The second half of the Major League baseball season didn't quite open how the St. Louis Cardinals hoped it would, as the Redbirds were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks after falling 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field in their series finale.&nbsp;

Miles Mikolas again struggled on the mound as the Cardinals quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first inning, Corbin Carroll again leading off the inning with a triple before scoring as Geraldo Perdomo reached on a fielders choice, Brendan Donovan attempting to throw Carroll out at home but catcher Yohel Pozo missing the tag.&nbsp; After Josh Naylor walked, a hot target as the trade deadline approaches,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez, hit his 34th home run of the season, a three run blast to left field.&nbsp;

The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the third inning, Victor Scott II leading off the inning with a double and coming home on a single by&nbsp;Iván Herrera, but in the bottom half of the inning the Diamondbacks got the run back for their final score of the game as&nbsp;Suárez hit his second home run of the game, and his 35th of the season, putting him behind only Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge for the most in major league baseball.&nbsp;

St. Louis added one more run in the fifth inning, Brendan Donovan grounding out with the bases loaded after three straight walks, scoring Pozo, to cut the lead to three.&nbsp; The Cardinals though managed just one more run, scoring again in the ninth inning on an RBI double by Jordan Walker, driving in Masyn Winn.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mikolas took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up all five runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Walker was 2-for-3 with the double, a walk, and an RBI.&nbsp; 

St. Louis will now travel to Colorado.&nbsp;&nbsp;Michael McGreevy (1-1, 4.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against former Cardinal Austin Gomber (0-3, 5.65 ERA) for the Rockies.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:40pm with coverage being joined around 7:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe second half of the Major League baseball season didn't quite open how the St. Louis Cardinals hoped it would, as the Redbirds were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks after falling 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field in their series finale.&nbsp;Miles Mikolas again struggled on the mound as the Cardinals quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first inning, Corbin Carroll again leading off the inning with a triple before scoring as Geraldo Perdomo reached on a fielders choice, Brendan Donovan attempting to throw Carroll out at home but catcher Yohel Pozo missing the tag.&nbsp; After Josh Naylor walked, a hot target as the trade deadline approaches,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez, hit his 34th home run of the season, a three run blast to left field.&nbsp;The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the third inning, Victor Scott II leading off the inning with a double and coming home on a single by&nbsp;Iván Herrera, but in the bottom half of the inning the Diamondbacks got the run back for their final score of the game as&nbsp;Suárez hit his second home run of the game, and his 35th of the season, putting him behind only Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge for the most in major league baseball.&nbsp;St. Louis added one more run in the fifth inning, Brendan Donovan grounding out with the bases loaded after three straight walks, scoring Pozo, to cut the lead to three.&nbsp; The Cardinals though managed just one more run, scoring again in the ninth inning on an RBI double by Jordan Walker, driving in Masyn Winn.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mikolas took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching four innings and giving up all five runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Walker was 2-for-3 with the double, a walk, and an RBI.&nbsp; St. Louis will now travel to Colorado.&nbsp;&nbsp;Michael McGreevy (1-1, 4.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against former Cardinal Austin Gomber (0-3, 5.65 ERA) for the Rockies.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:40pm with coverage being joined around 7:30 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cardinals swept by D-Backs to start second half falling 5-3 in finale

The Kansas City Chiefs have rolled into St. Joseph and are ready for Training Camp. 

Chiefs coaches and players reported to St. Joseph throughout the evening today some arriving early tomorrow morning ahead of the 15th Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University 

Chiefs Head coach Andy Reid is happy to be back in St. Joseph

"Missouri Western State University man, we love this place, great place to have Training Camp and we appreciate all the people and the jobs that they do for us here, they roll out the red carpet and take care of us like no other," Reid tells reporters.  "So we appreciate all of that and we look forward to getting this camp going."

Reid says going into this camp, the mindset of the players and coaches doesn't change despite losing the Super Bowl last year

"It stays tough, I mean it's never an easy camp, and it builds you a foundation you can bank on," Reid explains.  "So it's important that the guys come in in the right frame of mind, they know that, and they pass the word down to the young guys that they better be ready to go, so that helps us in the long haul."

The first practice of training camp is on Tuesday for season ticket holders beginning at 9:15.  The first open to the general public will be on Wednesday. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753055985761.jpeg" alt="Andy Reid speaks to the media in front of Scanlon Hall at Missouri Western State University ahead of Chiefs Training Camp beginning on Tuesday/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Andy Reid speaks to the media in front of Scanlon Hall at Missouri Western State University ahead of Chiefs Training Camp beginning on Tuesday/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs have rolled into St. Joseph and are ready for Training Camp. Chiefs coaches and players reported to St. Joseph throughout the evening today some arriving early tomorrow morning ahead of the 15th Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University Chiefs Head coach Andy Reid is happy to be back in St. Joseph"Missouri Western State University man, we love this place, great place to have Training Camp and we appreciate all the people and the jobs that they do for us here, they roll out the red carpet and take care of us like no other," Reid tells reporters. "So we appreciate all of that and we look forward to getting this camp going."Reid says going into this camp, the mindset of the players and coaches doesn't change despite losing the Super Bowl last year"It stays tough, I mean it's never an easy camp, and it builds you a foundation you can bank on," Reid explains. "So it's important that the guys come in in the right frame of mind, they know that, and they pass the word down to the young guys that they better be ready to go, so that helps us in the long haul."The first practice of training camp is on Tuesday for season ticket holders beginning at 9:15. The first open to the general public will be on Wednesday. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs players, coaches arrive in St. Joseph ahead of Training Camp

The Kansas City Royals lost their shutout late, giving up four runs in the ninth inning, but still avoided being swept by the Miami Marlins and backing a strong start from Kris Bubic, winning 7-4 on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;

Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning got the scoring started, driving in Bobby Witt Jr after he doubled earlier in the inning with one out.&nbsp; With Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, his single having moved Witt Jr to third, Salvador Perez moved him to third with a ground rule double, before both scored as Jac Caglianone doubled right behind the vetereran catcher to put the Royals up 3-0.&nbsp;

Kansas City added onto their lead with three more runs in the fifth.&nbsp; After Freddy Fermin reached on a fielding error and Kyle Isbel singled, Jonathan India doubling to drive both in.&nbsp; India moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Pasquantino putting the Royals up 6-0 at the end of five.&nbsp;

The final run of insurance was put on the board in the eighth inning, courtesy of the captain, as Perez hit his 15th home run of the season to left field to put the Royals up 7-0 going into the final inning.&nbsp;

Andrew Hoffman came onto pitch in the ninth inning with the big lead, but ran into trouble, despite getting two outs.&nbsp; Hoffman walked&nbsp;Heriberto Hernandez with one out, and then with two outs walked&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez, before&nbsp;Javier Sanoja reached on an error by India to load the bases.&nbsp; With the bases loaded Xavier Edwards singled to drive in Hernandez and&nbsp;Sánchez, and then gave up a double to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez scoring Sanoja and Edwards, prompting the Royals to call on&nbsp;Carlos Estévez for the save.&nbsp;

Estévez did give up a single to Otto Lopez but then got LIam Hicks to flyout to earn his 26th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bubic earned the win, improving to 8-6 on the season, pitching five shutout innings and giving up just three hits while walking one and striking out two.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, the home run, and one RBI.&nbsp; Isbel was 2-for-3 with a walk.&nbsp;

Kansas City will now travel to Chicago to face the Cubs.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31 ERA) will open the series for the Royals against Ryan Brasier (0-0, 1.04 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 7:05pm, pregame coverage will start at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals lost their shutout late, giving up four runs in the ninth inning, but still avoided being swept by the Miami Marlins and backing a strong start from Kris Bubic, winning 7-4 on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning got the scoring started, driving in Bobby Witt Jr after he doubled earlier in the inning with one out.&nbsp; With Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, his single having moved Witt Jr to third, Salvador Perez moved him to third with a ground rule double, before both scored as Jac Caglianone doubled right behind the vetereran catcher to put the Royals up 3-0.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jac drives in a pair! <a href="https://t.co/VqGWW1M4KT">pic.twitter.com/VqGWW1M4KT</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947002540379566171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas City added onto their lead with three more runs in the fifth.&nbsp; After Freddy Fermin reached on a fielding error and Kyle Isbel singled, Jonathan India doubling to drive both in.&nbsp; India moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Pasquantino putting the Royals up 6-0 at the end of five.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Adding on in the 5th. <a href="https://t.co/K7xGhxwLz7">pic.twitter.com/K7xGhxwLz7</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947008481002922356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The final run of insurance was put on the board in the eighth inning, courtesy of the captain, as Perez hit his 15th home run of the season to left field to put the Royals up 7-0 going into the final inning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">There goes that man. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/mxkVdESUTi">pic.twitter.com/mxkVdESUTi</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1947019473422077975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Andrew Hoffman came onto pitch in the ninth inning with the big lead, but ran into trouble, despite getting two outs.&nbsp; Hoffman walked&nbsp;Heriberto Hernandez with one out, and then with two outs walked&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez, before&nbsp;Javier Sanoja reached on an error by India to load the bases.&nbsp; With the bases loaded Xavier Edwards singled to drive in Hernandez and&nbsp;Sánchez, and then gave up a double to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez scoring Sanoja and Edwards, prompting the Royals to call on&nbsp;Carlos Estévez for the save.&nbsp;Estévez did give up a single to Otto Lopez but then got LIam Hicks to flyout to earn his 26th save of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bubic earned the win, improving to 8-6 on the season, pitching five shutout innings and giving up just three hits while walking one and striking out two.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 2-for-4 with a double, the home run, and one RBI.&nbsp; Isbel was 2-for-3 with a walk.&nbsp;Kansas City will now travel to Chicago to face the Cubs.&nbsp; Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31 ERA) will open the series for the Royals against Ryan Brasier (0-0, 1.04 ERA) for the Cubs.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 7:05pm, pregame coverage will start at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals give up runs late, but back strong start from Bubic in 7-4 win over Marlins

The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping one of their young stars on the defensive line for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;

On the day Chiefs players are reporting to St. Joseph for Training Camp, which begins on Tuesday, the Chiefs and defensive end George Karlaftis agreed to a four year contract extension worth $93 million according to multiple reports.&nbsp;

The Chiefs are making sure their top players stay put.&nbsp; The deal comes less than a week after they signed guard Trey Smith to a historic four-year, $94 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid guard in the NFL.

