Cardinals bring 5-game road win streak into game against the Padres
St. Louis Cardinals (22-15, second in the NL Central) vs. San Diego Padres (22-15, second in the NL West)
San Diego; Friday, 9:45 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Michael McGreevy (2-2, 2.52 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 24 strikeouts); Padres: Griffin Canning (0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, seven strikeouts)
LINE: Padres -150, Cardinals +126; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals will try to keep a five-game road win streak going when they face the San Diego Padres.
San Diego is 11-9 in home games and 22-15 overall. The Padres have gone 15-2 in games when they record at least eight hits.
St. Louis has gone 12-5 on the road and 22-15 overall. Cardinals hitters are batting a collective .238, which ranks 10th in the NL.
The teams square off Friday for the second time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Xander Bogaerts leads the Padres with seven home runs while slugging .454. Jackson Merrill is 12 for 41 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs over the last 10 games.
Jordan Walker has eight doubles and 10 home runs for the Cardinals. Alec Burleson is 13 for 39 with three doubles and three home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Padres: 4-6, .220 batting average, 4.65 ERA, outscored by six runs
Cardinals: 8-2, .245 batting average, 3.30 ERA, outscored opponents by 15 runs
INJURIES: Padres: Joe Musgrove: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Campusano: 10-Day IL (toe), Jake Cronenworth: 7-Day IL (concussion), Will Wagner: 10-Day IL (oblique), German Marquez: 15-Day IL (forearm), Jhony Brito: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bryan Hoeing: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nick Pivetta: 15-Day IL (elbow)
Cardinals: Matt Pushard: 15-Day IL (knee), Ramon Urias: 10-Day IL (elbow), Lars Nootbaar: 60-Day IL (heels)
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Jordan Walker scores go-ahead run on Masyn Winn's triple in Cardinals' 2-1 win over Padres
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jordan Walker doubled and scored the tiebreaking run on Masyn Winn’s triple in the seventh inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.
Alec Burleson homered in the opener of a seven-game California trip for the Cardinals, who have won eight of 10.
Matthew Liberatore (2-1) yielded three hits and three walks over six innings with six strikeouts for St. Louis. His bullpen gave up one hit while facing the minimum nine batters, with Riley O’Brien pitching the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities.
After starter Michael King pitched six innings of one-hit ball for San Diego, Walker led off the seventh against rookie Bradgley Rodriguez (0-2) with a double off the wall. Walker scored when Nick Castellanos tried and failed to make a diving catch on Winn’s tailing fly to right field.
Xander Bogaerts drove in a run in the first inning for the Padres, who opened a four-game series with their sixth loss in their last eight home games. San Diego has dropped six of nine overall.
King issued two walks and struck out six, but Burleson pulled a changeup out to right in the fourth.
Manny Machado drew a two-out walk and eventually scored on Bogaerts' check-swing single in the first.
Padres catcher Rodolfo Durán made his major league debut after spending parts of 12 seasons in the minors, going 0 for 3.
The 28-year-old Durán ripped a 380-foot drive in the sixth with a 107.9 mph exit velocity, but Victor Scott II caught it in deep center field. Durán then threw out Scott in the eighth when he tried to steal second.
Griffin Canning (0-0, 1.80 ERA) makes his second start for the Padres after a solid five-inning debut. The Cards counter with Michael McGreevy (2-2, 2.52), who grew up an hour north of Petco Park in San Clemente, California.
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Royals face the Guardians leading series 2-1
Cleveland Guardians (19-19, first in the AL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (17-20, fourth in the AL Central)
Kansas City, Missouri; Thursday, 2:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Guardians: Slade Cecconi (1-4, 6.56 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 28 strikeouts); Royals: Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.68 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 37 strikeouts)
LINE: Royals -143, Guardians +120; over/under is 9 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Kansas City Royals play the Cleveland Guardians, leading the series 2-1.
Kansas City is 11-8 at home and 17-20 overall. The Royals have a 3-5 record in games decided by one run.
Cleveland has a 19-19 record overall and a 10-12 record on the road. The Guardians have an 8-2 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.
