Sports

.

PHILADELPHIA — Hammered the night before, Cristian Javier and the Houston Astros desperately needed to figure how to keep Bryce Harper and the Phillies in the ballpark. Hmmm.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as manager Sunday night, turning over the young core of a rebuilding franchise to a forward-thinking manager with experience winning in a small market.

All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado will not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with the Cardinals, likely keeping him in St. Louis through the end of the 2027 season.

.

Adam Wainwright will pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals next season, choosing to return for an 18th and final year with the club even as longtime teammates Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina head off into retirement.

COLUMBIA — The University of Missouri football Tigers return to Faurot Field Saturday hoping to add to the momentum their first road win over a nationally-ranked opponent in to face 2018 and first triumph over a ranked team anywhere since 2020. Another ranked foe, No.

KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Chiefs expect to have newly acquired wide receiver Kadarius Toney on the field Sunday night when they face the Tennessee Titans in what could become a pivotal game in the race for AFC playoff seeding. They also plan to have first-round draft pick Trent McDuffie back at cornerback following his hamstring injury.

SPRINGFIELD — While many coaches/ managers declare – with significant validity – that a team or individual competitor trying to win a particular competition in two or more consecutive years really isn’t “defending” that initial championship in the second or subsequent years – both because the original crown still will be possessed, regardless of what happens the next season(s) and because almost 100 percent of the time there has been some change in playing personnel the subsequent season, there still is the competitive desire to repeat a tremendous achievement in consecutive opportunities. Doing so bestows added luster to the initial title, demonstrating it wasn’t fluky or dependent on luck or a fortunate break, but rather a repeatable display of talent, determination, and dedication to “be the best.” Late last Saturday morning, one day shy of a year since earning their school’s first-ever state championship in softball, the 2022 Marceline High School Lady Tigers – featuring about half of the starting lineup which took the previous year’s Class 2 state championship – proved there was nothing accidental or lucky about that.

SPRINGFIELD — While against the odds – and perhaps not even a possibility with the Missouri State High School Activities Association’s rotation of state-tournament bracket pairings, if next year’s Class 2 state-championship contest somehow pairs 2-times defending champion Marceline and 2-times defending runnerup Creighton: Sherwood, you’d better believe Sherwood’s Lady Marksmen will enter the game with one overarching goal: Get a big lead early and keep adding on. Last Saturday, on the stadium field of Springfield’s Killian Softball Complex, Sherwood twice took a 1-run lead on MHS’ Lady Tigers, but couldn’t hold back the Linn County club down the stretch.