ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alec Burleson drove in two runs and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Saturday in the second game of the annual I-70 series, much to the delight of some boisterous and shirtless fans in the right-field seats.
The game was delayed by rain at the start by 46 minutes.
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St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn celebrates after hitting a sacrifice fly to score Nathan Church during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn watches his sacrifice fly to score Nathan Church during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Fans cheer and wave their shirts above their heads during the fifth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn scores during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn (0) and Victor Scott II (11) celebrate a victory over the Kansas City Royals in a baseball game Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Kyle Leahy (5-3) pitched six innings in his first career start against the Royals. He allowed one run on five hits. George Soriano got his second save despite giving up a leadoff homer to Jac Caglianone in the ninth.
Noah Cameron (2-3) worked six innings, giving up three runs on five hits.
The Stephen F. Austin club baseball team attended Friday’s game and caused a sensation by the players took off their shirts and waved them like a helicopter. The team returned in the fourth inning Saturday after winning a game earlier in the National Club Baseball Division II World Series in nearby Alton, Illinois.
St. Louis has won four of its five games. Since Interleague play began in 1997, the Cardinals are 81-55 against Kansas City.
The Royals have lost six in a row. Kansas City has lost 17 of its first 23 road games, the second-worst mark in the majors.
Burleson's two-out RBI single in the eighth extended the lead to 4-1.
Thomas Saggese ended his 0-for-30 slump that was the longest active hitless streak in MLB with a leadoff single in the fifth inning. He scored on a fielder's choice by sliding safely at home. A sacrifice fly by Masyn Winn then gave St. Louis a 3-1 lead.
The Royals tied it at 1-1 in the fifth. Maikel Garcia hit a one-out double and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-out single to center.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the first on a sacrifice fly by Burleson.
The rivalry weekend series wraps up Sunday with Royals RHP Stephen Kolak (1-0, 6.75 ERA) set to start against RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.46).
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St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn celebrates after hitting a sacrifice fly to score Nathan Church during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn watches his sacrifice fly to score Nathan Church during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Fans cheer and wave their shirts above their heads during the fifth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn scores during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn (0) and Victor Scott II (11) celebrate a victory over the Kansas City Royals in a baseball game Saturday, May 16, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
MADRID (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people poured into a central Madrid plaza on Sunday for Pope Leo XIV ’s main Mass and a procession highlighting one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety: flower carpets.
They cheered and shouted “This is the youth of the pope!” as Leo arrived for the Mass, looping around the plaza and surrounding streets in his popemobile to a crowd packed several rows deep behind barricades.
Sunday’s Mass falls on the Catholic Corpus Domini feast day, which often features processions of faithful through towns and cities led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. In Spain as in other predominantly Catholic countries, the processions often feature elaborate floral carpets arranged along the route.
Leo, who arrived in Spain on Saturday at the start of his weeklong visit, has been keen to highlight the long tradition of Catholic devotion here to encourage especially young generations to find their faith.
At a vigil service Saturday night, an estimated 600,000 young Spaniards knelt for several minutes in silent prayer alongside Leo, suggesting that there is indeed interest among young people despite Spain’s heavily secularized society.
“Let me take the opportunity to tell all of you: Don't ever be afraid of thinking about a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, or other services in the church!” Leo told the crowd.
Irati Valda and Javier Hormazal, a young couple, held up a cardboard sign announcing they are going to get married on June 13 and were ushered up close to receive Leo's blessing during the vigil.
“To see so many young people together, it's incredible. Half a million people in silence, this is something you will only live once," Valda said.
The tradition of laying flower carpets — and destroying them when the procession tramples them — dates back two centuries and is popular also in Latin America, where elaborate sand designs are also made. The painstaking displays are considered an offering to the Eucharist.
Poland has already had its tradition of Corpus Domini flower carpets recognized by UNESCO, and Spain's Galicia region is trying to have its tradition listed along with other countries as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.
According to Spanish organizers, the 16 flower carpets decorating the half-kilometer (mile) procession route were prepared by a Spanish florists association from Galicia. Florists used more than 30,000 flowers, most the yellow and white colors of the Holy See flag, for the carpets that feature decorations such as the Holy See keys.
Leo arrived in Spain on Saturday and urged its people to put an end to polarization and work for unity. Later Sunday he is to meet privately with members of his Augustinian religious order and address cultural leaders.
AP visual journalist Helena Alves contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Pope Leo XIV arrives in the popemobile at Plaza de Lima in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, for a prayer vigil with young people on the first day of a seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as he arrives at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, on the first day of his seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
