Avila rebounds, taking a shutout into the 6th as the Royals beat Washington 6-2 to avoid a sweep

WASHINGTON (AP) — Luinder Avila took a shutout into the sixth, and the Kansas City Royals hit four solo homers in the first three innings of a 6-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Carter Jensen led off the game with a home run, and John Rave, Lane Thomas and Michael Massey also went deep as the Royals avoided a three-game sweep in Washington. Avila (2-3) allowed a run and three hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Jensen's drive to right off Zack Littell (6-6) — his first of four hits — opened the scoring. Rave added a home run in the second. Then Thomas and Massey hit back-to-back homers in the third.

Rave tripled to lead off the sixth and scored on Isaac Collins' squeeze bunt. Bobby Witt Jr. added an RBI single later that inning.

Avila rebounded nicely after allowing eight runs in 2/3 of an inning in his previous start, a 10-8 loss to the Houston Astros. He was pulled Wednesday with two outs in the sixth and a runner on first. CJ Abrams greeted reliever Matt Strahm with an RBI double, then came home on Dylan Crews' single to make it 6-2.

The Royals won for just the second time in eight games.

Littell allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. He has lost back-to-back starts after going seven in a row without a defeat.

Kansas City returns home to face St. Louis on Thursday night. Noah Cameron (3-4) starts for the Royals against Matthew Liberatore (3-3).

The Nationals are off Thursday before a series at Tampa Bay. Cade Cavalli (4-4) takes the mound for Washington on Friday night.

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

Kansas City Royals closing pitcher Alex Lange, left, is congratulated by Royals catcher Carter Jensen after defeating the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Kansas City Royals' John Rave is greeted by third base coach Vance Wilson after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz waits for the next batter as Kansas City Royals' Lane Thomas (15) is greeted at the plate by Royals' Michael Massey at home plate after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Zack Littell has a conference with Nationals pitching coach Simon Mathews during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Luinder Avila follows through during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks’ victory tour following their first NBA championship since 1973 made another stop Wednesday night when Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart threw out ceremonial first pitches at Yankee Stadium.

Before the Yankees played the Chicago White Sox, Brunson and Hart were met with a standing ovation and loud cheers from fans as they took the field to a montage of highlights from the title run.

Standing in front of the mound and wearing Yankees pinstripes, Brunson made his toss to backup catcher J.C. Escarra while Hart threw to utilityman Max Schuemann.

“Oh, I think’s it been awesome,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “What a fun team to get behind and just the story of that team and how it’s kind of come together over the last couple of years and just a lot of grit, a lot of mental fortitude and to see the fanbase and then some galvanized around that club has been a lot of fun to witness."

Brunson and Hart were honored after the Knicks made appearances on NBC’s “The Today Show” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on Monday. Brunson and Hart along with starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby also appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday.

The ceremony occurred a day before the Knicks will be honored with a massive ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan. Mayor Zohran Mamdani predicted Thursday’s celebration could be “the largest parade in New York City history."

The parade will also be the first for the Knicks, who won their first two NBA champiosnhips in 1970 and 1973. After those titles, then-Mayor John Lindsay celebrated the team at the mayoral mansion and City Hall.

Brunson threw out a first pitch for the second time since joining the Knicks. He also did it before a Mets-Yankees game in July 2024 shortly after signing a four-year, $156.5 million contract to stay with the Knicks.

Brunson averaged 32.6 points in New York’s five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and won MVP honors. He led the Knicks to a 94-90 victory in the clinching Game 5 by scoring 45 points.

Hart is a great-nephew of former Yankees catcher Elston Howard, whose No. 32 jersey is retired by the team. Howard is also honored with a plaque in Monument Park.

The Knicks finished 16-3 in the postseason, an .842 winning percentage that matched the 2024 Boston Celtics for second-best since the format changed to best-of-seven series in all NBA playoff rounds beginning in 2003. The 2017 Golden State Warriors went 16-1.

New York won 13 consecutive postseason games, second to Golden State's 15 in a row in 2017, and set records by winning nine straight road games and outscoring their postseason opponents by 283 points.

Brunson and the Knicks also pulled off several big comebacks on the way to their title.

“It’s just been a captivating run that they’ve been on and with a group that’s now been together for a couple of years and then on top of the 53 years since a championship, it’s been a great story and a fan base that has come to know several of these guys as they’ve kind of climbed that ladder to ultimately winning a championship,” Boone said. “So I think it’ll be one of the historic teams that we talk about when it comes to the NBA.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, left, and Josh Hart leave the field after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Josh Hart, left, and Jalen Brunson, right, wait to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Josh Hart, left, and Jalen Brunson, right, wait to throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Josh Hart, right, and Jalen Brunson throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)