The Kansas City Royals have added a former Cy Young winner to the team to add depth to their pitching ranks, signing Dallas Keuchel to a minor league deal the team announced on Wednesday

Per a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan,&nbsp;Keuchel held a workout for the team last week and reached 92 mph on his fastball. The lefty will first head to the team's training facility in Arizona before making his way to Triple-A Omaha.

Keuchel, a two-time AL All-Star and 2017 World Series champ with the Astros, last pitched in the Majors in 2024, when he appeared in four games for the Brewers and had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.

The Royals will be Keuchel's sixth team in the past four seasons. Since his early years with the Astros, which also included his 2015 Cy Young campaign when he went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA, Keuchel has had stints with the Braves ('19), White Sox (2020-22), Diamondbacks ('22), Rangers ('22), Twins ('23) and Brewers ('24).

For his career, Keuchel is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA.

<i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;</i>

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Kansas City Royals have added a former Cy Young winner to the team to add depth to their pitching ranks, signing Dallas Keuchel to a minor league deal the team announced on Wednesday</p><p>Per a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan,&nbsp;Keuchel held a workout for the team last week and reached 92 mph on his fastball. The lefty will first head to the team's training facility in Arizona before making his way to Triple-A Omaha.</p><p>Keuchel, a two-time AL All-Star and 2017 World Series champ with the Astros, last pitched in the Majors in 2024, when he appeared in four games for the Brewers and had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.</p><p>The Royals will be Keuchel's sixth team in the past four seasons. Since his early years with the Astros, which also included his 2015 Cy Young campaign when he went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA, Keuchel has had stints with the Braves ('19), White Sox (2020-22), Diamondbacks ('22), Rangers ('22), Twins ('23) and Brewers ('24).</p><p>For his career, Keuchel is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA.</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></p>

Royals add former Cy Young winner on minor league deal

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p><i>St. Joseph Post</i></p><div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4Ezr5fxd9aKWE5UiOlvnfk?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

A rain delay that lasted just over two hours held off first pitch between the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals until 9 pm in St. Louis, but that didn't stop the Cardinals from taking the series opener with a 4-2 win over the Nationals late Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.&nbsp;

The Nationals opened the scoring in the third inning with both their runs, the first on an RBI single by James Wood driving in Jacob Young who walked with one out in the inning. Luis Garcia Jr grounded into a force out, Wood being thrown out at second, scoring CJ Abrams who had singled following the walk to Young.&nbsp;

Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals took the lead scoring three runs in the frame, two coming on a home run from All Star Brendan Donovan, scoring Victor Scott II after he led off the inning with a double, and tying up the game before the Redbirds took the lead with an RBI double by Alec Burleson, driving in Masyn Winn who singled as part of the four consecutive hits the Cardinals recorded to start the inning.&nbsp;

Lars Nootbaar extended the lead in the sixth inning with the only other run the Cardinals would need, a solo home run right field, his 12th home run of the season to give St. Louis the 4-2 lead.&nbsp;

Sonny Gray earned the win, improving to 9-3 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking one.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 18th save of the season.&nbsp; At the plate, Donovan was 1-for-3 with a walk and the home run with two RBIs.&nbsp; St. Louis had seven hits, with seven players each getting one hit.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Washington continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;MacKenzie Gore (3-8, 3.11 ERA) for the Nationals.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

<i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>A rain delay that lasted just over two hours held off first pitch between the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals until 9 pm in St. Louis, but that didn't stop the Cardinals from taking the series opener with a 4-2 win over the Nationals late Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.&nbsp;</p><p>The Nationals opened the scoring in the third inning with both their runs, the first on an RBI single by James Wood driving in Jacob Young who walked with one out in the inning. Luis Garcia Jr grounded into a force out, Wood being thrown out at second, scoring CJ Abrams who had singled following the walk to Young.&nbsp;</p><p>Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals took the lead scoring three runs in the frame, two coming on a home run from All Star Brendan Donovan, scoring Victor Scott II after he led off the inning with a double, and tying up the game before the Redbirds took the lead with an RBI double by Alec Burleson, driving in Masyn Winn who singled as part of the four consecutive hits the Cardinals recorded to start the inning.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Donnie All-Star ties it up! 💣 <a href="https://t.co/83SLnKDlXI">pic.twitter.com/83SLnKDlXI</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1942779247623307565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Burly into the corner for the lead! <a href="https://t.co/FLEv3jlkuv">pic.twitter.com/FLEv3jlkuv</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1942780179345981605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Lars Nootbaar extended the lead in the sixth inning with the only other run the Cardinals would need, a solo home run right field, his 12th home run of the season to give St. Louis the 4-2 lead.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Late night Noot Bomb! <a href="https://t.co/aLJ7bTJShR">pic.twitter.com/aLJ7bTJShR</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1942792009854734392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Sonny Gray earned the win, improving to 9-3 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking one.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 18th save of the season.&nbsp; At the plate, Donovan was 1-for-3 with a walk and the home run with two RBIs.&nbsp; St. Louis had seven hits, with seven players each getting one hit.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Louis and Washington continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;MacKenzie Gore (3-8, 3.11 ERA) for the Nationals.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

After long rain delay, Cardinals top Nationals 4-2 in series opener

Due to inclement weather the St. Joseph Mustangs matchup with the Jefferson City Renegades on Tuesday night was postponed, ending the Mustangs road trip with a perfect 2-0 record.&nbsp;

The Mustangs will have an opportunity to make up this game, most likely as part of a double header on Sunday when the team is scheduled to be in Jefferson City again.&nbsp; A double header would be played as two seven inning games. Stay tuned to the Mustangs social media pages for updates on the matchup potentially being rescheduled and scoring updates when it is played.&nbsp;

St. Joseph will now be off on Wednesday.&nbsp; They are back at Phil Welch Stadium on Thursday taking on the Kansas City Monarchs for a fourth and final time.&nbsp; The Mustangs are 2-1 against the Monarchs this season.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:30pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>Due to inclement weather the St. Joseph Mustangs matchup with the Jefferson City Renegades on Tuesday night was postponed, ending the Mustangs road trip with a perfect 2-0 record.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs will have an opportunity to make up this game, most likely as part of a double header on Sunday when the team is scheduled to be in Jefferson City again.&nbsp; A double header would be played as two seven inning games. Stay tuned to the Mustangs social media pages for updates on the matchup potentially being rescheduled and scoring updates when it is played.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Joseph will now be off on Wednesday.&nbsp; They are back at Phil Welch Stadium on Thursday taking on the Kansas City Monarchs for a fourth and final time.&nbsp; The Mustangs are 2-1 against the Monarchs this season.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:30pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Mustangs road trip finale gainst Jefferson City postponed

Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone broke out of an 0-for-9 slump hitting his first home run at Kauffman Stadium and Nick Loftin came through with two big clutch hits as the Kansas City Royals scored a walk off 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.&nbsp;

Caglianone opened the scoring in the second inning, leading off the inning with the 421 foot blast to right field that landed in the fountains beyond the party deck for his first home run since his multi home run game against the Texas Rangers on June 19th.&nbsp; The Pirates tied up the game in the fourth inning as recently announced Home Run Derby participant Oneil Cruz hit his 16th home run of the season.&nbsp;

Pittsburgh took the lead in the seventh inning on another solo home run, this time by Nick Gonzalez to center field, but in the bottom half of the inning the Royals took the lead back for the first time since Caglianone's home run as Loftin hit a two run home run, driving in Salvador Perez for a 3-2 lead.&nbsp;

The Pirates tied up the game in the eighth inning off reliever Lucas Erceg after Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to open the inning, and later scored as Bryan Reynolds grounded into a forceout with Tommy Pham being thrown out at second.&nbsp; Kansas City escaped the inning and after not scoring in the bottom half, and getting through the top of the ninth, found a way to get a walk off win.&nbsp;

Back to back singles by Maikel Garcia and Perez started the inning, and a deep fly out from Caglianone allowed Garcia to move to third base, putting the winning run 90 feet away.&nbsp; The Pirates made a pitching change, but it would not matter as Loftin continued his hot night, singling into center field to score Garcia for the walk off victory.&nbsp;

Carlos Estévez earned the win after pitching the ninth inning, giving up just one hit, improving to 3-2 on the season.&nbsp; At the plate, Loftin was 2-for-4 with three RBI's.&nbsp; Caglianone was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp;

Kansas City and Pittsburgh wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.36 ERA) takes on Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.69 ERA) for the Pirates.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage begins at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp; The Royals will wrap up this series and then be off on Thursday.

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone broke out of an 0-for-9 slump hitting his first home run at Kauffman Stadium and Nick Loftin came through with two big clutch hits as the Kansas City Royals scored a walk off 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.&nbsp;</p><p>Caglianone opened the scoring in the second inning, leading off the inning with the 421 foot blast to right field that landed in the fountains beyond the party deck for his first home run since his multi home run game against the Texas Rangers on June 19th.&nbsp; The Pirates tied up the game in the fourth inning as recently announced Home Run Derby participant Oneil Cruz hit his 16th home run of the season.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jac has left the building!<br><br>Kauffman blast No. 1! <a href="https://t.co/13nOXR4bra">pic.twitter.com/13nOXR4bra</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942738262772310137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Pittsburgh took the lead in the seventh inning on another solo home run, this time by Nick Gonzalez to center field, but in the bottom half of the inning the Royals took the lead back for the first time since Caglianone's home run as Loftin hit a two run home run, driving in Salvador Perez for a 3-2 lead.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Loftin for the lead!<a href="https://twitter.com/STIHLUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@STIHLUSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/HPy6H48BMx">pic.twitter.com/HPy6H48BMx</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942755829704450111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The Pirates tied up the game in the eighth inning off reliever Lucas Erceg after Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to open the inning, and later scored as Bryan Reynolds grounded into a forceout with Tommy Pham being thrown out at second.&nbsp; Kansas City escaped the inning and after not scoring in the bottom half, and getting through the top of the ninth, found a way to get a walk off win.&nbsp;</p><p>Back to back singles by Maikel Garcia and Perez started the inning, and a deep fly out from Caglianone allowed Garcia to move to third base, putting the winning run 90 feet away.&nbsp; The Pirates made a pitching change, but it would not matter as Loftin continued his hot night, singling into center field to score Garcia for the walk off victory.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the Nick of time!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEYHEYHEYHEY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEYHEYHEYHEY</a> <a href="https://t.co/ES9bmJbzm1">pic.twitter.com/ES9bmJbzm1</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942766009477144930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Carlos Estévez earned the win after pitching the ninth inning, giving up just one hit, improving to 3-2 on the season.&nbsp; At the plate, Loftin was 2-for-4 with three RBI's.&nbsp; Caglianone was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City and Pittsburgh wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.36 ERA) takes on Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.69 ERA) for the Pirates.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage begins at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp; The Royals will wrap up this series and then be off on Thursday.</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Caglianone gets first homer at "The K", KC walks off in 4-3 win

&nbsp;The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association will continue to host its postseason volleyball championship at St. Joseph’s Civic Arena through the 2027 season.

