By DAVE RIGGERT
St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs were back in St. Joseph Monday as they held their 12th training camp practice at Missouri Western State University. The Chiefs were back in full pads two days after their preseason opener Saturday in which they defeated Cincinnati 38-17 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, running back Damien Williams, and newly acquired cornerback Morris Claiborne all spoke to the media after their training camp practice Monday.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – 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.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fresh off a road trip in which they hit a franchise-record 22 home runs, the Kansas City Royals return to the spacious confines of Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday to start a two-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The resumption of the I-70 rivalry pits the Cardinals, who are battling for a National League wild-card spot, against the Royals, who are discovering which young players might be part of their future.

The Royals went 3-6 on the road trip, with a suspended game in Boston still to be completed. That contest will be resumed Aug. 22 with the score 4-4.

The offense wasn’t to blame on the trip, especially the power portion. The Royals had never previously hit more than 20 home runs on a 10-game trip. Jorge Soler became the first Royal to hit seven home runs on a 10-game road trip, and he now has 35 this season, only three behind the club record set by Mike Moustakas in 2016.

He wasn’t the only Royal to find his homer stroke on the trip. Hunter Dozier hit six home runs as he became the first Royal to have three multi-homer games on a single road trip.

“I love it,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said Sunday after his team’s 10-2 win over the Detroit Tigers in which Dozier went yard twice. “I need runs. I have to have runs. And they’ve been providing them in grand fashion.

“Doze hit the home run in the first, then he just missed a home run. And he came into the dugout and said, ‘How far from a homer was that?’ I said, ‘Two feet.’ And he went, ‘Aw, man.’ But I said, ‘Stop. Something special is going to happen to you today.'”

The long ball has not been a regular part of the Royals’ game. They have hit a total of 48 home runs through 58 games at home, 28th out of the 30 major league teams. On the road, they’ve hit 77 home runs in 62 contests, 20th in the major leagues.

Jack Flaherty (5-6, 3.72 ERA) takes the ball Tuesday for the Cardinals, looking to continue his outstanding run of late. Despite a 1-1 record his last six starts, he has a 0.94 ERA over that span. In his last outing, against the Dodgers on Wednesday, he scattered four hits and struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings of a no-decision.

Flaherty has faced the Royals once in his career, allowing two runs on three hits in seven innings in 2018.

Asked about potentially using an opener in the Royals series, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt replied, “We have some possibilities.”

“Everyone has their own version of creativity, right?” he continued. “I think we’ve been fairly creative in how we’ve used the bullpen. We’re going to challenge ourselves to continue to look at it and present the best opportunity to eliminate the other team from scoring.

“The innings come from somewhere. You’ve got the opportunity to go to the ‘pen earlier, match up, and get some length, and I think we’ve displayed that we’ve done that, that we will do that. The ‘middler’ is a pretty good way of looking at it.”

The Cardinals, who have won three in a row, likely will be helped by the return of Yadier Molina. The veteran catcher, who has not played since the All-Star break because of a torn tendon in his right thumb, completed his planned rehab assignment Sunday evening with Double-A Springfield and was activated Monday.

St. Louis returned rookie Andrew Knizner to Triple-A Memphis.

The Cardinals also placed outfielder Jose Martinez on the disabled list due to a right AC joint sprain that forced him out of the team’s 11-9 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Outfielder Randy Arozarena had his contract purchased from Memphis.

Arozarena, 24, hit a combined .349 with 10 homers and 42 RBI in 80 games in Double-A and Triple-A this year.

Kansas City will send Glenn Sparkman (3-7, 5.71 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday. He’s on a stretch of four straight rough outings since a complete-game shutout of the White Sox on July 16, allowing 22 runs in 19 2/3 innings over that span.

Sparkman is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA against the Cardinals in two career appearances, both out of the bullpen.

— Field Level Media —

 

Monday Morning Sports with KWBW’s Rob Dreher.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, Paul Goldschmidt and Dexter Fowler also homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9. St. Louis rallied from an 8-4 deficit to sweep the three-game series and move into second place in the NL Central, two games behind the Chicago Cubs. Josh Bell had two homers and four RBIs for Pittsburgh, which has lost eight straight. Pablo Reyes added a solo shot in the ninth.

