled, and as he keeps fighting through it, I think that’s where I look at it. I’m not into all of the stats stuff and how many sacks he gets. Being around the quarterback and then finally having an opportunity to tackle him, that’s a good thing.”

Q: Defensively, how critical is it going to be to set the run defense tone early against the Lions?

REID: “That’s what you do. I mean, the players want to do it that way and the coaches want to do it that way. You work on it. I’ll always also give credit to the other team for a reason: If they’re good, I’m going to tell you that they’re good. (The Ravens) were the number one offense and the number two defense (in the league) and they’re going to win a lot of games. It was a good football team.”

Q: Do you think that Patrick Mahomes is showing that he is more confident this season by how he is being arguably more animated out on the field this year?

REID: “He’s been that way. He is competitive and he is the leader of that bunch. He’s the one that’s on the field. He wants certain things out of a play. Then as a player, you have to get those things done. That’s where my trust in him and the other coaches’ trust in him comes in. You want to make sure that you’re demanding the right things, obviously. You’re in the game. He is very good with that. That is one of his real strengths. He’s got that natural leadership ability and I think he does a good job with it. I think he weighs it well. If you do it every play, people are just going to turn it off. But I think he has a good feel for it.”

Q: Is there a philosophy behind the trend to start running the ball more in the second half when you have a lead, like in the first three games, compared to the first halves which have been predominantly pass-first, or is it more situational?

REID: “I’d probably tell you situational. Every game is different. I don’t go in with that in mind. I just kind of go off of feel there.”

 

CHIEFS QUARTERBACK PATRICK MAHOMES

Q:  Is there a tangible difference in playing in a dome?

MAHOMES: “I think other than if it’s raining or snowing outside, I don’t think it makes too big of a difference. I know when you get out there you still have to play football and make the throws. I’ve played in it a couple times and it feels like any other football game.”

Q: You’ve played with Darrel Williams for a few years, is there anything you learned from him this weekend?

MAHOMES: “I don’t think I necessarily learned; I already knew that he’s a playmaker. He’s a guy that when he gets his opportunity, he makes play. You saw it a little bit at the end of last season where he got in the game and was ready to go after not playing really the whole season until then, and then now him getting in. He’s always prepared and makes sure he’s ready to go, and when he gets the opportunity, he makes the most of it.”

Q: On the play with Mecole Hardman being wide open, it seemed as if you anticipated that, can you talk through that?

MAHOMES: “Not necessarily. I actually was thinking about throwing to Sammy (Watkins) over the middle and that was my first read, and as I went to throw it to him, I saw the safety jump him so I just shot over to Mecole. That just goes through the progression of the read. You know where you’re thinking before the snap, but you have to play it out when the snap goes and take what the defense gives you.”

Q: What has LeSean McCoy meant to the team both on and off the field since he has gotten here?

MAHOMES: “He fit in perfectly first off. His mentality, his attitude, he’s a guy that loves this game. He loves playing football with guys that love playing it with him, so for him he’s added that veteran leadership, of course, being here. He knows how to go out there and have success, but he’s added another guy in the locker room that you can really gel with and have a lot of success with.”

Q: Is there any difference from this year to last year on when you watch film on defenses and can read their schemes on similar opponents?

MAHOMES: “I think just seeing stuff that they’ve done to us in the past or as you said, similar opponents, it helps me just knowing I’ve seen those looks before and I understand what the defense is trying to get you to do in order to make a mistake. Just being able to eliminate those before you even hit the field is something I feel like I’ve picked up faster this season.”

Q: What do you see in the Lions defense after they played the Eagles?

MAHOMES: “They played physical football. They play a lot of man coverage. They got up in his face and they stopped the run game for the most part. I think the biggest thing they did against the Eagles was that they capitalized on turnovers and I think that’s a big thing they focus on, trying to get the ball out whether its interceptions or they’re trying to strip the ball out of guys running with it. I think that’s a big thing they capitalize on, so we’re going to try to protect the ball and move it down the field.”

Q: Mecole Hardman has had two really big games, how have you seen him evolve?

MAHOMES: “He’s getting more and more comfortable every single week and that’s what happens when you’re in this offense. Coach Reid throws a lot at you and so for a while you’re trying to figure it out and play, but he’s picking up stuff fast and not making the same mistakes. I think the more he picks it up the faster he can play on the field.”

Q: What’s it like studying for a team you haven’t played before, whereas the other teams you’ve faced you played last year?

MAHOMES: “Not necessarily. The thing with playing this opponent is we’ve played the Patriots a couple times and (Matt) Patricia was there my rookie season with the Patriots, so you’re able to look back at stuff they did against us then all the way to the stuff they do now versus the teams that play similar offenses that we have. I think just preparing that way. Obviously, when you get to the field it will be a little different not playing a team you’ve played before, but I’m still preparing for myself to have success whenever I get out there.”

