Wacha shines on mound, Witt hits an inside-the-park homer, and Royals cruise 5-1 over the Tigers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings, Bobby Witt Jr. hit an inside-the-park home run on a grounder and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 on Saturday night.

Michael Massey had a three-run homer for the Royals, who will go for the series sweep on Sunday night.

Witt hit the ball down the right-field line in the first inning that bounced off the wall and eluded right fielder Kerry Carpenter. Witt motored around the bases and beat the relay throw to the plate for a two-run homer.

It was the Royals’ first inside-the-park home run since Witt did it in August 2023.

Carpenter left the game later with left shoulder soreness.

Wacha (4-2) gave up two hits, walked two and struck out six. It was his longest scoreless outing since throwing eight scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 11.

Burch Smith (0-2) took the loss. He retired only one of the four batters he faced, allowing two runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.

Massey's homer in the fourth inning came with runners on first and third with two outs. He lined the ball over the right-center field fence for his third homer of the season.

Wacha had at least one strikeout in each of his first four innings. The Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth on a double, a walk and a hit batter, but Wacha got Matt Vierling to ground out to end the inning.

The Tigers scored in the eighth on a two-out double by Riley Greene.

The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday. The Tigers have not announced a starter, though manager AJ Hinch said it will be a bullpen game. Kansas City will send LHP Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.40 ERA) to the mound.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey watches his three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Burch Smith hands the ball to manager A.J. Hinch (14) during a pitching change in the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. dives home to score after hitting a inside-the-park home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jim Miller used a submission victory Saturday night to add to his record totals for UFC fights and career victories in his first return to the cage since his teenage son beat a rare form of childhood cancer.

A New Jersey native, Miller defeated Jared Gordon in a lightweight bout at UFC 328 with a rear naked choke at 3:29 of the first round and his family cheering him on from the Prudential Center. The 42-year-old Miller extended his record with 28 career wins in 47 fights under the UFC banner.

Miller also earned his 20th finish, second most in UFC history.

Wyatt Miller, 14, was diagnosed last year with rhadbomyosacroma, a rare type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in soft tissue and is more common in childhood. Wyatt underwent two courses of chemotherapy and five weeks of proton radiation at Rutgers University Cancer Institute and was eventually given a clean bill of health.

“My son went through some really difficult times the last couple of months,” Miller said inside the octagon. “He ended up kicking the (heck) out of cancer. He’s all good today. He’s cancer free. One of the things I told him when he first got diagnosed was, Millers have been called a lot of names over the year, but fragile’s never been one of them. He fought his way through it.”

His son’s cancer scare kept him out of the cage for 13 months, an eternity for a fighter who made a habit of competing multiple times a year. Miller lost to Chase Hooper in his last fight at UFC 314 in April 2025.

Khamzat Chimaev puts his middleweight crown on the line against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event. Joshua Van defends his 125-pound championship against Tatsuro Taira in another title bout in UFC’s 11th stop in Newark, New Jersey.

The 24-year-old from Myanmar has won six straight fights and nine of 10 since he signed with UFC — no win bigger than his championship victory in December against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323.

UFC held its last major card before its June 14 show at the White House to fete President Donald Trump, a proud proponent of cage-match politics. The show is timed for Trump’s 80th birthday and as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump, who frequently attends major UFC events, was not expected Saturday night at the Prudential Center.

AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts

AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts

FILE - Jim Miller reacts after defeating Damon Jackson in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts lightweight title bout, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)