Sports – Page 425 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Chiefs’ Eric Berry doesn’t report to training camp with rest of veterans

Posted on July 29, 2016

Chiefs' FB Anthony Sherman reports to training camp Friday. (Courtesy of KCChiefs.com) — Chiefs’ FB Anthony Sherman reports to training camp Friday. (Courtesy of KCChiefs.com)

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Eric Berry arrived at Chiefs training camp before he was required to last season, so eager was the All-Pro safety to get back on the field after undergoing treatment for cancer.

He wasn’t seen reporting with the rest of the veterans on Friday.

Berry was designated the Chiefs’ franchise player but has not yet signed his contract, which means he cannot be disciplined for skipping camp. But considering the one-year deal promises to pay him more than $10.8 million, Berry is expected to sign at some point before the season. That contract would make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL this year.

“It is a business and in this business it’s next man up,” said Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley, who was among the steady stream of players who reported to Missouri Western State University. “That’s the way they coach. That’s the way it’s always been.”

The Chiefs are scheduled to hold their first full-squad workout on Saturday.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid was not available to discuss Berry’s situation, and he has largely kept out of the negotiations. While Reid handled many of the player personnel decisions when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, he has turned that responsibility over to general manager John Dorsey. Dorsey waved to reporters from his bicycle Friday but did not stop to speak.

The Chiefs and Berry’s representatives were never close to reaching a long-term agreement by the July 15 deadline, even though there was plenty of goodwill between the sides. The Chiefs stood by him during his treatment for lymphoma and Berry has been a steadfast face of the franchise.

Now, their contract talks must be shelved until after the season.

The Chiefs could still rescind the franchise tag, something that Reid did twice in Philadelphia — with linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and defensive tackle Corey Simon. But doing that would not only make Berry a free agent, it would significantly weaken the Chiefs in the defensive backfield.

Berry played in every game last season, less than a year after his cancer diagnosis. He made 55 tackles, had a pair of interceptions and resumed his role as the heart and soul of the defense.

“I know the kind of person that he is. Whatever way you cut it, Eric Berry is a great football player and good things are going to happen for him here,” Reid said earlier this week. “I know how he’s wired and he loves to play the game. That’s just how it is.”

The Chiefs play their first regular-season game Sept. 11 against San Diego.

“It’s a weird dynamic that you are juggling with finances and playing,” Reid said, “but I’ve seen it before, guys normally come in and they just go. When it’s time to play, they just play. They put the business side aside and they get after it.”

— Associated Press —

Cardinals roll to second straight win at Miami 11-6

Posted on July 29, 2016

MIAMI (AP) — When Tommy Pham was hit by a pitch in the left hand in his first at-bat, it did not look like he would be able to stay in the game.

Not only did Pham finish, but he had an RBI single and a two-run homer to help lead the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 11-6 on Friday night.

“It didn’t affect him hitting the ball to dead center in the biggest park in the country,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “That was a pretty nice sign that things should be OK, but we’ll wait to see what the medical team says.”

The pain got to be too much in Pham’s final at-bat as he struck out looking, unable to swing the bat.

“I have anti-inflammatory pills that help you get through the game, but it was sore,” Pham said. “That last swing I took my hand went numb and I couldn’t swing.”

“I literally just took the pitch strike three down the middle because I couldn’t feel my hand,” he said.

Pham said his hand is not broken and expects to be ready for Saturday’s game.

“It’s not broken, so you have to come here ready,” Pham said.

Pham was one of a number of contributors for the Cardinals. Kolten Wong had three hits and drove in two runs and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run homer.

The Cardinals have won four of five and lead the Marlins by one game in the NL wild-card standings.

Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki went 0 for 4 to remain at 2,998 career hits.

Martin Prado homered and drove in three runs, and Marcell Ozuna also homered for the Marlins.

Mike Leake (8-8) won despite giving up six runs and seven hits in five innings.

