Sports
Stars Bobby Witt Jr., Tarik Skubal collide as Royals clash with Tigers
Sep 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals look to their “special” talent — Bobby Witt Jr. — as they hope to avoid a sweep by the visiting Detroit Tigers.
The Royals (82-70) are clinging to the second wild card in the American League. The Tigers (79-73) trail Kansas City by three games and the Minnesota Twins by 1 1/2 for the final wild-card spot.
During his strong season, Witt’s baserunning is sometimes overlooked. While he leads the majors with a .331 average and ranks among the leaders in home runs (32), extra-base hits (86), runs (123) and RBIs (108), he also ranks high in stolen bases (30).
“Just trying to get an extra 90 feet,” Witt said. “I want to get into better scoring position for the guys behind me. Just trying to get to the next base, trying to score, by whatever way.”
Witt stole his 30th base of the season in the first inning on Tuesday, becoming the first shortstop in major league history with two seasons of 30 homers and 30 steals. He hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bases last year.
“He’s the best player in baseball,” left-hander Cole Ragans said of Witt. “He’s incredible, a special talent, a special human being. It’s a joy to get to watch every single day.”
Following Tuesday’s 3-1 loss, a somber Witt acknowledged the milestone but was ready to move on.
“It’s pretty special anytime you get to be the first, but that’s over now,” he said. “On to tomorrow. Anytime you lose it’s frustrating. We didn’t come this far just to come this far.”
“Anytime you’re doing something in the history of the game for the first time ever, is remarkable,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I would guarantee he would trade that 30-30 for a win tonight and that’s another reason he’s so special.”
The Royals got some good news ahead of Tuesday’s 3-1 loss in 10 innings regarding right-handers James McArthur and Michael Lorenzen.
McArthur suffered a right elbow sprain in Monday’s 7-6 setback to Detroit, exiting in the middle of a seventh-inning at-bat.
“He’s got a grade one UCL sprain, which is probably the best news we could have hoped for,” Quatraro said. “We’re going to shut him down five to seven days, just depending on how he feels. We’re very hopeful that it’s not a season-ending injury.”
Lorenzen, who has been sidelined with a left hamstring strain, had a throwing session Tuesday.
“Assuming everything goes smoothly today with him playing catch, we have him scheduled for a live BP on Saturday,” Quatraro said.
Kansas City right-hander Alec Marsh (8-8, 4.52 ERA) will oppose Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal (16-4, 2.50) in Wednesday’s series finale.
Marsh won his only previous start against Detroit, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings on May 21.
AL Cy Young candidate Skubal is 2-9 with a 5.05 ERA in 14 appearances (12 starts) against Kansas City. His latest loss of the season came at the hands of the Royals on Aug. 2, allowing five runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Detroit’s bullpen was stellar in the two series wins, shutting out Kansas City after the fifth inning on Monday and holding the Royals hitless after Tommy Pham’s one-out single in the fifth.
Pitching in his third straight game, Jason Foley recorded his 25th save Tuesday. He has converted 10 straight save opportunities.
“Everyone’s done a hell of a job lately, especially with how much (everyone is) having to throw,” Foley said. “They’ve relied on us a lot. We’ve done a great job.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Donovan Mitchell nets 32 as Cavaliers overpower Raptors
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-113 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round series Saturday.
Max Strus had 24 points off the bench and Evan Mobley scored 17 for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who have won 11 straight playoff games over the Raptors. Game 2 is Monday in Cleveland, where Toronto is 0-8 all-time in the postseason.
Mitchell extended his league-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in a series opener to nine straight, two more than Michael Jordan had on two occasions. The Cavaliers’ largest lead was 100-76 early in the fourth quarter on a Sam Merrill 3-pointer.
RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes contributed 21 points and seven assists for the fifth-seeded Raptors. Brandon Ingram added 17 points and Jamal Shead had 17 points in his playoff debut, starting for injured guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain).
Harden became the fifth player in NBA history to appear in a playoff game in 17 seasons, joining Karl Malone, John Stockton, Tony Parker and Jason Kidd. He also moved past Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird into 13th place in playoff points with 3,917.
Strus made back-to-back 3-pointers and followed with a layup in transition, giving the Cavaliers a commanding 82-60 lead midway through the third. Mitchell recorded 11 points in the period, which saw Toronto held to five made field goals.
Cleveland held a 61-54 advantage at the half, fueled by Harden’s 15 points and six assists and Mitchell’s 13 points and four assists. The Raptors had four players in double figures with Ingram scoring 13 points and Barnes, Barrett and Shead with 11 apiece.
