MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three Kansas State football players – Skylar Thompson, Jahron McPherson and Deuce Vaughn – have been named Big 12 Players of the Week following the Wildcats’ come-from-behind victory at No. 3 Oklahoma, the conference office announced Monday.

Thompson and McPherson were co-winners of the offensive and defensive awards, respectively, while Vaughn picked up Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. It marked the first time since the 2015 West Virginia game that K-State had three conference weekly award winners.

The trio helped the Wildcats earn their first-ever road win over a team ranked in the top five of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Additionally, K-State rallied from a 21-point deficit to tie a school record that had been achieved four other times, but it was the latest start to the comeback among those five victories.

Thompson, a native of Independence, Missouri, earned his third career weekly conference honor as he was named the newcomer of the week after the Oklahoma State and Iowa State games in 2017. Thompson threw for a career-high 334 yards and had four total touchdowns, including three rushing scores. He connected on 18-of-25 passes, which included a 39-yard touchdown to Chabastin Taylor and a pair of long connects with Vaughn (77) and Keyon Mozee (78) that set up his own rushing scores.

A product of Basehor, Kansas, McPherson carded 11 tackles – including one for a loss – a forced fumble that led to a touchdown on the ensuing Wildcat drive and a game-clinching interception with 34 seconds remaining. McPherson, who was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday, is the first Wildcat since at least 2002 to total double-digit tackles, a TFL, a forced fumble and an interception in a single game.

Vaughn, a true freshman running back from Round Rock, Texas, had 174 all-purpose yards, which was highlighted by 129 receiving yards on four catches and a game-tying 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He became the first Wildcat running back in 50 years and fifth overall to record a 100-yard receiving game, the last being Henry Hawthorne at Oklahoma in 1970. It was also the most receiving yards by a true freshman running back in Big 12 history and tied for the fifth most by any running back since the conference’s inception in 1996.

Kansas State is back in action this Saturday as it hosts Texas Tech inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m., kickoff and will be shown on FS1.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three Kansas State football players – Skylar Thompson, Jahron McPherson and Deuce Vaughn – have been named Big 12 Players of the Week following the Wildcats’ come-from-behind victory at No. 3 Oklahoma, the conference office announced Monday.Thompson and McPherson were co-winners of the offensive and defensive awards, respectively, while Vaughn picked up Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. It marked the first time since the 2015 West Virginia game that K-State had three conference weekly award winners.The trio helped the Wildcats earn their first-ever road win over a team ranked in the top five of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Additionally, K-State rallied from a 21-point deficit to tie a school record that had been achieved four other times, but it was the latest start to the comeback among those five victories.Thompson, a native of Independence, Missouri, earned his third career weekly conference honor as he was named the newcomer of the week after the Oklahoma State and Iowa State games in 2017. Thompson threw for a career-high 334 yards and had four total touchdowns, including three rushing scores. He connected on 18-of-25 passes, which included a 39-yard touchdown to Chabastin Taylor and a pair of long connects with Vaughn (77) and Keyon Mozee (78) that set up his own rushing scores.A product of Basehor, Kansas, McPherson carded 11 tackles – including one for a loss – a forced fumble that led to a touchdown on the ensuing Wildcat drive and a game-clinching interception with 34 seconds remaining. McPherson, who was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday, is the first Wildcat since at least 2002 to total double-digit tackles, a TFL, a forced fumble and an interception in a single game.Vaughn, a true freshman running back from Round Rock, Texas, had 174 all-purpose yards, which was highlighted by 129 receiving yards on four catches and a game-tying 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He became the first Wildcat running back in 50 years and fifth overall to record a 100-yard receiving game, the last being Henry Hawthorne at Oklahoma in 1970. It was also the most receiving yards by a true freshman running back in Big 12 history and tied for the fifth most by any running back since the conference’s inception in 1996.Kansas State is back in action this Saturday as it hosts Texas Tech inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m., kickoff and will be shown on FS1.--- K-State Athletics ---

Wildcats pick up three Big 12 Player of the Week honors

KANSAS CITY, MO (September 28, 2020) – Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was named American League Player of the Week for the period of September 21-27, a stretch in which he hit a Major League-best .615 (16-for-26) in seven games.

Mondesi is the first Royals player to win the award since Jorge Soler from August 5-11, 2019, and he’s just the second Royals shortstop to earn American League weekly honors, joining Mike Aviles from July 28-August 3, 2008.

Mondesi led the Majors in runs (10), hits (16), stolen bases (5), batting average (.615), on-base percentage (.655), slugging percentage (1.154) and OPS (1.809) during the final week of the season, in which he led the Royals to a 5-2 record. Mondesi also tied for the American League lead with eight extra-base hits and his eight RBI were two shy of the American league lead.

Mondesi recorded a hit in nine consecutive at-bats over a three-game span last Thursday through Saturday, falling one hit shy of the club record of 10 straight hits held by Joe Randa from June 8-12, 1999. Mondesi also walked twice during that stretch to reach safely in 11 consecutive plate appearances, matching the club record previously done by Randa (June 8-12, 1999), Steve Braun (August 7-17, 1978) and Amos Otis (April 30-May 2, 1970). 

Mondesi finished the season with multiple hits and at least one RBI in each of his last five games, matching the club record done seven times and last by Eric Hosmer from May 27-31, 2016. This stretch was tied for the second longest in the Majors this season, one game shy of Jared Walsh’s six-game run from September 10-16. Mondesi also had multiple extra-base hits in each of his last three games, matching the club record done eight times and last by Mike Sweeney from May 1-4, 2005.

On Thursday, Mondesi recorded his third career game with four hits and two steals, which are the second most such games in the Majors since 2010, one behind Ichiro Suzuki. He followed that up on Friday by falling a homer shy of the cycle with two stolen bases. In doing so, he became the first Royals player with three hits and multiple steals in consecutive games, and one of three players to do this in the Majors since 2010, joining Elvis Andrus (August 6-7, 2013) and Mike Trout (June 8-9, 2012). He also became the fourth player since 1901 to record at least three hits, two steals and an RBI in back-to-back games, joining Brady Anderson (July 11-15, 1999) and Davey Lopes (April 24-26, 1985) and George Sisler (July 15-16, 1920).

Mondesi homered on Saturday and Sunday to mark the fifth time he’s homered in consecutive games and second time this month (also 3 games from September 10-12). He finished the season-ending set vs. Detroit with 12 hits in 14 at-bats, matching George Brett (Sept. 12-14, 1975 vs. California) for the club record for most hits in a four-game series. In doing so, he became the first American League player to record 12 hits in a four-game series since Joe Mauer did it from August 1-4, 2016 at Cleveland.

On defense, Mondesi was perfect in his 30 total chances at shortstop over the seven-game stretch last week and turned five double plays, third most among American League shortstops. 

