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Gordon, Sparkman lead Royals past Twins, Odorizzi 4-1

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Gordon had a two-run single and Lucas Duda added an RBI single as the Kansas City Royals jumped on Jake Odorizzi in the first inning and beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Thursday night.

Glenn Sparkman (2-3) gave up just one run and five hits in a season high-tying seven innings. He walked one and struck out three. Duda, had two hits and scored a run to help the Royals win for the fourth time in five games..

Jake Diekman pitched a perfect eighth and Ian Kennedy got the last three outs for his ninth save in 11 opportunities.

Odorizzi (10-3) came in tied with Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito for the major league lead in wins, but lasted just four innings. He gave up four runs and eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Jorge Polanco homered with one out in the first to put Minnesota ahead.

However, the Royals came right back in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Whit Merrifield doubled and advanced to third on Nicky Lopez’s single to left-center. Gordon then doubled to deep right-center to drive both runners in. With one out, Cheslor Cuthbert grounded to Odorizzi, who threw to third to get Gordon, but Willians Astudillo’s errant throw to first allowed Cuthbert to advance to third. Cuthbert then scored on Duda’s single to right that ended his 0-for-20 slump.

The Royals added another run in the fourth. Duda got his second single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Humberto Arteaga, who made his major league debut Thursday. Duda scored on a double by Martin Maldonado.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins C Mitch Garver started Thursday’s game but left after the seventh inning with left heel soreness. … OF Byron Buxton is traveling with the club, though he’s not eligible to return from the 10-day injured list until Tuesday. He went on the IL on Tuesday, retroactive to last Saturday, with a right wrist contusion. Manager Rocco Baldelli said, “Judging by the way that he’s moving around and everything that he’s doing, everything’s going very well.”

Royals 3B Hunter Dozier finished a three-day rehab in Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday. He’s been on the 10-day injured list since June 3 (retroactive to May 31) with a right oblique strain. He was expected to return to Kansas City on Thursday for the birth of his child. He’s expected to head to Triple-A Omaha to continue the rehab through the weekend. Manager Ned Yost did not have an update on Dozier’s status.

ROSTER MOVES

Twins recalled RHP Kohl Stewart from Triple-A Rochester and optioned RHP Sean Poppen to Rochester. The Twins played 17 innings against Boston on Tuesday. The Twins are near the end of a 13-day stretch without a day off. They’ll be off June 24 following this four-game series.

Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi was placed on the 10-day IL with what Yost called a “very minor” right groin strain. Yost said it was more precautionary than anything. He was replaced on the roster by SS Arteaga from Triple-A Omaha. Arteaga, 25, is in his ninth season in the Royals’ system since being signed as a 16-year-old non-drafted free agent in 2010. Yost said he liked everything about Arteaga’s game. “His defense has always been spectacular for me, wherever I put him — third, short or second,” he said. “He’s developed into a very nice offensive player.”

UP NEXT

LHP Martin Perez (7-3, 4.09 ERA) will get the start for Minnesota. He’ll face Royals RHP Jakob Junis (4-6, 5.33 ERA) in the second game of the four-game series.

— Associated Press —

MWSU’s Shi Qing Ong named Google Cloud Academic All-American

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AUSTIN, Texas – Griffon Women’s Golfer Shi Qing Ong was named second team Google Cloud Academic All-America as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Ong became Missouri Western’s first Google Cloud Academic All-America selection in two years and is Griffon Athletics first-ever Women’s At-Large recipient of the honor. At-large selections are highly selective with just one honoree per sport, per division on each team. The at-large program for the Google Cloud Academic All-America program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men. Since 1991, Missouri Western has had 16 student-athletes receive Google Cloud Academic All-America distinction.

The latest honor for the recent MWSU graduate adds to a highly decorated career. Ong was Missouri Western’s first-ever finalist for the MIAA’s Ken B. Jones award and was a two-time winner of Missouri Western’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She was twice named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Year and was a four-time first team All-MIAA selection. Following her remarkable senior campaign, Ong was named second team All-American by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association and became a three-time WGCA All-Region selection. Ong won a Missouri Western record 14 career events and won five-straight individual titles her senior season, including her second consecutive MIAA title.

CoSIDA began the distinguished Google Cloud Academic All-America program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America scholar-athlete honors. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average. Nominees are first voted upon by district, with first team all-district honorees becoming eligible for Google Cloud Academic All-America distinction.

MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY GOOGLE CLOUD ACADMEIC ALL-AMERICA HISTORY

YEAR NAME SPORT TEAM
1991 Deb Drysdale Softball 2nd
1992 Deb Drysdale Softball 2nd
2001 Nick Saccaro At-Large/Men’s Golf 2nd
2002 Troy Gustafson Baseball 3rd
2005 Marian Broderick Volleyball 1st
2006 Leon Douglas Football 1st
Brice Garnett At-Large/Men’s Golf 3rd
2008 Dustin Strickler Football 1st
2009 Steven Jones Football 2nd
2010 Steven Jones Football 2nd
2013 Grant Fink Baseball 2nd
2014 Sarah Faubel Volleyball 1st
Erica Rottinghaus Volleyball 1st
2016 Josh Caldwell Football 2nd
2017 Morgan Rathmann Softball 2nd
2019 Shi Qing Ong At-Large/Women’s Golf 2nd

 

St. Louis falls to Miami in 11 innings

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ST. LOUIS — JT Riddle hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning, Zac Gallen was effective in his major league debut and the Miami Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Thursday night.

Brian Anderson also went deep and drove in two runs for the Marlins, who earned a split of the four-game series.

Rookie infielder Tommy Edman homered for the Cardinals, who rallied from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits.

Riddle connected off Andrew Miller (3-3) with one out for a 7-5 lead.

Jarlin Garcia (1-0) got the win with two innings of relief, and Sergio Romo closed for his 13th save in 14 chances. He gave up a two-out RBI double to Yadier Molina, but ended the game by picking off pitcher Jack Flaherty at second base. Flaherty was pinch-running for Molina.

Edman tied it 5-all with a two-run homer off Tayron Guerrero in the eighth. It was Edman’s first career round-tripper and it came in his 10th at-bat.

Gallen gave up one run and five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright allowed three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his return from the injured list. The veteran right-hander, who strained his left hamstring running the bases June 9, struck out six and walked one.

Anderson hit a solo homer off John Brebbia in the eighth to push Miami’s lead to 5-3. It was his ninth of the season. Anderson also broke a 1-all tie with an RBI double off the glove of third baseman Matt Carpenter in the sixth.

Miguel Rojas gave the Marlins a 4-1 advantage when he knocked in a run with an infield single in the seventh.

St. Louis trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom half when Paul Goldschmidt hit an RBI double and scored on Marcell Ozuna’s single.

— Associated Press —

Mustangs fall at home to North Kansas City Apartments 7-5

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The St. Joseph Mustangs were back in action Wednesday night after two days off and St. Joe’s collegiate summer baseball team lost a non-league game to North Kansas City 7-5 inside Phil Welch Stadium.

The Mustangs fall to 14-5.

North Kansas City scored three runs in the first inning before St. Joseph scored five unanswered runs. They got a run in the first, three in the fourth inning and one more in the fifth inning. The Giants then rallied with three runs of their own in the sixth and they tacked another run on in the seventh inning.

The Mustangs loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but Derek Hussey flew out to left field for the final out of the game.

St. Joe starter Alec Byous suffered the loss as he allowed six runs on six hits in 5+ innings of work.

The Mustangs managed only four hits on Wednesday. Jordan Maxson hit a home run, while Hussey, Terrance Spurlin and Karl Koerper added one single each.

St. Joseph gets back into MINK League play Thursday as they host Nevada at 7:00 p.m. inside Phil Welch Stadium.

Royals drop series finale at Seattle 8-2

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SEATTLE — Domingo Santana hit two home runs in a game for the third time this season, Marco Gonzales won his third straight start and the Seattle Mariners avoided an embarrassing series sweep with an 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Santana, who had five RBI, and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back homers in the first inning to give the Mariners a 4-0 lead and they went on to snap Kansas City’s three-game winning streak. The Mariners had been outscored 15-4 by the Royals in the first two games of a series between last-place teams.

Seattle jumped on starter Brad Keller (3-9) immediately. Mallex Smith doubled to open the bottom of the first and J.P. Crawford walked before Santana hit his first home run of the day to left-center field. Vogelbach followed with his 18th of the season, off the Hit It Here Cafe in the second deck.

It was the eighth time this year the Mariners, second in the majors in homers, have gone back-to-back.

Seattle showed some of the small-ball potential of its new young lineup in the fourth after Dylan Moore singled to start the inning. Keller hit Smith with a pitch, then gave up run-scoring singles to Crawford and Santana before Vogelbach’s sacrifice fly made it 7-1.