The MIAA and the St. Joseph Sports Commission will host the 2025, 2026, and 2027 postseason volleyball championship tournaments at Civic Arena in St. Joseph. The venue has been the new home of the MIAA volleyball championship since it first hosted the event in 2022.

"We are thrilled to keep this tournament in St. Joseph, Missouri, through 2027,” said MIAA Deputy Commissioner Amber Feldman in a news release from the conference. “This community has done a great job of hosting us over the last three years, and that effort hasn't gone unnoticed. From the playing court to the police escorts, they have provided the extra touches that have enhanced the experiences of our student-athletes."

“We are grateful to the MIAA's coaches, administrators and the conference office leadership for having confidence in us and allowing the opportunity to host the MIAA Volleyball Championship for another three years!” stated Brett Esely, Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commissioner. "St. Joseph and Civic Arena are a great place to host championships, and we look forward to partnering with our MIAA colleagues in delivering a championship experience for years to come!”

The MIAA's top eight teams from the regular season advance to the postseason tournament. For the 2025 MIAA Volleyball Championship this fall, quarterfinal matches will be played on Thursday, November 20, with semifinal matches taking place on Friday, November 21, and the championship match scheduled for Saturday, November 22.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752003410712.jpeg" alt="The MIAA Volleyball Championships will stay at St. Joseph's Civic Arena through 2027/ Photo courtesy of The MIAA" />
                        <figcaption>The MIAA Volleyball Championships will stay at St. Joseph's Civic Arena through 2027/ Photo courtesy of The MIAA</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>&nbsp;The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association will continue to host its postseason volleyball championship at St. Joseph’s Civic Arena through the 2027 season.</p><p>The MIAA and the St. Joseph Sports Commission will host the 2025, 2026, and 2027 postseason volleyball championship tournaments at Civic Arena in St. Joseph. The venue has been the new home of the MIAA volleyball championship since it first hosted the event in 2022.</p><p>"We are thrilled to keep this tournament in St. Joseph, Missouri, through 2027,” said MIAA Deputy Commissioner Amber Feldman in a news release from the conference. “This community has done a great job of hosting us over the last three years, and that effort hasn't gone unnoticed. From the playing court to the police escorts, they have provided the extra touches that have enhanced the experiences of our student-athletes."</p><p>“We are grateful to the MIAA's coaches, administrators and the conference office leadership for having confidence in us and allowing the opportunity to host the MIAA Volleyball Championship for another three years!” stated Brett Esely, Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commissioner. "St. Joseph and Civic Arena are a great place to host championships, and we look forward to partnering with our MIAA colleagues in delivering a championship experience for years to come!”</p><p>The MIAA's top eight teams from the regular season advance to the postseason tournament. For the 2025 MIAA Volleyball Championship this fall, quarterfinal matches will be played on Thursday, November 20, with semifinal matches taking place on Friday, November 21, and the championship match scheduled for Saturday, November 22.&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></p>

MIAA to continue bringing volleyball championships to St. Joseph

Tickets for the matchup between the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and Pittsburg State Gorillas at Children's Mercy Park, home of Sporting Kansas City, will go on sale next month. 

Tickets for the matchchup on November 15th will go on sale to the general public on August 1st.  All tickets will be sold through Sporting Kansas City's primary ticketing partner SeatGeek. All ticket proceeds will benefit the Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri State athletic departments.

Parking for the event will be $20 and can be included during the online purchase of game tickets.  Ticket prices are listed below: 

Bowl Seats (101-105, 109-113, 115-134) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $38

Bowl Seats (S1-S3, S6-S7) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $38

All seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis. No reserved seating is available.

Huhtamaki Shield Club Seats (106-108) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $42

Located at the 50-yard line on the concourse level, the large indoor club has incredible views of the field from a climate-controlled space. The club also provides guests with quick access to premium restrooms and exclusive access to upgraded concessions.

Bud Light Landing (114) - Tickets w/tax and fees: $85

The Bud Light Landing is general admission, terrace-seating area on the southwest corner of Children's Mercy Park. This area features complimentary all-you-can-eat stadium fare eats and Anheuser-Busch refreshments. Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

UMB Field Club Seats (F1-F8) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $120

The UMB Field Club is Children's Mercy Park's most luxurious and in-demand club space. Prior to the game, fans can enjoy all-inclusive food and beverages. During the game fans can enjoy the activity from luxurious, oversized first-class field-level seating and have access to a climate-controlled premium space before and during the game.

<i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751994073097.jpeg" alt="The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and Pittsburg State Gorillas will matchup at Children's Mercy Park in November.  Tickets for the game go on sale August 1st./ Photo courtesy of Aaron Hare- Northwest Athletics. " />
                        <figcaption>The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and Pittsburg State Gorillas will matchup at Children's Mercy Park in November.  Tickets for the game go on sale August 1st./ Photo courtesy of Aaron Hare- Northwest Athletics. </figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By MATT PIKE</p><p><i>St. Joseph Post</i></p><p>Tickets for the matchup between the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and Pittsburg State Gorillas at Children's Mercy Park, home of Sporting Kansas City, will go on sale next month. </p><p>Tickets for the matchchup on November 15th will go on sale to the general public on August 1st.  All tickets will be sold through Sporting Kansas City's primary ticketing partner SeatGeek. All ticket proceeds will benefit the Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri State athletic departments.</p><p>Parking for the event will be $20 and can be included during the online purchase of game tickets.  Ticket prices are listed below: </p><p>Bowl Seats (101-105, 109-113, 115-134) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $38</p><p>All seating is reserved.</p><p>Bowl Seats (S1-S3, S6-S7) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $38</p><p>All seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis. No reserved seating is available.</p><p>Huhtamaki Shield Club Seats (106-108) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $42</p><p>Located at the 50-yard line on the concourse level, the large indoor club has incredible views of the field from a climate-controlled space. The club also provides guests with quick access to premium restrooms and exclusive access to upgraded concessions.</p><p>Bud Light Landing (114) - Tickets w/tax and fees: $85</p><p>The Bud Light Landing is general admission, terrace-seating area on the southwest corner of Children's Mercy Park. This area features complimentary all-you-can-eat stadium fare eats and Anheuser-Busch refreshments. Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.</p><p>UMB Field Club Seats (F1-F8) - Ticket w/tax and fees: $120</p><p>The UMB Field Club is Children's Mercy Park's most luxurious and in-demand club space. Prior to the game, fans can enjoy all-inclusive food and beverages. During the game fans can enjoy the activity from luxurious, oversized first-class field-level seating and have access to a climate-controlled premium space before and during the game.</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Tickets for Northwest and Pitt State football on sale next month

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p><i>St. Joseph Post</i></p><div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0UtWqwDuO76aqfvk8kqjym?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

The St. Joseph Mustangs lost an early lead but came back from behind to beat the Carroll Merchants on the road in Carroll, Iowa, topping the Merchants 8-6 at Merchants Ballpark, winning the the middle game of a three game road trip.&nbsp;

The Mustangs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with one big hit as Darius Freeman hit a two run home run, driving in Central alum Logan Miller to start the scoring.&nbsp; After a scoreless second inning though, the Merchants scored five unanswered runs to steal the lead from St. Joseph in their stadium.&nbsp;

In the third inning, a double by Fernando Espinal drove in Aiden Eggers, before a single from&nbsp;Gavin Gonzalez brought home&nbsp;Martin Smith, tying up the game, also advancing Espinal to third base, which set up Espinal to score the go ahead run on a wild pitch by Mustangs starting pitcher Ian Dittmer.&nbsp; Carroll extended the lead in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Bradley Soto, scoring&nbsp;Kengri De Los Santo, and pushed ahead even more as Dittmer hit Gonzalez with a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Eggers to score for a 5-2 lead.&nbsp;

Dittmer settled in after the fourth, holding the Merchants off the board the rest of the way until he was replaced by East Buchanan alum Bronco Whitt who pitched a clean seventh inning for the Mustangs, who went on to take the lead back in the eighth with a big five run inning.&nbsp;

After Miller singled, and stole second base, the bases wound up loaded as the Merchants walked Trevor McCollum and hit Freeman with a pitch.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, Miller scored on an error by pitcher Jackson Gwin, and after a wild pitch from Gwin allowed McCollum and Freeman to move to second and third respectively, another wild pitch brough McCollum home to score, moving Freeman to third base.&nbsp; Easton Phillipe tied up the game with an RBI single, driving in Freeman.&nbsp;

St. Joseph took the lead in the inning after Benton alum Chris Coy singled, and following a double steal by Phillipe and Coy, Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith doubled to drive in both runners to give the Mustangs a 7-5 lead.&nbsp; Carroll did cut that lead to one in the bottom half of the inning, as Espinal grounded out to the shortstop Coy, scoring Eggers, but in the ninth the Mustangs added the final run of insurance they needed as Phillipe singled again to score Freeman.&nbsp;

The Mustangs ended the game by turning a triple play.

Whitt earned the win, pitching one inning, giving up one hit and walking one while also striking out one.&nbsp; Jase Johnson notched the save also pitching one inning and giving up a hit while walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Phillipe was 3-for-5 with a stolen base and two RBI's.&nbsp; Miller was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 26-5 on the season and 21-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They wrap up the road trip tomorrow in Jefferson City, taking on the Jefferson City Renegades before an off day on Wednesday.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7pm.

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The St. Joseph Mustangs lost an early lead but came back from behind to beat the Carroll Merchants on the road in Carroll, Iowa, topping the Merchants 8-6 at Merchants Ballpark, winning the the middle game of a three game road trip.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with one big hit as Darius Freeman hit a two run home run, driving in Central alum Logan Miller to start the scoring.&nbsp; After a scoreless second inning though, the Merchants scored five unanswered runs to steal the lead from St. Joseph in their stadium.&nbsp;</p><p>In the third inning, a double by Fernando Espinal drove in Aiden Eggers, before a single from&nbsp;Gavin Gonzalez brought home&nbsp;Martin Smith, tying up the game, also advancing Espinal to third base, which set up Espinal to score the go ahead run on a wild pitch by Mustangs starting pitcher Ian Dittmer.&nbsp; Carroll extended the lead in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Bradley Soto, scoring&nbsp;Kengri De Los Santo, and pushed ahead even more as Dittmer hit Gonzalez with a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Eggers to score for a 5-2 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>Dittmer settled in after the fourth, holding the Merchants off the board the rest of the way until he was replaced by East Buchanan alum Bronco Whitt who pitched a clean seventh inning for the Mustangs, who went on to take the lead back in the eighth with a big five run inning.&nbsp;</p><p>After Miller singled, and stole second base, the bases wound up loaded as the Merchants walked Trevor McCollum and hit Freeman with a pitch.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, Miller scored on an error by pitcher Jackson Gwin, and after a wild pitch from Gwin allowed McCollum and Freeman to move to second and third respectively, another wild pitch brough McCollum home to score, moving Freeman to third base.&nbsp; Easton Phillipe tied up the game with an RBI single, driving in Freeman.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Joseph took the lead in the inning after Benton alum Chris Coy singled, and following a double steal by Phillipe and Coy, Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith doubled to drive in both runners to give the Mustangs a 7-5 lead.&nbsp; Carroll did cut that lead to one in the bottom half of the inning, as Espinal grounded out to the shortstop Coy, scoring Eggers, but in the ninth the Mustangs added the final run of insurance they needed as Phillipe singled again to score Freeman.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs ended the game by turning a triple play.</p><p>Whitt earned the win, pitching one inning, giving up one hit and walking one while also striking out one.&nbsp; Jase Johnson notched the save also pitching one inning and giving up a hit while walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Phillipe was 3-for-5 with a stolen base and two RBI's.&nbsp; Miller was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs are now 26-5 on the season and 21-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They wrap up the road trip tomorrow in Jefferson City, taking on the Jefferson City Renegades before an off day on Wednesday.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7pm.</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Mustangs come back from behind to take down Carroll 8-6

St. Joseph's Noah Cameron recorded some career bests as he earned his third career win on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals helping out the Central alum by hitting four home runs to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-3 for their first win at "The K" since the Royals defeated the Dodgers 9-5 June 28th.