Q: Looking back at the tape, it seemed like you were a little more animated with some of the offensive teammates, is that a comfort thing or where did that come from?

MAHOMES: “You just want to have success on every single play and that’s something I think we have as a team, is we hold each other accountable. It’s not just me saying stuff to those guys, they’ll say stuff to me if I do something wrong. If you have that type of chemistry and talk to each other in that way and still respect each other and still love each other, you will get the best out of each other.”

Q: You referred to Mecole Hardman’s touchdown as the “Tyreek effect” so when you threw the ball you knew that was six?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, once he got it in his hands I knew there was a pretty good chance it was getting in there. He’s a fast guy, he plays really good when he gets the ball in his hands. Just trying to get the ball to all those guys and usually when they break it, it’s pretty much all over.”

Q: The Lions have a guy you had an issue with playing against in college (Quandre Diggs), do you think there will be an issue on Sunday?

MAHOMES: “I don’t know if it was an issue, but he just kind of knocked me out. He’s a great player, Quandre, and I’m actually friends with him now and it’s something where in the heat of the moment there might have been an issue, but its football and we’re still guys coming from Texas who love playing the game.”

Q: Seems like there was some stuff on Twitter after that?

MAHOMES: “That’s just the rivalry. That’s Texas versus Texas Tech, we beat them every now and then, so when we do we like to puff our chest out a little bit (laughing).”

Q: Is there anything you’ll change in preparation for the game since it is not outside?

MAHOMES: “Not at all. We practice inside and I’ve played a few games inside before and we played in the preseason last year, so you just prepare like it’s any other football game. I think that’s what you do regardless if it’s in a dome or if it’s snowing outside or raining, you just make sure you’re ready to have success whatever the elements or circumstances are.”

Q: Do you see any difference from your receivers on turf?

MAHOMES: “They’re always fast. They might be a little bit faster, but it’s hard to beat the speed they already have.”

Q: What do you remember from five years ago when you got drafted by the Tigers, you tweeted you were going to Lubbock, what was that night like?

MAHOMES: “I was actually already in Lubbock when I got drafted. They called me and congratulated me and they pretty much knew I was going to play football at that point, but it was still an awesome opportunity to get that accomplishment of having that, wanting it my whole entire life, and I appreciate them giving me that chance.”

Q: How was the concert experience Sunday night?

MAHOMES: “It was cool. I had been in touch with those guys (Jonas Brothers) before, so to see them in concert, it was awesome. They were going hard the whole time. I probably couldn’t hear for the whole next day I guess because it was so loud. Those guys have had a lot of success for a long time now, so I was glad to be a part of that.”

Q: How hard is it to do that after a game, were you pretty wiped out?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, but it’s a little bit better when you win. I probably wouldn’t have made it there if we would’ve lost the game, but since we won, I was in a good mood (laughing).”

Q: If you started a boy band with some of your teammates, who would it be and why?

MAHOMES: “Obviously Travis (Kelce), he’s the lead singer. He’s the guy that gets everybody going. I don’t know, Bashaud Breeland, maybe someone like that.”

—CHIEFS—

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josh Tomlin has done just about everything for the Atlanta Braves this season, working as the setup man and the closer, the fire man to get them out of trouble and the long reliever chewing up innings.

He took on his old role of starter Wednesday night.

Did a pretty good job of it, too.

With their playoff seed secure and nothing on the line, the Braves leaned on Tomlin and six other relievers to get through their game in Kansas City. They coughed up a couple runs early but shut the Royals down the rest of the way, cruising to a 10-2 victory.

Luke Jackson (9-2) wound up getting the win, but everybody who stepped on the mound was solid.

“I felt good. I just tried to approach it like any other outing out of the bullpen,” said Tomlin, who was making his first start since last season with Cleveland. “It was really gratifying.”

It helped that the offense gave the Braves plenty of support.

Josh Donaldson had a career-high three doubles while driving in four runs, and Dansby Swanson had a career-high four hits while driving in two, as the NL East leaders began tuning up for the postseason.

They’ll host Game 1 of the divisional round Oct. 3 against the NL Central champion.

Ozzie Albies, Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall also drove in runs for the Braves, who get the day off Thursday before heading to New York to wrap up the regular season with three games against the Mets.

“It’s been nice to get some guys some rest,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I think that’s very important for the mental part of it, the physical part of it.”

Meibrys Viloria and Nicky Lopez drove in the only runs for the Royals, who lost their 101st game as they close out manager Ned Yost’s career in the dugout. Yost announced Monday that he was retiring at the end of the season, which means he has just three games left against Minnesota.