Keller didn’t return for the fifth after giving up nine hits and throwing 97 pitches.

Santana added a solo home run, his 15th of the season, in the sixth and finished with three hits. The top three batters in the order — Smith, Crawford and Santana — each scored two runs.

Gonzales (8-6) scattered six hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out five. It was his third straight victory after going 0-6 in his previous seven outings.

HERNANDEZ RESULTS

An MRI showed nothing out of the ordinary in RHP Felix Hernandez’s injured shoulder, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner is expected to begin working out again soon. Servais said Hernandez could pick up a ball in a few days for light tossing. Hernandez left a minor league appearance Friday night after experiencing fatigue in his shoulder and strained lat. He’ll throw bullpens before making another minor league start.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: SS Adalberto Mondesi was out of the lineup with tightness in his right groin. He’s day to day.

Mariners: RHP Sam Tuivailala threw 30 pitches Tuesday in his first bullpen since taking a step back in his return from Achilles tendon surgery. The reliever said he didn’t feel any of the muscle tightness in his arm that sidetracked his return last month. Tuivailala will report to Class A Everett where he will work out of the bullpen for three or more games until he earns a move to Triple-A Tacoma, Servais said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (1-3, 4.01 ERA) will face the Twins on Thursday night for the second time this week after giving up five runs and five hits in five innings of a loss last Saturday.

Mariners: Servais said he will likely use an opener Thursday and then turn to Wade LeBlanc (3-2, 6.20 ERA) in the series opener against Baltimore.

— Associated Press —

Goldschmidt’s homer in 11th lifts Cardinals over Marlins 2-1

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ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

Dexter Fowler had an RBI single in the sixth for the Cardinals, who won for the seventh time in 11 games. Miguel Rojas tied it with a single in the eighth off reliever Carlos Martinez.

After beginning the game on the bench, Goldschmidt entered at first base in the ninth. Two innings later, he launched a 453-foot drive on a changeup from Adam Conley (1-7) for his fifth career walk-off home run.

St. Louis loaded the bases with none out in the 10th, but Sergio Romo escaped for Miami. He struck out Harrison Bader and got Marcell Ozuna to ground into an 8-4-3 double play started by center fielder JT Riddle as part of a five-man infield.

Cardinals starter Daniel Ponce de Leon gave up two hits over six shutout innings and was in line to earn his first major league win before Rojas’ single tied it.

Ponce de Leon struck out six and walked one in the longest of his three starts this season. It was the first time the right-hander did not allow a run in nine career starts.

John Gant (7-0) got the win with a perfect inning.

Miami has lost three of four.

Marlins right-hander Trevor Richards, from Aviston, Illinois — 40 miles east of St. Louis — went 5 2/3 innings before leaving after 108 pitches. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts and gave up three hits while walking three.

Richards pitched around a pair of walks in the third, but couldn’t get out of more trouble in the sixth. Fowler’s single, the third hit of the inning, snapped a 14-inning scoreless drought for the Cardinals and ended Richards’ night as he left to boisterous applause from his hometown cheering section.

ON THE BOARD

Rangel Ravelo started in Goldschmidt’s spot at first base and got his first major league hit in the sixth.

BIG FISH

Don Mattingly managed his 556th game on the Marlins bench, passing Fredi Gonzalez for most in franchise history.

ROSTER MOVES

Miami acquired OF Cesar Puello from the Angels for cash, and utilityman Rosell Herrera was designated for assignment. Puello grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Pablo Lopez (right shoulder strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list and LHP Jose Quijada was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans. … 1B Garrett Cooper was a late scratch with a sore left triceps and was replaced in the lineup by Yadiel Rivera.

Cardinals: INF Yairo Munoz is expected to be activated from paternity leave Thursday.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Zac Gallen makes his major league debut Thursday night in St. Louis against his former organization. The 23-year-old righty was 9-1 with a 1.77 ERA at Triple-A New Orleans, striking out 112 in 91 1/3 innings. He was traded by the Cardinals to Miami in the deal for Ozuna after the 2017 season.

Cardinals: Plan to reinstate veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright (5-6, 4.46 ERA) from the injured list in the finale of a four-game series. Wainwright strained his left hamstring running the bases June 9. He has two shutouts in 11 career starts against Miami.