The Royals started the scoring for Cameron in the first inning, with the first home run of the night, a solo home run by Vinnie Pasquantino to right field for the Kansas City first baseman's 15th of the season, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead which they held until the third inning as Cameron cruised striking out three batters in two innings, and only surrendering a walk to Nick Gonzales.&nbsp;

In the third inning, one problem that Cameron has had at the major league level continued, as he gave up a two run home run to former Royal Tommy Pham, scoring Henry Davis who singled to open the inning, giving the Pirates a lead.&nbsp; A lead they did not hold for long though, as in the bottom half of the inning the Royals struck for three runs, first tying up the game with an RBI single by Maikel Garcia driving in Jonathan India.&nbsp; 

Salvador Perez doubled giving Kansas City the lead, scoring Bobby Witt Jr, before Garcia came home on a force out at second base on a grounder by Mark Canha.The Royals extended their lead in the fourth inning with a two run home run by Witt Jr, his 13th of the season, driving in India.&nbsp; The scoring continued in the fifth inning when Perez led off the inning with a solo home run, his 11th, to push the Royals lead to 7-2.&nbsp;

A sacrifice fly from Witt Jr in the sixth inning scored Kyle Isbel, before the Royals got their final run, and the fourth home run of the game in the eighth inning as Nick Loftin hit his second home run of the season to left center field.&nbsp; Alexander Canario singled home Gonzales in the ninth inning for the final run of the game for the Pirates off reliever Jonathan Bowlan.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cameron earned the win, moving to 3-4 on the season, pitching a career best seven innings and giving up two runs on three hits while striking out seven and walking one, throwing a career high 109 pitches.&nbsp; At the plate, Witt Jr was 2-for-3 with the home run and three RBI's.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs, while Garcia was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.&nbsp;

Kansas City and Pittsburgh continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.65 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.64 ERA) for the Pirates.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

<i>This article has been edited since first published.</i>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751941290659.jpeg" alt="Noah Cameron threw a career high seven innings and a career high 109 pitches, striking out seven Pirates and giving up two runs on way to his third career win on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium/ Courtesy photo" />
                        <figcaption>Noah Cameron threw a career high seven innings and a career high 109 pitches, striking out seven Pirates and giving up two runs on way to his third career win on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>St. Joseph's Noah Cameron recorded some career bests as he earned his third career win on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals helping out the Central alum by hitting four home runs to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-3 for their first win at "The K" since the Royals defeated the Dodgers 9-5 June 28th.</p><p>The Royals started the scoring for Cameron in the first inning, with the first home run of the night, a solo home run by Vinnie Pasquantino to right field for the Kansas City first baseman's 15th of the season, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead which they held until the third inning as Cameron cruised striking out three batters in two innings, and only surrendering a walk to Nick Gonzales.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hot start. 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/YjekcznINP">pic.twitter.com/YjekcznINP</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942372298746363988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In the third inning, one problem that Cameron has had at the major league level continued, as he gave up a two run home run to former Royal Tommy Pham, scoring Henry Davis who singled to open the inning, giving the Pirates a lead.&nbsp; A lead they did not hold for long though, as in the bottom half of the inning the Royals struck for three runs, first tying up the game with an RBI single by Maikel Garcia driving in Jonathan India.&nbsp; </p><p>Salvador Perez doubled giving Kansas City the lead, scoring Bobby Witt Jr, before Garcia came home on a force out at second base on a grounder by Mark Canha.The Royals extended their lead in the fourth inning with a two run home run by Witt Jr, his 13th of the season, driving in India.&nbsp; The scoring continued in the fifth inning when Perez led off the inning with a solo home run, his 11th, to push the Royals lead to 7-2.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby oppo-blast! 💥 <a href="https://t.co/3CHP03ExXr">pic.twitter.com/3CHP03ExXr</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942388380320387120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Captain Crush! 💪 <a href="https://t.co/sboil7AW6v">pic.twitter.com/sboil7AW6v</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942391158166151263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>A sacrifice fly from Witt Jr in the sixth inning scored Kyle Isbel, before the Royals got their final run, and the fourth home run of the game in the eighth inning as Nick Loftin hit his second home run of the season to left center field.&nbsp; Alexander Canario singled home Gonzales in the ninth inning for the final run of the game for the Pirates off reliever Jonathan Bowlan.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nick joins the party! <a href="https://t.co/bhLPogjCuF">pic.twitter.com/bhLPogjCuF</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1942402755173437582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Cameron earned the win, moving to 3-4 on the season, pitching a career best seven innings and giving up two runs on three hits while striking out seven and walking one, throwing a career high 109 pitches.&nbsp; At the plate, Witt Jr was 2-for-3 with the home run and three RBI's.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs, while Garcia was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City and Pittsburgh continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.65 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.64 ERA) for the Pirates.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751943094680.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of the Royals on X" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy of the Royals on X</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><i>This article has been edited since first published.</i></p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></p>

Cameron throws career high seven innings, Royals hit four homers in 9-3 win over Pirates

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p><i>St. Joseph Post</i><br></p><div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/76VjZR2FJQhJeCr0y8nRoD?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

The St. Joseph Mustangs started their three game road trip off the right way, taking care of business against the team right behind them in the MINK League standings and beating the Clarinda A's 13-4.&nbsp;

The Mustangs opened the scoring putting up five runs in the second inning, starting with an RBI single by Tyler Gundelfinger, driving in Benton alum Chris Coy.&nbsp; Gundelfinger and Easton Phillipe scored on a triple by Jack Mosh, and Mosh came home when Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart singled.&nbsp; Luikart scored the final run in the top half of the inning as he stole third base, and came home scoring on an error by catcher Tayvon Homolar.&nbsp;

Trailing 5-0, the A's began to chip away at the lead over the next two innings, getting one run in the bottom half of the second as&nbsp;Kane Wilson scored on a groundout by&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau.&nbsp; In the third, two more runs scored with Drake Cobb singling home Cooper Eberly.&nbsp; A sacrifice fly by Wilson cut the Mustangs lead to two, driving in Cooper Knight, to make the lead 5-3.&nbsp;

St. Joseph started to pull back away in the fifth, scoring two runs on bases loaded walks to Coy and Phillipe, with Mosh and Justin George scoring respectively.&nbsp; One more run scored in the top of the sixth inning as Gundelfinger grounded out, allowing Darius Freeman to come home to score.&nbsp; The A's though got one run back in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Homolar, scoring Wilson to make the Mustangs lead 8-4.

In the seventh inning, the Mustangs got the final runs of insurance they needed scoring the final five runs of the game, three coming on bases loaded walks.&nbsp; Carter Belton walked with the bases loaded to open the scoring, bringing home Luke Bies, and then Gundelfinger reached first on an error by Colin Linteo, driving in Coy.&nbsp;

Back to back bases loaded walks to Mosh and Luikart scored Phillipe and Belton, still keeping the bases loaded, but the final run scored as George reached first on an error by the third baseman Knight, scoring Gundelfinger for the 13-4 lead.&nbsp;

Cade Perkins earned the win for the Mustangs, pitching five innings and giving up three runs on one hit, walking three and striking out six.&nbsp; Lawson alum Lane Chapman pitched two innings of relief giving up one run on one hit, striking out two and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Mosh was 2-for-5 with a triple, a walk, and three RBI's.&nbsp; Gundelfinger was also 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI's.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 25-5 on the season and 20-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They continue the road trip, next heading to Carroll, Iowa to face the Carroll Merchants.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:30pm.&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The St. Joseph Mustangs started their three game road trip off the right way, taking care of business against the team right behind them in the MINK League standings and beating the Clarinda A's 13-4.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs opened the scoring putting up five runs in the second inning, starting with an RBI single by Tyler Gundelfinger, driving in Benton alum Chris Coy.&nbsp; Gundelfinger and Easton Phillipe scored on a triple by Jack Mosh, and Mosh came home when Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart singled.&nbsp; Luikart scored the final run in the top half of the inning as he stole third base, and came home scoring on an error by catcher Tayvon Homolar.&nbsp;</p><p>Trailing 5-0, the A's began to chip away at the lead over the next two innings, getting one run in the bottom half of the second as&nbsp;Kane Wilson scored on a groundout by&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau.&nbsp; In the third, two more runs scored with Drake Cobb singling home Cooper Eberly.&nbsp; A sacrifice fly by Wilson cut the Mustangs lead to two, driving in Cooper Knight, to make the lead 5-3.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Joseph started to pull back away in the fifth, scoring two runs on bases loaded walks to Coy and Phillipe, with Mosh and Justin George scoring respectively.&nbsp; One more run scored in the top of the sixth inning as Gundelfinger grounded out, allowing Darius Freeman to come home to score.&nbsp; The A's though got one run back in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Homolar, scoring Wilson to make the Mustangs lead 8-4.</p><p>In the seventh inning, the Mustangs got the final runs of insurance they needed scoring the final five runs of the game, three coming on bases loaded walks.&nbsp; Carter Belton walked with the bases loaded to open the scoring, bringing home Luke Bies, and then Gundelfinger reached first on an error by Colin Linteo, driving in Coy.&nbsp;</p><p>Back to back bases loaded walks to Mosh and Luikart scored Phillipe and Belton, still keeping the bases loaded, but the final run scored as George reached first on an error by the third baseman Knight, scoring Gundelfinger for the 13-4 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>Cade Perkins earned the win for the Mustangs, pitching five innings and giving up three runs on one hit, walking three and striking out six.&nbsp; Lawson alum Lane Chapman pitched two innings of relief giving up one run on one hit, striking out two and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Mosh was 2-for-5 with a triple, a walk, and three RBI's.&nbsp; Gundelfinger was also 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI's.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs are now 25-5 on the season and 20-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They continue the road trip, next heading to Carroll, Iowa to face the Carroll Merchants.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:30pm.&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Mustangs take care of Clarinda 13-4 to begin road trip 

The Chicago Cubs teed off again on the St. Louis Cardinals, dominating the Redbirds in an 11-0 shutout in their series finale at historic Wrigley Field on Sunday evening, securing a series win.&nbsp;