Karlaftis has recorded 115 tackles, 56 QB hits, 24.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 49 games. He's also won two Super Bowls during his tenure in Kansas City.

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs are keeping one of their young stars on the defensive line for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;On the day Chiefs players are reporting to St. Joseph for Training Camp, which begins on Tuesday, the Chiefs and defensive end George Karlaftis agreed to a four year contract extension worth $93 million according to multiple reports.&nbsp;The Chiefs are making sure their top players stay put.&nbsp; The deal comes less than a week after they signed guard Trey Smith to a historic four-year, $94 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid guard in the NFL.Karlaftis has recorded 115 tackles, 56 QB hits, 24.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 49 games. He's also won two Super Bowls during his tenure in Kansas City.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs, Karlaftis agree to four year contract extension

The St. Joseph Mustangs wrapped up their slate of home regular season games by celebrating Christmas in July, beating the Jefferson City Renegades 14-7 on Saturday night at Phil Welch Stadium.&nbsp;

The Mustangs started out the scoring fast and furious, putting up three runs in the first inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart doubled to left driving in Darius Freeman and Jack Mosh for the first two runs of the game, before Luikart scored himself later in the inning on a wild pitch. Behind a strong pitching effort by Benton alum Chris Coy, St. Joseph held that lead, before extending the lead in the third inning.&nbsp;

Four more came across home plate in the third, pinch hitting for Freeman Carter Belton tripled driving in Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall.&nbsp; Continuing his standout day in front of the home crowd, Luikart drove in two more runs, scoring Belton with a two run home run to extend the lead.&nbsp; Later in the inning, after singling and stealing second base, Easton Phillipe scored the final run of the inning on an RBI single by Central alum Logan Miller putting the Mustangs up 7-0.

The Mustangs continued pouring things on in the fourth, five more runs coming in, starting with a solo home run by Gall.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, Phillipe singled to right field driving in two more runs, scoring Mosh and Belton.&nbsp; Miller drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single, bringing home Luikart and Phillipe to put the Mustangs up 12-0 at the end of four innings.&nbsp;

The Renegades put together a rally in the sixth inning, scoring all seven of their runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Karson Durnin singled to center driving in the first two runs, scoring&nbsp;Tyler Towe and Drew Vonder Harr.&nbsp; Durnin later scored with an RBI single by&nbsp;Nolan Laughlin.&nbsp; Reaching on an error,&nbsp;Conner Flieg drove in&nbsp;Brayden Groseclose and advance Laughlin to second, before both Flieg and Laughlin scored on a three run home run for the final score, a shot by&nbsp;Jack Dunn.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Mustangs added the final two runs of insurance in the seventh inning on a two RBI single by Lafayette alum Jayden Little, bringing home Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith and Belton for the final runs of the game.&nbsp;

Lane Chapman earned the win for the Musangs pitching two innings and striking out three while walking two.&nbsp; Coy pitched three innings and gave up one hit while striking out two and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, a stolen base, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Gall was 3-for-6 with a home run and an RBI.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 34-8 on the season and 28-7 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They have one game remaining in the regular season, traveling to Carroll, Iowa to face the Carroll Merchants on Sunday.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 4pm.&nbsp; The Mustangs will be back in St. Joseph on Tuesday for their first playoff game, their opponent is TBD.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Joseph Mustangs wrapped up their slate of home regular season games by celebrating Christmas in July, beating the Jefferson City Renegades 14-7 on Saturday night at Phil Welch Stadium.&nbsp;The Mustangs started out the scoring fast and furious, putting up three runs in the first inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart doubled to left driving in Darius Freeman and Jack Mosh for the first two runs of the game, before Luikart scored himself later in the inning on a wild pitch. Behind a strong pitching effort by Benton alum Chris Coy, St. Joseph held that lead, before extending the lead in the third inning.&nbsp;Four more came across home plate in the third, pinch hitting for Freeman Carter Belton tripled driving in Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall.&nbsp; Continuing his standout day in front of the home crowd, Luikart drove in two more runs, scoring Belton with a two run home run to extend the lead.&nbsp; Later in the inning, after singling and stealing second base, Easton Phillipe scored the final run of the inning on an RBI single by Central alum Logan Miller putting the Mustangs up 7-0.The Mustangs continued pouring things on in the fourth, five more runs coming in, starting with a solo home run by Gall.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, Phillipe singled to right field driving in two more runs, scoring Mosh and Belton.&nbsp; Miller drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single, bringing home Luikart and Phillipe to put the Mustangs up 12-0 at the end of four innings.&nbsp;The Renegades put together a rally in the sixth inning, scoring all seven of their runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Karson Durnin singled to center driving in the first two runs, scoring&nbsp;Tyler Towe and Drew Vonder Harr.&nbsp; Durnin later scored with an RBI single by&nbsp;Nolan Laughlin.&nbsp; Reaching on an error,&nbsp;Conner Flieg drove in&nbsp;Brayden Groseclose and advance Laughlin to second, before both Flieg and Laughlin scored on a three run home run for the final score, a shot by&nbsp;Jack Dunn.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Mustangs added the final two runs of insurance in the seventh inning on a two RBI single by Lafayette alum Jayden Little, bringing home Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith and Belton for the final runs of the game.&nbsp;Lane Chapman earned the win for the Musangs pitching two innings and striking out three while walking two.&nbsp; Coy pitched three innings and gave up one hit while striking out two and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Luikart was 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, a stolen base, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Gall was 3-for-6 with a home run and an RBI.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 34-8 on the season and 28-7 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They have one game remaining in the regular season, traveling to Carroll, Iowa to face the Carroll Merchants on Sunday.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 4pm.&nbsp; The Mustangs will be back in St. Joseph on Tuesday for their first playoff game, their opponent is TBD.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Merry Christmas in July: Mustangs win home finale 14-7

The Arizona Diamondbacks offense exploded for nine unanswered runs and was to much to solve for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray as the Redbirds fell to the Diamondbacks 10-1 on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field.&nbsp;

Arizona started the scoring right away in the first inning with three runs as Geraldo Perdomo drove in Corbin Carroll with a single, after Carroll led off the inning with a triple.&nbsp; Perdomo would be out in the next at bat when Lourdes Gurriel Jr grounded into a double play, but after Josh Naylor reached first thanks to catchers interference,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez hit his 32nd home run of the season to drive in Naylor and himself.&nbsp;

The lead extended in the second as Alek Thomas scored on an RBI single by Blaze Alexander, after Thomas's lead off double.&nbsp; Perdomo drove in another run with a single as he brough Alexander home for the second run of the inning.&nbsp; &nbsp;Suárez's second home run of the game added to the lead in the third inning, putting the Diamondbacks up 6-0 after three innings.&nbsp;

Another three runs scored in the fourth inning, the first of the runs coming on Carroll's second triple of the game, driving in Alexander who led off the inning with a single.&nbsp; Carroll came home to score in the very next at bat as Perdomo drove in his third run of the game with another RBI single, and Perdomo later scored on a double by Adrian Del Castillo, pushing the Arizona lead to 9-0.&nbsp;

Alec Burleson's 12th home run of the season broke up the shutout in the sixth inning for the lone run by the Cardinals.&nbsp; Arizona added their final run in the bottom of the eighth, again courtesy of Perdomo, this time though on a groundout as Alexander scored.&nbsp;

Gray fell to 9-4 on the season taking the loss pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 11 hits while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Masyn Winn was 3-for-4 on the day.&nbsp; Burleson was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Arizona wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (5-6, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Merrill Kelly (8-5, 3.34 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, coverage will be joined around 3 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe Arizona Diamondbacks offense exploded for nine unanswered runs and was to much to solve for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray as the Redbirds fell to the Diamondbacks 10-1 on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field.&nbsp;Arizona started the scoring right away in the first inning with three runs as Geraldo Perdomo drove in Corbin Carroll with a single, after Carroll led off the inning with a triple.&nbsp; Perdomo would be out in the next at bat when Lourdes Gurriel Jr grounded into a double play, but after Josh Naylor reached first thanks to catchers interference,&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez hit his 32nd home run of the season to drive in Naylor and himself.&nbsp;The lead extended in the second as Alek Thomas scored on an RBI single by Blaze Alexander, after Thomas's lead off double.&nbsp; Perdomo drove in another run with a single as he brough Alexander home for the second run of the inning.&nbsp; &nbsp;Suárez's second home run of the game added to the lead in the third inning, putting the Diamondbacks up 6-0 after three innings.&nbsp;Another three runs scored in the fourth inning, the first of the runs coming on Carroll's second triple of the game, driving in Alexander who led off the inning with a single.&nbsp; Carroll came home to score in the very next at bat as Perdomo drove in his third run of the game with another RBI single, and Perdomo later scored on a double by Adrian Del Castillo, pushing the Arizona lead to 9-0.&nbsp;Alec Burleson's 12th home run of the season broke up the shutout in the sixth inning for the lone run by the Cardinals.&nbsp; Arizona added their final run in the bottom of the eighth, again courtesy of Perdomo, this time though on a groundout as Alexander scored.&nbsp;Gray fell to 9-4 on the season taking the loss pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 11 hits while striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Masyn Winn was 3-for-4 on the day.&nbsp; Burleson was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp;St. Louis and Arizona wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (5-6, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Merrill Kelly (8-5, 3.34 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, coverage will be joined around 3 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