Jose Urena (1-3) allowed eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in what is expected to be his final start in the Marlins’ rotation after Miami acquired starters Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea from San Diego earlier in the day.

Hazelbaker homered off Urena in the second. It was their first encounter since the two were involved in a bench-clearing brawl in a minor league game on June 27.

“That’s the thing about baseball and you usually have a chance to get back at somebody that you have a history with,” Hazelbaker said. “It was a satisfying time and I’m glad that it happened,”

In that minor league game, Urena’s pitch went sailing near Hazelbaker’s head, prompting the two to square off and punches were thrown.

“That history, you don’t forget about that stuff,” Matheny said. “That means something to guys when they get the opportunity to compete.”

St. Louis scored three in the second and six more in the fifth for a 9-1 lead, Prado’s three-run homer highlighted a five-run rally by the Marlins in the bottom of the fifth.

“For a moment after I hit it, you felt the energy in the stadium,” Prado said. “The people got into the game.”

“I know we got a tough loss today, but we’re showing signs that we are going out for 27 outs, no matter what. We’ve lost a couple of important games for us but there’s nothing we can do about it now,” he said.

Pham’s two-run homer extended the Cardinals’ lead to 11-6.

“You can’t say it’s a back-breaker because anything is possible. But when you give it right back, it’s tough on your club,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

Suzuki threw out Wong at home in the fourth inning after making a running catch near the left-field line and throwing a 240-foot strike at the plate for the double play.

“We all know Ichiro is definitely someone who can hit, but you know he has a pretty good arm, too, and I knew it was going to be tough,” Wong said.

PRADO’S GROOVE

Prado went 2 for 4 and is hitting .485 (16 for 33) with two home runs and nine RBI over his last nine games to raise his average to .327.

“Martin has been locked in all year but now all of a sudden, he’s kind of showing some power,” Mattingly said. “It kind of changes his dimension.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: 1B Justin Bour (right ankle) was scheduled to begin a rehab stint with Triple-A New Orleans with hopes of joining the big league club on Monday in Chicago in a series against the Cubs.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jaime Garcia (7-7, 3.97) will take the mound Saturday. He is coming off two back-to-back productive starts, allowing three earned runs over 10 2/3 innings.

Marlins: RHP Colin Rea (5-5, 4.98) will make his Miami debut on Saturday. Rea is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

Class 6, 8-Man state football championship games moving to Mizzou’s Faurot Field

Posted on July 28, 2016

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has announced that the football state championship games for Class 6 and 8-Man will be held at Faurot Field in Columbia this season.

The games will take place on Friday, November 18 at the University of Missouri after the MSHSAA Board of Directors voted in June to hold the Class 6 and 8-Man games at the same venue and eliminate the bye the two classes traditionally had between the semifinals and the championship games.

Missouri State University will still host the championship games for Classes 1-5 on November 25-26 at Plaster Stadium. Springfield was originally selected to host all of the 11-man state title games.

This will be the first time the 11-man title games haven’t been played inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis since 1995, while the 8-Man game moved to St. Louis in 2008.

Ventura allows three solo home runs, Royals lose at Texas 3-2

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mitch Moreland’s second home run of the game broke a tie in the eighth inning and Cole Hamels earned his 12th win of the season as the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Thursday night.

Hamels (12-2) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings, matching his longest start of the season. His 123 pitches were 10 more than his previous high for the year. He didn’t allow an earned run in his previous two starts, totaling 13 1/3 innings.

Sam Dyson earned his 21st save in 23 opportunities, stranding the tying run at third base.

Rougned Odor also homered for the Rangers.

Both homers by the left-handed hitting Moreland were to the opposite field. It was Moreland’s 10th career multi-homer game and second of the season. He has five homers in his last 11 hits.

Yordano Ventura (6-9) threw the first complete game of his career, pitching eight innings. He allowed only four hits, including the three homers. He is 0-5 in six starts since his last win on June 17.

Hamels’ 12 strikeouts equaled his Texas high, set last September vs. Seattle. His career high — set with Philadelphia — is 15. The 12 is the most by a Rangers pitcher this season.