A sole run scored in the first inning for the Cubs on an RBI single by Pete Crow-Armstrong, driving in Kyle Tucker for the opening run.&nbsp; And it was Tucker who drove in the next two runs in the second inning on one hit, a two RBI single that brought home Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw, putting the Cubs up 3-0 before a big third inning saw Chicago put a five spot up on the scoreboard.&nbsp;

Reese McGuire extended the lead first with an RBI single, driving in Michael Busch with the bases loaded.&nbsp; And after reliever Matt Svanson replaced reliever John King for the Cardinals, another run scored on a fielders choice, where everyone was safe thanks to a throwing error by Thomas Saggese, Matt Shaw reaching first safely and Dansby Swanson scoring.&nbsp; The bases still juiced, Ian Happ grounded out to score another run, bringing home Hoerner, and a sacrfice fly by Tucker drove in another run scoring McGuire, all before Seiya Suzuki doubled to drive in Shaw for an 8-0 lead.&nbsp;

A triple by Hoerner in the fourth inning continue the scoring parade for the Cubs, driving in Swanson, before Hoerner scored on a groundout by McGuire.&nbsp; The final run scored in the fifth for the Cubs on a solo home run by Suzuki.&nbsp;

Erick Fedde took the loss for the Cardinals, pitching just 1 1/3 innings and giving up three runs on two hits, walking four batters.&nbsp; At the plate, Willson Contreras was 2-for-3 as the Cardinals managed just six hits on the day off Cubs pitchers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before the game, it was announced that second baseman Brendan Donovan was named to the National League All Star Team.&nbsp; Among qualified National League hitters, Donovan entered play Sunday fifth in the batting title race with a .296 average. His seven home runs put him on pace to challenge last season’s career-high 14 blasts, and his .798 OPS is the best mark among his four seasons. He has been the team’s most valuable player by far, racking up 2.4 wins above replacement.

St. Louis is off on Monday, they are back in action Tuesday at Busch Stadium against Washington.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Jake Irvin (7-3, 4.71 ERA) for the Nationals.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Chicago Cubs teed off again on the St. Louis Cardinals, dominating the Redbirds in an 11-0 shutout in their series finale at historic Wrigley Field on Sunday evening, securing a series win.&nbsp;</p><p>A sole run scored in the first inning for the Cubs on an RBI single by Pete Crow-Armstrong, driving in Kyle Tucker for the opening run.&nbsp; And it was Tucker who drove in the next two runs in the second inning on one hit, a two RBI single that brought home Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw, putting the Cubs up 3-0 before a big third inning saw Chicago put a five spot up on the scoreboard.&nbsp;</p><p>Reese McGuire extended the lead first with an RBI single, driving in Michael Busch with the bases loaded.&nbsp; And after reliever Matt Svanson replaced reliever John King for the Cardinals, another run scored on a fielders choice, where everyone was safe thanks to a throwing error by Thomas Saggese, Matt Shaw reaching first safely and Dansby Swanson scoring.&nbsp; The bases still juiced, Ian Happ grounded out to score another run, bringing home Hoerner, and a sacrfice fly by Tucker drove in another run scoring McGuire, all before Seiya Suzuki doubled to drive in Shaw for an 8-0 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>A triple by Hoerner in the fourth inning continue the scoring parade for the Cubs, driving in Swanson, before Hoerner scored on a groundout by McGuire.&nbsp; The final run scored in the fifth for the Cubs on a solo home run by Suzuki.&nbsp;</p><p>Erick Fedde took the loss for the Cardinals, pitching just 1 1/3 innings and giving up three runs on two hits, walking four batters.&nbsp; At the plate, Willson Contreras was 2-for-3 as the Cardinals managed just six hits on the day off Cubs pitchers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Before the game, it was announced that second baseman Brendan Donovan was named to the National League All Star Team.&nbsp; Among qualified National League hitters, Donovan entered play Sunday fifth in the batting title race with a .296 average. His seven home runs put him on pace to challenge last season’s career-high 14 blasts, and his .798 OPS is the best mark among his four seasons. He has been the team’s most valuable player by far, racking up 2.4 wins above replacement.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A well-deserved honor for Brendan Donovan! <a href="https://t.co/TFsrpV0oOE">pic.twitter.com/TFsrpV0oOE</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1941991221385207890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>St. Louis is off on Monday, they are back in action Tuesday at Busch Stadium against Washington.&nbsp; Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Jake Irvin (7-3, 4.71 ERA) for the Nationals.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Cubs tee off on Cardinals again for series win, Donovan an NL All Star

The Kansas City Royals had a winning road trip following another rough homestand where they won just one game, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-0 on Sunday afternoon for a series win, finishing the road trip between Seattle and Arizona with a 4-3 record.&nbsp;

Recently named American League All Star Bobby Witt Jr opened the scoring for the Royals in the shutout win with a solo home run to left field, his 12th of the season.&nbsp; After a flyout by Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez extended the lead with a solo home run of his own, also going to left center field for his 10th of the season, putting Kansas City up 2-0.&nbsp;

The Royals scored their final two runs in the fifth inning, John Rave singling home Jac Caglianone, after Caglianone led the inning off being hit by a pitch and stealing second base for his first major league stolen base.&nbsp; Nick Loftin who singled in the inning moved to third base on the hit by Rave, and scored on a single by Kyle Isbel for the final run giving Kansas City the 4-0 lead.&nbsp;

Michael Lorenzen pitched a gem in the finale, earning the win and improving to 5-8 on the season, pitching seven innings and giving up just two hits in the shutout effort, striking out seven and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Isbel was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Pasquantino was also 2-for-4 with two doubles.&nbsp; Perez was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.&nbsp;

Also announced during the game was that Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic will join Witt Jr in Atlanta, Georgia for the All Star Game.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bubic has 107 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings, and his 2.36 ERA this season ranks fifth-best among AL starters. Bubic earned AL Pitcher of the Month honors back in May with a 0.56 ERA.

Kansas City now will return to Kauffman Stadium, again hoping for better luck, taking welcoming in Pittsburgh.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (2-4, 2.56 ERA) makes the start for the Royals against Andrew Heaney (4-7, 4.16 ERA) for the Pirates.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage starts at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Kansas City Royals had a winning road trip following another rough homestand where they won just one game, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-0 on Sunday afternoon for a series win, finishing the road trip between Seattle and Arizona with a 4-3 record.&nbsp;</p><p>Recently named American League All Star Bobby Witt Jr opened the scoring for the Royals in the shutout win with a solo home run to left field, his 12th of the season.&nbsp; After a flyout by Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez extended the lead with a solo home run of his own, also going to left center field for his 10th of the season, putting Kansas City up 2-0.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby and Salvy leave the yard! 💪 <a href="https://t.co/bHGRTBQBSA">pic.twitter.com/bHGRTBQBSA</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1941967190258798660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The Royals scored their final two runs in the fifth inning, John Rave singling home Jac Caglianone, after Caglianone led the inning off being hit by a pitch and stealing second base for his first major league stolen base.&nbsp; Nick Loftin who singled in the inning moved to third base on the hit by Rave, and scored on a single by Kyle Isbel for the final run giving Kansas City the 4-0 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>Michael Lorenzen pitched a gem in the finale, earning the win and improving to 5-8 on the season, pitching seven innings and giving up just two hits in the shutout effort, striking out seven and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Isbel was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Pasquantino was also 2-for-4 with two doubles.&nbsp; Perez was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.&nbsp;</p><p>Also announced during the game was that Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic will join Witt Jr in Atlanta, Georgia for the All Star Game.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bubic has 107 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings, and his 2.36 ERA this season ranks fifth-best among AL starters. Bubic earned AL Pitcher of the Month honors back in May with a 0.56 ERA.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A sensational selection. 🌟<br><br>Kris Bubic is a 2025 All-Star! <a href="https://t.co/UgNOSl3Pat">pic.twitter.com/UgNOSl3Pat</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1941969989805723762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Kansas City now will return to Kauffman Stadium, again hoping for better luck, taking welcoming in Pittsburgh.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (2-4, 2.56 ERA) makes the start for the Royals against Andrew Heaney (4-7, 4.16 ERA) for the Pirates.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage starts at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Royals shutout D-Backs 4-0 for series win, Witt Jr. and Bubic named AL All Stars

The St. Joseph Mustangs swept a three game homestand, filled each night with postgame fireworks, beating the Clarinda A's 10-9 on Saturday night at Phil Welch Stadium in a battle of the two teams at the top of the MINK League.

Before the matchup, the two teams concluded a suspended matchup from June 26th, a game that was stopped tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning due to inclement weather rolling into St. Joseph.&nbsp; After Jase Johnson escaped the top of the inning unharmed, only giving up a single, the Mustangs led off the bottom of the ninth with a double by Jack Mosh, who eventually was the winning run as Trevor McCollum hit a walkoff single into right field for a 4-3 win.&nbsp;

Starting action in their normally scheduled game, following an exhibition matchup between the St. Joseph Police Department and Fire Department, the Mustangs and A's took the field, with St. Joseph taking a lead in the first inning, scoring four runs.&nbsp;

Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart drove in the first runs of the game with a double with no outs, scoring Jack Mosh and Central alum Logan Miller.&nbsp; Luikart scored later in the inning thanks to a new face to the team, in his first game with the Mustangs Luke Bies singled home Luikart.&nbsp; Bies scored the final run of the inning on a single by Carter Belton for a 4-0 Mustangs lead.&nbsp;

St. Joseph extended their lead in the second inning as Miller scored on a groundout by Luikart.&nbsp; Two more runs were added in the inning when Justin George doubled into center field, driving in Dom Felix for an unearned run as well as Jack Mosh, giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead, a lead they held until Clarinda began to rally in the fourth inning.&nbsp;

A big inning for the A's cut the lead to two as&nbsp;Colin Linteo hit a two run triple, bringing home&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau and&nbsp;Brady Dobson.&nbsp; Then, with the bases loaded after&nbsp;Cooper Knight was hit by a pitch and&nbsp;Micah Nicholson walked,&nbsp;Drake Cobb hit a bases clearing double driving in all three runners to cut the Mustangs lead to 7-5.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Mustangs added another run of insurance as Bies scored on a wild pitch.&nbsp; But in the sixth inning the A's got that run back to cut the lead back to two runs on a home run, a solo shot by Linteo, and in the same inning cut the lead to one run with another solo home run from Cobb.&nbsp; By the end of the sixth, the lead remained two runs though, as Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the sixth, giving the Mustangs a 9-7 lead.

Linteo continued having a field day for the A's in the eighth inning, cutting the lead to one again, hitting his second home run of the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, Bies also continued his stellar debut for the Mustangs, driving in a big insurance run with the bases loaded, singling to drive in Miller for a 10-9 lead, the bases were stranded loaded however as Darius Freeman grounded out to third base.&nbsp;

The Mustangs brought on Benton alum Chris Coy to close out the game in the ninth inning.&nbsp; Coy forced Cooper Eberly to flyout to right field, but then ran into some trouble, surrendering a single to&nbsp;Tayvon Homolar, who later advanced to second on a wild pitch, before walking&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau, and then again allowing both runners to advance on another wild pitch.&nbsp; With runners at second and third, Coy got&nbsp;Jake Espeland to ground out, scoring Homolar, and bringing Linteo to the plate.&nbsp; But this time, Linteo was called out on strikes, and Coy earned his first career save.