D-Backs offense too much for Gray as Cardinals fall 10-1

The Kansas City Royals struggled against Miami Marlins starter Cal Quantrill before Salvador Perez tied the game in the eighth inning with a solo home run, but the Royals bullpen again blew the tie in the bottom half of the inning and Kansas City fell to the Marlins 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

The Marlins took the lead in the bottom of the first after Xavier Edwards tripled into right field and then scored as Otto Lopez grounded out for the second out of the inning against Royals starter Michael Wacha.&nbsp; After the opening run, both Wacha and Quantrill settled in as they allowed just five hits combined before both left the game after the sixth inning.&nbsp;

After a scoreless seventh, the Royals tied up the game in the eighth inning as Perez led off the inning blasting his 14th home run of the season to centerfield.&nbsp; Kansas City had a chance to take the lead with two outs, after walks to John Rave and Adam Frazier, but Jonathan India flew out to left to end the inning.&nbsp;

Lucas Erceg came on in the bottom half of the inning attempting to hold the tie, but immediately ran into trouble, loading the bases after walking Graham Pauley, giving up a double to Edwards, and intentionally walking&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez.&nbsp; A double from Lopez gave the Marlins the lead, driving in both Pauley and Edwards for the final runs of the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals went 1-2-3 as Anthony Bender earned his third save for the Marlins.&nbsp;

Erceg fell to 4-3 on the season taking the loss, pitching one inning and giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 1-for-3 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp; The Royals had just three hits in the game.

Kansas City and Miami wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.48 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Janson Junk (4-1, 2.68 ERA) for the Marlins. First pitch is at 12:40 with pregame coverage beginning at noon on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals struggled against Miami Marlins starter Cal Quantrill before Salvador Perez tied the game in the eighth inning with a solo home run, but the Royals bullpen again blew the tie in the bottom half of the inning and Kansas City fell to the Marlins 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;The Marlins took the lead in the bottom of the first after Xavier Edwards tripled into right field and then scored as Otto Lopez grounded out for the second out of the inning against Royals starter Michael Wacha.&nbsp; After the opening run, both Wacha and Quantrill settled in as they allowed just five hits combined before both left the game after the sixth inning.&nbsp;After a scoreless seventh, the Royals tied up the game in the eighth inning as Perez led off the inning blasting his 14th home run of the season to centerfield.&nbsp; Kansas City had a chance to take the lead with two outs, after walks to John Rave and Adam Frazier, but Jonathan India flew out to left to end the inning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A Salvy smash ties it up. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/IxuPVDliOd">pic.twitter.com/IxuPVDliOd</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946691049729958185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lucas Erceg came on in the bottom half of the inning attempting to hold the tie, but immediately ran into trouble, loading the bases after walking Graham Pauley, giving up a double to Edwards, and intentionally walking&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez.&nbsp; A double from Lopez gave the Marlins the lead, driving in both Pauley and Edwards for the final runs of the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals went 1-2-3 as Anthony Bender earned his third save for the Marlins.&nbsp;Erceg fell to 4-3 on the season taking the loss, pitching one inning and giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking three.&nbsp; At the plate, Perez was 1-for-3 with the home run and an RBI.&nbsp; The Royals had just three hits in the game.Kansas City and Miami wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.48 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Janson Junk (4-1, 2.68 ERA) for the Marlins. First pitch is at 12:40 with pregame coverage beginning at noon on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bullpen lets game slip away again as Royals fall 3-1 to Marlins

On Friday, top five recruit Jason Crowe Jr. announced his commitment to come to Columbia and play basketball at Missouri, giving the Tigers and head coach Dennis Gates their highest rated recruit in almost a decade.&nbsp;

Crowe never released list, but Kentucky, USC, Texas, and others were in pursuit of one of the top guards in the 2026 class.&nbsp; In fact, for the past few months per reports, Kentucky and USC were believed to be the favorites for Crowe.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crowe's father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and USC made him a priority early in the cycle.

Gates and the Tigers though made a push, a strong push, over the last six weeks, after offering a scholarship to Crowe in June.&nbsp;

"Coach Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people," Crowe said to ESPN. "Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he's high-energy and competitive."

A 6'3" prospect out of Inglewood High School in California, Crowe is considered the number one point guard in the 2026 class and is ranked number four overall in the ESPN Top 100, ranked number five nationally by 247Sports.&nbsp;&nbsp;He becomes Missouri's highest-ranked commitment since Michael Porter Jr. picked the Tigers in the class of 2017 and just the second since Linas Kleiza in the class of 2003.

Crowe leads the Nike EYBL in scoring, averaging 23.6 points in regular-season play, scoring more than 30 points on four separate occasions, making him perhaps the best scorer in the class. A left-handed scoring point guard, he thrives in transition. He has a balanced and controlled jumper, whether he's shooting off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations. 

Crowe possesses an uncanny ability to blow past defenders and complements it with a quality midrange game and capable shooting from deep. He also converts well from the free throw line and gets there frequently.&nbsp; His passing vision is noticeable off his penetration and his ball-screen reads are strong, even though he can get loose and casual with the ball at times.

Crowe is the first commitment in Missouri's 2026 class, although the Tigers are also in pursuit of fellow five-star prospect Toni Bryant.

-ESPN's&nbsp;Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi contributed to this report

By MATT PIKEOn Friday, top five recruit Jason Crowe Jr. announced his commitment to come to Columbia and play basketball at Missouri, giving the Tigers and head coach Dennis Gates their highest rated recruit in almost a decade.&nbsp;Crowe never released list, but Kentucky, USC, Texas, and others were in pursuit of one of the top guards in the 2026 class.&nbsp; In fact, for the past few months per reports, Kentucky and USC were believed to be the favorites for Crowe.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crowe's father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and USC made him a priority early in the cycle.Gates and the Tigers though made a push, a strong push, over the last six weeks, after offering a scholarship to Crowe in June.&nbsp;"Coach Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people," Crowe said to ESPN. "Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he's high-energy and competitive."A 6'3" prospect out of Inglewood High School in California, Crowe is considered the number one point guard in the 2026 class and is ranked number four overall in the ESPN Top 100, ranked number five nationally by 247Sports.&nbsp;&nbsp;He becomes Missouri's highest-ranked commitment since Michael Porter Jr. picked the Tigers in the class of 2017 and just the second since Linas Kleiza in the class of 2003.Crowe leads the Nike EYBL in scoring, averaging 23.6 points in regular-season play, scoring more than 30 points on four separate occasions, making him perhaps the best scorer in the class. A left-handed scoring point guard, he thrives in transition. He has a balanced and controlled jumper, whether he's shooting off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations. Crowe possesses an uncanny ability to blow past defenders and complements it with a quality midrange game and capable shooting from deep. He also converts well from the free throw line and gets there frequently.&nbsp; His passing vision is noticeable off his penetration and his ball-screen reads are strong, even though he can get loose and casual with the ball at times.Crowe is the first commitment in Missouri's 2026 class, although the Tigers are also in pursuit of fellow five-star prospect Toni Bryant.-ESPN's&nbsp;Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi contributed to this reportYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mizzou men's basketball gets highest rated recruit in almost a decade

The St. Louis Cardinals scored runs late attempting to make a rally from being down big, avoiding a shutout, but still falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the second half of the MLB season 7-3 on the road at Chase Field.&nbsp;

It didn't take long for the Cardinals to fall behind as they were down 5-0 after three innings.&nbsp; In the second inning, with two on and two outs,&nbsp;Jose Herrera singled home&nbsp;Adrian Del Castillo for the first run of the game.&nbsp; After Corbin Carroll walked to load the bases,&nbsp;Geraldo Perdomo hit a two RBI single to extend the lead driving in Alek Thomas and Herrera.&nbsp; In the third, Del Castillo brought home Josh Naylor, after his leadoff walk, with an RBI single.&nbsp; With one out, Thomas grounded out to Masyn Winn, but brought home&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez.&nbsp;

The Diamondbacks extended their lead in the fifth, an RBI double from Blaze Alexander driving in Del Castillo.&nbsp; Then in the seventh inning, Arizona added their final run of the game as Del Castillo grounded into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded, driving in&nbsp;Lourdes Gurriel Jr. putting the Diamondbacks up 7-0.&nbsp;

With a loss seeming more and more likely, the Cardinals were determined to avoid a shutout, Winn scoring the first run of the game after his leadoff single in the ninth on an RBI single by&nbsp;Pedro Pagés, Winn having advanced to second on a groundout by Jordan Walker.&nbsp; The final two runs for the Redbirds came on one swing as Victor Scott II hit a two run home run to right field.&nbsp;

Andre Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-6 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up six runs, five earned, on nine hits while walking two and striking out three.&nbsp; At the plate, Pagés was 2-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp; Winn was also 2-for-4 on the day, while Scott II was 1-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Arizona continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Ryne Nelson (5-2, 3.68 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15, coverage will be joined around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Louis Cardinals scored runs late attempting to make a rally from being down big, avoiding a shutout, but still falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the second half of the MLB season 7-3 on the road at Chase Field.&nbsp;It didn't take long for the Cardinals to fall behind as they were down 5-0 after three innings.&nbsp; In the second inning, with two on and two outs,&nbsp;Jose Herrera singled home&nbsp;Adrian Del Castillo for the first run of the game.&nbsp; After Corbin Carroll walked to load the bases,&nbsp;Geraldo Perdomo hit a two RBI single to extend the lead driving in Alek Thomas and Herrera.&nbsp; In the third, Del Castillo brought home Josh Naylor, after his leadoff walk, with an RBI single.&nbsp; With one out, Thomas grounded out to Masyn Winn, but brought home&nbsp;Eugenio Suárez.&nbsp;The Diamondbacks extended their lead in the fifth, an RBI double from Blaze Alexander driving in Del Castillo.&nbsp; Then in the seventh inning, Arizona added their final run of the game as Del Castillo grounded into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded, driving in&nbsp;Lourdes Gurriel Jr. putting the Diamondbacks up 7-0.&nbsp;With a loss seeming more and more likely, the Cardinals were determined to avoid a shutout, Winn scoring the first run of the game after his leadoff single in the ninth on an RBI single by&nbsp;Pedro Pagés, Winn having advanced to second on a groundout by Jordan Walker.&nbsp; The final two runs for the Redbirds came on one swing as Victor Scott II hit a two run home run to right field.&nbsp;Andre Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-6 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up six runs, five earned, on nine hits while walking two and striking out three.&nbsp; At the plate, Pagés was 2-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp; Winn was also 2-for-4 on the day, while Scott II was 1-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;St. Louis and Arizona continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Ryne Nelson (5-2, 3.68 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15, coverage will be joined around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cards avoid shutout but fall 7-3 to D-Backs as second half opens

With the end of the regular season on the horizon, the St. Joseph Mustangs returned to Phil Welch Stadium on Friday for the first of their final two home games before the playoffs, and topped the Clarinda A's 11-7 in the penultimate home regular season matchup.