KANSAS CITY, MO (September 28, 2020) – Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was named American League Player of the Week for the period of September 21-27, a stretch in which he hit a Major League-best .615 (16-for-26) in seven games.Mondesi is the first Royals player to win the award since Jorge Soler from August 5-11, 2019, and he’s just the second Royals shortstop to earn American League weekly honors, joining Mike Aviles from July 28-August 3, 2008.Mondesi led the Majors in runs (10), hits (16), stolen bases (5), batting average (.615), on-base percentage (.655), slugging percentage (1.154) and OPS (1.809) during the final week of the season, in which he led the Royals to a 5-2 record. Mondesi also tied for the American League lead with eight extra-base hits and his eight RBI were two shy of the American league lead.Mondesi recorded a hit in nine consecutive at-bats over a three-game span last Thursday through Saturday, falling one hit shy of the club record of 10 straight hits held by Joe Randa from June 8-12, 1999. Mondesi also walked twice during that stretch to reach safely in 11 consecutive plate appearances, matching the club record previously done by Randa (June 8-12, 1999), Steve Braun (August 7-17, 1978) and Amos Otis (April 30-May 2, 1970). Mondesi finished the season with multiple hits and at least one RBI in each of his last five games, matching the club record done seven times and last by Eric Hosmer from May 27-31, 2016. This stretch was tied for the second longest in the Majors this season, one game shy of Jared Walsh’s six-game run from September 10-16. Mondesi also had multiple extra-base hits in each of his last three games, matching the club record done eight times and last by Mike Sweeney from May 1-4, 2005.On Thursday, Mondesi recorded his third career game with four hits and two steals, which are the second most such games in the Majors since 2010, one behind Ichiro Suzuki. He followed that up on Friday by falling a homer shy of the cycle with two stolen bases. In doing so, he became the first Royals player with three hits and multiple steals in consecutive games, and one of three players to do this in the Majors since 2010, joining Elvis Andrus (August 6-7, 2013) and Mike Trout (June 8-9, 2012). He also became the fourth player since 1901 to record at least three hits, two steals and an RBI in back-to-back games, joining Brady Anderson (July 11-15, 1999) and Davey Lopes (April 24-26, 1985) and George Sisler (July 15-16, 1920).Mondesi homered on Saturday and Sunday to mark the fifth time he’s homered in consecutive games and second time this month (also 3 games from September 10-12). He finished the season-ending set vs. Detroit with 12 hits in 14 at-bats, matching George Brett (Sept. 12-14, 1975 vs. California) for the club record for most hits in a four-game series. In doing so, he became the first American League player to record 12 hits in a four-game series since Joe Mauer did it from August 1-4, 2016 at Cleveland.On defense, Mondesi was perfect in his 30 total chances at shortstop over the seven-game stretch last week and turned five double plays, third most among American League shortstops.

Royals' Mondesi named AL Player of the Week

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Bronze statues of legendary Kansas Football players John Hadl and Gale Sayers will be unveiled outside the Anderson Family Football Complex at halftime of the Jayhawks game on Oct. 3 vs. Oklahoma State. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this event will not be open to the public to attend in-person, but fans will be able to watch the ceremony online through KUAthletics.com. For those fans in attendance for the game, the ceremony will be live streamed on the videoboard in-stadium.

Two of the greatest players to ever suit up for the Jayhawks, Hadl and Sayers become the first two Kansas Football representatives to have statues of their likeness on the University of Kansas campus. Each statue stands eight-feet tall if standing upright and weighs close to 1,000 pounds.

Hadl, who played at Kansas from 1959-61, etched his name into Jayhawk lore with three brilliant seasons. The first two-time All-American in program history, Hadl starred for the Jayhawks both as a quarterback and halfback. A three-time all-conference selection, Hadl finished his career with 1,281 passing yards and 1,016 rushing yards, on top of leading the nation in punting in 1959. He also shined as a defensive back and return specialist.

Hadl’s No. 21 jersey is one of three retired Kansas Football numbers, joining Sayers and Ray Evans. Hadl still holds the school record for longest interception return (98 yards vs. TCU in 1959) and longest punt (94 yards vs. Oklahoma in 1959).

The Jayhawks went 14-5-2 during Hadl’s junior and senior seasons and ranked nationally in the top 20 each season. Hadl’s dazzling career concluded by being named MVP of the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl and leading his team to a 33-7 win over Rice.

The Lawrence native is a member of the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. After Kansas, Hadl also flourished in the NFL, enjoying a 16-year career and throwing for more than 33,000 yards. He was named NFL Man of the Year in 1971.

The statue of Hadl’s will stand next to the one of Sayers, who starred at Kansas one season after Hadl graduated.

Nicknamed the “Kansas Comet”, Sayers is widely known as one of the best running backs in the history of the game. A two-time All-America selection like Hadl, Sayers led Kansas in rushing, touchdowns and kickoff returns in all three of his seasons. He became the first player in NCAA Division I history to record a 99-yard run when he did it against Nebraska in 1963. Sayers also had a 96-yard dash a season prior against Oklahoma State, giving him the two longest runs in school history until 1997.

Sayers finished his Jayhawk career with 2,675 rushing yards and 3,917 all-purpose yards. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. Following his Kansas career, Sayers was a first-round pick of the NFL’s Chicago Bears and the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.

While Sayers had an abbreviated seven-year NFL career that was cut short due to knee injuries, that didn’t stop him from making a major impact when healthy. He led the league in rushing in 1966 and 1969 and in 1977 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at age 34. Sayers, who passed away at age 77 on Wednesday, remains the youngest person ever selected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

The running back’s impact went far beyond the field, both during his time at Kansas and with the Bears. While with the Bears, Sayers was roommates with Brian Piccolo. The two became the first interracial roommates in the NFL and remained close friends until Piccolo passed away in 1970 of cancer.

Sayers, who also served as an assistant athletics director at Kansas from 1972-76, was also inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Minority Athletics Administration Hall of Fame in 2009.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Bronze statues of legendary Kansas Football players John Hadl and Gale Sayers will be unveiled outside the Anderson Family Football Complex at halftime of the Jayhawks game on Oct. 3 vs. Oklahoma State. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this event will not be open to the public to attend in-person, but fans will be able to watch the ceremony online through KUAthletics.com. For those fans in attendance for the game, the ceremony will be live streamed on the videoboard in-stadium.Two of the greatest players to ever suit up for the Jayhawks, Hadl and Sayers become the first two Kansas Football representatives to have statues of their likeness on the University of Kansas campus. Each statue stands eight-feet tall if standing upright and weighs close to 1,000 pounds.Hadl, who played at Kansas from 1959-61, etched his name into Jayhawk lore with three brilliant seasons. The first two-time All-American in program history, Hadl starred for the Jayhawks both as a quarterback and halfback. A three-time all-conference selection, Hadl finished his career with 1,281 passing yards and 1,016 rushing yards, on top of leading the nation in punting in 1959. He also shined as a defensive back and return specialist.Hadl’s No. 21 jersey is one of three retired Kansas Football numbers, joining Sayers and Ray Evans. Hadl still holds the school record for longest interception return (98 yards vs. TCU in 1959) and longest punt (94 yards vs. Oklahoma in 1959).The Jayhawks went 14-5-2 during Hadl’s junior and senior seasons and ranked nationally in the top 20 each season. Hadl’s dazzling career concluded by being named MVP of the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl and leading his team to a 33-7 win over Rice.The Lawrence native is a member of the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. After Kansas, Hadl also flourished in the NFL, enjoying a 16-year career and throwing for more than 33,000 yards. He was named NFL Man of the Year in 1971.The statue of Hadl’s will stand next to the one of Sayers, who starred at Kansas one season after Hadl graduated.Nicknamed the “Kansas Comet”, Sayers is widely known as one of the best running backs in the history of the game. A two-time All-America selection like Hadl, Sayers led Kansas in rushing, touchdowns and kickoff returns in all three of his seasons. He became the first player in NCAA Division I history to record a 99-yard run when he did it against Nebraska in 1963. Sayers also had a 96-yard dash a season prior against Oklahoma State, giving him the two longest runs in school history until 1997.Sayers finished his Jayhawk career with 2,675 rushing yards and 3,917 all-purpose yards. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. Following his Kansas career, Sayers was a first-round pick of the NFL’s Chicago Bears and the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.While Sayers had an abbreviated seven-year NFL career that was cut short due to knee injuries, that didn’t stop him from making a major impact when healthy. He led the league in rushing in 1966 and 1969 and in 1977 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at age 34. Sayers, who passed away at age 77 on Wednesday, remains the youngest person ever selected to the NFL Hall of Fame.The running back’s impact went far beyond the field, both during his time at Kansas and with the Bears. While with the Bears, Sayers was roommates with Brian Piccolo. The two became the first interracial roommates in the NFL and remained close friends until Piccolo passed away in 1970 of cancer.Sayers, who also served as an assistant athletics director at Kansas from 1972-76, was also inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Minority Athletics Administration Hall of Fame in 2009.--- KU Athletics ---

KU Athletics to unveil Gale Sayers & John Hadl statues on October 3rd

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brady Singer finished his rookie season with a stellar performance, Alex Gordon wrapped up his long Royals career with a fond farewell and Kansas City ended its season Sunday with a 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Adalberto Mondesi and Ryan McBroom homered for the Royals, who finished just above the Tigers in the AL Central in their first season under manager Mike Matheny.

