Sports
Despite Detroit Tigers Tremendous Turnaround, Don't Forget About Kansas City Royals
The Detroit Tigers rightfully enter October as the most intriguing team in this year’s postseason field.
Detroit went from having less than a one percent chance at the playoffs to clinching a wild-card spot in fewer than two months. The club also ended a nine-year postseason drought, which was tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the longest active stretch in the majors.
Set to visit either the Baltimore Orioles or the Houston Astros in the best-of-three wild-card, the Tigers will be an easy team to root for as they prowl toward their first American League pennant in 12 years and their first world championship in 40.
But Detroit’s incredible surge cast an even darker shadow on the most underappreciated team in this year’s playoffs, the Kansas City Royals.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has fittingly garnered tremendous attention amid his MVP-caliber campaign, but he and his teammates have quietly authored one of the best turnarounds in baseball history.
One year after going a franchise-worst-tying 56-106, Kansas City has stacked 85 wins entering Sunday’s regular-season finale. The Royals will visit either Houston or Baltimore in the wild-card round.
Kansas City’s 29-win increase (or 30, pending Sunday’s result) from last year to this season is the largest in the majors. It’s also the largest in franchise history in a full season, surpassing a 20-win jump from 1970 to 1971.
Still not impressed?
MLB research lists the Royals as just the second team to reach the playoffs in a full season following a campaign with at least 100 losses.
Of course, Witt has catalyzed his team’s turnaround, but plenty of other contributors have produced solid seasons that are too impressive to ignore.
Salvador Perez, the lone holdover from Kansas City’s World Series team in 2015, has clubbed 27 home runs with 104 RBIs while putting his pristine mitt to use at catcher and first base.
Vinnie Pasquantino racked up 97 RBIs in 131 games before a broken thumb he suffered on Aug. 29 sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. The slugging first baseman could return if the Royals make a deep playoff run.
Meanwhile, a pair of veteran starting pitchers have looked ageless with Kansas City after signing with the club last December.
Longtime reliever Seth Lugo, 34, has posted the majors’ 10th-lowest starter ERA (3.00) while throwing a career-high 206 2/3 innings in just his third season as a starter. Fellow right-hander Michael Wacha, 33, has logged 166 2/3 frames—the second most over his 12-year career—while pitching to a 3.35 ERA.
As for the younger arms, left-hander Cole Ragans has solidified himself as a budding star during his age-26 season, pairing his 3.14 ERA with 186 1/3 innings pitched.
And manager Matt Quatraro deserves a shoutout, too.
The 50-year-old has guided the Royals’ rise in just his second season as a skipper, keeping the club steady with his “Today” mantra that preaches focusing on the now instead of pondering the past or fretting over the future.
It’s OK if you haven’t been locked in on Kansas City’s turnaround this year. The Royals’ impressive campaign has been mostly concealed by the slew of other storylines within the AL Central, especially in recent weeks.
Detroit’s scintillating run has coincided with Minnesota’s stunning collapse. The Twins went from having a 95.8 percent shot at the postseason on Sept. 2 to dropping completely out of the race on Friday.
Minnesota’s 12-26 record since Aug. 17 is still 1 1/2 games better than the Chicago White Sox, who have perhaps generated the most attention among any team in baseball amid their record-setting 121-loss campaign.
And then there’s the Cleveland Guardians, who rebounded from last year’s third-place finish to capture the AL Central title and the No. 2 playoff seed under first-year manager Stephen Vogt.
Yeah, that’s a lot for one division. I don’t blame you for ignoring Kansas City’s sudden success.
Look, I can’t judge your fandom this October, and I won’t push you to root for a certain team if you’re still deciding. But at the very least, I ask that you appreciate how special the Royals’ season has been while it’s still around.
Sports
D.C. United, with help from Toronto, get in win column
Jul 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson (1) plays the ball against the Toronto FC during the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in Washington.
Baribo’s game-winner came after Toronto’s Jackson Gilman was called for tripping Andre Dozzell in the middle of the penalty box. The call came on a VAR review.
Baribo’s penalty shot was low and inside the left post, out of the reach of Toronto keeper Luka Gavran, who finished with six saves. It was Baribo’s 10th goal this season.
Against his former team, Sean Johnson had six saves as D.C. United (5-5-7, 22 points) snapped a five-match winless streak, which included ties in their previous three games.
D.C. also enhanced its position in the MLS Eastern Conference standings after entering the match holding the bottom rung of the playoff ladder.