The teams square off Thursday for the seventh time this season. The season series is tied 3-3.
TOP PERFORMERS: Bobby Witt Jr. has 10 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 16 RBIs for the Royals. Jac Caglianone is 6 for 28 with three home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games.
Jose Ramirez has eight doubles and six home runs for the Guardians. Chase DeLauter is 18 for 35 with four doubles and a home run over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 7-3, .240 batting average, 3.56 ERA, outscored opponents by eight runs
Guardians: 4-6, .225 batting average, 3.87 ERA, outscored by one run
INJURIES: Royals: Cole Ragans: day-to-day (tricep/elbow), Carlos Estevez: 15-Day IL (foot), Bailey Falter: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jonathan India: 10-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
Guardians: Shawn Armstrong: 15-Day IL (groin), Gabriel Arias: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Andrew Walters: 15-Day IL (lat)
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Royals' Cole Ragans leaves start against Cleveland because of triceps and elbow soreness
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In what Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro called “a no-brainer,” the Royals pulled left-hander Cole Ragans after three scoreless innings in his start against Cleveland on Wednesday night because of left triceps and elbow soreness.
“It’s routine for (pitching coach) Brian (Sweeney) to talk to the pitchers between every inning,” Quatraro said. “If somebody brings something up like that, it's a no brainer.”
Luinder Avila started warming up in the bottom of the third and entered to start the fourth. Avila (0-2) took the loss in a 3-1 decision that snapped the Royals' five-game winning streak.
Ragans, 28, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out four, throwing 58 pitches. He is 1-4 with a 4.84 ERA. this season.
He said he started feeling the discomfort during the third inning.
“It just started to get a little tight,” Ragans said. “I talked to Sweeney, and figured that was the best decision.”
Ragans had Tommy John surgery in March 2018 while in the Texas minor league system, then tore the grafted ligament during his rehabilitation and had a second Tommy John surgery in May 2019. He returned to the major leagues in August 2022.
He said this discomfort was nothing like what he experienced previously.
"I know what I’ve been through, the elbow stuff. I know it’s not what I’ve been through before,” he said.
He was traded to Kansas City in August 2023 and became a first-time All-Star in 2024, going 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts. He was sidelined between June 5 and Sept. 17 last year because of a strained left rotator cuff.
He walked two batters in the first inning and escaped the two-on, one-out trouble by striking out Rhys Hoskins and David Fry.
Quatraro seemed optimistic that the injury was not serious.
“He just started having some tightness (or) soreness in the back of the elbow/triceps area,” he said. “So (we were) just trying to be cautious and get him out of there.
"We’ll get some more evaluations tomorrow and see what we have. We don’t think it’s serious. We’re hopeful for the next start, and we’ll just see where he is after we evaluate it tomorrow.”
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Padres take on the Cardinals in first of 4-game series
St. Louis Cardinals (21-15, second in the NL Central) vs. San Diego Padres (22-14, second in the NL West)
San Diego; Thursday, 10:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 23 strikeouts); Padres: Michael King (3-2, 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 39 strikeouts)
LINE: Padres -177, Cardinals +148; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday to begin a four-game series.
San Diego has a 22-14 record overall and an 11-8 record at home. The Padres have gone 15-1 in games when they scored at least five runs.
St. Louis has a 21-15 record overall and an 11-5 record in road games. The Cardinals rank ninth in MLB play with 44 total home runs, averaging 1.2 per game.
The matchup Thursday is the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.
TOP PERFORMERS: Xander Bogaerts has a .276 batting average to lead the Padres, and has two doubles and seven home runs. Miguel Andujar is 12 for 39 with two home runs and eight RBIs over the past 10 games.