Paulo Orlando’s second home run of the season, and first since May 17, was pulled well beyond the 14-foot wall in left field and gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

Odor’s 465-foot homer into the upper deck in right field in the second inning increased his career-best total to 19 and was the farthest of his career.

Kansas City retook the lead with a run in the fifth when Raul Mondesi’s topper to shortstop scored Alex Gordon. Gordon had singled and advanced to third on a blooper to center by Brett Eibner that broke an 0-for-19 streak. Moreland then homered in the bottom of the fifth.

Neither team had a hit with runners in scoring position. Kansas City was 0 for 11 while Texas didn’t have an at-bat in that situation.

SHORT HOPS

The game began after a 35-minute rain delay. It was the second rain delay in three days, an unusual summer occurrence in Arlington. … The first son of Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert was born on Thursday morning in Venezuela.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Luke Hochevar was placed on the 15-day disabled list with symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session on Friday. One of the scheduled hitters is RF Shin Soo-Choo (hamstring strain).

UP NEXT

Friday night’s game will be a pitching rematch of Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 Texas win at Kauffman Stadium in which each starter allowed one run and got a no-decision. Royals RHP Edinson Volquez (8-8) allowed seven hits in six innings, Rangers RHP A.J. Griffin (3-1) four hits in five innings.

— Associated Press —

Diaz’s homer helps St. Louis defeat Miami and Fernandez 5-4

Posted on July 28, 2016

MIAMI (AP) — The first time Jose Fernandez faced Aledmys Diaz on Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ slugger fouled the first pitch off with a mighty swing.

“I told him, `Really? You’re going to swing first pitch like that?” Fernandez said. “That swing had a lot of bad intentions.”

It was a sign of things to come. Diaz homered, doubled and drove in three runs in the first-ever meeting between the two childhood pals from Cuba, helping the Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 5-4.

Fernandez fell behind 5-0, departed after five innings and dropped to 26-2 at Marlins Park.

“I made some mistakes and they took advantage. That’s on me,” he said. ” Every time you get four runs and have your ace on the mound, you should expect to win.”

Miami’s Dee Gordon, the 2015 NL batting and stolen bases champion, returned from an 80-game suspension for failing a drug test and went 0 for 4. Ichiro Suzuki doubled as a pinch hitter in the seventh for Miami and needs two hits for 3,000.

Michael Wacha (6-7) allowed three runs in six innings, and three relievers completed an eight-hitter. Seung Hwan Oh pitched around a one-out single in the ninth for his seventh save.

Diaz and Matt Holliday homered in the third inning against Fernandez (12-5), who had never previously given up more than one homer in a home game.

“That was a lot of fun to compete against my buddy,” Diaz said. “I just tried to be aggressive with him, he’s such a great pitcher.”

Fernandez’s only other loss at Marlins Park came on opening day this year against Detroit.

Diaz and Fernandez were neighbors growing up in Santa Clara, Cuba, and the Cardinals enjoyed their reunion. Fernandez walked Jeremy Hazelbaker to start the third inning, and Diaz followed with his 14th homer.

“This guy wants to hit it 10,000 feet,” Fernandez said. “He’s helping his team win. You can’t get mad about that.”

Two batters later, Holliday hit his 18th homer just inside the right-field foul pole, prompting a rueful grin from Fernandez. The outing was his shortest since May 4.

The Cardinals homered in 17 consecutive games before being blanked in that department Wednesday.

Hazelbaker tripled and Diaz drove in a run with a double, his 25th, in the Cardinals’ two-run fifth.

UNDER SIEGE

Marcell Ozell hit comebackers off Wacha (right foot) and Oh (left buttocks). Both stayed in the game. It’s the third game in a row Wacha has been hit on the right foot.

“It’s got a bull’s-eye on it,” Wacha said.

BALK REVERSAL

The umpires said they erroneously reversed a balk call, taking a Cardinals run off the board in the second inning.

