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SPORTS Thursday 27 June 2024
Perez highlights 5-run, 2-out rally in eighth with RBI double as

Royals rally to beat Marlins, 5-1

By DAVE SKRETTA ning, and it wasn't entirely
AP Sports Writer his fault: Hunter Renfroe hit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — a two-out single, then Bruján
Salvador Perez highlighted lost Fermin's popup in the sun
a five-run, two-out rally in and it landed for a double.
the eighth inning with a go- But Bellozo promptly struck
ahead double down the left- out Garrett Hampson to leave
field line, and the Kansas City the runners on second and
Royals went on to beat the third.
Miami Marlins 5-1 on Wednes- He then retired his final 10 hit-
day to pick up the series win. ters before getting a swarm
Angel Zerpa (1-0) got the of high-fives in the Marlins
final two outs of the eighth dugout.
in relief of Brady Singer, who "I had a lot of adrenalin, a
allowed an RBI single to Vidal little nervous, but we con-
Bruján in the second inning trolled the game and did a
but little else on a sunny after- really good job," Bellozo said.
noon at Kauffman Stadium. "Play with the zone, attack
James McArthur handled the with the breaking balls and
ninth to finish it off. make all my pitches work."
"Just incredible," Singer said. Miami Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr. can't beat the throw to Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia while ROSTER MOVES
"For those guys to grind back, trying to steal second base during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Marlins: LHP Kent Emanuel
that's how we're going to win in Kansas City, Mo. was designated for assign-
games." Associated Press ment to clear space for Bel-
Indeed, Kansas City had in two more runs to provide seven games. Quatraro, whose team had lozo on the roster. Emanuel
been shut down by Valente McArthur some breathing "Momentum is huge, and lost four straight series and had allowed eight runs, seven
Bellozo and the Miami bullpen room. that's who we are," Witt said. been 2-7 in series-deciding earned, while appearing in
until the eighth, when Bobby "We had been pretty dead "It was just a matter of time." games this season. "He want- five games this season.
Witt Jr. started the rally with a offensively," Royals manager Singer allowed five hits and ed to keep going. He had it UP NEXT
triple off Huascar Brazoban Matt Quatraro said. "Two outs, a walk while striking out five, in his mind that he was going Marlins: Head to Philadelphia
(0-1). Vinnie Pasquantino nobody on, right? Just the though he again was victim- to carry us." to open a four-game series
followed with a tying single, quality of what they were ized by poor run support: The Meanwhile, Bellozo was domi- Thursday night with Trevor
and after pinch runner Dairon swinging at, too. The guys Royals have scored two runs nant in his big league debut Rogers (1-8, 4.90 ERA) on
Blanco swiped second, Perez put some really good swings or fewer in 12 of his 16 starts, for Miami, pitching five innings the mound.
delivered the double that on it." and he has not won since of two-hit ball. Royals: Welcome Cleveland
gave Kansas City the lead. The outbreak came after May 19 against Oakland. The only bit of trouble the to town Thursday night with
Nick Loftin added an RBI sin- Kansas City had scored two "The efficiency of him was the 24-year-old from Mexico ran RHP Michael Wacha (4-6,
gle and Freddy Fermin drove runs or fewer in five of its last most impressive thing," said into came in the second in- 4.07) getting the start.q

Americans favored to top overall medal count in Paris Olympics

By STEPHEN WADE Gracenote’s ranking is ain (62-14), France (56-29), Performing at home is an The unknown factor is the
AP Sports Writer based on overall medals Australia (48-13), Japan advantage, partly be- presence of Russian and to
The United States is strong- won, although others focus (46-12), Italy (46-11), Ger- cause host nations invest a lesser extent Belarusian
ly favored to win the most the rankings on gold totals. many (37-10), Netherlands more heavily in training athletes. They have been
overall medals when the The International Olympic (34-17), South Korea (29-8). athletes. Then, of course, absent from most interna-
Paris Olympics open in a Committee does not com- The next 10 are: Hungary there are adoring home tional competitions over
month. The big question is pile rankings, leaving this to (23-7), Canada (20-6), crowds and the familiar sur- the last two years because
this: will the Americans also nations and local media. Spain (18-4), Ukraine (17-2), roundings. of the war in Ukraine.q
top the gold-medal tally in This would be the eighth Brazil (16-7), New Zealand
a close race with China? straight time the United (16-4), Poland (15-5), Den-
The United States is project- States has won the most mark (14-5), Turkey (14-4),
ed to win 123 medals over- overall medals in the Sum- Ethiopia (13-2).
all 37 gold, 34 silver, and 52 mer Games. In 1992 at And 21 through 30 are:
bronze. China is forecast to Barcelona, the so-called Sweden (12-6), Georgia
win 87 overall 36 gold, 29 Unified team topped the (12-3), Serbia (11-5), Bel-
silver, and 22 bronze. overall count. Those ath- gium (11-3), Uzbekistan (11-
This forecast is done by letes were from the former 3), Kazakhstan (10-2), Iran
Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, Soviet Union, which had just (9-4), Croatia (9-3), Roma-
which supplies statistical broken up as a sovereign nia (9-2), Ireland (9-2).
analysis for sports leagues state. Host nations always get
around the world. It also The last time the United a bump in medals, and
tracks major competitions States did not top the gold- France is expected to get
involving Olympic sports medal count in the Sum- a big one and increase its
leading up to the Games. mer Games was in the 2008 overall total from 33 in To-
The United States and Olympics in Beijing, where kyo. France is forecast to An employee holds medals for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic
China finished 1-2 in both China invested heavily and nearly triple its gold-medal and Paralympic Games after the finishing touches were added,
categories in 2021 in the saw dividends. output from Tokyo, where in the workshops of La Monnaie de Paris, in Paris Tuesday, June
pandemic-delayed Tokyo Next in line with overall and Japan picked up a record 25, 2024.
Olympics. gold totals for Paris are: Brit- haul. Associated Press