"My regrets are that we have we don't have 100 more games, because with what we are starting to put in place, the building blocks of a winning team, you are starting to see those come together," Matheny said.

The Royals finished the season going 12-6 in an 18-game stretch to end the year, which was one of the best in the AL in that span.

Kansas City (26-34 ) has been fourth in the division in back-to-back seasons. The Royals haven't reached postseason play since winning the World Series in 2015.

Detroit (23-35) finished last for the fourth time in six years. Lloyd McClendon wound up the season as the Tigers' manager after Ron Gardenhire retired on Sept. 19.

"They gave us everything they had every day," McClendon said.

"Some days were better than others, and that happens with young players, but they're learning what preparation is all about and what it takes to get to the next level," he said.

Gordon played the final game of his career and got a touching send-off.

"I grew up as a little kid just wanting to play this game," the 36-year-old Gordon said. "I'm pretty fortunate to do it as long as I have."

After striking out in the first, he took his spot in left field to begin the second. Gordon was then pulled and trotted off, hugging teammates and a Tigers opponent, and waving to his family watching in a private box at Kauffman Stadium.

Gordon retires as one of three players in Royals history to play 14 or more seasons with the franchise. Only Frank White and George Brett had longer tenures in Kansas City. Gordon won seven Gold Gloves.

Singer (4-5) allowed one run, on Brandon Dixon's double, on three hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none.

"In the first inning, I started to struggle there and went in an made a little mechanical adjustment and took off from there," Singer said.

The right-hander turned it around to finish his rookie campaign with a win.

"Brady showed up and did his part today," Matheny said. "It was one of my favorite starts of his because when he showed up after a rough one the last time out, he showed up today and didn't necessarily have his location and he had to figure out a way to get it going."

The Royals bullpen held the Tigers hitless in three innings. Jesse Hahn recorded his third save of the season.

Mondesi hit his sixth home run in the fourth, connecting off Tarik Skubel (1-4) to make it 1-all. McBroom hit a solo homer the next inning.

Mondesi doubled home a run in the eighth, his eighth RBI of the season's final homestand.

Tigers: Open spring training play against Southeastern on Feb. 26 and start big league schedule the next day at the Yankees in Tampa, Florida.

Royals: Start exhibition play against Texas on Feb. 27 at the camp they share in Surprise, Arizona.

Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brady Singer finished his rookie season with a stellar performance, Alex Gordon wrapped up his long Royals career with a fond farewell and Kansas City ended its season Sunday with a 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.Adalberto Mondesi and Ryan McBroom homered for the Royals, who finished just above the Tigers in the AL Central in their first season under manager Mike Matheny."My regrets are that we have we don't have 100 more games, because with what we are starting to put in place, the building blocks of a winning team, you are starting to see those come together," Matheny said.The Royals finished the season going 12-6 in an 18-game stretch to end the year, which was one of the best in the AL in that span.Kansas City (26-34 ) has been fourth in the division in back-to-back seasons. The Royals haven't reached postseason play since winning the World Series in 2015.Detroit (23-35) finished last for the fourth time in six years. Lloyd McClendon wound up the season as the Tigers' manager after Ron Gardenhire retired on Sept. 19."They gave us everything they had every day," McClendon said."Some days were better than others, and that happens with young players, but they're learning what preparation is all about and what it takes to get to the next level," he said.Gordon played the final game of his career and got a touching send-off."I grew up as a little kid just wanting to play this game," the 36-year-old Gordon said. "I'm pretty fortunate to do it as long as I have."After striking out in the first, he took his spot in left field to begin the second. Gordon was then pulled and trotted off, hugging teammates and a Tigers opponent, and waving to his family watching in a private box at Kauffman Stadium.Gordon retires as one of three players in Royals history to play 14 or more seasons with the franchise. Only Frank White and George Brett had longer tenures in Kansas City. Gordon won seven Gold Gloves.Singer (4-5) allowed one run, on Brandon Dixon's double, on three hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none."In the first inning, I started to struggle there and went in an made a little mechanical adjustment and took off from there," Singer said.The right-hander turned it around to finish his rookie campaign with a win."Brady showed up and did his part today," Matheny said. "It was one of my favorite starts of his because when he showed up after a rough one the last time out, he showed up today and didn't necessarily have his location and he had to figure out a way to get it going."The Royals bullpen held the Tigers hitless in three innings. Jesse Hahn recorded his third save of the season.Mondesi hit his sixth home run in the fourth, connecting off Tarik Skubel (1-4) to make it 1-all. McBroom hit a solo homer the next inning.Mondesi doubled home a run in the eighth, his eighth RBI of the season's final homestand.UP NEXTTigers: Open spring training play against Southeastern on Feb. 26 and start big league schedule the next day at the Yankees in Tampa, Florida.Royals: Start exhibition play against Texas on Feb. 27 at the camp they share in Surprise, Arizona.

Royals take down Tigers 3-1 in Gordon's finale

ST. LOUIS -- Harrison Bader tripled and homered to help the St. Louis Cardinals clinch a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season with a 5-2 win over Milwaukee, and the Brewers also earned a playoff spot Sunday via help on the West Coast moments later.

St. Louis (30-28) will be the fifth seed in the NL and open a three-game wild-card series at San Diego on Wednesday. By winning, the Cardinals avoided having to travel to Detroit for two makeup games Monday. St. Louis finished the regular season with 23 games in 18 days as it made up a slew of postponements caused by a coronavirus outbreak in the clubhouse.

"You had to throw some of the expectations out the window not knowing what to expect after taking those couple weeks off and all those doubleheaders and so many new guys," Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. "It was very different, very fulfilling to make the playoffs."

The Brewers (29-31) locked up the eighth seed and a third consecutive postseason berth after the Padres beat San Francisco 5-4 in a game that ended about 15 minutes after St. Louis' victory. The Giants finished with an identical record as the Brewers but lost out on a tiebreaker due to an inferior intradivision record.

"It's fitting for 2020 and everything we went through," Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich said. "It felt just as good as past years. This year's a unique one. There's so many challenges we had to go through on a daily basis behind the scenes, things you don't deal with in a normal year."

Milwaukee will face the top-seeded Dodgers in Los Angeles in a three-game series that also starts Wednesday.

The Brewers haven't had a winning record at any point this season. Milwaukee and Houston will be the first teams ever to qualify for the playoffs with a losing mark.

"It's a celebration," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We're in the playoffs. That's how you see it. There's no reason to apologize for getting into the playoffs."

Cardinals starter Austin Gomber allowed one run, one hit and two walks and struck out three over four innings.

Giovanny Gallegos (2-0), Genesis Cabrera and Alex Reyes combined to pitch the final five innings. Reyes got his first save.

"We'd have been happy getting in as the eight seed," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "We'd have been happy being the one seed, but people can say we got in if there was no expanded playoffs so that's even another feather in this group's cap."

Brett Anderson (4-4) surrendered a triple to Bader and a walk to Tyler O'Neill to start the third inning before departing with a blister on his left index finger. Anderson opened the season on the injured list with a blister on the same finger and did not make his debut until Aug. 3.

Freddy Peralta replaced him a day after being activated from the paternity list, and O'Neill promptly stole second. Kolten Wong then hit a line drive off Peralta's leg that Peralta threw into right field to score Bader and O'Neill.

Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong each added RBI singles to push the St. Louis lead to 4-0.

After Milwaukee scored in the top of the fifth, Bader hit his fifth home run of the season.

"That was a big counterpunch," Shildt said of Bader. "Got them on their heels again."

Yadier Molina grounded into a triple play in the eighth inning when he hit a one hop grounder to Jace Peterson at third base in the eighth inning. It was Milwaukee's first triple play since Sept. 23, 2016, when Cincinnati's Joey Votto lined out to first base. Molina was also the last Cardinals player to hit into a triple play when he grounded out to third base at Boston on Aug. 15, 2017.

Brewers: Counsell said it was too early to prognosticate Anderson's status after departing with the blister.

Cardinals: St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced that RHP Dakota Hudson will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Monday. Hudson went 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA in eight starts before leaving his start on Sept. 17 at Pittsburgh with right elbow discomfort after two innings.