With runners at second and third and two out, Fernandez was about to intentionally walk No. 8 hitter Kolten Wong when third base umpire D.J. Reyburn called a balk. Fernandez protested, and after the four umpires conferred, they reversed the call and decided there was no balk.

Wacha struck out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless. After the game, crew chief John Hirshbeck reviewed video and decided Reyburn’s balk call had been correct.

“D.J. called it from third, and I thought I saw (Fernandez) step off with his right foot,” Hirshbeck said. “I overruled D.J. with what I thought I saw. He was right, I was wrong.”

SUZUKI UPDATE

Suzuki received a standing ovation when he pinch-hit, and he responded with his 350th career double, raising his season average to .335. He has started only one of seven games on the homestand.

“I don’t think he’s searching to make this about him,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I think he’s comfortable with the way we’re playing it.”

CARDINALS ROTATION

Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia will start Saturday on four days’ rest, manager Mike Matheny said. Garcia threw 77 pitches Tuesday, when he gave up two earned runs in five innings and lost to the Mets.

TRAINER’S ROOM

RHP Lance Lynn, who underwent Tommy John surgery in November, threw to hitters again Thursday, and the Cardinals haven’t ruled out his return this season.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Mike Leake (7-8, 4.24), who is scheduled to start Friday, is 3-0 with an 0.44 ERA in three starts at Marlins Park. RHP Jose Urena (1-2, 5.34) will start for Miami.

— Associated Press —

Missouri finalizes baseball coaching staff, adds former MLB player Brian McRae

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball head coach Steve Bieser has rounded out his staff, adding Dillon Lawson as a volunteer assistant, Joe Migliaccio as a graduate assistant and Brian McRae as a student assistant, announced Thursday (July 28). In addition, Bieser has retained Evan Pratte as director of operations, Scott Bird as director of baseball strength and conditioning, and Brett Peel as a graduate assistant.

“I am extremely excited about this staff and how it all came together,” Bieser said. “We have a mix of rising stars to go along with seasoned veterans. I feel this staff complements each other very well and will give our players everything they need to succeed and develop as both a person and player.”

Lawson will serve as Mizzou’s hitting coach and is coming off of a successful stint as the Houston Astros’ Class A affiliate hitting coach. He was the hitting coach for two Ohio Valley Conference Champion teams at Southeast Missouri from 2013-15 for Bieser.

Lawson was a key contributor to Southeast Missouri’s success under Bieser as he mentored an offense that ranked among the league’s best over his three seasons. During his second season with the Redhawks, the offense ranked ninth in the nation in batting and eighth in the nation in runs per game (7.2). Only eight teams in the nation scored more runs than SEMO that season. His offense also swiped the 10th-most bases in the nation in 2014 with 97 total steals.

His Redhawk offense was even better in 2015, ranking third in the nation in scoring, fifth in runs, sixth in on-base percentage and seventh in home runs. His team also drew the third-most walks in the nation that season and ranked 12th nationally with a .303 team average and in hits. Southeast Missouri averaged 8.0 runs per game and slugged 66 total homers.

His contributions to the Redhawk offense caught the eye of the Houston Astros, who hired Lawson away from SEMO in January of 2016 and he has served as club’s Class A affiliate in Tri-City (New York), a position he has held until taking the job on Bieser’s staff at Mizzou.

Lawson, a Louisville, Kentucky native, is a 2007 graduate of Transylvania University with a degree in Exercise Science. Lawson was a four-year starter for the Pioneers earning All-Conference honors as a junior and senior.

Lawson received his master’s degree in education with an emphasis in strength and conditioning from Lindenwood in 2008. He and his wife, Amanda, welcomed son, Asa “Ace” Dash, on April 29, 2014.