Michael Infranca earned the win for the Mustangs, pitching 1 1/3 innings of relief and giving up one run on two hits, striking out two and walking one after taking over for starter Aron Harrington who pitched 3 2/3 innings giving up four runs on one hit while striking out three and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 1-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, three RBI's, and a walk.&nbsp; Mosh was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored, while Bodenhausen was also 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 24-5 on the season and are 19-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They hit the road next for a three game roadtrip, starting tomorrow in Clarinda taking on the A's once again, with first pitch from Iowa at 7pm.&nbsp;

<i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The St. Joseph Mustangs swept a three game homestand, filled each night with postgame fireworks, beating the Clarinda A's 10-9 on Saturday night at Phil Welch Stadium in a battle of the two teams at the top of the MINK League.</p><p>Before the matchup, the two teams concluded a suspended matchup from June 26th, a game that was stopped tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning due to inclement weather rolling into St. Joseph.&nbsp; After Jase Johnson escaped the top of the inning unharmed, only giving up a single, the Mustangs led off the bottom of the ninth with a double by Jack Mosh, who eventually was the winning run as Trevor McCollum hit a walkoff single into right field for a 4-3 win.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨McCollum Walks it off!!! 🚨<br><br>Final Score:<br><br>Mustangs - 4<br><br>Clarinda - 3<br>⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/WluoPuqNAw">pic.twitter.com/WluoPuqNAw</a></p>&mdash; StJoeMustangs (@theSJmustangs) <a href="https://twitter.com/theSJmustangs/status/1941630964674818212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><p>Starting action in their normally scheduled game, following an exhibition matchup between the St. Joseph Police Department and Fire Department, the Mustangs and A's took the field, with St. Joseph taking a lead in the first inning, scoring four runs.&nbsp;</p><p>Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart drove in the first runs of the game with a double with no outs, scoring Jack Mosh and Central alum Logan Miller.&nbsp; Luikart scored later in the inning thanks to a new face to the team, in his first game with the Mustangs Luke Bies singled home Luikart.&nbsp; Bies scored the final run of the inning on a single by Carter Belton for a 4-0 Mustangs lead.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Joseph extended their lead in the second inning as Miller scored on a groundout by Luikart.&nbsp; Two more runs were added in the inning when Justin George doubled into center field, driving in Dom Felix for an unearned run as well as Jack Mosh, giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead, a lead they held until Clarinda began to rally in the fourth inning.&nbsp;</p><p>A big inning for the A's cut the lead to two as&nbsp;Colin Linteo hit a two run triple, bringing home&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau and&nbsp;Brady Dobson.&nbsp; Then, with the bases loaded after&nbsp;Cooper Knight was hit by a pitch and&nbsp;Micah Nicholson walked,&nbsp;Drake Cobb hit a bases clearing double driving in all three runners to cut the Mustangs lead to 7-5.&nbsp;</p><p>In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Mustangs added another run of insurance as Bies scored on a wild pitch.&nbsp; But in the sixth inning the A's got that run back to cut the lead back to two runs on a home run, a solo shot by Linteo, and in the same inning cut the lead to one run with another solo home run from Cobb.&nbsp; By the end of the sixth, the lead remained two runs though, as Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the sixth, giving the Mustangs a 9-7 lead.</p><p>Linteo continued having a field day for the A's in the eighth inning, cutting the lead to one again, hitting his second home run of the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, Bies also continued his stellar debut for the Mustangs, driving in a big insurance run with the bases loaded, singling to drive in Miller for a 10-9 lead, the bases were stranded loaded however as Darius Freeman grounded out to third base.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs brought on Benton alum Chris Coy to close out the game in the ninth inning.&nbsp; Coy forced Cooper Eberly to flyout to right field, but then ran into some trouble, surrendering a single to&nbsp;Tayvon Homolar, who later advanced to second on a wild pitch, before walking&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau, and then again allowing both runners to advance on another wild pitch.&nbsp; With runners at second and third, Coy got&nbsp;Jake Espeland to ground out, scoring Homolar, and bringing Linteo to the plate.&nbsp; But this time, Linteo was called out on strikes, and Coy earned his first career save.</p><p>Michael Infranca earned the win for the Mustangs, pitching 1 1/3 innings of relief and giving up one run on two hits, striking out two and walking one after taking over for starter Aron Harrington who pitched 3 2/3 innings giving up four runs on one hit while striking out three and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 1-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, three RBI's, and a walk.&nbsp; Mosh was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored, while Bodenhausen was also 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs are now 24-5 on the season and are 19-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They hit the road next for a three game roadtrip, starting tomorrow in Clarinda taking on the A's once again, with first pitch from Iowa at 7pm.&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Mustangs score homestand sweep with two wins in a day over A's

The Kansas City Royals offense struggled in the middle game of their weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the D-Backs evened up the series winning 7-1 on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks started the scoring in the third inning on back to back RBI singles, the first by Josh Naylor, driving in Geraldo Perdomo, followed by&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez bringing in Pavin Smith.&nbsp; Another two runs scored in the fifth inning, again with Perdomo and Smith coming across home plate on a double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.&nbsp;

Kansas City's lone run came in the sixth inning, an RBI single by Bobby Witt Jr driving in Freddy Fermin, and then in the seventh inning the Diamondbacks got that run back as following a triple, Gourriel Jr scored on a double by James McCann.&nbsp; Randal Grichuk's two run home run in the eighth inning, scoring Blaze Alexander, put the final two runs on for Arizona.&nbsp;

Michael Wacha took the loss for Kansas City, falling to 4-9 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up four runs on four hits while striking out four and walking four.&nbsp; At the plate, Fermin was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored as the Royals had five hits on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City and Arizona wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen (4-8, 4.95 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against&nbsp;Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 4.82 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage starts at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Kansas City Royals offense struggled in the middle game of their weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the D-Backs evened up the series winning 7-1 on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field.</p><p>The Diamondbacks started the scoring in the third inning on back to back RBI singles, the first by Josh Naylor, driving in Geraldo Perdomo, followed by&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez bringing in Pavin Smith.&nbsp; Another two runs scored in the fifth inning, again with Perdomo and Smith coming across home plate on a double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City's lone run came in the sixth inning, an RBI single by Bobby Witt Jr driving in Freddy Fermin, and then in the seventh inning the Diamondbacks got that run back as following a triple, Gourriel Jr scored on a double by James McCann.&nbsp; Randal Grichuk's two run home run in the eighth inning, scoring Blaze Alexander, put the final two runs on for Arizona.&nbsp;</p><p>Michael Wacha took the loss for Kansas City, falling to 4-9 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up four runs on four hits while striking out four and walking four.&nbsp; At the plate, Fermin was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored as the Royals had five hits on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City and Arizona wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen (4-8, 4.95 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against&nbsp;Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 4.82 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage starts at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Royals offense stalls falling to Diamondbacks 7-1

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch homered for a fourth time in the series, but the St. Louis Cardinals used a big five run eighth inning to even up the series in Chicago at Wrigley Field, beating the Cubs 8-6 on Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals opened up the scoring in the first inning after the bases were loaded thanks to walks to Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras and a single by Alec Burleson, setting up&nbsp;Thomas Saggese for a two RBI single, driving in Donovan and Contreras for the early lead.&nbsp; The Cubs cut that lead in half in the bottom of the second inning on Busch's solo home run to center field, his 18th of the season, and fourth of the series after hitting three in the opener on Friday.&nbsp;

Nolan Gorman answered the home run with one of his own to extend the Cardinals lead in the fourth inning, blasting it 420 feet to center field for his eighth home run of the season.&nbsp; The Cubs again though in the bottom half of the inning cut the lead to one as Ian Happ grounded out, bringing home Nico Hoerner&nbsp; who walked earlier in the inning.&nbsp;

Chicago took the lead briefly in the bottom of the sixth inning after former Cardinal Carson Kelly doubled, and later scored the tying run on an RBI single by Hoerner.&nbsp; A wild pitch from reliever Kyle Leahy, his second of the inning, brought home Busch who had singled following Kelly's double for the go ahead run.&nbsp; The Cubs extended that lead in the seventh on a solo home run by Kelly.&nbsp;

Trailing 5-3, the Cardinals used the eighth inning to take the lead, scoring five runs in the frame which started by cutting the Cubs lead to one run on a solo home run by Burleson.&nbsp; After back to back singles by Saggese and Lars Nootbaar, it was Gorman coming through again for the Redbirds with an RBI single, tying the game and bringing home Saggese.&nbsp; 

With two runners on, Yohel Pozo pinch hit for&nbsp;Pedro Pagés, and as he has a couple other times this season, came through clutch with a three run go ahead home run to left field, putting St. Louis up 8-5. Seiya Suzuki doubled to bring home Kyle Tucker, who reached first on catcher's interference, for the final run for Chicago in the bottom half of the inning.&nbsp;

