Outfielder Alex Gordon is retiring after 14 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, the team announced Thursday."After 14 years of hard work and dedication to the #Royals, Alex Gordon is retiring from baseball," the club posted on Twitter. "Thank you for always giving it your all, Gordo."A three-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner in left field, Gordon helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series for the franchise's first championship in 30 years.Kansas City finishes the 2020 season with a four-game series at home against the Detroit Tigers, starting Thursday. ... Continue Reading

Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Maikel Franco homered and drove in two runs and the host Kansas City Royals edged the Detroit Tigers 8-7 on Thursday.Adalberto Mondesi supplied four hits, two runs scored and two RBIs for the Royals (24-33). Jesse Hahn (1-0) recorded four outs to get the victory and Jake Newberry got the last four outs for his first career save.Miguel Cabrera smashed his third homer in two games and drove in three runs for the Tigers (22-33). Willi Castro homered among three hits, scored three times and drove in three runs.Detroit first baseman Jeimer Candelario left the game in the fourth inning due to a back injury.The Royals used a bloop, a bunt and a blast to gain a 3-0 lead in the first. Whit Merrifield reached on a soft single to right, stole second and moved to third on Mondesi's bunt single. Perez then ripped his 11th homer this season over the left-field wall.Detroit got on the board in the third when Victor Reyes reached on a bunt single and scored on Castro's sixth homer this season. ... Continue Reading

Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero each hit two home runs and drove in a career-high five runs as the Kansas City Royals clobbered the St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 in the rubber game of a three-game series Tuesday in Kansas City. Perez tied his career high in RBIs with five on his first two swings.It was the Royals' first victory in a rubber game all season, having lost 33 of their last 38 rubber games since 2017.The Cardinals (27-26) fell into a tie with Cincinnati and Miami in the National League Wild Card race. They're a half-game ahead of the Giants and a game ahead of Philadelphia and Milwaukee, battling for four playoff spots.Danny Duffy (4-4) earned the win for the Royals (23-33). He allowed one run on six hits, with five strikeouts and one walk, in 5 2/3 innings.Carlos Martinez (0-3) took the loss. He allowed eight runs on nine hits, with two walks and three strikeouts in five-plus innings. He left with two on and no outs in the sixth in apparent pain in his left side. With Dakota Hudson already out for the year, the Cardinals will find it difficult to afford to lose another starter.Perez put the Royals on the board in the first with a two-run home run to straightaway center. Hunter Dozier led off the second with a triple, and he scored on an infield single by Cordero. ... Continue Reading

Dylan Carlson had three hits, three runs and two RBIs to help the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the host Kansas City Royals 5-0 Tuesday.Carlson finished a homer shy of the cycle.Cardinals starter Austin Gomber (1-1) allowed four hits and no walks, striking out three, in six innings. His longest outing previously this season was three innings.A night after losing ground to most of their competitors in the National League playoff race, the Cardinals enjoyed a positive night. With the Reds losing Tuesday to the Brewers, St. Louis (27-25) grabbed a one-game lead over Cincinnati (28-28) and Milwaukee (27-27) for second place in the NL Central and an automatic playoff berth.The Philadelphia Phillies (27-29) lost a doubleheader to the Washington Nationals, and the San Francisco Giants (26-27) played later Tuesday. Philadelphia and San Francisco are battling the NL Central teams that finish outside the top two for the two NL wild-card berths.The Royals (22-33) are officially eliminated from postseason contention.Brady Singer (3-5) took the loss with the worst -- and shortest -- outing of his brief major league career. He gave up three runs on three hits in three-plus innings. His problem was control, as he issued a career-high five walks and hit a batter with a pitch.Singer, who had allowed no runs and three hits in 14 innings combined in his last two starts, struggled from the start. He walked two batters in the first but escaped trouble. He wasn't as fortunate in the second when he walked the first two batters before Carlson hit a two-run double. ... Continue Reading

Daniel Vogelbach belted two home runs and drove in five runs to lift the host Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.The Brewers (26-26) kept their playoff hopes on pace after completing a three-game sweep of the Royals (21-32). They scored 16 of their 19 runs in the series on home runs, including a grand slam and a trio of three-run shots.The Brewers entered Sunday's action in a three-way tie with Cincinnati and San Francisco, and a game behind St. Louis, for the seventh and eighth National League playoff spots. They'll finish their season on the road, with three games at Cincinnati and then five games at St. Louis.The Royals could help the Brewers' chances. They head home for their final two series, a three-game series against the Cardinals followed by a four-game set versus Detroit.Josh Lindblom (2-3) picked up the win after surrendering one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked none.Josh Hader recorded the final out to pick up his 10th save in 12 chances.Vogelbach's homers are the only two allowed by Brad Keller (4-3) this season in 48 2/3 innings. Keller has allowed four extra-base hits in 194 opponents' plate appearances this season. He gave up five runs on five hits and three walks in five innings.Vogelbach put the Brewers on the board in the first inning with a two-run home run that traveled 429 feet. ... Continue Reading