Brewers: The Brewers head to Los Angeles and will likely be without two of their top starters in Anderson and Corbin Burnes, who sustained a left oblique injury on Thursday.

Cardinals: This will be the fourth postseason series between St. Louis and San Diego, who faced each other in 1996, 2005, and 2006 in the Division Series.

Associated PressST. LOUIS -- Harrison Bader tripled and homered to help the St. Louis Cardinals clinch a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season with a 5-2 win over Milwaukee, and the Brewers also earned a playoff spot Sunday via help on the West Coast moments later.St. Louis (30-28) will be the fifth seed in the NL and open a three-game wild-card series at San Diego on Wednesday. By winning, the Cardinals avoided having to travel to Detroit for two makeup games Monday. St. Louis finished the regular season with 23 games in 18 days as it made up a slew of postponements caused by a coronavirus outbreak in the clubhouse."You had to throw some of the expectations out the window not knowing what to expect after taking those couple weeks off and all those doubleheaders and so many new guys," Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. "It was very different, very fulfilling to make the playoffs."The Brewers (29-31) locked up the eighth seed and a third consecutive postseason berth after the Padres beat San Francisco 5-4 in a game that ended about 15 minutes after St. Louis' victory. The Giants finished with an identical record as the Brewers but lost out on a tiebreaker due to an inferior intradivision record."It's fitting for 2020 and everything we went through," Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich said. "It felt just as good as past years. This year's a unique one. There's so many challenges we had to go through on a daily basis behind the scenes, things you don't deal with in a normal year."Milwaukee will face the top-seeded Dodgers in Los Angeles in a three-game series that also starts Wednesday.The Brewers haven't had a winning record at any point this season. Milwaukee and Houston will be the first teams ever to qualify for the playoffs with a losing mark."It's a celebration," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We're in the playoffs. That's how you see it. There's no reason to apologize for getting into the playoffs."Cardinals starter Austin Gomber allowed one run, one hit and two walks and struck out three over four innings.Giovanny Gallegos (2-0), Genesis Cabrera and Alex Reyes combined to pitch the final five innings. Reyes got his first save."We'd have been happy getting in as the eight seed," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "We'd have been happy being the one seed, but people can say we got in if there was no expanded playoffs so that's even another feather in this group's cap."Brett Anderson (4-4) surrendered a triple to Bader and a walk to Tyler O'Neill to start the third inning before departing with a blister on his left index finger. Anderson opened the season on the injured list with a blister on the same finger and did not make his debut until Aug. 3.Freddy Peralta replaced him a day after being activated from the paternity list, and O'Neill promptly stole second. Kolten Wong then hit a line drive off Peralta's leg that Peralta threw into right field to score Bader and O'Neill.Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong each added RBI singles to push the St. Louis lead to 4-0.After Milwaukee scored in the top of the fifth, Bader hit his fifth home run of the season."That was a big counterpunch," Shildt said of Bader. "Got them on their heels again."THREE TIMES THE FUNYadier Molina grounded into a triple play in the eighth inning when he hit a one hop grounder to Jace Peterson at third base in the eighth inning. It was Milwaukee's first triple play since Sept. 23, 2016, when Cincinnati's Joey Votto lined out to first base. Molina was also the last Cardinals player to hit into a triple play when he grounded out to third base at Boston on Aug. 15, 2017.TRAINING ROOMBrewers: Counsell said it was too early to prognosticate Anderson's status after departing with the blister.Cardinals: St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced that RHP Dakota Hudson will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Monday. Hudson went 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA in eight starts before leaving his start on Sept. 17 at Pittsburgh with right elbow discomfort after two innings.UP NEXTBrewers: The Brewers head to Los Angeles and will likely be without two of their top starters in Anderson and Corbin Burnes, who sustained a left oblique injury on Thursday.Cardinals: This will be the fourth postseason series between St. Louis and San Diego, who faced each other in 1996, 2005, and 2006 in the Division Series.

Cardinals earn playoff berth with 5-2 win over Brewers

A strong defensive effort fueled the Benedictine Football's home-opening win Saturday.

The Ravens knocked off the Culver-Stockton College Wildcats 33-9.

The halftime lead was just 6-3 for the Ravens, but both the offense and the defense found the end zone in the second half.

Luke Laskowski somehow found Alex Blake in the back of the end zone in the third quarter, with Blake keeping concentration as the ball passed by two defenders for the second Ravens touchdown of the game.

On the Wildcats first offensive play on the ensuing drive, the Ravens defense forced a fumble that was recovered by Brett Shepardson. The Ravens offense drove in for another touchdown, capped off by a Laskowski bootleg rushing score to move in front 20-3.

Two Garrett Kettle rushes fully swung momentum in the Ravens favor; one to end the third quarter and the other to begin the fourth. The first was for 41 yards, then he opened the fourth quarter with a 17-yard touchdown run.

The Ravens final points came courtesy of the defense. Keon Boulware picked off a Trey Cloud pass in the end zone, then raced the length of the field for a touchdown.

The Wildcats added a touchdown late, but the Ravens had already seized control.

Each team struggled to find a rhythm against the opposing defense in the first half. The Ravens drove to the CSC 2-yard line in the first quarter, but a missed field goal kept the game scoreless through one period of play.

In the second quarter, the Wildcats drove deep inside Ravens territory and converted a short field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

After a Ravens punt, the defense forced the Wildcats to punt as well. The snap sailed over the CSC punter's head, giving the Ravens great field position. Laskowski found Austin Buteaux down the seam for an 8-yard touchdown pass. After a blocked extra point, the Ravens took a 6-3 lead into the halftime break.

CSC was coming off a game in which they controlled the ball. In their win against Evangel last week, the Wildcats ran 36 more plays than Evangel, picking up 17 more first downs. They managed a balanced attack in that game, picking up 257 passing yards and 241 rushing yards. Jordan Grant and Nathan Barnes led the rushing attack, accounting for 142 and 80 yards, respectively.

However, the Ravens held the Wildcats to -4 yards rushing. CSC managed 319 yards through the air, but it took 61 attempts to get there – a 5.22 yards per attempt average. The Ravens had six sacks, with Shepardson in on three and Eli Lilly in on two. Daveon Drayton picked off a Wildcats pass in the first half, too.

The Ravens offense featured 46 rushing yards by Kettle to go along with his 91 passing yards. Laskowski had 107 passing yards and 24 on the ground. Alex Blake caught five balls for 73 yards and Tre Adger had four receptions for 68 yards.

Next up for the Ravens is a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Grand View University on Saturday, Oct. 3.

A strong defensive effort fueled the Benedictine Football's home-opening win Saturday.The Ravens knocked off the Culver-Stockton College Wildcats 33-9.The halftime lead was just 6-3 for the Ravens, but both the offense and the defense found the end zone in the second half.Luke Laskowski somehow found Alex Blake in the back of the end zone in the third quarter, with Blake keeping concentration as the ball passed by two defenders for the second Ravens touchdown of the game.On the Wildcats first offensive play on the ensuing drive, the Ravens defense forced a fumble that was recovered by Brett Shepardson. The Ravens offense drove in for another touchdown, capped off by a Laskowski bootleg rushing score to move in front 20-3.Two Garrett Kettle rushes fully swung momentum in the Ravens favor; one to end the third quarter and the other to begin the fourth. The first was for 41 yards, then he opened the fourth quarter with a 17-yard touchdown run.The Ravens final points came courtesy of the defense. Keon Boulware picked off a Trey Cloud pass in the end zone, then raced the length of the field for a touchdown.The Wildcats added a touchdown late, but the Ravens had already seized control.Each team struggled to find a rhythm against the opposing defense in the first half. The Ravens drove to the CSC 2-yard line in the first quarter, but a missed field goal kept the game scoreless through one period of play.In the second quarter, the Wildcats drove deep inside Ravens territory and converted a short field goal to take a 3-0 lead.After a Ravens punt, the defense forced the Wildcats to punt as well. The snap sailed over the CSC punter's head, giving the Ravens great field position. Laskowski found Austin Buteaux down the seam for an 8-yard touchdown pass. After a blocked extra point, the Ravens took a 6-3 lead into the halftime break.CSC was coming off a game in which they controlled the ball. In their win against Evangel last week, the Wildcats ran 36 more plays than Evangel, picking up 17 more first downs. They managed a balanced attack in that game, picking up 257 passing yards and 241 rushing yards. Jordan Grant and Nathan Barnes led the rushing attack, accounting for 142 and 80 yards, respectively.However, the Ravens held the Wildcats to -4 yards rushing. CSC managed 319 yards through the air, but it took 61 attempts to get there – a 5.22 yards per attempt average. The Ravens had six sacks, with Shepardson in on three and Eli Lilly in on two. Daveon Drayton picked off a Wildcats pass in the first half, too.The Ravens offense featured 46 rushing yards by Kettle to go along with his 91 passing yards. Laskowski had 107 passing yards and 24 on the ground. Alex Blake caught five balls for 73 yards and Tre Adger had four receptions for 68 yards.Next up for the Ravens is a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Grand View University on Saturday, Oct. 3.--- BC Athletics ---

