Sports
Royals throttle Cards but see Bobby Witt Jr. exit game
Jun 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Bobby Witt Jr. homered and was one of seven Kansas City players with at least two hits — but later exited with right knee discomfort — while Salvador Perez’s solo shot made him the all-time home run leader at Kauffman Stadium as the host Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 14-6 on Thursday night.
The star shortstop injured himself going into the hole to field Jordan Walker’s RBI infield single in the fourth. Witt finished the inning but was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the frame.
Witt’s departure overshadowed a potent night for the Royals, who set season highs for runs and hits (17), while posting eight doubles, including a club-record five during their six-run second inning.
Meanwhile, Perez had three hits and his 137th homer at home — a 385-foot shot to left in the sixth inning — broke George Brett’s record to give Kansas City a 12-4 lead. Starling Marte also had three hits and Jac Caglianone clubbed a two-run homer for Kansas City, now 2-2 versus St. Louis this season.
Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt each had three hits while Jose Fermin added two with two RBIs for the Cardinals, who recorded 13 hits but stranded 15 runners.
St. Louis wasted no time getting to the Royals’ Noah Cameron (4-4) in the first. Wetherholt singled, advanced when Ivan Herrera walked, and scored on Walker’s grounder that went under Witt’s glove. A walk to ex-Royal Nelson Velazquez loaded the bases, then Alec Burleson delivered a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the first, Witt sent a Matthew Liberatore pitch over the left field wall.
Perez opened the Royals’ second with a double off the right field wall. Kansas City then went ahead after RBI doubles from Carter Jensen and Isaac Collins, who scored when Velazquez dropped Michael Massey’s fly ball to left. A run-scoring double from Lane Thomas and Witt’s RBI hit followed.
Marte’s double down the right field line scored Witt for a 7-2 Royals lead and chased Liberatore (3-4), who was charged with seven runs — five earned — over 1 2/3 innings.
The Royals scored four more in the fourth. After Caglianone’s homer with a man on, Nick Loftin’s two-run double made it 11-3.
Cameron allowed four runs — three earned — and eight hits with two walks, while striking out six in five innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kerry Carpenter's double propels Tigers past White Sox
Jun 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Kerry Carpenter had a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and the host Detroit Tigers held on for a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
Matt Vierling hit a two-run homer and Dillon Dingler supplied three hits and scored two runs for the Tigers.
Detroit ace Tarik Skubal allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Skubal, who recorded eight strikeouts, was making his second start since undergoing a surgical procedure on his pitching elbow.
Drew Anderson (3-3) struck out three in 1 1/3 innings of relief to get the win. Kenley Jensen pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Junior Perez had the first two hits of his career, including a solo homer, for the White Sox. Randal Grichuk also homered.
Erick Fedde (2-6) gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings for Chicago, striking out four and walking one.
Grichuk, the second batter of the game, drove a 1-2 changeup over the left-field wall to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. The Tigers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Dingler smacked a single before Vierling drove a Brandon Eisert fastball over the left-center-field wall. Eisert was used as an opener, allowing the two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Kevin McGonigle led off the bottom of the third with a double, but Fedde retired the next three batters to leave him stranded.
Chicago pushed across a run in the fifth to tie the score.
Sam Antonacci and Luisangel Acuna led off with singles to put runners on the corners. Tristan Peters hit into a fielder’s choice as Antonacci scored. Miguel Vargas singled and Grichuk walked to load the bases. Peters was thrown out at home on Chase Meidroth’s groundout and Colson Montgomery struck out, leaving the score at 2-all.
Perez gave the White Sox the lead on his breakthrough homer with one out in the sixth. He drove a Skubal changeup over the left-center-field wall.
Detroit regained the lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the frame. Dingler led off with a single and Riley Greene drew a one-out walk. With two down, Carpenter blooped a double to center to bring in both runners
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Big 12 is not ready to close the book on the Brendan Sorsby case, even after the Texas Tech quarterback moved to leave college football behind.
The conference’s presidents and chancellors have not withdrawn the federal lawsuit filed earlier this week, with lingering questions about Sorsby’s NFL future and whether Texas Tech could still face consequences from the legal fight, a Big 12 source told ESPN. The league’s board of directors is expected to meet early next week to discuss its options.
“We don’t know the answer to those questions,” the source said. “We haven’t done anything different at this point. We’re going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active.”
The Big 12 filed suit Monday in the Northern District of Texas, looking for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief that would allow the conference to use its bylaws to potentially discipline Sorsby. Hours later, Sorsby moved toward the NFL supplemental draft and dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, a step needed for him to be declared ineligible in college by Monday’s deadline.
Sorsby admitted to violating NCAA rules by placing thousands of bets, including 40 on Indiana football while he was on the Hoosiers’ roster. The NFL still has to approve his application for the supplemental draft, which has not produced a selected player since 2019.
The Big 12 could also revisit whether Texas Tech should be responsible for the costs associated with the dispute. One Big 12 athletic director said the issue is less about punishment and more about whether the entire league should absorb legal fees from a case that other schools did not start..
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brazil's Raphinha (leg) departs match vs. Haiti
June 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.; Brazil’s Raphinha in action with Haiti’s Martin Experience. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Brazil attacker Raphinha departed in the 40th minute of Friday night’s World Cup Group C clash against Haiti in Philadelphia with an apparent leg injury.
The 29-year-old FC Barcelona winger was making his second start of the tournament for manager Carlo Ancelotti after going the full 90 in a 1-1 draw against Morocco last Saturday.
He was a critical part of Brazil’s most recent qualifying effort, scoring five of the Selecao’s 24 goals while appearing in 13 of their 18 matches.
It was unclear what caused him to drop to his haunches shortly before halftime and eventually exit in favor of Rayan. He departed with his side leading 2-0 through Matheus Cunha’s brace, before Vinicius Junior added a third in first-half stoppage time.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Kerry Carpenter's double propels Tigers past White Sox
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