McRae will join the program as a student assistant as he will finish his undergraduate degree after a 10-year career in Major League Baseball, including stints with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays. In his nine years as a professional, McRae hit .261 with 103 home runs and 532 RBIs. He also stole 196 bases, including a career-high 37 with the Cubs in 1996. His best offensive season came in 1998 when he led the Mets in doubles, triples and steals while slugging 21 homers, 79 RBI and 80 walks, all career-bests. It was his first 20-homer, 20-steal season in the majors.

McRae is the son of former Major League All-Star and former Kansas City Royals manager Hal McRae. He was born in Bradenton, Fla., before moving to Blue Springs, Mo., where he was an All-State honoree in both baseball and football. He was selected in the first round of the 1985 MLB draft (17th overall) and bypassed a football scholarship at Kansas. He made his major league debut five years later in 1990 as the team’s center fielder, replacing an injured Bo Jackson.

Brian then played for his father, Hal, as he took over managing duties in 1991. It was just the fourth instance of a player being managed by his father in MLB history. Brian went on to play until 1999 with his final game coming in a Blue Jays uniform in 1999.

He then spent time as an analyst for WGN-TV and did five years working radio for MLB.com and appeared on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight as well.

Migliaccio comes to Mizzou after serving as Bieser’s graduate assistant at Southeast Missouri last season, working on the defensive development of position players and assisting with the offense. Before Southeast Missouri, he was at Siena, where he guided the team to its third-best fielding percentage in program history in 2015. He implemented new catching a defensive development programs while at Siena. In 2015, the infield completed conference games with a .981 fielding percentage, committing only eight errors, which was an improvement from .958 (21 errors) in 2014.

Migliaccio played college baseball at FIU and Parkland College before transferring to Oral Roberts to finish his degree, graduating with Cum Laude distinction with a degree in recreation administration and a minor in humanities while playing shortstop for the Owls.

Pratte just finished his 19th season with Mizzou Baseball in 2016, his sixth as director of operations. Serving as the director of operations, Pratte is still heavily involved in the success of the program. He handles a variety of responsibilities that ensure that the student-athletes at Mizzou get one of the best experiences possible while playing collegiate baseball. From arranging travel to handling a wide variety of daily activities, Pratte’s contributions help the entire team and coaching staff succeed. He also brings with him a wealth of baseball experience after spending years as a player and coach.

Bird has been director of baseball strength & conditioning since 2014. He has over 25 years of proven success in the field of Strength and Conditioning, has worked with a variety of men’s and women’s sports at some of the country’s highest ranked universities. Bird has coached 37 All-Americans, seven conference players of the year and has had 55 players go on to play professional baseball, as well as numerous others go on to play professionally in their respective sport. At Kansas State Bird was part of the baseball program that had the three best win totals in the programs history including a school record 43 wins in 2009. In the 6 years at K-State the program had 22 players drafted in the MLB draft and six of those were drafted in the top 10 rounds.

Peel played at Mizzou for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and will serve as a graduate manager for Bieser after coaching as a student assistant in 2016. Peel was Mizzou’s starting second baseman in 2015 and was one of the emotional leaders of the team, serving as captain. Peel started 57 games in 2015, leading off in 46 of those contests while hitting .257 with a team-high 40 runs, which were the most by a Tiger since 2012. He also stole 22 bases on the season, which ranked fifth in the SEC and tops on the team. His 22 steals rank as the fourth-most in a single season at Mizzou. Peel also just missed etching his name atop the school record list as he reached base in 30 consecutive games in 2015, falling just two short of the school record.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Mustangs’ season ends with 3-2 loss at Sedalia in MINK League playoffs

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

The St. Joseph Mustangs had their season come to an end Wednesday as they lost 3-2 at Sedalia in the MINK League North Wild Card playoff game.

St. Joe’s collegiate summer baseball team couldn’t climb out of a 3-0 hole Wednesday as the Bombers scored three in the third inning to take an early lead. The Mustangs had multiple chances to tied or take the lead but ultimately came up short in their comeback attempt.