Benedictine takes down Culver-Stockton 33-9 in home opener

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Nick Saban has never lost a season opener while coaching Alabama.

Then again, he'd never had one like this.

Yet despite an offseason largely scrapped by the coronavirus pandemic, and a delayed start to the season, Saban's second-ranked Crimson Tide looked just fine as they began their SEC-only schedule on Saturday night.

Mac Jones threw for 249 yards and two scores in less than three quarters of work, and Jaylen Waddle and Najee Harris had dynamic performances on offense, helping Alabama roll to a 38-19 victory over the rebuilding Tigers.

"I think from a team standpoint, when you play a first game you sort of figure out who you are," Saban said after finally taking off his mask. "You figure out where you and the last thing is, `What do I have to do to get better?' Everybody on our team has a lot of maturity in what they need to do to get better."

Oh, there are areas to improve. The Crimson Tide had a few too many penalties, a few too many breakdowns on defense and they allowed Missouri to finally get its up-tempo offense going against their backups in the fourth quarter.

They still looked every bit a national title contender, though.

Waddle finished with eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Harris ran for 98 yards and three more scores, helping the Crimson Tide spoil the debut of new Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz and win their 27th straight over the SEC East before a COVID-19-curtailed crowd of 11,738 fans at Faurot Field.

TCU transfer Shawn Robinson, who started for the Tigers over Connor Bazelak, threw for 185 yards and a score. Bazelak also got a few series and was equally ineffective against Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II and the rest of the Crimson Tide defense, which kept Drinkwitz's creative offense out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter.

Bazelak added a touchdown scamper on the final play of the game for the final margin.

"I saw a lot of fight. I really did," Drinkwitz said. "I thought those guys answered the bell. I don't think it was an issue of not being good enough at all. I thought our guys fought."

Alabama's long wait to start the season actually began with a thud -- a three-and-out on offense. But after forcing a three-and-out of their own, Jones began to find his wide receivers downfield and the Crimson Tide got rolling.

At one point, the only question was who was going to score their touchdowns.

Harris had the first on a short plunge and Waddle hauled in 18-yarder for the second a few minutes later. Waddle looked like had another on the Tide's ensuing possession, but a review ruled that he hit the pylon before crossing the goal line and Harris wound up poaching the touchdown for his second of the game.

Waddle eventually got his second, too, when he hauled in a spectacular 23-yard grab in double coverage that sent Alabama into the locker room with a 28-3 lead. In fact, the only slip-up to that point for the Tide came at the end of that play, when Waddle's cleats slipped on the asphalt through the end zone and he landed on his rear.

"Waddle is a great player. He gets open -- that's his job -- and he does a great job doing it," Jones said. "We've had a great relationship going back to summer, 7-on-7s, getting that chemistry with him, all the late nights at the indoor. He's going to get open and do his job. He makes plays."

Harris added his third touchdown on a twisting 8-yard run early in the second half, allowing Saban to see what freshman quarterback Bryce Young and the rest of their backups could do. They moved the ball in fits and starts, but it was Missouri that finished the game on a high note with a touchdown on the final play.

"We played very well the first half but the second half we need to finish," said Moses, a Butkus Award finalist two years ago who missed all of last season to an injury. "But it's our first game. We just need to improve."

Missouri defensive backs coach Charlie Harbison was absent because of COVID-19 and defensive quality control analyst Grant O'Brien filled the role. O'Brien also will handle those duties next weekend at Tennessee.

Alabama won its fifth straight against Missouri and has now won 92 straight against unranked foes. Just about all their stars got into the act, too. DeVonta Smith added eight catches for 89 yards, Moses spent most of the night in the Tigers' backfield and Surtain jumped on a fumble to keep things rolling at the start of the second half.

Missouri was overmatched but showed plenty of fight, and Drinkwitz can certainly build on that fact. It hardly helped his cause that the former Appalachian State coach had such a pandemic-altered offseason to install his system, and the kinks were particularly evident when Alabama was pulling away in the first half.

The Crimson Tide play their home opener next Saturday against Texas A&amp;M. Missouri heads to Tennessee.

Associated PressCOLUMBIA, Mo. -- Nick Saban has never lost a season opener while coaching Alabama.Then again, he'd never had one like this.Yet despite an offseason largely scrapped by the coronavirus pandemic, and a delayed start to the season, Saban's second-ranked Crimson Tide looked just fine as they began their SEC-only schedule on Saturday night.Mac Jones threw for 249 yards and two scores in less than three quarters of work, and Jaylen Waddle and Najee Harris had dynamic performances on offense, helping Alabama roll to a 38-19 victory over the rebuilding Tigers."I think from a team standpoint, when you play a first game you sort of figure out who you are," Saban said after finally taking off his mask. "You figure out where you and the last thing is, `What do I have to do to get better?' Everybody on our team has a lot of maturity in what they need to do to get better."Oh, there are areas to improve. The Crimson Tide had a few too many penalties, a few too many breakdowns on defense and they allowed Missouri to finally get its up-tempo offense going against their backups in the fourth quarter.They still looked every bit a national title contender, though.Waddle finished with eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Harris ran for 98 yards and three more scores, helping the Crimson Tide spoil the debut of new Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz and win their 27th straight over the SEC East before a COVID-19-curtailed crowd of 11,738 fans at Faurot Field.TCU transfer Shawn Robinson, who started for the Tigers over Connor Bazelak, threw for 185 yards and a score. Bazelak also got a few series and was equally ineffective against Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II and the rest of the Crimson Tide defense, which kept Drinkwitz's creative offense out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter.Bazelak added a touchdown scamper on the final play of the game for the final margin."I saw a lot of fight. I really did," Drinkwitz said. "I thought those guys answered the bell. I don't think it was an issue of not being good enough at all. I thought our guys fought."Alabama's long wait to start the season actually began with a thud -- a three-and-out on offense. But after forcing a three-and-out of their own, Jones began to find his wide receivers downfield and the Crimson Tide got rolling.At one point, the only question was who was going to score their touchdowns.Harris had the first on a short plunge and Waddle hauled in 18-yarder for the second a few minutes later. Waddle looked like had another on the Tide's ensuing possession, but a review ruled that he hit the pylon before crossing the goal line and Harris wound up poaching the touchdown for his second of the game.Waddle eventually got his second, too, when he hauled in a spectacular 23-yard grab in double coverage that sent Alabama into the locker room with a 28-3 lead. In fact, the only slip-up to that point for the Tide came at the end of that play, when Waddle's cleats slipped on the asphalt through the end zone and he landed on his rear."Waddle is a great player. He gets open -- that's his job -- and he does a great job doing it," Jones said. "We've had a great relationship going back to summer, 7-on-7s, getting that chemistry with him, all the late nights at the indoor. He's going to get open and do his job. He makes plays."Harris added his third touchdown on a twisting 8-yard run early in the second half, allowing Saban to see what freshman quarterback Bryce Young and the rest of their backups could do. They moved the ball in fits and starts, but it was Missouri that finished the game on a high note with a touchdown on the final play."We played very well the first half but the second half we need to finish," said Moses, a Butkus Award finalist two years ago who missed all of last season to an injury. "But it's our first game. We just need to improve."COVID-19Missouri defensive backs coach Charlie Harbison was absent because of COVID-19 and defensive quality control analyst Grant O'Brien filled the role. O'Brien also will handle those duties next weekend at Tennessee.THE TAKEAWAYAlabama won its fifth straight against Missouri and has now won 92 straight against unranked foes. Just about all their stars got into the act, too. DeVonta Smith added eight catches for 89 yards, Moses spent most of the night in the Tigers' backfield and Surtain jumped on a fumble to keep things rolling at the start of the second half.Missouri was overmatched but showed plenty of fight, and Drinkwitz can certainly build on that fact. It hardly helped his cause that the former Appalachian State coach had such a pandemic-altered offseason to install his system, and the kinks were particularly evident when Alabama was pulling away in the first half.UP NEXTThe Crimson Tide play their home opener next Saturday against Texas A&amp;M. Missouri heads to Tennessee.