Royals starter Mike Montgomery retired 10 of 11 batters beginning in the second inning before trouble struck in the fifth. The left-hander walked Albies, Donaldson followed with an RBI double, and Markakis delivered a run-scoring single to knot the game 2-all.

“I was hoping to get him through the fifth inning with the lead and kind of go from there,” Yost said. “He battled through it. It was one of those grinding starts, and he was grinding. Pitch count got elevated, like I said, and he couldn’t go deep into it.”

Jacob Barnes (1-4) and Heath Fillmyer were even less effective for Kansas City, coughing up the lead in the sixth by allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and a sacrifice fly.

The Braves tacked on four more runs in the eighth and another in the ninth.

“Yeah, they’re a good team,” Montgomery said. “Obviously not the best game ever, but I thought I battled and gave us a chance to win.”

AWARD WINNERS

INF Erick Mejia, who hit .271 with 63 RBIs, and RHP Andres Machado, who had a 2.89 ERA out of the bullpen, were the Royals’ minor league players of the year from Triple-A Omaha. Other award winners were OF Khalil Lee and RHP Brady Singer at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, OF Brewer Hicklen and LHP Chris Bubic at Class A Wilmington and INF Jeison Guzman and RHP Jon Heasley at Class A Lexington.

ACUNA SIDELINED

Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (left hip tightness) will sit the rest of the regular season, Snitker said, after he left Tuesday night’s game after two innings. Acuña leads the Braves with 41 homers and is three steals shy of 40. “He could probably go with some risk,” Snitker said.

MONDESI SURGERY

Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi will have surgery to repair the left shoulder he hurt over the weekend, though the club hopes he will be ready by opening day next season. Mondesi hit .263 with nine homers and 62 RBIs to go with 20 doubles, 10 triples and 43 stolen bases. But he was limited to just 102 games after sustaining a subluxation to his shoulder in July, then hurting it again Sunday against Minnesota.

UP NEXT

The Braves and Royals have Thursday off before wrapping up the regular season. Mike Foltynewicz (8-5, 4.46 ERA) leads things off for Atlanta against the Mets on Friday night, and Eric Skoglund (0-2, 7.50) gets the nod for Kansas City against the Twins.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)— The Kansas Jayhawks leave for their second road trip of the 2019 season, as they face off against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The game marks the second Big 12 conference game of the year for the Jayhawks, after falling to West Virginia, 24-29, on September 21. In that game, Andrew Parchment led the way offensively with five receptions for 132 and two touchdowns, resulting in his first Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor.

Saturday’s game against TCU is the 36th in the team’s history, with the Horned Frogs holding the series lead at 22-9-4, including a 10-2-2 advantage in Fort Worth, Texas. Last season, Kansas got the best of TCU in Lawrence, where the Jayhawks snuck out a 27-26 victory.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

CONCORDIA – For 68 minutes, the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team had the upper hand in its head-to-back battle for first place in the Jayhawk West with Cloud County.

But the Thunderbirds struck twice in the matter of 6 minutes in the second half and changed the course of the conference title chase at the seasons’ mid-point on Wednesday.

Hutchinson dropped a 2-1 decision to Cloud County at the CCCC Soccer Field. The Blue Dragons had their six-game winning streak snapped and falls to 7-2 overall and 5-1 (15 points) in the Jayhawk West. Cloud County improves to 8-2 and takes over sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk West at 6-0 (18 points).

The Blue Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when sophomore Naomi Waithira stole a ball near the sideline, dribbled down the line and hit a sharp-angle shot from the left that bent into the upper-right corner of the goal.

The lead was secure until the middle stages of the second half. The Thunderbirds began to apply pressure and finally snapped Hutchinson’s shutout streak at six games when Fatima Leme scored from a Franceile Cupertino assists in the 69th minute to square the match at one.

With 68 scoreless minutes on Wednesday, the Blue Dragons did set a team record for consecutive shutout minutes. The Dragons had amassed 624 minutes without allowing a goal. That surpassed the old mark of 613 minutes set in 2011.

Six minutes later, Cupertino went 1 on 1 and scored past Hutch goalkeeper Chiara Soergel for a 2-1 Thunderbird lead with 25:02 remaining in the second half.

The Blue Dragons were able to muster only two shot attempts in the second half compared to eight in the first half and were outshot 11-10.

Soergel (7-2) allowed just the second and third goals of the season in nine games and racked up seven saves in the contest.

The Blue Dragons will have a week off before opening the second half of the Jayhawk West season next Wednesday against the Barton Cougars at 6 p.m. at the Salthawk Sports Complex.