St. Joseph left nine men on base and they finished the game 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

The Mustangs’ Louis Mele scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and then Jeremiah Figueroa walked with the bases loaded in the eighth to make it a one-run game. Trailing 3-2, St. Joe still had the bases loaded with no outs after Figueroa’s walk, but they failed to score a run as the inning ended when Brady Anderson was picked off of third base.

In the ninth, Kyle Uhrich struck out to end the game with Brett Marr standing at second base.

The Mustangs out-hit Sedalia 7-6 as Marr and Matt Wollnick had two hits each.

Osvaldo Raya (0-2) suffered the loss as he struggled with his command. He walked six in 4.1 innings as he gave up three runs on four hits. John Millan kept St. Joseph in the game as he threw 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

The Mustangs end the season 36-17 and they fell short of a third consecutive MINK League Championship. Sedalia advances to the MINK League Championship Series as they play a best-of-three series with South Division champion Ozark. The Generals defeated Joplin 2-1 in the South Wild Card game Wednesday. Game one of that series begins Thursday at Ozark.

Mondesi’s bunt single helps Royals beat Angels 7-5

Posted on July 28, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Raul Mondesi celebrated an unforgettable 21st birthday.

Mondesi had two infield singles, leading to four runs and two pitchers throwing errors — plus a protest by the Los Angeles Angels — as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night.

Mondesi had a bunt single for his first big league hit, with two runs scoring on the play on pitcher Matt Shoemaker’s throwing error in the seventh inning.

“This one I enjoy,” Mondesi said of his birthday. “Playing with these guys, this is amazing.”

Shoemaker, who did not allow a base runner until the fifth inning, yielded singles to Alex Gordon and Paulo Orlando to start the seventh. Mondesi, called up Tuesday, put down a bunt and beat the throw to first as the throw by Shoemaker (5-11) sailed into right field.

Both runners scored and Mondesi wound up on third.

“That’s part of my game,” Mondesi said of bunting. “I like it. I enjoy bunting and with that throw we score two runs.”

Angels manager Mike Scioscia came out claiming interference, that Mondesi was not running within the lines, and after a 6 minute, 15 second review the call on the field was not changed. Scioscia officially protested the game.

Royals manager Ned Yost said there is no way the protest would be upheld.

“You can’t protest a judgmental call,” Yost said. “I’ve never protested a game. I’ve never been part of a game that was protested.”

Scioscia had a completely opposite viewpoint, saying he is “100 percent” certain the protest would be upheld.

“It’s not a judgement call,” Scioscia said. “I would not have protested if I was not 100 percent correct on this. This is a misinterpretation of a rule. It was very clear. Phil Cuzzi, the home plate umpire, had Mondesi running inside the line in jeopardy the whole way, and stated that it’s okay because he was stepping back toward the bag, which is wrong.”

Jarrod Dyson rifled a triple to right, scoring Mondesi and making all the runs earned. Dyson scored on Alcides Escobar’s sacrifice fly.

Mondesi added a run-scoring infield single in a two-run eighth. The second run scored on pitcher Jose Alvarerz’s throwing error.

Joakim Soria (4-4) pitched a scoreless inning for the win after replacing left-hander Danny Duffy in the seventh. Duffy allowed three runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out five.

Shoemaker was charged with five runs on eight hits in six-plus innings.

Albert Pujols walked with the bases loaded with one out in the ninth and Andrelton Simmons singled in another run before Wade Davis struck out Jett Bandy to end the game.

Gordon and Orlando each contributed three hits. Orlando had two doubles and a fifth-inning RBI.

Jefry Marte had two doubles and a RBI for the Angels, while Johnny Giavotella had his second consecutive three-hit game.

ROYALS MEETING

With several Royals names surfacing in trade rumors, Yost addressed it in a team meeting. “These guys are a real, real close group,” Yost said. “They know that this trade deadline (Monday) is bearing down on them. They don’t want to see anybody leave that room. They want to see us all continue to stay together. That’s adding a little bit of anxiety and urgency to their game. But sometimes it can be a little too much. They’re trying to make things happen, instead of letting things develop. Just catch your breath.”