Theo Corbeanu scored in the 76th minute for Toronto (3-7-7, 16 points), which also was victimized by an own goal as its winless streak reached 11 games.
D.C. United extended Toronto’s winless streak in Washington to 10 games as well, with the Reds’ last win in D.C. coming in 2016.
D.C. worked for several quality opportunities in the first half before finally cashing in off a corner kick. From the right side, Keisuke Kurokawa sent an in-swinger into the goal area.
Toronto’s Kobe Franklin rose amid a pack of players and inadvertently headed his attempt to clear just inside the left post in the 41st minute.
D.C. United center back Kye Rowles was initially credited with the score before officials switched it to an own goal.
Toronto had difficulty breaking through against Johnson. But after the 37-year-old made two brilliant saves in the second half, the Reds finally cashed in.
The opportunity came after D.C. defender Matti Peltola was called for a foul just outside the penalty box. Walker Zimmerman crossed to Jonathan Osorio, whose header from close range was blocked by Johnson.
But the rebound came to Corbeanu in the middle of the box and his left-footed shot hit the top middle of the net.
It was the first goal for the Reds after playing two scoreless draws following the World Cup pause.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alan Roden provides only runs in Twins' low-scoring defeat of A's
Jul 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) throws to the Athletics in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Alan Roden delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning, and that was all the Minnesota Twins needed for a 2-0 win over the Athletics on Saturday evening in Minneapolis.
Ryan Kreidler doubled and stole a base for Minnesota, which evened the series at one win apiece. The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Jeff McNeil accounted for two of the Athletics’ three hits with a pair of doubles.
Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers (6-3) earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. Rogers followed starter Kendrys Rojas, who allowed one hit in four scoreless innings.
Athletics right-hander Mason Barnett (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez fired a scoreless ninth to pick up his 13th save.
After five scoreless innings, Minnesota had runners on second and third with one out in the sixth when Barnett got Victor Caratini to pop out to shallow left field for the second out of the inning.
Roden stepped to the plate and delivered a two-out, two-run single to right field. He pumped his fist as his line-drive hit found an opening between first and second base and allowed Josh Bell and Royce Lewis to score standing up.
The Athletics tried to mount a comeback in the top of the eighth.
Twins reliever Andrew Morris walked the leadoff hitter, Lawrence Butler. Morris snared a one-hop comebacker by Jacob Wilson in the next at-bat and wheeled toward second base to try to start a double play, but his throw sailed wide into right-center field.
Morris’ throwing error put runners at second and third with nobody out. He settled down after a visit from Twins pitching coach Pete Maki and retired the next three batters by striking out Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom and getting Jonah Heim to ground out to short.
That proved to be the Athletics’ last chance to tie or take the lead as they went down 1-2-3 in the ninth, finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven on base.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Hunter Brown in control, Astros down White Sox for 5th straight
Jul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Hunter Brown allowed two hits over seven shutout innings and Isaac Paredes drove in three runs to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-1 win over the host Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Jeremy Pena was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Paredes 2-for 4 for the Astros, who have won five straight, including the first two of the three-game weekend series.
The White Sox, who managed five hits, have lost three of their last four.
They threatened in the eighth with runners on second and third and two out, but reliever Bennett Sousa replaced Bryan Abreu and got pinch hitter Randall Grichuk on a pop up to first.
After Colson Montgomery’s RBI single in the ninth, Josh Hader came in to get the last two outs for his 12th save.
Brown (2-1) finished strong, setting down 12 consecutive batters from the fourth through seventh innings. The right-hander did not walk a batter and struck out seven as he fired 60 strikes in 90 pitches.
Chicago starter Sean Burke (7-5) surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings with a walk and 10 strikeouts.
It was a 0-0 pitcher’s duel through five with Burke also retiring 12 in a row, from the second through the fifth, but heading for trouble.
The streak was broken when Burke hit Cam Smith leading off the sixth. Pena’s single and a walk to Yordan Alvarez loaded the bases. Paredes then grounded a single to right that got past right fielder Braden Montgomery for an error that also allowed Alvarez to score, for a 3-0 Houston lead, and Paredes to reach third.
Burke then limited the damage by getting Jose Altuve on a groundout and striking out LaMonte Wade Jr. and Christian Walker.
Paredes added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 4-0.
White Sox left fielder Sam Antonnaci robbed Paredes, who was leading off the fourth, of a likely home run with a leaping catch of Paredes’ long drive by pulling the ball in just above the fence.
–Field Level Media