Jordan Walker leads the Cardinals with a .303 batting average, and has six doubles, 10 home runs, 16 walks and 27 RBIs. Alec Burleson is 12 for 40 with two home runs and 12 RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Padres: 4-6, .234 batting average, 5.73 ERA, outscored by 10 runs
Cardinals: 7-3, .249 batting average, 3.50 ERA, outscored opponents by 13 runs
INJURIES: Padres: Jake Cronenworth: 7-Day IL (concussion), Will Wagner: 10-Day IL (oblique), German Marquez: 15-Day IL (forearm), Jhony Brito: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bryan Hoeing: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nick Pivetta: 15-Day IL (elbow), Joe Musgrove: 15-Day IL (elbow)
Cardinals: Ramon Urias: 10-Day IL (elbow), Matt Pushard: 15-Day IL (knee), Lars Nootbaar: 60-Day IL (heels)
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Massey’s go-ahead 2-run homer lifts Royals past Guardians 5-3 for their fifth straight win
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Massey hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Isaac Collins also went deep and the Kansas City Royals pushed their winning streak to five with a 5-3 victory over the AL Central-rival Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Stephen Kolek allowed a three-run shot by Rhys Hoskins but little else over six innings in his season debut. The right-hander strained his oblique in his first start of spring training, but Kolek had pitched well in four rehab starts at Triple-A Omaha before the Royals had him make a spot start for Noah Cameron, who's dealing with some lower back tightness.
Nick Mears and Daniel Lynch IV handled a scoreless inning apiece in relief for Kansas City, and Lucas Erceg worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his third save in four games and 10th of the season.
The Guardians' Gavin Williams (5-2) allowed five runs and eight hits with two walks while losing for the first time since March 27, when the Mariners beat him in the second game of the season. Williams had since won five decisions covering six starts.
The Royals jumped to a 2-0 lead on Salvador Perez's single in the first, but the Guardians pulled ahead in the fourth. With two runners aboard, Hoskins sent a 2-1 pitch from Kolek clanking off the left-field foul pole just above the outfield padding for a 3-2 lead.
Massey answered with his two-run homer in the bottom half, though. The 392-foot drive off Williams' 2-2 pitch came moments after Guardians catcher Bo Naylor had challenged a called ball, which would have produced a strikeout had he been successful.
Collins added his homer in the sixth inning, giving him a 3-for-3 night but leaving him a triple short of the cycle.
LHP Joey Cantillo (1-1, 3.67 ERA) starts for Cleveland on Wednesday night. LHP Cole Ragans (1-4, 5.29) starts for Kansas City.
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Brewers take on the Cardinals after Chourio's 4-hit game
Milwaukee Brewers (18-16, fourth in the NL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (21-14, second in the NL Central)
St. Louis; Wednesday, 1:15 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Brewers: Brandon Sproat (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 25 strikeouts); Cardinals: Andre Pallante (3-2, 3.73 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 26 strikeouts)
LINE: Brewers -110, Cardinals -109; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Milwaukee Brewers play the St. Louis Cardinals after Jackson Chourio had four hits against the Cardinals on Monday.
St. Louis is 21-14 overall and 10-9 at home. The Cardinals have hit 44 total home runs to rank fifth in the NL.
Milwaukee has an 18-16 record overall and an 8-8 record on the road. The Brewers have a 4-2 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.
The matchup Wednesday is the second time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jordan Walker leads the Cardinals with 10 home runs while slugging .585. JJ Wetherholt is 13 for 43 with three doubles, four home runs and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.
Gary Sanchez leads the Brewers with five home runs while slugging .479. Sal Frelick is 6 for 28 with two home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 7-3, .275 batting average, 4.00 ERA, outscored opponents by 15 runs
Brewers: 5-5, .243 batting average, 2.83 ERA, outscored opponents by 19 runs
INJURIES: Cardinals: Ramon Urias: 10-Day IL (elbow), Matt Pushard: 15-Day IL (knee), Lars Nootbaar: 60-Day IL (heels)
Brewers: Jared Koenig: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jacob Misiorowski: day-to-day (hamstring), Quinn Priester: 15-Day IL (wrist), Brandon Woodruff: 15-Day IL (arm), Angel Zerpa: 15-Day IL (forearm), Rob Zastryzny: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Akil Baddoo: 60-Day IL (quadricep), Christian Yelich: 10-Day IL (groin)
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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Brewers, Cardinals game postponed due to inclement weather
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday was postponed due to inclement weather.
