Kansas City, Mo. – Kyle Higashioka had a three-run double in the ninth inning after a two-out error by Vinnie Pasquantino, and the Texas Rangers rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Wyatt Langford drew a two-out walk from Sam Long (1-3) and Corey Seager was safe when Pasquantino misplayed his slow roller at first. Marcus Semien reached on an infield hit before Higashioka doubled down the left-field line.

Hoby Milner (2-3) got the final four outs for the win.

Mike Yastrzemski and Bobby Witt Jr. led off the first with singles off fill-in first-time starter Caleb Boushley, and Pasquantino followed with his 25th home run to put the Royals up 3-1. Witt had three hits for the Royals, including his 39th double – tops in the majors.

Kansas City dropped to 10 games behind the first-place Tigers in the AL Central.

Boushley filled in for Jacob deGrom, who had his start skipped after he experienced arm fatigue following his last outing. Boushley pitched two scoreless innings following his 38-pitch first.

Langford hit his 18th home run to lead off the game against rookie Noah Cameron. Langford singled and scored on a two-out base hit by Semien to cut it to 3-2 in the third.

Diamondbacks edge Guardians in 10 innings

Phoenix – Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the ninth inning with a tying homer, Adrian Del Castillo had a broken-bat RBI single in the 10th and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 on Wednesday.

Gurriel hit his 17th home of the season, a 424-foot shot to left off Cade Smith. The Arizona outfielder also had an RBI single off Parker Messick in the first.

The Guardians fell to 10.5 games behind the division-leading Tigers.

Making his major league debut, Messick allowed a run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, leaving with a 2-1 lead. The left-hander struck out six and walked one.

In the bottom of the 10th, Alex Thomas led off with sacrifice bunt to move automatic runner Pavin Smith to third, and Del Castillo followed with the broken-bat single to left.

Arizona’s John Curtiss got four outs, striking out Angel Martínez to begin the 10th. Andrew Saalfrank (1-1) entered and retired Steven Kwan on a lineout to center before striking out pinch-hitter David Fry.

Bo Naylor had an RBI groundout in the first to give Cleveland the lead. Brayan Roccho had another run-scoring groundout in the second to put the Guardians up 2-1.

Brandon Pfaadt allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings for Arizona.

Brewers fans line up to grab free burgers

Milwaukee – The Milwaukee Brewers’ franchise-record 14-game winning streak resulted in one heck of a tab for a local fast-food chain.

George Webb promises to give away free hamburgers whenever the Brewers reel off at least 12 straight victories. The local fast-food chain delivered on its promise Wednesday, as fans lined up outside each of its 26 Milwaukee-area locations

Brian Meehan, a George Webb spokesman, said the chain expects to give out about 180,000 burgers as part of this promotion. George Webb officials purchased 25,000 pounds of beef, 4,000 pounds of onions, 300,000 pickle slices and 200,000 buns in preparation.

“It’s something we think about when we get to like nine wins, and then as it gets closer,” Brewers fan Chris Crandall said as he enjoyed his burger Wednesday.

That estimate of 180,000 included 100,000 vouchers George Webb gave out over the weekend enabling fans to pick up a free burger anytime from Aug. 25-29.

But the company also was giving out free burgers to anyone who walked into a George Webb during a four-hour window Wednesday afternoon. By the time that giveaway started, about 125 fans already had lined up outside the closest George Webb to American Family Field.

“It’s like a once-in-a-decade opportunity, so I’m taking advantage of it,” said Stephen Pawlak of Franklin, Wisconsin.

Joe Hasler and Scott Antczak of Milwaukee grabbed some burgers for the road Wednesday as they prepared to drive to the Brewers’ game with the Chicago Cubs that night.

“We’ve been going to George Webb for our whole lives,” Hasler said. “It’s always a great place after a good night of having beers and after a ballgame. It’s a quality burger, part of the nostalgia of the Milwaukee Brewers.”

Tony Pedretti of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, about a two-hour drive west of Milwaukee, had attended the second game of the Brewers’ doubleheader loss in Chicago the previous night. He was aware of the giveaway and decided to stop for a free burger on his way home.

“I’ve never been to George Webb, so it’s a good marketing, customer activation program,” said Pedretti, who wore a Brewers cowboy hat as he waited in line.

The Brewers earned their 12th straight victory last week and then won again on Friday before the streak ended Sunday with a 3-2, 10-inning loss at Cincinnati.

George Webb’s burger giveaway promotion goes back several decades.

During the years when the Braves played in Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta in 1966, George Webb promised free burgers if they won as many as 13 straight games. When Milwaukee welcomed the Brewers in 1970, George Webb changed the promotion and promised to give away free burgers for every 12-game win streak.

This marks the third time George Webb’s had to deliver on its promise. The Brewers won their first 13 games of the 1987 season. The Brewers won their final eight regular-season games and first four playoff games for a 12-game streak in 2018.

The line outside the closest George Webb to American Family Field on Thursday included multiple people who said they also had capitalized on those 1987 and 2018 burger giveaways.

Many of the fans arrived with hearty appetites.

“The guy in front of me literally had a map with all the George Webbs,” Crandall said. “So he’s definitely hitting more than one.”

Dodgers’ Ohtani leaves game early

Denver – Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a forgettable outing in his first career pitching start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Ohtani left Wednesday’s game after giving up five earned runs and nine hits in four innings and getting hit in the leg by a comeback line drive.

With runners at second and third and one out in the fourth inning, Ohtani got hit by a 93-mph line drive off the bat of Colorado’s Orlando Arciao on his right knee that caused him to limp and grimace in pain. The liner struck the reigning National League MVP on the knee and ricocheted toward the first base line. Ohtani gave chase and grabbed the ball on the line, spun to make a throw, but had no play as a runner scored.

After a mound visit from manager Dave Roberts and team medical personnel, Ohtani stayed in the game and got the last two outs of the inning, with the Dodgers trailing 5-0 at the time.

The earned runs that Ohtani allowed matched the most he had permitted since July 2022, and the nine hits allowed matched a career high.

Ohtani stayed in the game and drew a walk in his at-bat in the fifth inning, but did not bat in the eighth. He was replaced by Alex Call, who struck out.

Ohtani was making his 10th start of the season after not pitching in the 2024 season while recovering from elbow surgery.

He entered Wednesday without a decision and a 3.47 ERA. This season, he hasn’t thrown more than 4 ⅓ innings or 80 pitches. Against the MLB-worst Rockies, he threw 66 pitches, 49 for strikes.

Ohtani is batting .284 with 44 homers, one behind NL-leading Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, with 83 RBIs.

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