That wasn't before the Mustangs fell behind though, after the A's scored four runs in the top of the second inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cooper Knight singled to score the opening run as Kane Wilson raced home and scored on a throwing error by right fielder Trevor McCollum.&nbsp; Knight, having advanced to second on the throw by McCollum, was driven in on a single by&nbsp;Tayvon Homolar, and later in the inning it was Homolar scoring on a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau.&nbsp; The final run scored with a groundout by&nbsp;Colin Linteo that brought home&nbsp;Joey Caruso.

Trailing 4-0, the Mustangs cut into the lead in the bottom half, but scored just one run, Lafayette alum Jayden Little hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Easton Phillipe, putting St. Joseph down by three before the script flipped itself in the fifth inning, with Clarinda scoring just one run, and the Mustangs working their way back to tie up the game.&nbsp;

The A's extended their lead on a bases loaded hit by pitch, Knight getting hit by the pitch by Sam Pitts, before St. Joseph scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half, McCollum started the scoring with an RBI single, driving in Little with the bases loaded, and as the Mustangs moved station to station Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart added another run being hit by a pitch, scoring Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Trailing by two runs, Dom Felix delivered the tying blow with a two RBI single, bringing home Darius Freeman and McCollum.&nbsp;

In the sixth, the Mustangs blew the door open to take the lead.&nbsp; After Bodenhausen reached first on a fielders choice, scoring Little thanks to a throwing error by the catcher Pourciau, Luikart drove in two more runs with a single, bringing home Carter Belton and Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Phillipe added the final two runs with another two run single, driving in McCollum and Luikart, putting the Mustangs up 10-5.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The A's added one more run in the seventh inning, Wilson reaching on a fielders choice and scoring&nbsp;Layth Holliday, but in the bottom half of the inning the Mustangs got the run back, scoring their final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Freeman that drove in Little.&nbsp; Clarinda scored their final run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by&nbsp;Micah Nicholson that brought home Linteo.

Pitts earned the win, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Phillipe was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBIs.&nbsp; McCollum was also 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and one RBI.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 33-8 on the season and 27-7 in the MINK league with two games remaining in the regular season.&nbsp; They host the Jefferson City Renegades in their home regular season finale tomorrow at Phil Welch Stadium with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEWith the end of the regular season on the horizon, the St. Joseph Mustangs returned to Phil Welch Stadium on Friday for the first of their final two home games before the playoffs, and topped the Clarinda A's 11-7 in the penultimate home regular season matchup.That wasn't before the Mustangs fell behind though, after the A's scored four runs in the top of the second inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cooper Knight singled to score the opening run as Kane Wilson raced home and scored on a throwing error by right fielder Trevor McCollum.&nbsp; Knight, having advanced to second on the throw by McCollum, was driven in on a single by&nbsp;Tayvon Homolar, and later in the inning it was Homolar scoring on a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau.&nbsp; The final run scored with a groundout by&nbsp;Colin Linteo that brought home&nbsp;Joey Caruso.Trailing 4-0, the Mustangs cut into the lead in the bottom half, but scored just one run, Lafayette alum Jayden Little hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Easton Phillipe, putting St. Joseph down by three before the script flipped itself in the fifth inning, with Clarinda scoring just one run, and the Mustangs working their way back to tie up the game.&nbsp;The A's extended their lead on a bases loaded hit by pitch, Knight getting hit by the pitch by Sam Pitts, before St. Joseph scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.&nbsp; In the bottom half, McCollum started the scoring with an RBI single, driving in Little with the bases loaded, and as the Mustangs moved station to station Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart added another run being hit by a pitch, scoring Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Trailing by two runs, Dom Felix delivered the tying blow with a two RBI single, bringing home Darius Freeman and McCollum.&nbsp;In the sixth, the Mustangs blew the door open to take the lead.&nbsp; After Bodenhausen reached first on a fielders choice, scoring Little thanks to a throwing error by the catcher Pourciau, Luikart drove in two more runs with a single, bringing home Carter Belton and Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Phillipe added the final two runs with another two run single, driving in McCollum and Luikart, putting the Mustangs up 10-5.&nbsp;&nbsp;The A's added one more run in the seventh inning, Wilson reaching on a fielders choice and scoring&nbsp;Layth Holliday, but in the bottom half of the inning the Mustangs got the run back, scoring their final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Freeman that drove in Little.&nbsp; Clarinda scored their final run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by&nbsp;Micah Nicholson that brought home Linteo.Pitts earned the win, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Phillipe was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBIs.&nbsp; McCollum was also 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and one RBI.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 33-8 on the season and 27-7 in the MINK league with two games remaining in the regular season.&nbsp; They host the Jefferson City Renegades in their home regular season finale tomorrow at Phil Welch Stadium with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two games left now, Mustangs top Clarinda 11-7 in penultimate home matchup

Royals rookie John Rave hit his first two career home runs in Kansas City's opener to the second half of the MLB season, but it would not be enough as Miami's Kyle Stowers also homered twice, and the Marlins beat the Royals 8-7 on a walk off in extra innings.&nbsp;

With Seth Lugo on the mound, one of the hottest pitchers in the Royals rotation before the All Star break, the Marlins got out to an early lead in the first inning with&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez hitting a solo home run, before with a runner on Stowers hit his first home run of the game to extend the lead putting Miami up 3-0 at the end of one inning.&nbsp;

Lugo settled in after the rough first inning, striking out two batters before getting a ground out to end the second inning.&nbsp; But in the third, after Xavier Edwards led the inning off with a double, Edwards scored as Otto Lopez doubled to continue extending the lead for the Marlins.&nbsp; Stowers drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single in the inning that scored Lopez to put Miami up 5-0 by the end of the third inning.&nbsp;

Trailing big entering the fourth, the Royals managed to cut the lead to one run scoring four runs.&nbsp; Back to back singles by Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez led off the inning, and after Jac Caglianone struck out, Nick Loftin got Kansas City on the board with an RBI single driving in Garcia.&nbsp; &nbsp;With runners on first and second, Rave stepped to the plate and hit his first major league home run to right field, scoring both Perez and Loftin, to make the Marlins lead 5-4.&nbsp;

And that is where the lead would stay, at least until the ninth inning, when with one out Rave blasted his second home run of his career to tie up the game, setting up extra innings for the Royals.&nbsp; After Kansas City was unable to add more runs, Lucas Erceg came on and only surrendered a single to Graham Pauley forcing extra innings and sending the game to the 10th inning tied 5-5.&nbsp;

With Jonathan India starting the extra inning at second base, Bobby Witt Jr led the frame off with a single, and stole second base to get into scoring position.&nbsp; With two outs, Adam Frazier pinch hit for Luke Maile, who had come on as a defensive replacement at catcher after Tyler Tolbert pinch ran for Perez, and Frazier gave the Royals what they were looking for when they traded for him, a hit with runners in scoring position, doubling into right field, bringing home India and Witt Jr, to give the Royals a 7-5 lead.&nbsp;

But in the bottom half of the inning, All Star closer&nbsp;Carlos Estévez took the mound, and after getting an out to start the inning gave up a single to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez, driving in Derek Hill who started the inning at second base.&nbsp; Ramírez was replaced by pinch runner&nbsp;Javier Sanoja, but it would not be necessary as with a 1-1 count, Stowers sent the ball sailing into the right field stands for the walk off two run home run.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Estévez took the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season and blowing his sixth save, pitching 1/3 of an inning and giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits.&nbsp; Lugo pitched six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits while striking out five in a no decision.&nbsp; At the plate, Rave was 2-for-4 with the two home runs and four RBIs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City and Miami continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.62 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage begins at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