Maikel Franco drove in two runs and scored a third run as the host Kansas City Royals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Monday night.The Cardinals (26-25) came into the game with a half-game lead on the Phillies and a full-game lead on the Reds, Brewers and Giants in the crowded National League Wild Card race. The Phillies lost to the Nationals, while the Reds beat the Brewers and the Giants hosted the Rockies later in the evening.The Cardinals fell into a tie with the Reds for second in the NL Central, which carries an automatic playoff berth. They're both a half-game ahead of the Phillies and Giants and a game ahead of the Brewers. The Cards and Brewers will play a five-game series in St. Louis beginning Thursday.Josh Staumont (2-1) picked up the win for the Royals (22-32). Staumont threw two innings of hitless relief. Greg Holland picked up his sixth save in as many chances.Adam Wainwright (5-2) took the loss after running into trouble in the sixth. The inning began with the game tied at 1-1, but he threw 32 pitches and allowed two runs in that inning before leaving with two outs and the bases loaded.The Cardinals opened the scoring in the second inning on a solo home run by Matt Carpenter. It was the fourth home run allowed this season by Royals starter Carlos Hernandez in 13 innings this season.Hernandez threw a career-high 72 pitches, allowing one run on four hits, with three walks and four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. ... Continue Reading

Miguel Cabrera and Willi Castro homered and four Detroit pitchers combined on a shutout as the host Tigers snapped the Kansas City Royals' six-game winning streak, 6-0, on Tuesday.Cabrera reached base five times for Detroit (21-26) and Castro had three hits and scored two runs. Jeimer Candelario also supplied three hits and scored twice, while Jorge Bonifacio drove in two runs. Niko Goodrum chipped in two hits while scoring and knocking in a run.Matthew Boyd (2-6) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and walking four while striking out five.Kansas City's scheduled starter, Danny Duffy, was benched after missing the team flight. Replacement Jakob Junis (0-2) allowed five runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings as the Tigers five of their six runs during the first three innings.Whit Merrifield and Salvador Perez had two hits apiece for the Royals (20-29). Kansas City, which began a five-game road trip, defeated opponents by a combined score of 44-14 during the winning streak but left 10 men on base while getting blanked.The Royals threatened in the first inning but Merrifield was thrown out trying to score from third on a groundout.Detroit scored three two-out runs in the bottom of the inning. There were runners on the corners when Goodrum, just activated off the injured list, ripped a single to left. He reached second on the relay throw to third. Bonifacio then drilled a single to center to knock in Candelario and Goodrum. ... Continue Reading

Brad Keller pitched his first career shutout as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Keller allowed just five hits and one walk as the Royals won their sixth straight.Salvador Perez and Hunter Dozier each had three hits, with a home run, for Kansas City. Dozier scored three times and Perez scored twice. Maikel Franco added three hits.Keller (4-2) is 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA (one earned run in 27 innings) at home this season. A one-out double in the sixth ended a stretch of one extra-base hit allowed in the last 157 opponents' plate appearances.Chad Kuhl (1-2) had a rough outing for the Pirates (14-30). He allowed nine runs on four hits -- with six walks -- in 2 1/3 innings.The six-game winning streak is the longest since for the Royals (20-28) since winning six straight Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2018. Sunday was the last day of a 17-day stretch in which the Royals played every day. Kansas City went 8-9, including a seven-game losing streak that preceded the six-game winning streak.The Royals scored four runs in the first on only two hits. The Pirates' defense helped, although no errors were charged. Whit Merrifield walked and Perez singled him to second. Franco hit a line drive to third that rolled away from JT Riddle. Instead of an inning-ending double play, Franco had an RBI single. Dozier then walked, loading the bases. ... Continue Reading

Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run homer and Whit Merrifield added a solo shot Saturday as the Kansas City Royals won their season-best fifth straight game, 7-4 over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.Salvador Perez added an RBI single for the Royals (19-28).Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds and Adam Frazier hit solo homers for Pittsburgh (14-29), which has lost three straight.Kansas City's Carlos Hernandez, in his first career start, pitched three innings, allowing three runs and three hits, with two strikeouts and no walks.Kyle Zimmer (1-0) pitched a scoreless 2 1/3 innings. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his fifth save.Pirates starter Trevor Williams (1-7) got roughed up for six runs and 10 hits in five innings.The start was delayed a half hour because of a police event at adjacent Arrowhead Stadium.Merrifield got an early home run derby going with a solo shot to left, his ninth, in the first.The Pirates countered in the second when Bell hit his sixth homer, a shot to left, and Reynolds made it 2-1 with a homer to center, his fourth. ... Continue Reading

The Tampa Rays received outfielder Michael Gigliotti from Kansas City to complete a July 21 trade that allowed the Royals to have more options with right-hander Stephen Woods Jr.As a Rule 5 selection, Woods needed to remain on the Royals' active roster or be offered back to the Rays at half the price they paid to select him. Rule 5-eligible players are those who have spent five years in an organization and are not on the 40-man roster. Any player with that status is exposed to the Rule 5 draft during the MLB winter meetings.By sending Gigliotti to Tampa Bay, the Royals now have the option to send Woods to the minor leagues, or back to the alternate training site under 2020 rules. ... Continue Reading