Mizzou drops season opener to No. 2 Alabama 38-19

NORMAN, Okla. -- A Kansas State squad that lost its opener to Arkansas State two weeks ago, had its roster depleted by COVID-19, and entered Saturday's game against No. 3 Oklahoma as a four-touchdown underdog overcame it all to pull off one of the biggest stunners of the season.

Skylar Thompson passed for 334 yards and ran for three touchdowns, and the Wildcats rallied from 21 points down to beat the third-ranked Sooners 38-35, a 50-yard field goal by Blake Lynch with 4:32 remaining providing the margin of victory.

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn't know until Friday if he'd have enough players available at all position groups to play the game. Turns out, the Wildcats had exactly what they needed.

"You find out a lot about a person and about a team from a challenge and adversity, and this team responded," Thompson said. "I had no doubt going into this game that we were going to have a chance to win just by the way that we handled the last two weeks, the way we practiced, the way we came together and corrected our mistakes."

Freshman Deuce Vaughn caught four passes for 129 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Wildcats. It was Kansas State's first-ever road win against a top-three team in the AP poll.

Kansas State upset Oklahoma 48-41 in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, making the loss especially disappointing for the Sooners. Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats 517 yards to 400 but had four turnovers to none for Kansas State.

"We just made critical errors that gave them a chance," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "Give Chris (Klieman) and Kansas State a lot of credit. When we made errors, he made us pay."

Oklahoma freshman Spencer Rattler passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions.

"He's a young guy in his second start," Riley said. "We're going to continue to build on it and he's going to continue to get better and get coached better as well."

In the opening moments of the second quarter, Rattler threw into traffic and found Drake Stoops for a 32-yard touchdown. It was the first career score for the son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and it gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead.

Thompson's 39-yard touchdown pass to Chabastin Taylor in the second quarter cut Oklahoma's lead to 14-7, but the Sooners answered with Marvin Mims' 9-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half.

Rattler's 53-yard pass to Stoops led to Seth McGowan's 5-yard touchdown run and gave the Sooners a 35-14 lead late in the third quarter.

"We knew when we were down 21 we were just like, we're going to get our chance, we're going to get our shot," Vaughn said. "We're going to see how good we are at battling adversity. That's exactly what we did. When things started to turn our way, we were like we can't get too high. We never got too low. We stayed even-keeled."

Two short rushing touchdowns by Thompson got the Wildcats back in the game.

Kansas State's Nick Allen blocked Reeves Mundschau's punt, and the Wildcats took over at the Oklahoma 38. Vaughn's 38-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats' second offensive play and the critical extra point tied it at 35 with 8:17 to play.

Kansas State's Jahron McPherson intercepted Rattler in the final minute to help close out the win.

"For me, I dream about this all the time," McPherson said. "For me, I was just so happy and happy for my team. I do everything for my team. I was just happy for all of us."

Oklahoma had a regular-season loss each of the four times it has reached the College Football Playoff. The Sooners hope they can bounce back again.

"We're very disappointed, but the resolve is very strong," Riley said. "We know how to respond to a loss around here, and we'll do it, and it's going to take every single one of us."

Kansas State: The Wildcats didn't fold when they fell behind and the defense improved in the second half against Rattler.

"It's a great offense," Klieman said of Oklahoma. "The quarterback's an exceptionally good player. We had to keep trying to pressure him to get him off schedule."

Oklahoma: The defense fell apart much like it has many times in recent years.

"Defensively, it would be some of the busted coverages on the big plays and then a few missed tackles," Riley said. "Give Kansas State credit. Those are tackles they didn't miss. They tackled better than we did."

Thompson reminded his teammates at halftime that they were "overlooked, unappreciated, have been slept on and not given a chance."

Then, he laid out the opportunity in front of them.

"What better position could you ask for right now? I think when I was saying that, looking around you could see it in everybody's eyes, that they believed. That's special. That's special. I don't know how else to put it."

Lynch bounced back from a 1-for-3 effort on field goals against Arkansas State to connect on his career long for the game-winner.

"I wouldn't say it was nerves, but I definitely had some adrenaline," he said.

In the fourth quarter, Kansas State outscored Oklahoma 17-0. The Wildcats gave up 455 yards the first three quarters and 62 yards in the fourth.

Kansas State: Hosts Texas Tech on Saturday.

Oklahoma: Travels to Iowa State on Saturday. The Cyclones beat the Sooners three years ago and nearly upset them last year before falling 42-41.

Associated PressNORMAN, Okla. -- A Kansas State squad that lost its opener to Arkansas State two weeks ago, had its roster depleted by COVID-19, and entered Saturday's game against No. 3 Oklahoma as a four-touchdown underdog overcame it all to pull off one of the biggest stunners of the season.Skylar Thompson passed for 334 yards and ran for three touchdowns, and the Wildcats rallied from 21 points down to beat the third-ranked Sooners 38-35, a 50-yard field goal by Blake Lynch with 4:32 remaining providing the margin of victory.Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn't know until Friday if he'd have enough players available at all position groups to play the game. Turns out, the Wildcats had exactly what they needed."You find out a lot about a person and about a team from a challenge and adversity, and this team responded," Thompson said. "I had no doubt going into this game that we were going to have a chance to win just by the way that we handled the last two weeks, the way we practiced, the way we came together and corrected our mistakes."Freshman Deuce Vaughn caught four passes for 129 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Wildcats. It was Kansas State's first-ever road win against a top-three team in the AP poll.Kansas State upset Oklahoma 48-41 in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, making the loss especially disappointing for the Sooners. Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats 517 yards to 400 but had four turnovers to none for Kansas State."We just made critical errors that gave them a chance," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "Give Chris (Klieman) and Kansas State a lot of credit. When we made errors, he made us pay."Oklahoma freshman Spencer Rattler passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions."He's a young guy in his second start," Riley said. "We're going to continue to build on it and he's going to continue to get better and get coached better as well."In the opening moments of the second quarter, Rattler threw into traffic and found Drake Stoops for a 32-yard touchdown. It was the first career score for the son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and it gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead.Thompson's 39-yard touchdown pass to Chabastin Taylor in the second quarter cut Oklahoma's lead to 14-7, but the Sooners answered with Marvin Mims' 9-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half.Rattler's 53-yard pass to Stoops led to Seth McGowan's 5-yard touchdown run and gave the Sooners a 35-14 lead late in the third quarter."We knew when we were down 21 we were just like, we're going to get our chance, we're going to get our shot," Vaughn said. "We're going to see how good we are at battling adversity. That's exactly what we did. When things started to turn our way, we were like we can't get too high. We never got too low. We stayed even-keeled."Two short rushing touchdowns by Thompson got the Wildcats back in the game.Kansas State's Nick Allen blocked Reeves Mundschau's punt, and the Wildcats took over at the Oklahoma 38. Vaughn's 38-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats' second offensive play and the critical extra point tied it at 35 with 8:17 to play.Kansas State's Jahron McPherson intercepted Rattler in the final minute to help close out the win."For me, I dream about this all the time," McPherson said. "For me, I was just so happy and happy for my team. I do everything for my team. I was just happy for all of us."Oklahoma had a regular-season loss each of the four times it has reached the College Football Playoff. The Sooners hope they can bounce back again."We're very disappointed, but the resolve is very strong," Riley said. "We know how to respond to a loss around here, and we'll do it, and it's going to take every single one of us."THE TAKEAWAYKansas State: The Wildcats didn't fold when they fell behind and the defense improved in the second half against Rattler."It's a great offense," Klieman said of Oklahoma. "The quarterback's an exceptionally good player. We had to keep trying to pressure him to get him off schedule."Oklahoma: The defense fell apart much like it has many times in recent years."Defensively, it would be some of the busted coverages on the big plays and then a few missed tackles," Riley said. "Give Kansas State credit. Those are tackles they didn't miss. They tackled better than we did."QUOTABLEThompson reminded his teammates at halftime that they were "overlooked, unappreciated, have been slept on and not given a chance."Then, he laid out the opportunity in front of them."What better position could you ask for right now? I think when I was saying that, looking around you could see it in everybody's eyes, that they believed. That's special. That's special. I don't know how else to put it."BIG KICKLynch bounced back from a 1-for-3 effort on field goals against Arkansas State to connect on his career long for the game-winner."I wouldn't say it was nerves, but I definitely had some adrenaline," he said.STAT LINESIn the fourth quarter, Kansas State outscored Oklahoma 17-0. The Wildcats gave up 455 yards the first three quarters and 62 yards in the fourth.UP NEXTKansas State: Hosts Texas Tech on Saturday.Oklahoma: Travels to Iowa State on Saturday. The Cyclones beat the Sooners three years ago and nearly upset them last year before falling 42-41.