Mitchell had eight points and a pair of assists in the first quarter, including a strip of Shead that he turned into a Strus’ layup at the buzzer and a 35-31 Cavaliers lead. Ingram and Barnes scored nine apiece.
Both teams shot the ball well, but the Cavs buried 16 of 32 from 3-point range. They also enjoyed a significant advantage at 52-36 for points in the pain.
Cavaliers backup center Thomas Bryant (left calf strain) was inactive and has not played since April 5.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LAFC, Earthquakes clash in Western Conference showdown
Mar 21, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; LAFC forward David Martinez (30) waits for gameplay to resume during the first half against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Goals will be at a premium when two of the top teams in the Western Conference meet Sunday as Los Angeles FC plays host to the San Jose Earthquakes.
Each team allowed just two goals through seven league games to lead MLS. They are also two of four teams in the league with a positive goal differential in double digits.
LAFC (5-1-1, 16 points) will be out to protect a perfect 4-0-0 home record in league play during a busy early part of the season.
In two home games during the first seven days of April, LAFC earned a 6-0 MLS victory over Orlando City and a 3-0 victory over Mexico’s Cruz Azul in CONCACAF Champions Cup play. The club absorbed its only MLS loss, 2-1 on the road against the Portland Timbers, on April 11, then went to Mexico on Tuesday and advanced against Cruz Azul with a 1-1 road tie.
While Denis Bouanga leads LAFC with four goals and eight goal contributions in MLS play, 20-year-old forward David Martinez of Venezuela has six goals across all competitions and scored twice in the first leg against Cruz Azul.
“If you guys would see training, for me it’s normal,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said of Martinez’s play. “… When he has space in front of him, he goes and it’s fantastic to watch. He has this quality. David is strong. He seems little, but he’s really strong when he has courage behind him.”
Mired in mediocrity after not delivering a winning season in any of the previous 13 seasons, the Earthquakes (6-1-0, 18 points) have been reborn in just the second season under head coach Bruce Arena.
The Earthquakes are on a four-game winning streak across all competitions and are coming off a 2-0 victory over Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday in U.S. Open Cup play. The 7-1-0 start across all competitions is the best in club history.
“We’re going to utilize our (full) roster this week,” Arena said. “If we have any aspirations of being a good team, it’s critically important that we can show that we can have depth and we can rotate our squad when it’s called upon.”
San Jose also scored three goals in each of its last two MLS games, earning a road victory over Sporting Kansas City and a home shutout win over San Diego FC on April 4.
Jack Skhan scored a pair of goals against Sporting KC, and Niko Tsakiris scored two against San Diego FC. Preston Judd leads the Earthquakes with three goals on the season, while Tsakiris has four assists.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cody Bellinger homers twice, as Yankees eclipse Royals
Apr 18, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Cody Bellinger homered twice and collected five RBIs Saturday afternoon, and the New York Yankees easily recorded a 13-4 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees notched their most lopsided win this season after their previous five victories were decided in the final at-bat.
Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer, and Ben Rice hit a solo shot during a five-run third off Kansas City left-hander Noah Cameron. (1-1).
Rosario started the scoring with his two-run blast to left after a three-base error by Kansas City center fielder Kyle Isbel.
J.C. Escarra hit a fly ball to the warning track in center field, and the ball was not caught when Isbel and right fielder Jac Caglianone converged. Isbel knocked the ball out of Caglianone’s glove and was charged with a three-base error.
After Rosario’s homer, Aaron Judge walked, then Bellinger sent a first-pitch slider into the second deck in right. Rice homered two batters later when he hit a fastball into the right field seats for his third straight game with a homer.
Bellinger homered again in the sixth off Mitch Spence for a 10-0 lead. It was Bellinger’s 20th career multi-homer game and his eighth game with at least five RBIs.
Bellinger also had an RBI single in between homers. Rosario added a run-scoring single in the sixth and Escarra contributed an RBI double in the fourth.
Escarra also drove in two with his first career triple in the seventh as the Yankees collected 11 hits. Randal Grichuk added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for his first RBI with New York.
New York’s Will Warren (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. The right-hander matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked none.
The Royals dropped their sixth straight. Kansas City was blanked until Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the seventh and got a two-run double from Michael Massey in the ninth.
Cameron was shelled for a career-worst seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings.
Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro was tossed by second base umpire Nestor Ceja before Cameron threw a pitch after the Royals batted in the first.
–Field Level Media
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