Steven Matz earned the win in relief for the Cardinals, improving to 5-2 on the season, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up one run on one hit while striking out three and walking two.&nbsp; Former Royal Brad Keller took the loss for the Cubs.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 17th save.&nbsp; At the plate, Burleson was 3-for-5 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp; Gorman was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Chicago wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Erick Fedde (3-8, 4.56 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Matthew Boyd (8-3, 2.65 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch is at 5:10pm, coverage will be joined just before the start at 5 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch homered for a fourth time in the series, but the St. Louis Cardinals used a big five run eighth inning to even up the series in Chicago at Wrigley Field, beating the Cubs 8-6 on Saturday afternoon.</p><p>The Cardinals opened up the scoring in the first inning after the bases were loaded thanks to walks to Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras and a single by Alec Burleson, setting up&nbsp;Thomas Saggese for a two RBI single, driving in Donovan and Contreras for the early lead.&nbsp; The Cubs cut that lead in half in the bottom of the second inning on Busch's solo home run to center field, his 18th of the season, and fourth of the series after hitting three in the opener on Friday.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saggese drives in two! <a href="https://t.co/uXDRsfwoIN">pic.twitter.com/uXDRsfwoIN</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1941566836832862522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Nolan Gorman answered the home run with one of his own to extend the Cardinals lead in the fourth inning, blasting it 420 feet to center field for his eighth home run of the season.&nbsp; The Cubs again though in the bottom half of the inning cut the lead to one as Ian Happ grounded out, bringing home Nico Hoerner&nbsp; who walked earlier in the inning.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gorman crushes one 420 feet the other way! <a href="https://t.co/jb3uxUSc9t">pic.twitter.com/jb3uxUSc9t</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1941580850962862385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Chicago took the lead briefly in the bottom of the sixth inning after former Cardinal Carson Kelly doubled, and later scored the tying run on an RBI single by Hoerner.&nbsp; A wild pitch from reliever Kyle Leahy, his second of the inning, brought home Busch who had singled following Kelly's double for the go ahead run.&nbsp; The Cubs extended that lead in the seventh on a solo home run by Kelly.&nbsp;</p><p>Trailing 5-3, the Cardinals used the eighth inning to take the lead, scoring five runs in the frame which started by cutting the Cubs lead to one run on a solo home run by Burleson.&nbsp; After back to back singles by Saggese and Lars Nootbaar, it was Gorman coming through again for the Redbirds with an RBI single, tying the game and bringing home Saggese.&nbsp; </p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Burly to straightaway center! <a href="https://t.co/FhYxEEncTn">pic.twitter.com/FhYxEEncTn</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1941599032868008397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CLUTCH GORMAN <a href="https://t.co/wUumY3047T">pic.twitter.com/wUumY3047T</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1941599511501017111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>With two runners on, Yohel Pozo pinch hit for&nbsp;Pedro Pagés, and as he has a couple other times this season, came through clutch with a three run go ahead home run to left field, putting St. Louis up 8-5. Seiya Suzuki doubled to bring home Kyle Tucker, who reached first on catcher's interference, for the final run for Chicago in the bottom half of the inning.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CLUTCH GORMAN <a href="https://t.co/wUumY3047T">pic.twitter.com/wUumY3047T</a></p>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1941599511501017111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Steven Matz earned the win in relief for the Cardinals, improving to 5-2 on the season, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up one run on one hit while striking out three and walking two.&nbsp; Former Royal Brad Keller took the loss for the Cubs.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 17th save.&nbsp; At the plate, Burleson was 3-for-5 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp; Gorman was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Louis and Chicago wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Erick Fedde (3-8, 4.56 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Matthew Boyd (8-3, 2.65 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch is at 5:10pm, coverage will be joined just before the start at 5 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Busch homers again, but Cardinals even up series with 8-6 win over Cubs

For just the second time in his career, Vinnie Pasquantino hit two home runs in a game, and recorded a career high six RBI's as the Kansas City Royals opened a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 9-3 win on Independence Day.&nbsp;

Pasquantino's first home run opened the scoring for the Royals in the first inning.&nbsp; After Jonathan India was hit by a pitch and Bobby Witt Jr singled, Pasquantino homered to right field, his 13th of the season.&nbsp; The Diamondbacks cut the lead to one in the bottom half of the inning, a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez driving in Ketel Marte for the first run before&nbsp;&nbsp;Josh Naylor's single brought home Geraldo Perdomo.

Kansas City added three more runs in the second inning, first extending the lead on an RBI single by Witt Jr, driving in Freddy Fermin, and keeping the bases loaded moving India to second and John Rave to third.&nbsp; Pasquantino drove in his fourth run of the day with a single, scoring Rave, and again keeping the bases loaded, setting the table for India to score as Salvador Perez grounded into a force out, with Pasquantino out at second as Perez beat the throw to first.&nbsp;

After Witt Jr singled to open the fourth inning, the Royals added more insurance runs as Pasquantino hit his second home run of the game, driving in Witt Jr.&nbsp; 

In the fifth, Kansas City added their final run on yet another home run, this time by Mark Canha, hitting his first home run of the season. Arizona's final run came in the next inning on a solo home run by&nbsp;Suárez.

Kris Bubic looked like his early season self, earning the win and improving to 7-6 on the season, pitching seven innings and giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI's.&nbsp; Witt Jr was also 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City and Arizona continue their series on Saturday.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-8, 3.62 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against&nbsp;Ryne Nelson (4-2, 3.61 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage begins at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>For just the second time in his career, Vinnie Pasquantino hit two home runs in a game, and recorded a career high six RBI's as the Kansas City Royals opened a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 9-3 win on Independence Day.&nbsp;</p><p>Pasquantino's first home run opened the scoring for the Royals in the first inning.&nbsp; After Jonathan India was hit by a pitch and Bobby Witt Jr singled, Pasquantino homered to right field, his 13th of the season.&nbsp; The Diamondbacks cut the lead to one in the bottom half of the inning, a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez driving in Ketel Marte for the first run before&nbsp;&nbsp;Josh Naylor's single brought home Geraldo Perdomo.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Mamma mia! <a href="https://t.co/zNHI48PQou">pic.twitter.com/zNHI48PQou</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1941313889783914608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Kansas City added three more runs in the second inning, first extending the lead on an RBI single by Witt Jr, driving in Freddy Fermin, and keeping the bases loaded moving India to second and John Rave to third.&nbsp; Pasquantino drove in his fourth run of the day with a single, scoring Rave, and again keeping the bases loaded, setting the table for India to score as Salvador Perez grounded into a force out, with Pasquantino out at second as Perez beat the throw to first.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Get ‘em on. Get ‘em over. Get ‘em in. <a href="https://t.co/dYlX7TIu2v">pic.twitter.com/dYlX7TIu2v</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1941323043827220542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>After Witt Jr singled to open the fourth inning, the Royals added more insurance runs as Pasquantino hit his second home run of the game, driving in Witt Jr.&nbsp; </p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’ve got a double Pasquatch sighting in Arizona! <a href="https://t.co/8EcTCDRhYp">pic.twitter.com/8EcTCDRhYp</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1941329437989142794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In the fifth, Kansas City added their final run on yet another home run, this time by Mark Canha, hitting his first home run of the season. Arizona's final run came in the next inning on a solo home run by&nbsp;Suárez.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Canha got a cookie. <a href="https://t.co/KaHigQfthQ">pic.twitter.com/KaHigQfthQ</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1941334245534024038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Kris Bubic looked like his early season self, earning the win and improving to 7-6 on the season, pitching seven innings and giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI's.&nbsp; Witt Jr was also 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City and Arizona continue their series on Saturday.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-8, 3.62 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against&nbsp;Ryne Nelson (4-2, 3.61 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage begins at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Pasquantino homers twice, career high RBI's as Royals win 9-3

The Sedalia Bombers rallied back from behind, and had the tying run at third base in the ninth inning, but the St. Joseph Mustangs held on to get a win on the Fourth of July at Phil Welch Stadium, beating the Bombers 7-6, remaining perfect on their short three game homestand.

A sacrifice fly by Dom Felix put the Mustangs on the board first in the first inning, driving in Trevor McCollum for the opening run.&nbsp; But the Bombers tied things up in the second inning with an RBI single by&nbsp;Caden Paxton, bringing home&nbsp;Jadyn Roberts for the 1-1 tie.&nbsp; The Mustangs pulled away over the next three innings, scoring six unanswered runs.&nbsp;

Three runs scored in the third inning, starting with McCollum doubling to left field and driving in Darius Freeman.&nbsp; McCollum scored himself on a single by Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, and later in the inning Luikart came home for a run, that turned unearned due to a throwing error by pitcher Gavin Killion, scoring as Justin George reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp;

In the fourth inning, Freeman extended the lead with an RBI double, driving in Tyler Gundelfinger.&nbsp; The final two runs were added in the fifth inning as Gundelfinger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home Felix, before George scored as Freeman reached first on a fielders choice, giving the Mustangs a 7-1 lead.&nbsp;

The sixth inning started Sedalia's rally back as Paxton grounded out to first base bringing home&nbsp;Dalton Miller.&nbsp; In the seventh three more runs scored continuing the comeback bid, two coming home on a double by Miller as he drove in&nbsp;Carter Rice and&nbsp;Lance Vickers.&nbsp; Miller later scored on a double to left field by&nbsp;Connor Rice.&nbsp; Then in the eighth, the Bombers finally cut the lead to one as&nbsp;Sam Russo singled home&nbsp;Chris Miller.&nbsp;

Unable to add any runs in the bottom of the eighth, Sedalia stepped to the plate looking to tie the game in the ninth, and had a chance as Miller was hit by a pitch, and moved to second base on a wild pitch.&nbsp; Connor Rice singled, moving Miller to third, and Rice stole second base putting both the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position, but after Roberts struck out swinging, Miller was thrown out at home, being replaced at third base by Rice.&nbsp; Still in danger of the tie, Mustangs reliever&nbsp;Diego De Santiago forced Paxton to ground out to end the game.&nbsp;

East Buchanan alum Gage Busby earned the win in relief, after starter Jaren Guck of Northwest Missouri State failed to qualify for a decision.&nbsp; Busby pitched two innings and gave up one run on no hits, walking three and striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Freeman was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI's.&nbsp; George was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Luikart was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, a walk, and an RBI.

The Mustangs are now 22-5 on the year, 17-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They wrap up a three game homestand tomorrow against the Clarinda A's.&nbsp; The resumption of a suspended game against the A's will begin at 5:30 with the game tied 3-3 in the ninth inning, before the game the Police vs Fire game will take place at 4pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The originally scheduled game will have first pitch at 7pm.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751688310330.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Mustangs and Sedalia Bombers players helped hold the large flag up during the National Anthem ahead of the Fourth of July game between the two teams.&nbsp; St. Joseph beat Sedalia 7-6/ Photo courtesy of KQ2 News Director Chris Roush" />
                        <figcaption>St. Joseph Mustangs and Sedalia Bombers players helped hold the large flag up during the National Anthem ahead of the Fourth of July game between the two teams.&nbsp; St. Joseph beat Sedalia 7-6/ Photo courtesy of KQ2 News Director Chris Roush</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Sedalia Bombers rallied back from behind, and had the tying run at third base in the ninth inning, but the St. Joseph Mustangs held on to get a win on the Fourth of July at Phil Welch Stadium, beating the Bombers 7-6, remaining perfect on their short three game homestand.</p><p>A sacrifice fly by Dom Felix put the Mustangs on the board first in the first inning, driving in Trevor McCollum for the opening run.&nbsp; But the Bombers tied things up in the second inning with an RBI single by&nbsp;Caden Paxton, bringing home&nbsp;Jadyn Roberts for the 1-1 tie.&nbsp; The Mustangs pulled away over the next three innings, scoring six unanswered runs.&nbsp;</p><p>Three runs scored in the third inning, starting with McCollum doubling to left field and driving in Darius Freeman.&nbsp; McCollum scored himself on a single by Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, and later in the inning Luikart came home for a run, that turned unearned due to a throwing error by pitcher Gavin Killion, scoring as Justin George reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp;</p><p>In the fourth inning, Freeman extended the lead with an RBI double, driving in Tyler Gundelfinger.&nbsp; The final two runs were added in the fifth inning as Gundelfinger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home Felix, before George scored as Freeman reached first on a fielders choice, giving the Mustangs a 7-1 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>The sixth inning started Sedalia's rally back as Paxton grounded out to first base bringing home&nbsp;Dalton Miller.&nbsp; In the seventh three more runs scored continuing the comeback bid, two coming home on a double by Miller as he drove in&nbsp;Carter Rice and&nbsp;Lance Vickers.&nbsp; Miller later scored on a double to left field by&nbsp;Connor Rice.&nbsp; Then in the eighth, the Bombers finally cut the lead to one as&nbsp;Sam Russo singled home&nbsp;Chris Miller.&nbsp;</p><p>Unable to add any runs in the bottom of the eighth, Sedalia stepped to the plate looking to tie the game in the ninth, and had a chance as Miller was hit by a pitch, and moved to second base on a wild pitch.&nbsp; Connor Rice singled, moving Miller to third, and Rice stole second base putting both the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position, but after Roberts struck out swinging, Miller was thrown out at home, being replaced at third base by Rice.&nbsp; Still in danger of the tie, Mustangs reliever&nbsp;Diego De Santiago forced Paxton to ground out to end the game.&nbsp;</p><p>East Buchanan alum Gage Busby earned the win in relief, after starter Jaren Guck of Northwest Missouri State failed to qualify for a decision.&nbsp; Busby pitched two innings and gave up one run on no hits, walking three and striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Freeman was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI's.&nbsp; George was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Luikart was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, a walk, and an RBI.</p><p>The Mustangs are now 22-5 on the year, 17-4 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They wrap up a three game homestand tomorrow against the Clarinda A's.&nbsp; The resumption of a suspended game against the A's will begin at 5:30 with the game tied 3-3 in the ninth inning, before the game the Police vs Fire game will take place at 4pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The originally scheduled game will have first pitch at 7pm.</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Bombers rally but Mustangs hold on for Fourth of July win 7-6