K-State rallies to stun No. 3 Oklahoma 38-35

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Niko Goodrum and Austin Romine keyed a three-run first inning, and the Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday night.

The Tigers made the third start for Kansas City right-hander Carlos Hernandez one to forget. Detroit got to Hernandez in the first inning on Goodrum's RBI single, and Romine followed with a two-run double.

Willi Castro's RBI single in the second made it 4-1.

"Eric Haase called a great game, Austin Romine called a great game, we played great defense," said Matthew Boyd., who earned the win "We came out hot on a guy that has some really good stuff. It was a good team win."

Hernandez (0-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits.

"They were seeing him very well, and he had trouble. Gordo had a great play, but just one of those nights and use a learning experience," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "The look he gave us this year that make us believe he will have success at this level."

Adalberto Mondesi homered to left in the first inning to get the Royals on the board.

"He's seeing the ball so well, and he had a game plan and took the barrel, and the ball carried for him," Matheny said of Mondesi. "He continues to make us shake our head and wonder if we had a full season what type of year he would've had."

He added an RBI double and scored on a single by Maikel Franco to cut the lead to 4-3 in the third.

Boyd (3-7) pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with three strikeouts for Detroit.

"It was a performance that we certainly needed," Tigers manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He really stepped up and gave us six solid innings because out bullpen was a little thin tonight and also considering that we may have to play Monday, so he did a great job for us."

The Tigers' bullpen tossed three shutout innings. Bryan Garcia pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

The Royals stranded seven men, but their bullpen kept them in the game. Mike Montgomery, Jake Newberry, Josh Staumont, and Tyler Zuber tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three hits.

Mondesi tied a club record by safely reaching base in 11 straight plate appearances with a walk in the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield notched his 150th career double in the seventh inning and is riding a seven-game hitting streak.

Detroit was forced to make defensive adjustments as two starters left the game with injuries. Willi Castro was removed in the second inning with right shoulder tightness. "We are going to have to put him on the IL because we need a player," "We just can't play that thin." Harold Castro was also removed in the fourth with lower back tightness.

Detroit: Jordan Zimmerman (0-0, 9.64) pitches for the Tigers.

Kansas City: The season finale for the Royals was moved up to 12:05 (CT) due to possible inclement weather in the forecast. Brady Singer (3-5, 4.40) will be on the mound for Kansas City and will be aiming to bounce back after allowing a career-high five walks in just three innings against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Niko Goodrum and Austin Romine keyed a three-run first inning, and the Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday night.The Tigers made the third start for Kansas City right-hander Carlos Hernandez one to forget. Detroit got to Hernandez in the first inning on Goodrum's RBI single, and Romine followed with a two-run double.Willi Castro's RBI single in the second made it 4-1."Eric Haase called a great game, Austin Romine called a great game, we played great defense," said Matthew Boyd., who earned the win "We came out hot on a guy that has some really good stuff. It was a good team win."Hernandez (0-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits."They were seeing him very well, and he had trouble. Gordo had a great play, but just one of those nights and use a learning experience," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "The look he gave us this year that make us believe he will have success at this level."Adalberto Mondesi homered to left in the first inning to get the Royals on the board."He's seeing the ball so well, and he had a game plan and took the barrel, and the ball carried for him," Matheny said of Mondesi. "He continues to make us shake our head and wonder if we had a full season what type of year he would've had."He added an RBI double and scored on a single by Maikel Franco to cut the lead to 4-3 in the third.Boyd (3-7) pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with three strikeouts for Detroit."It was a performance that we certainly needed," Tigers manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He really stepped up and gave us six solid innings because out bullpen was a little thin tonight and also considering that we may have to play Monday, so he did a great job for us."The Tigers' bullpen tossed three shutout innings. Bryan Garcia pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season.The Royals stranded seven men, but their bullpen kept them in the game. Mike Montgomery, Jake Newberry, Josh Staumont, and Tyler Zuber tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three hits.ROYALS MILESTONESMondesi tied a club record by safely reaching base in 11 straight plate appearances with a walk in the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield notched his 150th career double in the seventh inning and is riding a seven-game hitting streak.LIMPING TO THE FINISHDetroit was forced to make defensive adjustments as two starters left the game with injuries. Willi Castro was removed in the second inning with right shoulder tightness. "We are going to have to put him on the IL because we need a player," "We just can't play that thin." Harold Castro was also removed in the fourth with lower back tightness.UP NEXTDetroit: Jordan Zimmerman (0-0, 9.64) pitches for the Tigers.Kansas City: The season finale for the Royals was moved up to 12:05 (CT) due to possible inclement weather in the forecast. Brady Singer (3-5, 4.40) will be on the mound for Kansas City and will be aiming to bounce back after allowing a career-high five walks in just three innings against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Royals comes up short against Tigers Saturday 4-3

WACO, Texas -- Trestan Ebner returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards before going 83 yards for another touchdown on a free kick after a safety, and Baylor gave new coach Dave Aranda a win in his long-awaited debut, beating Kansas 47-14 on Saturday night.

Ebner also had a 1-yard TD run and an 18-yard scoring catch as the Bears won their latest opener in 56 years after non-conference games against Louisiana Tech and Houston were called off for COVID-19 reasons.

Aranda, the defensive coordinator for LSU's 15-0 national championship team last season, took over after Matt Rhule was hired by the NFL's Carolina Panthers. It was the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Baylor gave up a 79-yard touchdown drive on the first possession under Aranda, but the defense clamped down while the Bears scored 40 consecutive points to hand the Jayhawks their 50th consecutive loss in a true Big 12 road game.

The school announced a crowd of 11,667, about 25% of McLane Stadium's capacity. The largest clusters of fans were in the student sections behind the Kansas bench.

Ebner started toward the left sideline before sliding to his right and beating everybody to the far sideline, ultimately outrunning kicker Liam Jones for Baylor's first kickoff return for a score since 2013.

After Terrel Bernard sacked Jalon Daniels in the end zone for a 33-7 lead, Jones kicked off from the 20. Going the opposite direction, Ebner started closer to the middle of the field before cutting right and beating everybody to the sideline again.

Ebner, the first Baylor player to return two kicks for touchdowns in the same game, finished with 272 all-purpose yards.

Pooka Williams scored both Kansas touchdowns and finished with 76 yards rushing for the Jayhawks (0-2), who lost to Coastal Carolina for the second consecutive year in their opener two weeks ago.