The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on July 7. Tickets for Tuesday’s game will be honored for the first game of the split bill at 1:15 p.m.
The Cardinals announced they have pushed back their starting rotation. Andre Pallante, who was set to start on Tuesday, will take the mound in Wednesday’s game against the Brewers. Matthew Libertore and Michael McGreevy will start Thursday and Friday, respectively, as the Cardinals travel to San Diego for a four-game series against the Padres.
The Brewers announced that Tuesday’s starter Brandon Sproat will start Wednesday’s game.
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Michael Wacha throws just 79 pitches in 7 innings and the surging Royals beat the Guardians 6-2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha needed only 79 pitches to get through seven strong innings and Bobby Witt Jr. homered to spark a four-run fourth as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-2 on Monday night.
Jac Caglianone also went deep for the surging Royals, who have won four in a row and eight of 10. Nick Loftin delivered a two-run single with two outs in the fourth to give Kansas City a 4-2 lead.
Five different Royals had an RBI, including Witt's fourth homer and Caglianone's solo shot in the sixth on his bobblehead night.
Wacha (3-2) allowed four hits and two runs while striking out three. He has given up just three runs over 14 innings in two starts against the Guardians this season.
David Fry hit a two-run homer for Cleveland in the second, but Wacha retired 16 of his next 17 batters. Wacha, Matt Strahm and Alex Lange combined to throw a total of 95 pitches for the Royals.
Witt's 422-foot drive put the Royals on the board in the fourth. He went the first 27 games of the season without a home run before hitting three over the past eight games.
Salvador Perez tied it at 2 with an RBI single that went through the legs of pitcher Tanner Bibee. Kansas City then loaded the bases, setting up Loftin's key hit.
Bibee (0-5) was tagged for four runs and five hits in four innings. He entered with only one run of support across his last six starts, all Guardians losses.
Kansas City LHP Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.40 ERA) makes his seventh start of the season Tuesday against Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (5-1, 2.70).
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Kansas City is World Cup central, hosting England, Argentina and the Netherlands along with 6 games
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Of all places, the American Midwest — and Kansas City in particular — could be considered the heart of the World Cup scene, and not just because of its geographic location right smack in the middle of the United States.
Six games will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, including a match in the round of 32 and a quarterfinal. But there also will be four high-profile clubs based in and around Kansas City: Lionel Messi and Argentina, Harry Kane and England and Virgil van Dijk and the Netherlands in the metropolitan area, with Algeria in nearby Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas.
Oh, and remember: There is a Kansas City, Missouri, and a Kansas City, Kansas, which can be confusing to first-time visitors. Most of the World Cup activities will be taking place on the Missouri side of the state line.
There are plenty of cultural attractions in Kansas City, including the National World War I Memorial and Museum, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the renowned Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the American Jazz Museum and Union Station.
Kansas City is known for its barbecue, particularly burnt ends, which are the trimmed points of a brisket. The real question isn't what to eat but where, because there are dozens of top BBQ joints. They range from the upscale (Fiorella's Jack Stack) to the famous (Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que) to the award-winning (Q39) to the legendary (Arthur Bryant's) and the beloved dives (B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ). For World Cup fans planning stops here, in Texas and in Georgia, a BBQ tour to compare styles is a must.
The free fan festival in Kansas City will be held on the grounds of the World War I memorial. Big screens will show World Cup matches, and live music from the likes of the Chainsmokers, Flo Rida and The All-American Rejects is on the schedule.
Getting around downtown is easy thanks to the Kansas City streetcar. Getting to the games is another issue. Arrowhead Stadium is located about 10 miles east of downtown, and fans typically drive to the stadium. Parking will be severely limited for the World Cup, so more than 200 buses will provide ticketed shuttle services from areas around town.
Arrowhead Stadium has no roof, and summer temperatures can reach triple digits in Kansas City, which is why all the games will be played at night. This is also the heart of tornado alley, so keeping an eye on the weather is imporant. The stadium itself is one of the iconic facilities in the NFL and known for providing the Chiefs a big homefield advantage. It will be replaced by 2031 with a new, $3 billion domed stadium that will be built across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas.
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