DETROIT (AP) — Hunter Dozier and Jorge Soler each homered twice, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-2 for a split of the four-game series between the worst teams in the AL Central. It was Dozier’s third career multihomer game, all of which have come on the current road trip. He hit two against the Twins on Aug. 2, and then duplicated the feat Thursday in the series opener in Detroit.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Simone Biles soared to her sixth U.S. women’s gymnastics title, rebounding from an atypically sloppy performance on opening night to put on a show in the finals. Biles put together a two-day total of 118.500, nearly five points clear of runner-up Sunisa Lee. Biles began the finals by drilling a triple-twisting, double-flip on floor exercise, the first time a female gymnast has completed the skill in competition. Biles won three events in all to extend an unbeaten streak that began in 2013.

National Headlines

NEW YORK (AP) _ Asdrubal Cabrera hit a tiebreaking two-run double against his former team and the Nationals bullpen finally locked down a lead in Flushing, lifting Washington over the streaking New York Mets 7-4. Nationals star Juan Soto was injured on Cabrera’s bases-loaded hit in the seventh inning. Washington’s bullpen ended a streak of five blown saves at Citi Field.

BOSTON (AP) _ Anthony Bemboom hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning after Kole Calhoun’s solo homer tied it in the eighth, leading the Los Angeles Angels past the Boston Red Sox 5-4 for a split of their four-game series. Shohei Ohtani had three hits with a two-run single for Los Angeles, which won for only the second time in 10 games.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco 49ers tackle Shon Coleman will likely miss the entire season with a serious injury to his right leg suffered in the exhibition opener on Saturday against Dallas. The team said Coleman had surgery Sunday for a broken fibula and dislocated ankle. Coleman is expected to be placed on season-ending injured reserve.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) —Patrick Reed rallied from a two-shot deficit with three straight putts on the back nine at Liberty National that allowed him to win The Northern Trust. The victory ended 16 months without winning since his Masters title. Reed closed with a 2-under 69 for a one-shot victory over Abraham Ancer.

Sunday Scores

INTERLEAGUE
Final Texas 1 Milwaukee 0

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final L-A Angels 5 Boston 4, 10 Innings
Final Baltimore 8 Houston 7
Final N-Y Yankees 1 Toronto 0
Final Kansas City 10 Detroit 2
Final Cleveland 7 Minnesota 3, 10 Innings
Final Oakland 2 Chi White Sox 0
Final Tampa Bay 1 Seattle 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Washington 7 N-Y Mets 4
Final Atlanta 5 Miami 4
Final Chi Cubs 6 Cincinnati 3
Final St. Louis 11 Pittsburgh 9
Final Colorado 8 San Diego 3
Final L-A Dodgers 9 Arizona 3
Final San Francisco 9 Philadelphia 6

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Kevin Harvick is so confident in his talent and team he doesn’t get excited when he wins.

“It’s more of an expectation,” Harvick said.

He raced to the 47th NASCAR Cup victory of his career and his second in less than a month Sunday, pulling away from the pack to win at Michigan International Speedway for the second straight year.

With just three races before the playoffs, the timing of his latest strong performance may help him win a second championship.

“Hopefully, we’re peaking at the right time,” he said.

Late in the race, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver created a cushion between his Ford and the competition and finished more than a second ahead of Denny Hamlin.

“Nothing I could really do,” said Hamlin, who drove a Toyota-powered car for Joe Gibbs Racing. “Didn’t have enough speed.”

Kyle Larson was third, more than 16 seconds behind Harvick. He was followed by Martin Truex Jr., Daniel Suarez and points-leader Kyle Busch.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson will have to close the regular season strong to extend his streak of earning a spot in every postseason since the format was created 15 years ago. He started the race tied for the 16th and final spot in the playoffs and slipped to 18th. Johnson had an early setback, making contact with a wall on Lap 15 that damaged his right rear quarter panel and tire, and finished 34th.

Johnson was several laps back for much of the race, but got a break potentially in the playoff race when Clint Bowyer was knocked out of the race after Paul Menard appeared to bump him. Bowyer began the day 15th in the playoff standings and finished 37th at MIS, putting him in 16th in the race for the final spot.