By MATT PIKERoyals rookie John Rave hit his first two career home runs in Kansas City's opener to the second half of the MLB season, but it would not be enough as Miami's Kyle Stowers also homered twice, and the Marlins beat the Royals 8-7 on a walk off in extra innings.&nbsp;With Seth Lugo on the mound, one of the hottest pitchers in the Royals rotation before the All Star break, the Marlins got out to an early lead in the first inning with&nbsp;Jesús Sánchez hitting a solo home run, before with a runner on Stowers hit his first home run of the game to extend the lead putting Miami up 3-0 at the end of one inning.&nbsp;Lugo settled in after the rough first inning, striking out two batters before getting a ground out to end the second inning.&nbsp; But in the third, after Xavier Edwards led the inning off with a double, Edwards scored as Otto Lopez doubled to continue extending the lead for the Marlins.&nbsp; Stowers drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single in the inning that scored Lopez to put Miami up 5-0 by the end of the third inning.&nbsp;Trailing big entering the fourth, the Royals managed to cut the lead to one run scoring four runs.&nbsp; Back to back singles by Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez led off the inning, and after Jac Caglianone struck out, Nick Loftin got Kansas City on the board with an RBI single driving in Garcia.&nbsp; &nbsp;With runners on first and second, Rave stepped to the plate and hit his first major league home run to right field, scoring both Perez and Loftin, to make the Marlins lead 5-4.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">John Rave’s first career homer brings us within one! <a href="https://t.co/uXbhjEwXvy">pic.twitter.com/uXbhjEwXvy</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946362913255485596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>And that is where the lead would stay, at least until the ninth inning, when with one out Rave blasted his second home run of his career to tie up the game, setting up extra innings for the Royals.&nbsp; After Kansas City was unable to add more runs, Lucas Erceg came on and only surrendered a single to Graham Pauley forcing extra innings and sending the game to the 10th inning tied 5-5.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tie it up, Raver!! <a href="https://t.co/jLLyrPcooQ">pic.twitter.com/jLLyrPcooQ</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946381135761596723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With Jonathan India starting the extra inning at second base, Bobby Witt Jr led the frame off with a single, and stole second base to get into scoring position.&nbsp; With two outs, Adam Frazier pinch hit for Luke Maile, who had come on as a defensive replacement at catcher after Tyler Tolbert pinch ran for Perez, and Frazier gave the Royals what they were looking for when they traded for him, a hit with runners in scoring position, doubling into right field, bringing home India and Witt Jr, to give the Royals a 7-5 lead.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fraz for the lead! <a href="https://t.co/V9dJ8gkDoA">pic.twitter.com/V9dJ8gkDoA</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1946386716916412835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But in the bottom half of the inning, All Star closer&nbsp;Carlos Estévez took the mound, and after getting an out to start the inning gave up a single to&nbsp;Agustín Ramírez, driving in Derek Hill who started the inning at second base.&nbsp; Ramírez was replaced by pinch runner&nbsp;Javier Sanoja, but it would not be necessary as with a 1-1 count, Stowers sent the ball sailing into the right field stands for the walk off two run home run.&nbsp; &nbsp;Estévez took the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season and blowing his sixth save, pitching 1/3 of an inning and giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits.&nbsp; Lugo pitched six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits while striking out five in a no decision.&nbsp; At the plate, Rave was 2-for-4 with the two home runs and four RBIs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City and Miami continue the second half tomorrow.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.62 ERA) for the Marlins.&nbsp; First pitch is at 3:10pm, pregame coverage begins at 2:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Raves first two career homers not enough as Royals fall 8-7 to Marlins

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3g5XoQimsO9J6dWOYrshgS?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

The St. Joseph Mustangs cut the lead to one run in the top of the seventh inning, but a five run bottom half would be their downfall, unable to recover and falling to the Clarinda A's 9-2 on the road in Clarinda, Iowa in their penultimate road game of the regular season.&nbsp;

Clarinda took the early 2-0 lead through the first three innings.&nbsp; In the first, the A's scored the opening run,&nbsp;Kane Wilson grounding out to second baseman Jack Mosh, but still driving in&nbsp;Layth Holliday for the first run of the game.&nbsp; In the third inning, it was Holliday scoring again as he stole home base.

Clarinda held that lead until the seventh inning when the Mustangs scored their first run as Justin George singled home Dom Felix, cutting the lead to one run, but in the bottom half of the inning the A's pulled away with that five run frame.&nbsp; The lead extended when&nbsp;Jake Espeland singled, and a series of errors allowed&nbsp;Colin Linteo to come around and score after his leadoff single.&nbsp; Another single by Holliday drove in Esepeland, while Holliday advanced to second, and then Holliday scored on a fourth consecutive single by&nbsp;Micah Nicholson.

Wilson continued the scoring rally in the seventh with another RBI single, driving in Nicholson and advancing Drake Cobb to second base.&nbsp; Cobb scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Joey Caruso putting the A's up on the Mustangs 7-1.&nbsp; &nbsp;In the eighth, Tyler Gundelfinger grounded out, scoring Lafayette alum Jayden Little for the final run by the Mustangs, but in the bottom half of the inning Clarinda added two more runs with Espeland singling home Linteo, and then scoring an unearned run as Cobb reached first on an error by Gundelfinger.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ian Dittmer took the loss for the Mustangs, despite an effecient start, pitching five innings and giving up two runs on two hits while striking out and walking three batters each.&nbsp; At the plate, Mosh was 3-for-4, while George was 2-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp;

With three games left in the regular season, the Mustangs have clinched home field advantage in the playoffs and are now 32-8 on the season and 26-7 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They return to Phil Welch Stadium on Friday to host Clarinda with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Joseph Mustangs cut the lead to one run in the top of the seventh inning, but a five run bottom half would be their downfall, unable to recover and falling to the Clarinda A's 9-2 on the road in Clarinda, Iowa in their penultimate road game of the regular season.&nbsp;Clarinda took the early 2-0 lead through the first three innings.&nbsp; In the first, the A's scored the opening run,&nbsp;Kane Wilson grounding out to second baseman Jack Mosh, but still driving in&nbsp;Layth Holliday for the first run of the game.&nbsp; In the third inning, it was Holliday scoring again as he stole home base.Clarinda held that lead until the seventh inning when the Mustangs scored their first run as Justin George singled home Dom Felix, cutting the lead to one run, but in the bottom half of the inning the A's pulled away with that five run frame.&nbsp; The lead extended when&nbsp;Jake Espeland singled, and a series of errors allowed&nbsp;Colin Linteo to come around and score after his leadoff single.&nbsp; Another single by Holliday drove in Esepeland, while Holliday advanced to second, and then Holliday scored on a fourth consecutive single by&nbsp;Micah Nicholson.Wilson continued the scoring rally in the seventh with another RBI single, driving in Nicholson and advancing Drake Cobb to second base.&nbsp; Cobb scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Joey Caruso putting the A's up on the Mustangs 7-1.&nbsp; &nbsp;In the eighth, Tyler Gundelfinger grounded out, scoring Lafayette alum Jayden Little for the final run by the Mustangs, but in the bottom half of the inning Clarinda added two more runs with Espeland singling home Linteo, and then scoring an unearned run as Cobb reached first on an error by Gundelfinger.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ian Dittmer took the loss for the Mustangs, despite an effecient start, pitching five innings and giving up two runs on two hits while striking out and walking three batters each.&nbsp; At the plate, Mosh was 3-for-4, while George was 2-for-4 with an RBI.&nbsp;With three games left in the regular season, the Mustangs have clinched home field advantage in the playoffs and are now 32-8 on the season and 26-7 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They return to Phil Welch Stadium on Friday to host Clarinda with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mustangs unable to recover after tough seventh, falling 9-2 to Clarinda

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation for his role in a multi car crash during the 2024 offseason.

According to a release from the Dallas County District Attorney's office, Rice pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges,&nbsp; collision involving serious bodily injury, and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.&nbsp;&nbsp;A Dallas district court judge ruled that Rice can serve the jail time at any point during the five-year probationary period. Rice received deferred adjudication, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter, so the case will be dismissed if he completes the probation.

The NFL now can expedite its disciplinary process of Rice, who is likely to receive a multigame suspension at some point during the upcoming 2025 season.&nbsp; Chiefs Insider Matt Derrick reports that the Chiefs are bracing for a suspension of two to four games, but also say that could be optimistic.

"We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review," NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy told Schefter.

Rice, in a statement released Thursday by his attorney, said he is "profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property."

"Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas," Rice said in his statement. "There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole. I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart.

"Last and certainly not least, I am profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property. I fully apologize for the harm I caused to innocent drivers and their families."

Rice and the Chiefs report to St. Joseph for Training Camp on Sunday, ahead of the first practice on Tuesday at the Mosaic Practice Fields on the Campus of Missouri Western State University.

By MATT PIKEKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation for his role in a multi car crash during the 2024 offseason.According to a release from the Dallas County District Attorney's office, Rice pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges,&nbsp; collision involving serious bodily injury, and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.&nbsp;&nbsp;A Dallas district court judge ruled that Rice can serve the jail time at any point during the five-year probationary period. Rice received deferred adjudication, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter, so the case will be dismissed if he completes the probation.The NFL now can expedite its disciplinary process of Rice, who is likely to receive a multigame suspension at some point during the upcoming 2025 season.&nbsp; Chiefs Insider Matt Derrick reports that the Chiefs are bracing for a suspension of two to four games, but also say that could be optimistic."We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review," NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy told Schefter.Rice, in a statement released Thursday by his attorney, said he is "profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property.""Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas," Rice said in his statement. "There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole. I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart."Last and certainly not least, I am profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property. I fully apologize for the harm I caused to innocent drivers and their families."Rice and the Chiefs report to St. Joseph for Training Camp on Sunday, ahead of the first practice on Tuesday at the Mosaic Practice Fields on the Campus of Missouri Western State University.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs WR Rice sentenced to jail time, awaits league's punishment

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/69e7jucGU4zu3ac9kjwO0m?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 split a doubleheader in Nevada against the Griffons, winning game one in comeback fashion behind four unanswered runs in the final two innings, winning 5-3, and falling in game two 8-6, after a big second inning by Nevada.&nbsp;

The Mustangs took the lead in the first inning as Darius Freeman hit a solo home run.&nbsp; Northwest Missouri State's Jaren Guck held that lead through his three innings on the mound before being replaced by East Buchanan alum Bronco Whitt in the fourth inning, where Nevada would tie up the game.&nbsp;