— Associated Press —

MIAA extends contract of Commissioner Mike Racy

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA CEO Council extended the contract of Commissioner Mike Racy. With the extension, Racy’s contract now runs through June 2023. The CEO Council approved the contract extension at their June meeting on Monday, June 10.

Under Racy’s leadership, the Association created a risk management task force to explore best practices for campus and student-athlete safety, expanded the MIAA Basketball Championships to 20 teams in Kansas City, and moved the Conference office to Hy-Vee Arena. The MIAA has won 11 team national championships in eight sports by six different schools in his tenure as well.

Racy was named the Association’s fifth full-time commissioner on September 7, 2016, and he took office on February 1, 2017. Prior to the MIAA, he was the NCAA’s Vice President for Division II and held positions at the University of Central Missouri which included Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President for Law, Policy, and Strategy/General Counsel.

He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washburn University with a bachelor of business administration degree. Racy obtained his Juris Doctorate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and began working for the NCAA in 1993.

— MIAA Press Release —

Merrifield has 2 HR, 6 RBI to lift Royals over Mariners 9-0

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SEATTLE — Whit Merrifield had two homers and a career-high six RBI, Homer Bailey pitched into the eighth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 9-0 on Tuesday night.

The Royals jumped on struggling starter Yusei Kikuchi to get their third straight win. Kikuchi (3-5) allowed six runs in five innings.

Merrifield drove a three-run homer against Kikuchi in the fourth and added a two-run shot against Jesse Biddle in the eighth. Jorge Soler also homered for the Royals, and rookie Nicky Lopez had three hits.

Bailey (6-6) was crisp and efficient, allowing just one runner past second base with six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. He stranded two baserunners in each of the first three innings, then retired 14 of the next 15 batters.

Alex Gordon opened the scoring with a two-run single — the Royals’ third straight hit to start the game — for a 2-0 lead. Soler pushed it to 3-0 with his 20th homer in the third and Merrifield made it 6-0 with his shot. Merrifield also had a sacrifice fly.

Kikuchi has had an unsettling June after a fairly positive start to his major league career. He’s now 0-4 since May 25 and has allowed eight home runs during that stretch.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Adalberto Mondesi left the game with right groin tightness. Team officials said he’s day-to-day.

Mariners: Felix Hernandez was scheduled Tuesday to have an MRI on his right shoulder. The right-hander left his rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Friday due to fatigue and was scheduled for the scan of his right lat and the back of his shoulder after a visit with doctors Monday. Seattle manager Scott Servais said the development is not good news for the 33-year-old, who has been out since May 12. “It’s concerning enough to take new images of that (injured area) and not guess,” Servais said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (3-8, 3.97 ERA) tries to stop a run of seven losses in eight appearances since April 22.

Mariners: LHP Marco Gonzales (7-6, 4.50 ERA) is looking for his third straight win since stopping a six-game losing streak.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals get shutout by Yamamoto, Marlins again

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ST. LOUIS — In his first two starts, Jordan Yamamoto has done things that have been accomplished once, or not at all, in the past century.

It’s been a dream debut for the 23-year-old rookie, who was acquired by the Marlins in the Christian Yelich trade and summoned from Double-A to the majors earlier this month.

Yamamoto dazzled again on Tuesday night, matching his first career start by pitching seven scoreless innings against St. Louis, and Miami beat the Cardinals 6-0.

Yamamoto (2-0) allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. He gave up three hits in seven innings in his major league debut, on June 12 in Miami against the Cardinals.

“Definitely, I haven’t imagined this,” Yamamoto said. “It’s one of those things a kid can only dream of and it just worked out perfectly in my favor.”

Yamamoto became only the second starting pitcher since 1893 to hold the same team scoreless in his first two outings, joining Atlanta’s Larry McWilliams, who did it in 1978 against the Mets.

He’s also the first pitcher since Pittsburgh’s Nick Maddox in 1907 to beat the Cardinals twice in a seven-day span when the first game was his debut.

“No, I have not heard of him,” Yamomoto said. “I’m happy to be in his company.”

Relievers Tayron Guerrero and Sergio Romo completed the two-hitter. The Cardinals were shut out for the fifth time this season and second time by Miami.

“Obviously seeing a team twice is a battle (against) an older club like that that’s got some experience,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s good to see him … do that both times.”

Brian Anderson and Starlin Castro homered for the Marlins.

Jack Flaherty (4-4) pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out eight, and had St. Louis’ first hit off Yamamoto, a ground-rule double in the third. It was the first extra-base hit of his career.

