KCSN Weekly: Caglianone Stays Hot, USA Advances, and the Netherlands Light Up Kansas City
A weekly look at everything happening across Kansas City sports.
Happy Friday, KCSN subscribers,
There is not much in the way of Chiefs news this week, so let’s dive right into the Royals and the World Cup. It did not disappoint.
Offense Carries the Load as Rotation Struggles
The Royals went 3-3 on the week, taking two of three from the Cardinals before splitting a series with the Wild Card-leading Tampa Bay Rays, leaving them at 34-48 on the season.
The biggest concern heading into the week ahead is shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has been absent from the lineup for six straight games. The team’s decision not to place him on the 15-day IL should suggest his return is imminent, which is important news for a club that needs every weapon available.
Speaking of Witt, he is also the lone Royal to advance to phase two of All-Star voting after receiving 2,513,492 votes. The perennial All-Star is well on his way to a fifth straight 20-20 season, sitting at 10 home runs and 28 steals on the year.
Kansas City was nearly no-hit yesterday against the Rays, who deployed an opener and a parade of arms throughout the game. Catcher Carter Jensen broke up the effort with a two-run home run in the ninth. The young slugger had a strong week overall, hitting .316 with two homers and four RBI.
The hottest hitter on the roster, though, continues to be Jac Caglianone, who slugged four home runs and drove in six runs on just six hits. The right fielder and first baseman has been one of the most productive bats in the American League over the past several weeks.
The offense needed to carry the team this week because the starting rotation let Kansas City down. Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek, and Seth Lugo each surrendered at least five earned runs in their starts. The bright spots were Luinder Avila and Michael Wacha, who each allowed just one earned run and continued to be the most reliable arms in the rotation.
The Royals head on the road this weekend for three against the division-leading Chicago White Sox before welcoming the Rays back to Kauffman Stadium for a three-game set beginning Tuesday.
World Cup: USA Advances Out of Group Play, Kansas City Hosted Two More Matches
The FIFA World Cup is heating up, and the United States Men’s National Team has punched its ticket to the round of 32.
The Americans split their final two group stage matches but had already done enough to claim first place in Group D with six points. Against Australia, Cameron Burgess opened the scoring after an own goal before Alex Freeman added a second in the 43rd minute to seal a 2-0 victory.
In the group finale against Turkiye, with first place already secured, head coach Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to the starting lineup. Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter scored for the USA, but Turkiye mounted a comeback, and Kaan Ayhan ultimately scored the winner in the 98th minute to hand the Americans a 3-2 defeat in a game that was ultimately meaningless in the standings.
The USA will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Wednesday, July 1, at 7 p.m. in Santa Clara, CA.
The World Cup experience in Kansas City has been electric as well. The first match of the week was Ecuador versus Curacao, which ended in a 0-0 draw. The main event, however, was the Netherlands and Tunisia at Arrowhead, and the Dutch faithful made their presence felt well before kickoff, flooding downtown Kansas City in a sea of orange.
The Netherlands wasted no time on the field either, scoring twice in the first seven minutes on their way to a 3-1 victory that gave them seven points and the top spot in their group. The international atmosphere inside Arrowhead has been something to see.
There is still more World Cup action to come in the metro area. Algeria and Austria square off Saturday night at Arrowhead at 9 p.m. in what should be a compelling group-play finale, with a round-of-32 match and a quarterfinal still on the horizon for Kansas City.
What to Watch This Week
Royals (34-48)
Three at the Chicago White Sox (41-38) this weekend
Three at home vs. Tampa Bay Rays (45-33) Tuesday through Thursday
World Cup
Algeria (1-0-1) vs. Austria (1-0-1): Saturday, June 27, 9 p.m. CT at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
USA (2-0-1) vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (1-1-1): Wednesday, July 1, 7 p.m. CT in Santa Clara, CA