Ryan Newman, who started the day tied with Johnson in the playoff standings , was 12th in the 38-car field and that was good enough to move him up to 15th.

Pole-sitter Brad Keselowski was 19th, extending his winless streak to 21 at the track about 70 miles from his hometown in suburban Detroit. Keselowski got off to a strong start and led for a race-high 66 laps, but a flat tire during the second stage set off sparks behind him and was a setback he couldn’t overcome.

“Someone once told me faith isn’t believing when everything is going your way, it’s believing when nothing is going your way,” Keselowski posted on Twitter . “Today was a test of faith. We will return and win here, just not today.”

Joey Logano won at Michigan in June, helping Ford win four straight at the track and bragging rights over Chevrolet and Toyota in a state where the manufactures have a big presence.

“We want to win every race, but definitely here,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director for Ford Performance.

WHO’S HOT

Harvick also won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month, giving him two wins in a four-race stretch. He finished sixth and seventh between the victories.

“We still have to get a lot better, but we’re in better shape than we were,” crew chief Rodney Childers said.

WHO’S NOT

Johnson finished 30th or worse for the third time in five races and in the other two, he was 15th and 19th, putting his postseason chances in peril.

“The guys around that cutoff point all seem to be having bad luck,” he said.

Johnson’s last Cup victory was on June 4, 2017 at Dover International Speedway.

PLAYING HURT

Harvick said he has been driving with an injured shoulder, hurting it while throwing a nerf ball. Harvick said he couldn’t lift his arm in June at Sonoma Raceway, but estimated his shoulder is 80% healthy.

NEXT

Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

PITTSBURG, Pa. (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are mourning the death of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake.

Drake, who was heading into his second year with the NFL team, died Sunday at age 62, the team announced.

“We are at a loss for words following Darryl Drake’s passing this morning,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Darryl had such an impact on the players he coached and everyone he worked with throughout his entire career. He was a passionate coach and had a tremendous spirit toward life, his family, his faith and the game of football.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin also issued a statement, calling Drake a “close friend” who had a large impact on his coaching career.

“He was an amazing husband, father and grandfather, and it is difficult to put into words the grief our entire team is going through right now,” Tomlin said. “Darryl loved the game of football and every player he ever coached. We will use our faith to guide us and help his family throughout the difficult time.”

The Steelers said the team’s scheduled practice on Sunday at Saint Vincent College was canceled.

Drake, a Louisville, Kentucky, native who played college football at Western Kentucky University, joined the NFL as a receivers coach with the Chicago Bears in 2004.

He stayed with the team until 2012, when he moved on to the same position with the Arizona Cardinals.

Both teams remembered their late coach, with the Bears writing on Twitter, “Today we mourn the untimely passing of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. Darryl was the former Bears wide receivers coach under Lovie Smith from 2004-12, including the 2006 Super Bowl appearance.”

A cause of death was not specified in a statement from Steelers president Rooney.

Drake is survived by his wife, Sheila, daughters Shanice, Felisha and Marian, and two grandchildren.

HUTCHINSON, Kans. – When the final day of the City Stroke Play championship came to an end, it saw a very familiar name atop the leaderboard. Nick Hague continued his dominance of city events as he won his 6th straight championship. While shooting his 80 today, he definitely was not at his best, but was still good enough to post the second best score of the day. That was all he needed as he claimed victory by 14 shots! Mike Kinney shot 78, which was the low score of the day and good enough to earn him second place. Derek Lehman ended the tournament in third. Congratulations to Ryan Allan and Jamie Winchester for winning their perspective flights.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Two Americans used their medal-winning moments at the Pan American Games to draw attention to social issues back home that they feel are spiraling out of control.

During their medals ceremonies at the multi-sport event in Lima, fencer Race Imboden took a knee and hammer thrower Gwen Berry raised her fist. Both athletes could represent the U.S. less than a year from now at the Tokyo Olympics, where similar protests would be seen by a much wider audience.