In the fourth, the Griffons scored on an RBI double by&nbsp;Bryce Humphrey, driving in&nbsp;Cole Collins.&nbsp; Trouble continued for Whitt in the fifth as Nevada took the lead, a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Griffin DuVall scoring&nbsp;Nick Kaelin, and then extended the lead as&nbsp;Xander Miller came home on an RBI single by&nbsp;Trae Burton that put the Griffons up 3-1.&nbsp;

In the sixth inning, the Mustangs backed Whitt up to at least secure him a no decision, first tying the game with one swing of the bat as Dom Felix doubled driving in Freeman and Trevor McCollum, but then Whitt was set up for the win as St. Joseph took the lead on a ground out by Lafayette alum Jayden Little, scoring Felix.&nbsp; In the final frame, Freeman extended the lead with his second home run of the game.&nbsp;

Whitt earned the win, pitching three innings and giving up three runs on five hits while striking out three.&nbsp; East Buchanan alum Gage Busby earned the save pitching the seventh, giving up two hits.&nbsp; At the plate, Freeman was 4-for-4 in the opener with two home runs, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp; Felix was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

In game two, The Mustangs again took the lead in the first inning, this time scoring four runs right away.&nbsp; Freeman was responsible for getting the scoring started once again, this time with an RBI double, driving in Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall, before Freeman scored on a two run home run by Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart.&nbsp; On a wild pitch, Justin George scored the final run of the frame.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Griffons scored one run in the bottom of the first thanks to a wild pitch from Northwest Missouri State's Andrew Clark, Collins moving to third on the wild pitch, but then scoring on an error by Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith.&nbsp; Nevada blew the doors open in the second inning with a six run frame to take the lead.&nbsp; A bases loaded walk from Clark to&nbsp;Jordan Rowe scored&nbsp;Rhett Hays, and an RBI single from&nbsp;Sam Schmidt drove in&nbsp;Cal Cosens to cut the lead to one.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Griffons took the lead with a two RBI single by&nbsp;Hunter Doyle, bringing home Duvall and Rowe, another run scoring as Schmidt came in from third on an error by Freeman.&nbsp; Doyle scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch from Clark, putting Nevada up on the Mustangs going into the third inning 7-4.

St. Joseph would cut the lead to one run in the fifth inning on RBI singles from Freeman and George, Freeman driving in Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen with Gall being thrown out at home, and George driving in Freeman.&nbsp; In the sixth, Nevada scored their final run as Doyle singled home Humphrey.&nbsp;

Clark took the loss in game two, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up seven runs, five earned, on three hits while striking out three and walking six. At the plate, Freeman again led the way going 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp; Luikart was 1-for-3 with the home run, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 32-7 on the season and 26-6 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They wrap up the road trip on Thursday in Clarinda against the Clarinda A's with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp; St. Joseph will play their final two games of the regular season at home on Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEThe St. Joseph Mustangs split a doubleheader in Nevada against the Griffons, winning game one in comeback fashion behind four unanswered runs in the final two innings, winning 5-3, and falling in game two 8-6, after a big second inning by Nevada.&nbsp;The Mustangs took the lead in the first inning as Darius Freeman hit a solo home run.&nbsp; Northwest Missouri State's Jaren Guck held that lead through his three innings on the mound before being replaced by East Buchanan alum Bronco Whitt in the fourth inning, where Nevada would tie up the game.&nbsp;In the fourth, the Griffons scored on an RBI double by&nbsp;Bryce Humphrey, driving in&nbsp;Cole Collins.&nbsp; Trouble continued for Whitt in the fifth as Nevada took the lead, a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;Griffin DuVall scoring&nbsp;Nick Kaelin, and then extended the lead as&nbsp;Xander Miller came home on an RBI single by&nbsp;Trae Burton that put the Griffons up 3-1.&nbsp;In the sixth inning, the Mustangs backed Whitt up to at least secure him a no decision, first tying the game with one swing of the bat as Dom Felix doubled driving in Freeman and Trevor McCollum, but then Whitt was set up for the win as St. Joseph took the lead on a ground out by Lafayette alum Jayden Little, scoring Felix.&nbsp; In the final frame, Freeman extended the lead with his second home run of the game.&nbsp;Whitt earned the win, pitching three innings and giving up three runs on five hits while striking out three.&nbsp; East Buchanan alum Gage Busby earned the save pitching the seventh, giving up two hits.&nbsp; At the plate, Freeman was 4-for-4 in the opener with two home runs, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp; Felix was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.In game two, The Mustangs again took the lead in the first inning, this time scoring four runs right away.&nbsp; Freeman was responsible for getting the scoring started once again, this time with an RBI double, driving in Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall, before Freeman scored on a two run home run by Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart.&nbsp; On a wild pitch, Justin George scored the final run of the frame.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Griffons scored one run in the bottom of the first thanks to a wild pitch from Northwest Missouri State's Andrew Clark, Collins moving to third on the wild pitch, but then scoring on an error by Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith.&nbsp; Nevada blew the doors open in the second inning with a six run frame to take the lead.&nbsp; A bases loaded walk from Clark to&nbsp;Jordan Rowe scored&nbsp;Rhett Hays, and an RBI single from&nbsp;Sam Schmidt drove in&nbsp;Cal Cosens to cut the lead to one.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Griffons took the lead with a two RBI single by&nbsp;Hunter Doyle, bringing home Duvall and Rowe, another run scoring as Schmidt came in from third on an error by Freeman.&nbsp; Doyle scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch from Clark, putting Nevada up on the Mustangs going into the third inning 7-4.St. Joseph would cut the lead to one run in the fifth inning on RBI singles from Freeman and George, Freeman driving in Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen with Gall being thrown out at home, and George driving in Freeman.&nbsp; In the sixth, Nevada scored their final run as Doyle singled home Humphrey.&nbsp;Clark took the loss in game two, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up seven runs, five earned, on three hits while striking out three and walking six. At the plate, Freeman again led the way going 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp; Luikart was 1-for-3 with the home run, a stolen base, and two RBIs.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 32-7 on the season and 26-6 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They wrap up the road trip on Thursday in Clarinda against the Clarinda A's with first pitch at 7pm.&nbsp; St. Joseph will play their final two games of the regular season at home on Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mustangs take game one, fall in game two splitting doubleheader with Nevada

Trying to add some veteran presence to their bench, the Kansas City Royals traded for a player who did just that for them last season, acquiring Adam Frazier from the Pittsburg Pirates for Cam Devanney ahead of the second half of the season.&nbsp;

While Frazier is certainly not the impactful offense upgrade the Royals will seek as the July 31 Trade Deadline nears, the club has long thought its bench needed a veteran presence to give what the industry likes to call a “professional at-bat”, working the pitch count, working a walk, poking a single the other way, moving runners over or getting them in from third, etc., coming in late in games when needed.

Also notable is that the Royals loved Frazier last year, when he logged just 294 plate appearances and hit .202 for the postseason team but provided invaluable leadership with the hitting group. Several people in and around the organization, including players, had mentioned earlier this year that the clubhouse was missing personalities like Frazier as the team endures its ups and downs during a 162-game season.

Frazier has declined quite a bit from his peak years with the Pirates, but this year he is slashing&nbsp; .255/.318/.336 this year in 262 plate appearances.&nbsp;Plus, he’s hitting .310 with runners on base this season, including batting .289 with runners in scoring position, an area that the Royals have struggled in this year with a .229 team average and a .627 OPS in scoring situations. &nbsp;He can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield.&nbsp;

The Royals had added Devanney to the 40-man roster last week when Mark Canha hit the injured list with a left elbow injury. Devanney hit 18 home runs with a .931 OPS with Triple-A Omaha this year, but he had yet to get in a Major League game. With his primary position being shortstop, he was blocked on the depth chart by Bobby Witt Jr., but Devanney has started to get reps around the field to increase his versatility.

-MLB.com's Anne Rogers contributed to this story

By MATT PIKETrying to add some veteran presence to their bench, the Kansas City Royals traded for a player who did just that for them last season, acquiring Adam Frazier from the Pittsburg Pirates for Cam Devanney ahead of the second half of the season.&nbsp;While Frazier is certainly not the impactful offense upgrade the Royals will seek as the July 31 Trade Deadline nears, the club has long thought its bench needed a veteran presence to give what the industry likes to call a “professional at-bat”, working the pitch count, working a walk, poking a single the other way, moving runners over or getting them in from third, etc., coming in late in games when needed.Also notable is that the Royals loved Frazier last year, when he logged just 294 plate appearances and hit .202 for the postseason team but provided invaluable leadership with the hitting group. Several people in and around the organization, including players, had mentioned earlier this year that the clubhouse was missing personalities like Frazier as the team endures its ups and downs during a 162-game season.Frazier has declined quite a bit from his peak years with the Pirates, but this year he is slashing&nbsp; .255/.318/.336 this year in 262 plate appearances.&nbsp;Plus, he’s hitting .310 with runners on base this season, including batting .289 with runners in scoring position, an area that the Royals have struggled in this year with a .229 team average and a .627 OPS in scoring situations. &nbsp;He can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield.&nbsp;The Royals had added Devanney to the 40-man roster last week when Mark Canha hit the injured list with a left elbow injury. Devanney hit 18 home runs with a .931 OPS with Triple-A Omaha this year, but he had yet to get in a Major League game. With his primary position being shortstop, he was blocked on the depth chart by Bobby Witt Jr., but Devanney has started to get reps around the field to increase his versatility.-MLB.com's Anne Rogers contributed to this storyYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals bring back familiar face trading for Adam Frazier 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/36J47qbPkMAlHbFPSYJd4a?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

After an off day on Monday, the St. Joseph Mustangs were back in action Tuesday on the road in Sedalia in the final week of the MINK league regular season, beating the Bombers 5-1 on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;

The Mustangs gave starting pitcher Cade Perkins the lead in the second inning of the game as Easton Phillipe scored an unearned run as Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen reached first on an error by second baseman Ryan Retone.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall extended the lead with an RBI single, driving in Lafayette alum Jayden Little to give St. Joseph a 2-0 lead.&nbsp;

Sedalia cut the lead to one run in the third inning,&nbsp;Will Muench scoring after&nbsp;Caden Paxton reached on an error by Benton alum Chris Coy.&nbsp; In the fourth inning though, the Mustangs scored two more runs as Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Bodenhausen, before Gall also scored on a sacrifice fly by Dom Felix to put St. Joseph up 4-1 at the end of four innings.&nbsp;

The Mustangs held that 4-1 lead until the sixth inning when they scored their final run of the game on a wild pitch, Bodenhausen scoring the run on the pitch from Dante Johnson.