The ball was flying at Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs set off the fireworks early on Independence Day, clobbering eight home runs, six off of St. Louis Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, in an 11-3 blowout victory over the Redbirds.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the first inning the Cubs started the scoring with back to back home runs by Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong, in the second inning Chicago went back to back again off of Mikolas to open the inning, Michael Busch hitting the first of his three home runs on the day, followed by former Cardinal Carson Kelly homering to left center field, giving Chicago a 4-0 lead.&nbsp;

In the third inning, Crow-Armstrong hit his second home run of the afternoon to lead off the inning, then after a single by Dansby Swanson, Busch hit his second home run to extend the lead even more for the Cubs.&nbsp; Trailing 7-0, Brendan Donovan joined the home run party in the fourth inning for the Cardinals with a solo home run to left center.&nbsp;

After not scoring in the fourth inning, Chicago got on the board again in the fifth, for the first time not on a home run, as Busch drove in his fourth run of the game with an RBI single, scoring Crow-Armstrong.&nbsp; In the seventh the home runs came again though, first by Dansby Swanson with a two run home run, driving in Crow-Armstrong, and then for the third time in the game the Cubs went back to back as Busch homered for the third time with a solo shot for the final run.&nbsp;

St. Louis added their final two runs in the ninth inning, Lars Nootbar singling home Garrett Hampson, who opened the inning with a double, and Nootbaar eventually coming around to score later in the inning on a bases loaded walk.&nbsp;

Mikolas took the loss, falling to 4-6 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up eight runs on ten hits while striking out four.&nbsp; The eight home runs were a new franchise record for the Cubs.&nbsp; At the plate, the Cardinals managed just three hits, Donovan going 1-for-3 with an RBI, Hampson going 1-for-1 with the double as a pinch hitter, and Nootbaar going 1-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp; St. Louis was issued five walks by the Chicago pitchers.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Chicago continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Matthew Liberatore (6-6, 3.70 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals while the Cubs pitcher is currently listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:20pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 1:10 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The ball was flying at Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs set off the fireworks early on Independence Day, clobbering eight home runs, six off of St. Louis Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, in an 11-3 blowout victory over the Redbirds.&nbsp;</p><p>In the bottom of the first inning the Cubs started the scoring with back to back home runs by Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong, in the second inning Chicago went back to back again off of Mikolas to open the inning, Michael Busch hitting the first of his three home runs on the day, followed by former Cardinal Carson Kelly homering to left center field, giving Chicago a 4-0 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>In the third inning, Crow-Armstrong hit his second home run of the afternoon to lead off the inning, then after a single by Dansby Swanson, Busch hit his second home run to extend the lead even more for the Cubs.&nbsp; Trailing 7-0, Brendan Donovan joined the home run party in the fourth inning for the Cardinals with a solo home run to left center.&nbsp;</p><p>After not scoring in the fourth inning, Chicago got on the board again in the fifth, for the first time not on a home run, as Busch drove in his fourth run of the game with an RBI single, scoring Crow-Armstrong.&nbsp; In the seventh the home runs came again though, first by Dansby Swanson with a two run home run, driving in Crow-Armstrong, and then for the third time in the game the Cubs went back to back as Busch homered for the third time with a solo shot for the final run.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Louis added their final two runs in the ninth inning, Lars Nootbar singling home Garrett Hampson, who opened the inning with a double, and Nootbaar eventually coming around to score later in the inning on a bases loaded walk.&nbsp;</p><p>Mikolas took the loss, falling to 4-6 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up eight runs on ten hits while striking out four.&nbsp; The eight home runs were a new franchise record for the Cubs.&nbsp; At the plate, the Cardinals managed just three hits, Donovan going 1-for-3 with an RBI, Hampson going 1-for-1 with the double as a pinch hitter, and Nootbaar going 1-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp; St. Louis was issued five walks by the Chicago pitchers.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Louis and Chicago continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Matthew Liberatore (6-6, 3.70 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals while the Cubs pitcher is currently listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:20pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 1:10 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Cubs set off fireworks early in 11-3 blowout win over Cardinals

The Kansas City Royals trailed for most of the game, but came up big in the seventh inning to earn a series split with the Seattle Mariners, avoiding wasting a quality start by Seth Lugo, winning 3-2 on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park.

Jorge Polanco hit a solo home run for the Mariners in the fourth inning, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead, a lead which they would hold until the seventh inning.&nbsp; The Royals did threaten in the sixth, after Salvador Perez doubled and John Rave walked, but Nick Loftin flew out to end that threat, setting Kansas City up to take the lead the very next inning.&nbsp;

In the seventh, after Freddy Fermin lined out to open the inning, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India got back to back walks bringing Bobby Witt Jr to the plate as the Mariners brought on reliever Carlos Vargas.&nbsp; Witt Jr greeted Vargas with a single into center field, tying the game up driving in Isbel and moving India to third.&nbsp; After Witt Jr stole second base, his 24th stolen base of the season, Vinnie Pasquantino singled into right field bringing home India and also Witt Jr as the Royals star shortstop made a sliding play at home plate, swimming around the catcher to avoid the tag to score.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the ninth inning, against Royals closer&nbsp;Carlos Estévez,&nbsp;Dominic Canzone hit a solo home run to cut the lead to one.&nbsp;&nbsp;Miles Mastrobuoni pinch hit and got a single, and after Estévez struckout Cole Young, J.P Crawford singled, putting the closer in danger.&nbsp; Mastrobuoni and Crawford both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but&nbsp;Estévez struck out Julio Rodriguez and then got Cal Raleigh to groundout to end the game, earning his 24th save.&nbsp;

Lugo earned the win, improving to 6-5 on the season, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up one run on six hits, striking out seven and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Witt Jr. was 1-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI while Pasquantino was 1-for-4 with two RBI's as Kansas City had just five hits.&nbsp;

Kansas City now travels to Arizona for a weekend series, starting with an Independence Day matchup.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (6-6, 2.25 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in the opener against&nbsp;Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4, 5.13 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 8:40pm, pregame begins at 8 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

<i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Kansas City Royals trailed for most of the game, but came up big in the seventh inning to earn a series split with the Seattle Mariners, avoiding wasting a quality start by Seth Lugo, winning 3-2 on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park.</p><p>Jorge Polanco hit a solo home run for the Mariners in the fourth inning, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead, a lead which they would hold until the seventh inning.&nbsp; The Royals did threaten in the sixth, after Salvador Perez doubled and John Rave walked, but Nick Loftin flew out to end that threat, setting Kansas City up to take the lead the very next inning.&nbsp;</p><p>In the seventh, after Freddy Fermin lined out to open the inning, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India got back to back walks bringing Bobby Witt Jr to the plate as the Mariners brought on reliever Carlos Vargas.&nbsp; Witt Jr greeted Vargas with a single into center field, tying the game up driving in Isbel and moving India to third.&nbsp; After Witt Jr stole second base, his 24th stolen base of the season, Vinnie Pasquantino singled into right field bringing home India and also Witt Jr as the Royals star shortstop made a sliding play at home plate, swimming around the catcher to avoid the tag to score.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby outrageous! 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/mbafn4tP2o">pic.twitter.com/mbafn4tP2o</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1940985709466472537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In the bottom of the ninth inning, against Royals closer&nbsp;Carlos Estévez,&nbsp;Dominic Canzone hit a solo home run to cut the lead to one.&nbsp;&nbsp;Miles Mastrobuoni pinch hit and got a single, and after Estévez struckout Cole Young, J.P Crawford singled, putting the closer in danger.&nbsp; Mastrobuoni and Crawford both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but&nbsp;Estévez struck out Julio Rodriguez and then got Cal Raleigh to groundout to end the game, earning his 24th save.&nbsp;</p><p>Lugo earned the win, improving to 6-5 on the season, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up one run on six hits, striking out seven and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Witt Jr. was 1-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI while Pasquantino was 1-for-4 with two RBI's as Kansas City had just five hits.&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City now travels to Arizona for a weekend series, starting with an Independence Day matchup.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (6-6, 2.25 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in the opener against&nbsp;Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4, 5.13 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 8:40pm, pregame begins at 8 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Royals offense storms back to steal series split from Mariners with 3-2 win

The St. Joseph Mustangs avenged a road loss to the Chillicothe Mudcats on Tuesday, clobbering the Mudcats at Phil Welch Stadium on Thursday night for a seven inning run rule victory, winning 16-5 to open a three game homestand.&nbsp;

After&nbsp;Jarian Pickney scored the opening run for the Mudcats in the first inning on a passed ball, the Mustangs, who scored just three runs on Tuesday, scored eight unanswered runs to take the lead, first scoring twice in the bottom of the first as Jack Mosh singled home Trevor McCollum and Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart scored on a throwing error by right fielder Jordi Ventura.

Another two runs scored in the second inning for the Mustangs, Darius Freeman singling home Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith, and then as Freeman stole second base, Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen came home on a throwing error by catcher Bruce Boucher.&nbsp; In the third inning, another four runs scored, first with an RBI single by Benton alum Chris Coy driving in Mosh.&nbsp; Coy scored later in the inning on a groundout by Bodenhausen, and another two runs came in with a single from Freeman, driving in Griffith and Lafayette alum Jayden Little.&nbsp;

Chillicothe did add a run to the board in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Boucher, bringing home&nbsp;John Spoto, but the Mustangs got that run back in the bottom half of the inning on another single by Coy, driving in Luikart to push the Mustangs lead to 9-2, ahead of a big five run inning in the fifth by St. Joseph, an inning that started with yet another RBI single by Freeman driving in Griffith.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Continuing to pour it on in the fifth inning, Luikart drove in his first runs of the game with a two RBI double, bringing home Bodenhausen and Freeman, before scoring himself, along with McCollum, to end the scoring in the frame on a double by Dom Felix.&nbsp; Luikart added another RBI in the sixth inning with a bases loaded walk, bringing home Bodenhausen, and Felix added another RBI as well in the inning with a sacrifice fly scoring Freeman to give the Mustangs a 16-2 lead.&nbsp;

With their backs against the wall facing the run rule defeat entering the seventh, the Mudcats attempted to make a push to get out of&nbsp; the deficit, Pickney reaching on a fielders choice and bringing home Boucher for an unearned run.&nbsp; The final two runs scored on a two RBI single by pinch hitter&nbsp;Derin Doucet, driving in Pickney and&nbsp;Ethan Murakoshi, but needing at least two more runs, with the bases loaded after back to back walks to Ventura and&nbsp;Tanner Sears, Mustangs reliever Jase Johnson struck out the final two batters to end the game.