“Racism, gun control, mistreatment of immigrants, and a president who spreads hate are at the top of a long list” of America’s problems, Imboden said in a tweet sent after his team’s foil medals ceremony. “I chose to sacrifice my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed.  “I encourage others to please use your platforms for empowerment and change.”We must call for change. This week I am honored to represent Team USA at the Pan Am Games, taking home Gold and Bronze. My pride however has been cut short by the multiple shortcomings of the country I hold so dear to my heart. Racism, Gun Control, mistreatment of immigrants, and a president who spreads hate are at the top of a long list.

I chose to sacrifie my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed. I encourage others to please use your platforms for empowerment and change.

Berry raised her fist as America’s national anthem was played to honor her win in the hammer throw. She called out injustice in America “and a president who’s making it worse.”

“It’s too important to not say something,” Berry told USA Today. “Something has to be said. If nothing is said, nothing will be done, and nothing will be fixed, and nothing will be changed.”

The history of high-profile protests at the Olympics dates to the 1968 Games in Mexico City, when sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during the medals ceremony for the 200-meter dash.

The issues haven’t changed all that much in the ensuing 50 years.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been out of a job since shortly after he started kneeling during the national anthem before 49ers games in 2016 to protest police brutality and social injustice in America.

Since then, athletes representing the U.S. have faced scrutiny about what, if any, signs of protest they might show if they land on the podium at an Olympics or other major event. Among the issues that have been fodder for possible protest have been race relations, the treatment of the LGBT community, social injustice and disagreements with President Donald Trump.

The actions by Berry and Imboden will test the Pan Am Sports Organization and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s resolve to enforce rules that restrict political protests.

The USOPC said in a statement on Sunday that its leadership is reviewing possible consequences. Berry is on the U.S. team that will head to the track and field world championships next month.

“Every athlete competing at the 2019 Pan American Games commits to terms of eligibility, including to refrain from demonstrations that are political in nature,” the statement said. “In these cases, the athletes didn’t adhere to the commitment they made to the organizing committee and the USOPC. We respect their rights to express their viewpoints, but we are disappointed that they chose not to honor their commitment.”

___

AP National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver contributed to this report.

By DAVE HOGG
Associated Press

DETROIT — Hunter Dozier and Jorge Soler each homered twice, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-2 on Sunday for a split of the four-game series between the worst teams in the AL Central.

It was Dozier’s third career multihomer game, all of which have come on the current road trip. He hit two against the Twins on Aug. 2, and then duplicated the feat Thursday in the series opener in Detroit.

Soler went deep four times in the final three games of the series, and Whit Merrifield led off the game with a home run for the second time in three days. The trio combined for 10 homers in the series.

The Royals won their second in a row after losing six of seven. Last-place Detroit fell to 7-23 since the All-Star break.

Jakob Junis (8-10) improved to 7-1 against the Tigers, allowing two runs and six hits in six innings. His seven wins against Detroit in the last three seasons are tied with Corey Kluber for the most in the majors.

Daniel Norris (3-10) allowed three homers in three innings, leaving the Tigers down 4-2.

Merrifield led off with his 14th homer after he opened Friday’s 5-2 loss with an inside-the-park homer against Edwin Jackson. Norris retired the next batter, but Dozier hit his third homer of the series into the Royals’ bullpen in left-center.

Niko Goodrum made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first with his 11th homer, but Soler responded with a two-run drive in the third for his 34th homer.

Soler finished with three hits and five RBIs. He homered again in the eighth against Drew VerHagen and hit a two-run single in the ninth.

HOMER HEAVEN FOR THE ROYALS
Dozier and Soler each have six home runs at Comerica Park this season, more than any Tiger other than JaCoby Jones (seven). Merrifield has four, one more than Miguel Cabrera.

NO SERIES WIN
With a win on Saturday or Sunday, the Tigers would have won just their third home series of the season. They swept the Royals in three games in April and won two of three from Kansas City in May. They are 9-7 against Kansas City this season and 26-73 against the rest of the major leagues.

UP NEXT
Both teams have Monday off before starting a home series on Tuesday. Matthew Boyd (6-8. 4.16 ERA) will start for Detroit against Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 5.34 ERA) of the Seattle Mariners, while the Royals will have Glenn Sparkman (3-7, 5.71 ERA) starting against the St. Louis Cardinals.