Perkins earned the win throwing six innings and giving up one run on four hits while striking out five and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI.&nbsp; Luikart was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and an RBI, while Bodenhausen was 0-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases and two runs scored.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 31-6 on the season and 25-5 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They travel to Nevada on Wednesday for a doubleheader, one game being a makeup game that was originally scheduled for June 29th.&nbsp; First pitch from Nevada is at 5pm, with game two at 7pm.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKEAfter an off day on Monday, the St. Joseph Mustangs were back in action Tuesday on the road in Sedalia in the final week of the MINK league regular season, beating the Bombers 5-1 on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;The Mustangs gave starting pitcher Cade Perkins the lead in the second inning of the game as Easton Phillipe scored an unearned run as Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen reached first on an error by second baseman Ryan Retone.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall extended the lead with an RBI single, driving in Lafayette alum Jayden Little to give St. Joseph a 2-0 lead.&nbsp;Sedalia cut the lead to one run in the third inning,&nbsp;Will Muench scoring after&nbsp;Caden Paxton reached on an error by Benton alum Chris Coy.&nbsp; In the fourth inning though, the Mustangs scored two more runs as Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Bodenhausen, before Gall also scored on a sacrifice fly by Dom Felix to put St. Joseph up 4-1 at the end of four innings.&nbsp;The Mustangs held that 4-1 lead until the sixth inning when they scored their final run of the game on a wild pitch, Bodenhausen scoring the run on the pitch from Dante Johnson.Perkins earned the win throwing six innings and giving up one run on four hits while striking out five and walking one.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI.&nbsp; Luikart was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and an RBI, while Bodenhausen was 0-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases and two runs scored.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 31-6 on the season and 25-5 in the MINK league.&nbsp; They travel to Nevada on Wednesday for a doubleheader, one game being a makeup game that was originally scheduled for June 29th.&nbsp; First pitch from Nevada is at 5pm, with game two at 7pm.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mustangs roll through Sedalia with 5-1 win in final week of regular season

With a deadline of 3pm today so he would not have to play on the franchise tag, the Kansas City Chiefs and guard Trey Smith came to terms on a contract extension that will keep the offensive lineman in Kansas City well into the future.&nbsp;

The Chiefs and&nbsp;Smith reached agreement on a four-year, $94 million contract extension, a record-setting deal that makes him the highest-paid interior lineman in league history, sources told ESPN today.&nbsp;&nbsp;Smith's deal includes $70 million guaranteed, the most guaranteed money ever awarded to an NFL guard.

The Chiefs announced their contract agreement with Smith but did not disclose terms.

Smith entered Tuesday as the lone NFL player who was still on the franchise tag, a move the Chiefs made on February 28th to prevent him from reaching free agency. General manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid made the decision, which restricted Smith to a one-year deal worth $23.4 million, so the team could continue to negotiate with him in hopes of signing him to a new contract before the deadline for franchised players to agree to long-term contracts.

Retaining Smith completed the Chiefs' latest revamp of their offensive line, the team's biggest mission this offseason to better support quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Within minutes of the deal's agreement, Mahomes used his X account to post a beaming face with smiling eyes emoji in reaction to Smith's extension.

Smith entered the league in 2021 to help the Chiefs overhaul their offensive line for the first time in the Mahomes era. Although Smith was a second-team All-American in his final season at Tennessee, he was selected in the sixth round because teams were concerned about his medical history. He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs in February 2018. The issue reappeared eight months later, too. But since joining the Chiefs, Smith has been one of their most dependable players.

Smith, who is known for his athleticism and tenacity, has started 80 of 81 games, including the Chiefs' past four postseason runs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752611684086.jpeg" alt="Ahead of the deadline to keep him from playing under the franchise tag this season, the Kansas City Chiefs extended the contract of offensive lineman Trey Smith/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ahead of the deadline to keep him from playing under the franchise tag this season, the Kansas City Chiefs extended the contract of offensive lineman Trey Smith/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEWith a deadline of 3pm today so he would not have to play on the franchise tag, the Kansas City Chiefs and guard Trey Smith came to terms on a contract extension that will keep the offensive lineman in Kansas City well into the future.&nbsp;The Chiefs and&nbsp;Smith reached agreement on a four-year, $94 million contract extension, a record-setting deal that makes him the highest-paid interior lineman in league history, sources told ESPN today.&nbsp;&nbsp;Smith's deal includes $70 million guaranteed, the most guaranteed money ever awarded to an NFL guard.The Chiefs announced their contract agreement with Smith but did not disclose terms.Smith entered Tuesday as the lone NFL player who was still on the franchise tag, a move the Chiefs made on February 28th to prevent him from reaching free agency. General manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid made the decision, which restricted Smith to a one-year deal worth $23.4 million, so the team could continue to negotiate with him in hopes of signing him to a new contract before the deadline for franchised players to agree to long-term contracts.Retaining Smith completed the Chiefs' latest revamp of their offensive line, the team's biggest mission this offseason to better support quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Within minutes of the deal's agreement, Mahomes used his X account to post a beaming face with smiling eyes emoji in reaction to Smith's extension.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">😁&mdash; Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1945181267021963424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Smith entered the league in 2021 to help the Chiefs overhaul their offensive line for the first time in the Mahomes era. Although Smith was a second-team All-American in his final season at Tennessee, he was selected in the sixth round because teams were concerned about his medical history. He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs in February 2018. The issue reappeared eight months later, too. But since joining the Chiefs, Smith has been one of their most dependable players.Smith, who is known for his athleticism and tenacity, has started 80 of 81 games, including the Chiefs' past four postseason runs.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs extend G Trey Smith ahead of Training Camp in St. Joseph

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3eOttaRG217SF9CTJvzHPk?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

A former pitcher with the Mid-Buchanan Dragons, who also spent some time pitching in the summer for the St. Joseph Mustangs, is going pro after Denton Biller was selected with pick 484 in the 16th round to the Baltimore Orioles.&nbsp;

Biller pitched this past season at Johnson County Community College as a redshirt freshman, starting 15 games and going 10-0 with one complete game, striking out 69 batters and posting a 4.20 ERA.&nbsp; With the Mustangs last season, Biller earned All MINK league first team honors.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Biller could join the Orioles organization, or he could opt to stay in college and go to an SEC powerhouse.&nbsp; Last September, Biller committed to Arkansas, a team that was one game shy of making it to the 2025 College World Series championship game.&nbsp; Arkansas had 11 players selected in this year's MLB draft.&nbsp;

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680224436779.jpeg" alt="Denton Biller/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Denton Biller/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostA former pitcher with the Mid-Buchanan Dragons, who also spent some time pitching in the summer for the St. Joseph Mustangs, is going pro after Denton Biller was selected with pick 484 in the 16th round to the Baltimore Orioles.&nbsp;Biller pitched this past season at Johnson County Community College as a redshirt freshman, starting 15 games and going 10-0 with one complete game, striking out 69 batters and posting a 4.20 ERA.&nbsp; With the Mustangs last season, Biller earned All MINK league first team honors.&nbsp;&nbsp;Biller could join the Orioles organization, or he could opt to stay in college and go to an SEC powerhouse.&nbsp; Last September, Biller committed to Arkansas, a team that was one game shy of making it to the 2025 College World Series championship game.&nbsp; Arkansas had 11 players selected in this year's MLB draft.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At pick 484 overall (16th round), the Orioles select Johnson County CC RHP Denton Biller 6&#39;4&quot;. 20 years old. 69 K in 64 IP this season. Arkansas commit. 4 pitch mix with a fastball that gets into the upper-90s. <a href="https://t.co/MU12lHiehR">pic.twitter.com/MU12lHiehR</a>&mdash; The Verge- An Orioles MiLB Podcast (@TheVergePod) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVergePod/status/1944881082467553564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Former Mid-Buchanan pitcher Denton Biller drafted by Orioles

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/00TFtLDPc7hstzG6bhorWz?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 had their eight game winning streak snapped, falling in game one of a doubleheader with the Jefferson City Renegades 4-2, but bouncing back to win game two 12-6.&nbsp;

In the opener to the day of the two seven inning games, the Renegades got to Mustangs starter Aron Harrington, scoring two runs in the first inning as&nbsp;P.J. Green doubled in both runs, driving in&nbsp;Jack Dunn and Braydn O'Neal.&nbsp; Jefferson City extended the lead adding one run in the second on a home run by&nbsp;Will Bachman, and scored their final run in the third inning with an RBI single by&nbsp;Maddox Meier scoring&nbsp;Alex DiGicianto.