OUTFIELD DEBUT

Gregorio Petit, who had only played the infield professionally, started in left field for the Angels. “We’re trying to get another right-handed bat in there and get Greg some at-bats,” Scioscia said. “He’s been working out there for the last two months.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: OF Shane Robinson (sprained right ankle) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Class-A Inland Empire in the California League.

Royals: OF Lorenzo Cain (strained left hamstring) went 1 for 4 with a single and a strikeout while playing seven innings in right field.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Jered Weaver will start Thursday at Anaheim against the Red Sox, who will counter with LHP David Price.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura, who lost to the Rangers on Saturday, will face them again Thursday in the opener of a four-game series at Arlington. LHP Cole Hamels will be the Texas starter.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs place RB Jamaal Charles on PUP list as camp begins

Posted on July 28, 2016

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs placed running back Jamaal Charles on the physically unable to perform list Wednesday, though coach Andy Reid said it should not be considered a setback in his return from a knee injury.

Charles tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 5 last season. He had surgery soon afterward and was far enough along in his recovery that he participated in some drills during mandatory minicamp.

“He’s on track and he’s played a lot of downs, so he knows what he needs to do to be ready, and I think we’ll be fine there,” Reid said. “The important thing is that we are patient with him in bringing him back. He knows what to do to be ready and when he’s ready, we’ll bring him back.”

This is the second time that Charles has undergone surgery to repair an ACL. He missed most of the 2011 season after hurting his other knee but ran for 1,509 yards the following season.

Still, Charles is older now — he turns 30 in December — and has many more hits on his body.

The Chiefs can afford to take their time with him, though. They re-signed Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware in the offseason, bringing back the speed-and-power combination that filled in well for Charles when he was hurt while making a cut in a game against the Bears.

“We’re just going to take our time,” Reid said. “We’re just going to make sure he’s good.”

The Chiefs can take Charles off the PUP list whenever he is medically cleared, but that likely will not happen anytime soon. Veterans do not report for the start of training camp until Friday.

Chiefs cornerback Phillip Gaines also tore an ACL early last season, but he is already close to full speed. He is expected to compete for one of the starting jobs opposite Marcus Peters.

“I thought he moved around great,” Reid said after the first practice involving rookies, select veterans and quarterbacks. “He took a lot of reps and it looks like he’s put on some weight and some strength. I was happy with what I saw today. He competed.”

Gaines said he still has some rust to knock off, but he is “close to 100 percent.”

“I’m definitely climbing toward that way,” he said. “It’s the first time playing football since the Green Bay game (on Sept. 28), so just feels good to be able to have the opportunity to play.”

Gaines said there is no pain in his surgically repaired knee, just a bit of stiffness from time to time. He praised the work of Dr. James Andrews, who also operated on Charles and repaired linebacker Justin Houston’s torn ACL in February, and said that he trusts his knee to hold up.

“I mean, Dr. Andrews is one of the best surgeons in the world, he’s world-renowned,” Gaines said, “and everybody knows him. So if he says my knee’s good, then I have all the confidence in the world.”

Wide receiver Mike Williams, who was signed to provide some depth, also made it onto the practice field Wednesday after dealing with a hamstring injury during the offseason program.

Williams starred for Tampa Bay before injuries and a suspension derailed his career.

“It feels real good. That’s what I’ve been training for to get back out there, so it’s kind of good that I got an early start,” he said. “It feels really good to be back out here again.”

— Associated Press —

Cardinals rally past Mets as Jeurys Familia blows first save of season

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) — Just shy of a year. That’s how long Jeurys Familia’s saves streak lasted — until Yadier Molina ended it with one perfectly timed swing.

Molina and pinch hitter Kolten Wong each stroked an RBI double in the ninth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped Familia’s string of 52 straight saves in rallying to beat the New York Mets 5-4 on Wednesday night.

“A huge boost,” Wong said. “We needed this.”

Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead homer off Adam Wainwright to cap a three-run comeback in the seventh that gave the Mets a 4-3 lead. But then Familia, who hadn’t blown a regular-season save opportunity since July 30, 2015, finally faltered.

Jedd Gyorko drew a four-pitch walk with one out in the ninth and was replaced by pinch runner Randal Grichuk. Molina hit the next pitch to deep center field, and Grichuk scored standing up to tie it.

Molina was thrown out at third by Familia (2-2) on pinch hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker’s comebacker. But Hazelbaker stole second, then he scored when Wong lined a double just inside the left-field line.

“That was probably one of the top, top things I’ve experienced in a while,” said Wong, who lost his everyday job at second base this season and got demoted to the minors last month. “To see some kind of light at the end of the tunnel was definitely something I needed and something that I’ve been wanting for a long, long time.”

Familia’s franchise-record saves streak was the third longest in major league history, behind Tom Gordon (54) and Eric Gagne (84).

“They made good contact on my sinker, and I walked a guy and Molina came and jumped on the first pitch, and that’s it,” said Familia, who was charged with three blown saves in last year’s World Series loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Jonathan Broxton (3-2) tossed a scoreless eighth for the Cardinals, and Seung Hwan Oh got three quick outs for his sixth save.

Including a split of Tuesday’s doubleheader, St. Louis took two of three from the Mets in a matchup of National League wild-card contenders.

Logan Verrett pitched seven efficient innings, and slumping Neil Walker went 3-for-3 with a base on balls for the third-place Mets, who dropped 5½ games behind the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.

“This is a really tough one to take,” said Mets manager Terry Collins.

Matt Holliday hit a two-run double off Verrett with two outs in the third, and Matt Adams followed with an RBI double that made it 3-1.

Wainwright, who entered 3-0 in July with a major league-low 0.93 ERA, nursed that lead until the seventh after repeatedly pitching out of trouble. He nearly did so again after striking out Curtis Granderson and Asdrubal Cabrera with runners at the corners.

But then Travis d’Arnaud scored on a wild pitch, and Cespedes, who fouled off three full-count offerings, socked a two-run home run off the facing of the second deck in left center.

The homer came on the 117th and final pitch from the 34-year-old Wainwright, who had not allowed a home run in just more than 66 innings, since Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman connected on May 28. That was the longest such streak in the majors this season.

“It was almost heartbreaking. For a moment, it was. I was at my lowest of lows this season,” Wainwright said. “It was almost really bad, but the team saved me tonight.”

COMING ATTRACTION?

Because of Tuesday’s doubleheader, St. Louis needs a fill-in starter on Saturday night in Miami. But Cardinals manager Mike Matheny would not say whether the team was leaning toward promoting RHP Alex Reyes to make his major league debut. The 21-year-old Reyes, one of baseball’s premier prospects, was removed from his Triple-A outing after three innings on Tuesday — perhaps to keep him available for Saturday. Left-handed reliever Tyler Lyons, who made 20 major league starts from 2013-15, also could be a candidate. “We’re not ruling out anything at this point,” Matheny said.

POWER OUTAGE

Cardinals hitters were kept in the ballpark after the club homered in 17 consecutive games — its longest streak since a team-record run of 19 in 2006.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 1B-OF Brandon Moss (sprained left ankle) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday at Double-A Springfield, with All-Star INF Matt Carpenter (strained right oblique) not far behind. But neither has a defined timetable to return, Matheny said.

Mets: 3B Jose Reyes received an injection and treatment for the rib cage strain on his left side. He is likely to be sidelined until at least Friday, Collins said, and Wilmer Flores will continue to fill in.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.37 ERA) starts Thursday night in Miami against RHP Jose Fernandez (12-4, 2.54), who is 26-1 with a 1.47 ERA at Marlins Park.

Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (6-5, 2.73 ERA) looks to rebound from his worst start of the season on Thursday afternoon against Colorado Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (3-3, 3.56) in the opener of a four-game series.

— Associated Press —