NICKY LOPEZ

A total of 170 major league players agreed to contracts in the hours before Friday night’s arbitration deadline to exchange proposed salaries with teams, and just one reached a multiyear deal: Minnesota right-hander Chris Paddack.

Dayton Moore was fired from his role atop the baseball operations department for the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2.

Justin Verlander got his MLB-leading 11th win, Yordan Alvarez hit his 26th homer and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 to take the series 3-1.

Pitcher Max Fried won his salary arbitration case against the World Series champion Atlanta Braves and was given his $6.85 million request instead of the team’s $6.6 million offer.

Pitcher Max Fried became the fifth member of the World Series champion Atlanta Braves to go to salary arbitration, asking for $6.85 million while the team argued for $6.6 million.

Blue Jays Royals Baseball Kansas City Royals second baseman Nicky Lopez gets the force out on Toronto Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio at second, but couldn't make the play to first during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) (Reed Hoffmann)NEW YORK — (AP) — Kansas City infielder Nicky Lopez lost his salary arbitration case with the Royals on Friday and will get $2.55 million instead of his $2.9 million request, a decision that clinched management’s third straight winning record. Melinda Gordon, Scott Buccheit and John Woods made the Lopez case decision on Friday, a day after hearing arguments. The 27-year-old shortstop and second baseman is hitting .214 with five RBIs and four steals this year. Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson ($10 million), Seattle second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier ($8 million) and Kansas City outfielder Andrew Benintendi ($8.5 million) won.

Kansas City infielder Nicky Lopez lost his salary arbitration case with the Royals on Friday and will get $2.55 million instead of his $2.9 million request, a decision that clinched management’s third straight winning record.

Outfielder Adam Duvall and the Atlanta Braves argued their case as salary arbitration hearings resumed after a two-week break.

Bobby Witt Jr. hit his first major league home run, Brad Keller pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 to end a four-game losing streak.

Aaron Judge returned from a scheduled day off to homer twice and drive in the tying run as the Yankees rallied past the Royals 6-4 for their ninth straight win.

Bobby Witt Jr. capped his highly anticipated big league debut with his first hit, a go-ahead double with two outs in the eighth inning, sending the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians.

Bobby Witt Jr. searched the crowd for his family before his highly anticipated big league debut Thursday, finally spotting them in the sea of Kansas City Royals fans that had bundled up for a blustery opening day. “I don't know if they were even paying attention to me,” Witt admitted later. After going hitless in his first three at-bats, Witt roped a double down the left-field line with two outs in the eighth inning, spurring the Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians.

Formerly a fleet outfielder, Anthony Gose returned to the majors five years later Monday night as a rocket-armed reliever for the Cleveland Indians, flashing 100 mph heat and finishing his outing by fanning Royals slugger Salvador Perez.

Royals Cubs Baseball Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic (50) throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Mark Black) (Mark Black)CHICAGO — (AP) — Kris Bubic carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Saturday. Whit Merrifield had three hits and stole home as part of a double steal, helping Kansas City win for the fifth time in six games. Bubic (4-6) was working on a no-hitter when the game was delayed in the middle of the seventh because of an approaching storm. But Kansas City challenged that Chirinos didn’t allow Benintendi a path to the plate, and the call was overturned after review.

Kris Bubic carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2.

Royals Cubs Baseball Kansas City Royals' Emmanuel Rivera, right, celebrates with Nicky Lopez after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) (Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO — (AP) — Salvador Perez hit two of Kansas City's five home runs in the Royals' 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Perez broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with his second homer of the day off Zach Davies (6-10). The right-hander struck out eight, allowing one earned run on four hits in six innings. UP NEXTRoyals left-hander Kris Bubic (3-6, 5.09 ERA) and Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson (3-2, 2.21 ERA) start on Saturday.

Luke Voit had a two-run single in the first inning and the New York Yankees beat Kansas City 5-2 on Wednesday for their 12th straight series victory over the Royals.

Jarrod Dyson doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 to complete a four-game sweep on the road for the first time in nearly 22 years.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer delivers in the seventh inning of the baseball team's game against the Cleveland Indians, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)CLEVELAND – Kansas City rookie Brady Singer allowed just one hit — a two-out single through an infield shift in the eighth inning — and flirted with baseball history while leading the Royals to a 11-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night. Singer gave up a one-out walk in the first but then retired the Indians with relative ease. Olivares staked Singer to a 4-0 lead in the sixth with his third homer, a shot into the empty bleachers in left field. Indians: Open key three-game series at Minnesota with ace Shane Bieber (7-0, 1.25 ERA) starting against Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda (4-1, 2,77).