BALTIMORE (AP) — As Bobby Witt Jr. prepared to make his much-anticipated playoff debut for the Kansas City Royals, he took a moment after the final notes of the national anthem rang out at Camden Yards on Tuesday to soak it all in. The bright lights on a cloudy afternoon. The 41,506 roaring souls in the stands, most supporting the host Baltimore Orioles. The orange towels twirling in their hands. “I’m like, ‘This is where you want to be,’” Witt said afterward. “This is the spot you want to be in. And this is what makes you a baseball player.…
Author: AP News
By Jim Salter and Isabella Volmert/AP Suspicious packages were sent to election officials in at least six states on Monday, but there were no reports that any of the packages contained hazardous material. Powder-containing packages were sent to secretaries of state and state election offices in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming and Oklahoma, officials in those states confirmed. The FBI and U.S. Postal Service were investigating. It marked the second time in the past year that suspicious packages were mailed to election officials in multiple state offices. The latest scare comes as early voting has begun in several states less…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Colt Keith hit a two-run homer, Matt Vierling had three hits while driving in the go-ahead run, and the Detroit Tigers rallied from an early four-run deficit to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 on Monday night in a crucial game for their playoff hopes. Pinch-hitter Wenceel Pérez had the tying two-run double for Detroit, which began its final trip of the regular season by moving within 1 1/2 games of Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot. The Twins lost to Cleveland earlier in the night. “It was an incredible win because of how…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kept making a lonely walk to midfield after each quarter Sunday to check on the direction of the wind, which tends to swirl inside Arrowhead Stadium. He did it one last time during the 2-minute warning, when his Chiefs were trailing the Bengals by two and trying to give him a winning field-goal attempt. When Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the offense did exactly that, helped along by a pass interference call on Cincinnati safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, Butker once again headed onto the field as…
By John Hanna and Heather Hollingsworth/AP PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — The Rev. Anthony Navaratnam stood before his congregation and urged them to pray for the women from surrounding states who will flock to the new abortion clinic in town that opened in August. “God is giving us an opportunity to be missionaries in Pittsburg, Kansas,” he told those at Flag Church, which hosted a training on how to protest outside of the clinic. The debate over reproductive rights has landed in this college town of 20,000 in the southeast corner of one of the few states left in the region still allowing abortions. It…
By John Hanna/AP TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State and local election officials from across the country on Wednesday warned that problems with the nation’s mail delivery system threaten to disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election, telling the head of the U.S. Postal Service that it hasn’t fixed persistent deficiencies. In an alarming letter, the officials said that over the past year, including the just-concluded primary season, mailed ballots that were postmarked on time were received by local election offices days after the deadline to be counted. They also noted that properly addressed election mail was being returned to them as…
NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night and widened their lead in the AL East. The Yankees (83-61) surpassed last season’s win total and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles, who were handed a 12-3 loss in Boston. Aaron Judge hit a tying single off James McArthur and four pitches later, Wells lifted a 2-1 fastball into the lower rows of the…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Garrett Hampson and Salvador Perez drove in runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-0 on Sunday to complete a series sweep of their closest pursuers in the AL wild-card race. Wacha (12-7) struck out seven while allowing just one walk is 100th career win. He got plenty of help from his defense, which turned two double plays and threw out a runner trying to score from first base in the first inning. Kris Bubic handled the eighth for Kansas City before Lucas Erceg…
HOUSTON (AP) — Zach Dezenzo drew a go-ahead bases-loaded walk and the Houston Astros took advantage of two Kansas City errors in a four-run eighth inning to beat the Royals 6-3 on Thursday night. With two runners on and Astros trailing 3-2, Yainer Diaz hit a grounder to pitcher Lucas Erceg (2-5), who tried to barehand the comebacker, bobbled it and rushed a throw that got away from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. José Altuve scored from second on the play to tie the score. Pasquantino’s glove hand appeared to collide with Diaz, and he exited the game with an apparent…
CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, beating the Guardians 9-4 on Monday night to pull within one game of first in the AL Central. The Royals won the opener 4-3 as Bobby Witt Jr.’s 27th homer — and 11th since July 19 — snapped a tie in the eighth inning. After being nine games back in early July, the Royals have chipped away at Cleveland’s lead by posting an AL-best 22-13 record since the All-Star break. They can now…