Austin Nance earned the win for the Mustangs, pitching five innings and giving up two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, two walks, and three RBI's.&nbsp; Freeman was 4-for-5 with a double and four RBI's.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 21-5 on the season, 16-4 in the MINK League, and they stay home next to play the Sedalia Bombers at Phil Welch Stadium with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The St. Joseph Mustangs avenged a road loss to the Chillicothe Mudcats on Tuesday, clobbering the Mudcats at Phil Welch Stadium on Thursday night for a seven inning run rule victory, winning 16-5 to open a three game homestand.&nbsp;</p><p>After&nbsp;Jarian Pickney scored the opening run for the Mudcats in the first inning on a passed ball, the Mustangs, who scored just three runs on Tuesday, scored eight unanswered runs to take the lead, first scoring twice in the bottom of the first as Jack Mosh singled home Trevor McCollum and Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart scored on a throwing error by right fielder Jordi Ventura.</p><p>Another two runs scored in the second inning for the Mustangs, Darius Freeman singling home Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith, and then as Freeman stole second base, Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen came home on a throwing error by catcher Bruce Boucher.&nbsp; In the third inning, another four runs scored, first with an RBI single by Benton alum Chris Coy driving in Mosh.&nbsp; Coy scored later in the inning on a groundout by Bodenhausen, and another two runs came in with a single from Freeman, driving in Griffith and Lafayette alum Jayden Little.&nbsp;</p><p>Chillicothe did add a run to the board in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Boucher, bringing home&nbsp;John Spoto, but the Mustangs got that run back in the bottom half of the inning on another single by Coy, driving in Luikart to push the Mustangs lead to 9-2, ahead of a big five run inning in the fifth by St. Joseph, an inning that started with yet another RBI single by Freeman driving in Griffith.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Continuing to pour it on in the fifth inning, Luikart drove in his first runs of the game with a two RBI double, bringing home Bodenhausen and Freeman, before scoring himself, along with McCollum, to end the scoring in the frame on a double by Dom Felix.&nbsp; Luikart added another RBI in the sixth inning with a bases loaded walk, bringing home Bodenhausen, and Felix added another RBI as well in the inning with a sacrifice fly scoring Freeman to give the Mustangs a 16-2 lead.&nbsp;</p><p>With their backs against the wall facing the run rule defeat entering the seventh, the Mudcats attempted to make a push to get out of&nbsp; the deficit, Pickney reaching on a fielders choice and bringing home Boucher for an unearned run.&nbsp; The final two runs scored on a two RBI single by pinch hitter&nbsp;Derin Doucet, driving in Pickney and&nbsp;Ethan Murakoshi, but needing at least two more runs, with the bases loaded after back to back walks to Ventura and&nbsp;Tanner Sears, Mustangs reliever Jase Johnson struck out the final two batters to end the game.</p><p>Austin Nance earned the win for the Mustangs, pitching five innings and giving up two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, two walks, and three RBI's.&nbsp; Freeman was 4-for-5 with a double and four RBI's.&nbsp;</p><p>The Mustangs are now 21-5 on the season, 16-4 in the MINK League, and they stay home next to play the Sedalia Bombers at Phil Welch Stadium with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Mustangs avenge road loss with run rule victory over Chillicothe

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p><i>St. Joseph Post</i></p><div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/75nsy32WMEUc67svA82WLD?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

The Kansas City Royals bullpen blew a solid start from St. Joseph's Noah Cameron, as the Royals dropped the third game of their series with the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park 3-2, setting up the finale tomorrow searching for a series split.&nbsp;

The Royals jumped out in front in the first inning for Cameron, with Salvador Perez singling home Bobby Witt Jr who singled earlier in the inning and stole second base.&nbsp; With the lead, Cameron pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings before he was replaced by John Schreiber with two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning.&nbsp;

Schreiber escaped that jam, but in the sixth surrendered a game tying home run to Randy Arozarena, his fourth home run of the series.&nbsp; Schreiber was replaced later in the inning by Angel Zerpa, and Zerpa went on to give up the lead in the seventh inning as Julio Rodriguez singled home Ben Williamson off Steven Cruz who replaced Zerpa in the seventh, the run being charged to Zerpa.&nbsp; Cole Young, another runner left on by Zerpa, scored on a sacrifice fly by Arozarena in the inning as well.&nbsp;

Perez drove in another run in the eighth inning for Kansas City with another single, bringing home Witt Jr again.&nbsp; But in the ninth inning, Mariners closer&nbsp;Andrés Muñoz retired the Royals 1-2-3 for his 19th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Zerpa took the loss, falling to 3-1 on the season, pitching 2/3 of an inning and giving up two runs on one hit.&nbsp; At the plate for the Royals, Witt Jr was 2-for-2 with a stolen base and two walks, scoring two runs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with two RBI's.&nbsp;

Kansas City and Seattle wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (5-5, 2.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against&nbsp;Bryan Woo (7-4, 2.93 ERA) for the Mariners.&nbsp; First pitch is at 9:10pm, pregame begins at 8:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>The Kansas City Royals bullpen blew a solid start from St. Joseph's Noah Cameron, as the Royals dropped the third game of their series with the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park 3-2, setting up the finale tomorrow searching for a series split.&nbsp;</p><p>The Royals jumped out in front in the first inning for Cameron, with Salvador Perez singling home Bobby Witt Jr who singled earlier in the inning and stole second base.&nbsp; With the lead, Cameron pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings before he was replaced by John Schreiber with two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning.&nbsp;</p><p>Schreiber escaped that jam, but in the sixth surrendered a game tying home run to Randy Arozarena, his fourth home run of the series.&nbsp; Schreiber was replaced later in the inning by Angel Zerpa, and Zerpa went on to give up the lead in the seventh inning as Julio Rodriguez singled home Ben Williamson off Steven Cruz who replaced Zerpa in the seventh, the run being charged to Zerpa.&nbsp; Cole Young, another runner left on by Zerpa, scored on a sacrifice fly by Arozarena in the inning as well.&nbsp;</p><p>Perez drove in another run in the eighth inning for Kansas City with another single, bringing home Witt Jr again.&nbsp; But in the ninth inning, Mariners closer&nbsp;Andrés Muñoz retired the Royals 1-2-3 for his 19th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Zerpa took the loss, falling to 3-1 on the season, pitching 2/3 of an inning and giving up two runs on one hit.&nbsp; At the plate for the Royals, Witt Jr was 2-for-2 with a stolen base and two walks, scoring two runs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with two RBI's.&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas City and Seattle wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (5-5, 2.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against&nbsp;Bryan Woo (7-4, 2.93 ERA) for the Mariners.&nbsp; First pitch is at 9:10pm, pregame begins at 8:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

Royals bullpen blows solid start from Cameron as Kansas City falls 3-2

It was just one series ago the St. Louis Cardinals swept the Cleveland Guardians in a three game series, outscoring the Guardians 21-6. 

But, in a series in Pittsburgh against their NL Central foes the Pirates, the Cardinals offense went ice cold, not scoring a single run over three games and falling in their series finale on Wednesday afternoon 5-0 at PNC Park as the Pirates outscored the Redbirds 13-0 over the three games.&nbsp;

Sonny Gray could not follow up his brilliant one hit complete game shutout performance where he struckout 11 Guardians against the Pirates, giving up a run in the second inning as former Cardinal Tommy Pham singled to drive in Oneil Cruz who doubled to lead off the inning and had stolen third base for his 28th stolen base of the year.&nbsp;

Gray seemed to settle in after the run however, retiring the next 14 batters, until the seventh inning when he walked Nick Gonzales, who later scored on a single again by Pham, driving in his second RBI of the day, and advancing Ke'Bryan Hayes to second base.&nbsp; Riley O'Brien replaced Gray on the mound and forced Henry Davis into a groundout that moved both Pham and Hayes another 90 feet, setting up two runners in scoring positon for Isiah Kiner-Falefa who singled to drive both in.&nbsp; Then on a single by Spencer Horwitz, Kiner-Falefa, who had advanced to second base on a wild pitch, came home to score the final run.&nbsp;

Gray took the loss, falling to 8-3 on the year, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up four runs on five hits while striking out six and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Alec Burleson was 1-for-2 with two walks for the Cardinals.&nbsp; Five other Redbirds had one hit each.&nbsp;

St. Louis is off tomorrow and travel to Chicago on the Fourth of July.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.76 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals in the Independence Day matchup while the Cubs starter is listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:20pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 1:10 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

<p>By MATT PIKE</p><p>It was just one series ago the St. Louis Cardinals swept the Cleveland Guardians in a three game series, outscoring the Guardians 21-6. </p><p>But, in a series in Pittsburgh against their NL Central foes the Pirates, the Cardinals offense went ice cold, not scoring a single run over three games and falling in their series finale on Wednesday afternoon 5-0 at PNC Park as the Pirates outscored the Redbirds 13-0 over the three games.&nbsp;</p><p>Sonny Gray could not follow up his brilliant one hit complete game shutout performance where he struckout 11 Guardians against the Pirates, giving up a run in the second inning as former Cardinal Tommy Pham singled to drive in Oneil Cruz who doubled to lead off the inning and had stolen third base for his 28th stolen base of the year.&nbsp;</p><p>Gray seemed to settle in after the run however, retiring the next 14 batters, until the seventh inning when he walked Nick Gonzales, who later scored on a single again by Pham, driving in his second RBI of the day, and advancing Ke'Bryan Hayes to second base.&nbsp; Riley O'Brien replaced Gray on the mound and forced Henry Davis into a groundout that moved both Pham and Hayes another 90 feet, setting up two runners in scoring positon for Isiah Kiner-Falefa who singled to drive both in.&nbsp; Then on a single by Spencer Horwitz, Kiner-Falefa, who had advanced to second base on a wild pitch, came home to score the final run.&nbsp;</p><p>Gray took the loss, falling to 8-3 on the year, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up four runs on five hits while striking out six and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Alec Burleson was 1-for-2 with two walks for the Cardinals.&nbsp; Five other Redbirds had one hit each.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Louis is off tomorrow and travel to Chicago on the Fourth of July.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.76 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals in the Independence Day matchup while the Cubs starter is listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:20pm, coverage will be joined near the start at 1:10 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).</p><p><i>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt</i>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>