Trailing 4-0 entering the fourth the Mustangs scored both their runs, the first coming thanks to a sacrifice fly by Justin George, driving in Trevor McCollum and moving Darius Freeman to third, before Luke Bies singled to score Freeman.&nbsp;

Harrington took the loss pitching 4 1/3 innings and giving up all four runs on five hits, striking out six and walking four.&nbsp; East Buchanan alum Gage Busby pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit, a walk, and striking out one, while Benton alum Chris Coy pitched one inning surrendering a hit with one strikeout.&nbsp; At the plate in game one, Freeman was 2-for-2 with a double, a walk. and a run scored.&nbsp; Easton Phillipe was 2-for-3 with a double.&nbsp;

Things fared much better for the Mustangs in game two, though they did have to come from behind again.&nbsp; But not before they took the lead in the top of the first inning as Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith singled home Freeman for the opening score. In the bottom half of the inning, the Renegades took the lead, first tying the game as&nbsp;O'Neal scored when&nbsp;Drew Vonder Harr.&nbsp;&nbsp;Karson Durnin doubled later in the inning to give them the lead, driving in&nbsp;DiGicianto.

The Renegades extended the lead in the second inning on an&nbsp;O'Neal that scored Green.&nbsp; The Mustangs were able to cut the lead back to one run in the third, Griffith reaching first on an error allowing Jack Mosh to score unearned, but in the bottom half Jefferson City got the run back as&nbsp;Tyler Towe doubled this time, driving in Durnin for the 4-2 lead.&nbsp;

After a scoreless fourth, the Mustangs snatched the lead back with a five run fifth inning, cutting the lead back to one again thanks to Griffith with an RBI single, scoring Mosh, and then tying the game on a single by Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall that brought home Griffith.&nbsp; St. Joseph took the lead thanks to a bases loaded walk to Lafayette alum Jayden Little that scored Phillipe. and extended the lead with a two RBI single by Bies, driving in Coy and Gall for the 7-4 lead.&nbsp;

In the sixth inning, the Mustangs added three more runs, two coming on a single by Coy, scoring Griffith and Mosh, before Coy scored on an RBI single by Little.&nbsp; The Renegades added their final two runs in the bottom half of the inning, the first scoring on an error as&nbsp;Conner Flieg came home, and the final run coming with a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;DiGicianto, driving in Green to trim the lead to 10-6.&nbsp;

In the seventh, St. Joseph scored the final two runs again thanks to a bases loaded walk with Mosh scoring, and Coy reaching on a fielders choice and bringing home Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart.&nbsp;

Landon Reith earned the win in game two pitching five innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 3-for-5 with an RBI.&nbsp; Griffith was 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs while Coy was 1-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.&nbsp;

The Mustangs are now 30-6 on the season and 24-5 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They are off on Monday and are back in action on Tuesday continuing their road trip, taking on the Sedalia Bombers.

By MATT PIKEThe St. Joseph Mustangs had their eight game winning streak snapped, falling in game one of a doubleheader with the Jefferson City Renegades 4-2, but bouncing back to win game two 12-6.&nbsp;In the opener to the day of the two seven inning games, the Renegades got to Mustangs starter Aron Harrington, scoring two runs in the first inning as&nbsp;P.J. Green doubled in both runs, driving in&nbsp;Jack Dunn and Braydn O'Neal.&nbsp; Jefferson City extended the lead adding one run in the second on a home run by&nbsp;Will Bachman, and scored their final run in the third inning with an RBI single by&nbsp;Maddox Meier scoring&nbsp;Alex DiGicianto.Trailing 4-0 entering the fourth the Mustangs scored both their runs, the first coming thanks to a sacrifice fly by Justin George, driving in Trevor McCollum and moving Darius Freeman to third, before Luke Bies singled to score Freeman.&nbsp;Harrington took the loss pitching 4 1/3 innings and giving up all four runs on five hits, striking out six and walking four.&nbsp; East Buchanan alum Gage Busby pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit, a walk, and striking out one, while Benton alum Chris Coy pitched one inning surrendering a hit with one strikeout.&nbsp; At the plate in game one, Freeman was 2-for-2 with a double, a walk. and a run scored.&nbsp; Easton Phillipe was 2-for-3 with a double.&nbsp;Things fared much better for the Mustangs in game two, though they did have to come from behind again.&nbsp; But not before they took the lead in the top of the first inning as Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith singled home Freeman for the opening score. In the bottom half of the inning, the Renegades took the lead, first tying the game as&nbsp;O'Neal scored when&nbsp;Drew Vonder Harr.&nbsp;&nbsp;Karson Durnin doubled later in the inning to give them the lead, driving in&nbsp;DiGicianto.The Renegades extended the lead in the second inning on an&nbsp;O'Neal that scored Green.&nbsp; The Mustangs were able to cut the lead back to one run in the third, Griffith reaching first on an error allowing Jack Mosh to score unearned, but in the bottom half Jefferson City got the run back as&nbsp;Tyler Towe doubled this time, driving in Durnin for the 4-2 lead.&nbsp;After a scoreless fourth, the Mustangs snatched the lead back with a five run fifth inning, cutting the lead back to one again thanks to Griffith with an RBI single, scoring Mosh, and then tying the game on a single by Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall that brought home Griffith.&nbsp; St. Joseph took the lead thanks to a bases loaded walk to Lafayette alum Jayden Little that scored Phillipe. and extended the lead with a two RBI single by Bies, driving in Coy and Gall for the 7-4 lead.&nbsp;In the sixth inning, the Mustangs added three more runs, two coming on a single by Coy, scoring Griffith and Mosh, before Coy scored on an RBI single by Little.&nbsp; The Renegades added their final two runs in the bottom half of the inning, the first scoring on an error as&nbsp;Conner Flieg came home, and the final run coming with a sacrifice fly by&nbsp;DiGicianto, driving in Green to trim the lead to 10-6.&nbsp;In the seventh, St. Joseph scored the final two runs again thanks to a bases loaded walk with Mosh scoring, and Coy reaching on a fielders choice and bringing home Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart.&nbsp;Landon Reith earned the win in game two pitching five innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out five.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 3-for-5 with an RBI.&nbsp; Griffith was 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs while Coy was 1-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.&nbsp;The Mustangs are now 30-6 on the season and 24-5 in the MINK League.&nbsp; They are off on Monday and are back in action on Tuesday continuing their road trip, taking on the Sedalia Bombers.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mustangs split doubleheader with Jefferson City on road

The St. Louis Cardinals avoided being swept by the Atlanta Braves winning 5-4 at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and entered the All Star Break at 51-46 record within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot.

The game was a long one, with&nbsp;two rain delays that totaled 4 hours, 2 minutes.

The Cardinals took the lead in the bottom of the second inning.&nbsp; Masyn Winn led the inning off with a walk, and stole second base, before scoring on a single by Victor Scott II.&nbsp; The Braves though tied it up the next inning, scoring in the third inning, three straight singles by Nick Allen, Jurickson Profar, and Matt Olson, with Olson's hit driving in Allen for the tying run.&nbsp;

The game went into it's first delay in the bottom of the third, once it resumed Atlanta took the lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs again thanks to a Olson, another single driving in Michael Harris II and Profar, just before the game again went into a rain delay.&nbsp; After waiting through the delay, St. Louis stormed back to tie the game again.&nbsp;

Scott II walked to lead off the top of the bottom half of the fifth inning, and with two outs, Alec Burleson singled before Willson Contreras hit the game tying double, dropping it between two defenders, driving in both runners.&nbsp; With the go ahead run in scoring position though, Thomas Sagesse lined out to right field to end the inning.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals took the lead back for the first time since the second inning, as José Fermín hit his first career home run, a two run shot to left field that scored Masyn Winn who led off the inning with a single.&nbsp; Atlanta scored their final run in the next inning, Harris II scoring on a fielding error after leading off the inning with a double.&nbsp;

Gordon Graceffo earned the win in relief, improving to 3-0 on the season, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up one run on one hit while striking out three.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 19th save pitching one inning and giving up one hit, walking one, and striking out one. At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

St. Louis is now off until Friday for the All Star Break.&nbsp; They are back in action on Friday in Arizona against the Diamondbacks.

By MATT PIKEThe St. Louis Cardinals avoided being swept by the Atlanta Braves winning 5-4 at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and entered the All Star Break at 51-46 record within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot.The game was a long one, with&nbsp;two rain delays that totaled 4 hours, 2 minutes.The Cardinals took the lead in the bottom of the second inning.&nbsp; Masyn Winn led the inning off with a walk, and stole second base, before scoring on a single by Victor Scott II.&nbsp; The Braves though tied it up the next inning, scoring in the third inning, three straight singles by Nick Allen, Jurickson Profar, and Matt Olson, with Olson's hit driving in Allen for the tying run.&nbsp;The game went into it's first delay in the bottom of the third, once it resumed Atlanta took the lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs again thanks to a Olson, another single driving in Michael Harris II and Profar, just before the game again went into a rain delay.&nbsp; After waiting through the delay, St. Louis stormed back to tie the game again.&nbsp;Scott II walked to lead off the top of the bottom half of the fifth inning, and with two outs, Alec Burleson singled before Willson Contreras hit the game tying double, dropping it between two defenders, driving in both runners.&nbsp; With the go ahead run in scoring position though, Thomas Sagesse lined out to right field to end the inning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mmmmm drop! <a href="https://t.co/F9N6EmzBo9">pic.twitter.com/F9N6EmzBo9</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1944543729139761652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals took the lead back for the first time since the second inning, as José Fermín hit his first career home run, a two run shot to left field that scored Masyn Winn who led off the inning with a single.&nbsp; Atlanta scored their final run in the next inning, Harris II scoring on a fielding error after leading off the inning with a double.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">First career big league home run for José Fermín! 💥 <a href="https://t.co/sv1KhTe4x7">pic.twitter.com/sv1KhTe4x7</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1944546952290410938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gordon Graceffo earned the win in relief, improving to 3-0 on the season, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up one run on one hit while striking out three.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 19th save pitching one inning and giving up one hit, walking one, and striking out one. At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.St. Louis is now off until Friday for the All Star Break.&nbsp; They are back in action on Friday in Arizona against the Diamondbacks.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;