His seven innings of tied a career high.

“I loved Jack tonight,” St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said. “He was really good. Lots of quality pitches. I thought he was tremendous.”

Dexter Fowler singled with two outs in the seventh for the other St. Louis hit. Yamamoto concluded his strong night by striking out Yadier Molina.

“They’re a great hitting team,” Yamamoto said. “I’m just taking it pitch by pitch.”

Flaherty gave credit to his opponent.

“He got guys out and he executed. I’m not trying to take anything away from him,” Flaherty said. “He’s got two starts against us and he did some things that keep guys off balance. Nothing flashy. Nothing that’s going to make you jump out of your seat and go, `Wow.’

“He was effective. He did a really good job two times in a row against us. Hat’s off to him.”

Castro broke a scoreless tie leading off the fifth when he homered to left.

After Garrett Cooper led off the seventh with a double, Anderson smacked a slider from Flaherty into the left-field seats. Flaherty has allowed 15 homers in 15 starts this season, including six in his last four starts.

Miami added three runs in the eighth on two doubles, two singles and an error.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hall of Famer Lou Brock attended the game on his 80th birthday. The Cardinals’ mascot, Fredbird, presented Brock with a cake in the third inning, and the crowd serenaded him with “Happy Birthday.”

GREAT GRAB

Marlins first baseman Cooper made a long run, stretched out and landed on a tarp as he caught a foul pop by Molina to end the second inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Caleb Smith (left hip inflammation) threw a bullpen Tuesday. “He’s just got to go through his progression,” Mattingly said. “We’re talking about him going out (on rehab assignment) if everything keeps going good.”

Cardinals: 3B Jedd Gyorko (lower back strain) remains on the injured list after a setback in his rehab. … RHP Adam Wainwright (left hamstring strain) likely will come off the IL and start Thursday, Shildt said.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Trevor Richards (3-7, 3.68 ERA) will make his third career start against St. Louis. In his last start, he snapped a streak of four straight outings in which he allowed no more than one run, giving up five runs in a loss to Pittsburgh.

Cardinals: RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0, 2.00) will be making his first career start against Miami.

— Associated Press —

Missouri women add Utah State transfer Shannon Dufficy

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball added transfer 6-foot-2 guard/forward Shannon Dufficy to its 2019-20 roster, announced by head coach Robin Pingeton Tuesday. Dufficy, who played three seasons for Utah State, earned Mountain West All-Conference honors after a junior campaign where she averaged 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game with 19 double-doubles.

A two-time Mountain West All-Conference performer, Dufficy chose Mizzou over Duke, Syracuse and Utah. She will sit out the 2019-20 season due to transfer requirements and will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Originally from Preston, Victoria in Australia, Dufficy started 91 of 92 games in her Utah State career, averaging 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while racking up 164 assists, 51 steals and 30 blocks. Among career program records, Dufficy ranked first in double-doubles (31), second in rebounds (838) and fourth in rebounding average (9.1). Dufficy is a standout student in the classroom as well, earning two Academic All-Mountain West honors (2017, 2018) and is a three-time Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.

In her spectacular junior season, Dufficy earned Mountain West All-Conference honors after averaging 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while recording a team single-season record for double-doubles with 19. Dufficy led the Mountain West in rebounding average (10.3) and total rebounds (339), while ranking 26th and 36th nationally, respectively. Among conference ranks, she also ranked in the top-five in offensive rebounds (second – 3.4) and scoring (third – 15.8). In addition to All-Conference honors for her junior campaign, Dufficy was named the 2019 NCAA All-Australian Most Improved Player by The Pick and Roll.

As a sophomore (2017-18), Dufficy averaged 7.9 points per game while pulling down a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game. Dufficy snagged a career-best 19 rebounds against Southern Utah on Nov. 21, 2017, which was the eighth-best single-game rebounding performance in Aggie history. Dufficy earned Mountain West All-Freshman Team honors in a 2016-17 debut season where she averaged 8.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures 10 times and recorded double-digit rebounds in 11 contests, including a season-high 17 rebounds against Colorado State (Feb. 8).

As a prep, Dufficy played at Our Lady Mercy College in Heidelberg, Melbourne, Australia, and club basketball for the Diamond Valley Eagles, where she was named the team’s MVP and Big V Youth League Rookie of the Year in 2014. She also played on an all-star team that won the Australia U20 national championship in 2015 and 2016.

— Mizzou Athletics —

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