Kansas: The lowly Jayhawks were showing progress late in Les Miles' first season last year, with competitive losses in tough venues at Texas and Iowa State. But a 61-6 home loss to Baylor was a sour way to go into the offseason, and Kansas has now lost 11 in a row to the Bears and is 0-10 in Waco.

Baylor: It was a quiet 31st consecutive start for quarterback Charlie Brewer, who threw for 142 yards with a touchdown while missing three plays when he limped off after a 1-yard plunge to convert a fourth down in the first half. John Lovett and redshirt freshman Craig Williams had a rushing touchdown apiece as the Bears finished with 203 yards on the ground.

Baylor led the list of teams receiving votes in last week's Top 25, meaning the Bears were basically ranked 26th. So it stands to reason the Bears will enter the poll with an impressive debut for Aranda after finishing with 11 wins under Rhule last season.

Baylor safety Christian Morgan was ejected for targeting on a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on a sliding Jalon Daniels at the end of a run by the quarterback in the first quarter.

Baylor honored Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, who played at Kansas from 1962-64. Sayers died earlier in the week at 77. The "Kansas Comet" had 2,675 yards rushing for the Jayhawks and was the first Division I-A player with a 99-yard touchdown run, in 1963 at Nebraska.

Kansas: No. 15 Oklahoma State at home next Saturday.

Associated PressWACO, Texas -- Trestan Ebner returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards before going 83 yards for another touchdown on a free kick after a safety, and Baylor gave new coach Dave Aranda a win in his long-awaited debut, beating Kansas 47-14 on Saturday night.Ebner also had a 1-yard TD run and an 18-yard scoring catch as the Bears won their latest opener in 56 years after non-conference games against Louisiana Tech and Houston were called off for COVID-19 reasons.Aranda, the defensive coordinator for LSU's 15-0 national championship team last season, took over after Matt Rhule was hired by the NFL's Carolina Panthers. It was the Big 12 opener for both teams.Baylor gave up a 79-yard touchdown drive on the first possession under Aranda, but the defense clamped down while the Bears scored 40 consecutive points to hand the Jayhawks their 50th consecutive loss in a true Big 12 road game.The school announced a crowd of 11,667, about 25% of McLane Stadium's capacity. The largest clusters of fans were in the student sections behind the Kansas bench.Ebner started toward the left sideline before sliding to his right and beating everybody to the far sideline, ultimately outrunning kicker Liam Jones for Baylor's first kickoff return for a score since 2013.After Terrel Bernard sacked Jalon Daniels in the end zone for a 33-7 lead, Jones kicked off from the 20. Going the opposite direction, Ebner started closer to the middle of the field before cutting right and beating everybody to the sideline again.Ebner, the first Baylor player to return two kicks for touchdowns in the same game, finished with 272 all-purpose yards.Pooka Williams scored both Kansas touchdowns and finished with 76 yards rushing for the Jayhawks (0-2), who lost to Coastal Carolina for the second consecutive year in their opener two weeks ago.THE TAKEAWAYKansas: The lowly Jayhawks were showing progress late in Les Miles' first season last year, with competitive losses in tough venues at Texas and Iowa State. But a 61-6 home loss to Baylor was a sour way to go into the offseason, and Kansas has now lost 11 in a row to the Bears and is 0-10 in Waco.Baylor: It was a quiet 31st consecutive start for quarterback Charlie Brewer, who threw for 142 yards with a touchdown while missing three plays when he limped off after a 1-yard plunge to convert a fourth down in the first half. John Lovett and redshirt freshman Craig Williams had a rushing touchdown apiece as the Bears finished with 203 yards on the ground.POLL IMPLICATIONSBaylor led the list of teams receiving votes in last week's Top 25, meaning the Bears were basically ranked 26th. So it stands to reason the Bears will enter the poll with an impressive debut for Aranda after finishing with 11 wins under Rhule last season.TARGETING EJECTIONBaylor safety Christian Morgan was ejected for targeting on a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on a sliding Jalon Daniels at the end of a run by the quarterback in the first quarter.SAYERS TRIBUTEBaylor honored Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, who played at Kansas from 1962-64. Sayers died earlier in the week at 77. The "Kansas Comet" had 2,675 yards rushing for the Jayhawks and was the first Division I-A player with a 99-yard touchdown run, in 1963 at Nebraska.UP NEXTKansas: No. 15 Oklahoma State at home next Saturday.Baylor: At West Virginia next Saturday.

Kansas loses big at Baylor 47-14

ST. LOUIS -- Brandon Woodruff allowed two hits in eight innings and the Milwaukee Brewers kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Saturday night.

Ryan Braun and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth, the third time the Brewers have hit consecutive homers this season.

Woodruff (3-5) retired 19 straight after pitching around leadoff hits in the first and second innings as Milwaukee (29-30) moved within a game of St. Louis (29-28). Both teams are among four NL clubs vying for two open postseason spots. NL Central rival Cincinnati (30-28 entering Saturday) clinched a playoff berth on Friday.

Woodruff struck out 10 and walked one as he beat the Cardinals for the second time this season. He threw a season-high 108 pitches, 73 for strikes.

Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 15 tries.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (5-3) retired the first seven batters he faced before wriggling out of a two-on, one-out jam in the third.

Wainwright wasn't so fortunate in the fourth as Braun drove his second pitch of the inning into the Cardinals' bullpen. Three pitches later, Vogelbach smashed an 89 mph delivery 420 feet into the left-center bleachers to make it 2-0.

Omar Narvaez singled home Orlando Arcia to extend Milwaukee's lead in the seventh. Arcia had four hits, including a pair of doubles.

Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta returned from the paternity list, RHP J.P. Feyereisen returned to the team's alternate training site and LHP Eric Lauer was optioned to the alternate site.

Cardinals: Placed RHP John Gant on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain on Friday and activated RHP Nabil Crismatt from the taxi squad.

Brewers: LHP Brett Anderson (4-3, 4.00 ERA) will start the regular season finale. He is 1-2 with a 2.75 ERA in three career starts against St. Louis.

Cardinals: LHP Austin Gomber (1-1, 1.80 ERA) gets his second straight start after appearing in relief in his first 12 games this season. He threw six shutout innings in a 5-0 win against Kansas City on Tuesday.

Associated PressST. LOUIS -- Brandon Woodruff allowed two hits in eight innings and the Milwaukee Brewers kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Saturday night.Ryan Braun and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth, the third time the Brewers have hit consecutive homers this season.Woodruff (3-5) retired 19 straight after pitching around leadoff hits in the first and second innings as Milwaukee (29-30) moved within a game of St. Louis (29-28). Both teams are among four NL clubs vying for two open postseason spots. NL Central rival Cincinnati (30-28 entering Saturday) clinched a playoff berth on Friday.Woodruff struck out 10 and walked one as he beat the Cardinals for the second time this season. He threw a season-high 108 pitches, 73 for strikes.Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 15 tries.Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (5-3) retired the first seven batters he faced before wriggling out of a two-on, one-out jam in the third.Wainwright wasn't so fortunate in the fourth as Braun drove his second pitch of the inning into the Cardinals' bullpen. Three pitches later, Vogelbach smashed an 89 mph delivery 420 feet into the left-center bleachers to make it 2-0.Omar Narvaez singled home Orlando Arcia to extend Milwaukee's lead in the seventh. Arcia had four hits, including a pair of doubles.TRAINING ROOMBrewers: RHP Freddy Peralta returned from the paternity list, RHP J.P. Feyereisen returned to the team's alternate training site and LHP Eric Lauer was optioned to the alternate site.Cardinals: Placed RHP John Gant on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain on Friday and activated RHP Nabil Crismatt from the taxi squad.UP NEXTBrewers: LHP Brett Anderson (4-3, 4.00 ERA) will start the regular season finale. He is 1-2 with a 2.75 ERA in three career starts against St. Louis.Cardinals: LHP Austin Gomber (1-1, 1.80 ERA) gets his second straight start after appearing in relief in his first 12 games this season. He threw six shutout innings in a 5-0 win against Kansas City on Tuesday.

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