KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino, Kyle Isbel and Carter Jensen all hit solo home runs to power the Kansas City Royals past the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory.
Noah Cameron (8-8) allowed two hits and walked three in five shutout innings. The left-hander was coming off his first career complete game in a 3-0 victory, a one-hitter on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.
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Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrates after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron delivers to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton delivers to a Kansas City Royals batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrates in the dugout after scoring off a Michael Massey single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
John Schreiber got two outs in the seventh, but gave up two runs before Steven Cruz ended the rally with a scoreless 1 1/3 innings. Nate Pearson struck out Dillon Dingler with two on in the ninth for his third save.
Pasquantino hit a one-out double off rookie Troy Melton (7-2) in the fourth and scored on a two-out fielding error by rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle on Michael Massey's grounder to give the Royals the lead.
Isbel hit a leadoff homer in the fifth to put the Royals up 2-0.
Pasquantino hit his eighth homer, a leadoff shot in the sixth to make it 3-0.
Zach McKinstry had an RBI double and McGonigle singled in a run as the Tigers cut it to 3-2 in the seventh.
Jensen answered with his 17th homer — a 443-foot shot to center — in the seventh. Isbel doubled in a run in the eighth for the final margin.
The Royals were coming off their first four-game sweep of the Athletics in 32 years.
The Tigers have lost three straight and six of their last seven.
Tigers RHP Drew Anderson (4-4, 4.01) starts Saturday opposite Royals RHP Michael Wacha (6-8, 3.58).
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrates after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron delivers to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton delivers to a Kansas City Royals batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrates in the dugout after scoring off a Michael Massey single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Geno Smith's left ankle appears to be just fine. So much so that a one-drive cameo is all the New York Jets quarterback might need to get ready for the regular season.
The veteran quarterback, reunited with the team that drafted him back in 2013, completed all seven of his passes for 65 yards, the last 13 coming on a flip to tight end Jelani Woods for a touchdown in what became a 17-0 exhibition victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.
Smith, who sat out New York's preseason opener to give his aching ankle a break, showed a little mobility when rushed and needed just 10 plays to take the Jets (1-1) 69 yards on their opening possession.
“It felt good to be out there with the guys,” Smith said. “Obviously we got one drive in, but we scored a touchdown. You always want to start fast, and so that was a good thing. Definitely a lot of room for improvement.”
Asked what those things might be, Smith demurred.
“I'll keep that to myself,” said Smith, who played for the Jets from 2013 to 2016 and was acquired from Las Vegas in March.
New York coach Aaron Glenn was a little more expansive, pointing to a running game that managed just 62 yards, 16 of them coming on a scramble by rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik.
“I know (the Steelers), they pride themselves on stopping the run, but that’s not a pass for us,” Glenn said. “But we got to get better in that aspect, and we will.”
Klubnik, battling to be Smith's backup when the season opens, completed 10 of 15 passes for 75 yards. Bailey Zappe threw for 68 yards and Brady Cook's one completion was a 31-yard lob that Quincy Skinner cradled for a late touchdown.
New York's defense, a major weakness during a 3-14 slog in 2025, kept young Pittsburgh quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar in check. Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey, the second overall pick in this year's draft, dropped Howard for an 11-yard loss in the first quarter.
Perhaps even more promising for New York, the defense also found a way to catch the ball, something that didn't happen at all during the regular season a year ago when the Jets became the first team since the NFL started tracking the statistic in 1933 to go an entire year without a single pick.
New York intercepted Howard twice in the first half with the Steelers (1-1) driving in New York territory. Andre Cisco stepped in front of a poor pass by Howard intended for Roman Wilson and raced 23 yards the other way. Samuel Womack made a nice grab on a ball again intended for Wilson on Pittsburgh's next drive.
Glenn deflected when asked about feeling any sense of relief seeing a couple of passes end up in the hands of players in green and white.
“Man, there’s so much noise on the outside that it’s really good to see our guys just focus on the now,” he said. “And they’re trained to do that, and it’s hard sometimes, but I’m really proud of how our guys respond to that and continue to work.”
Howard and Allar, given the entirety of the workload while starter Aaron Rodgers and longtime backup Mason Rudolph took the night off, failed to reproduce the fireworks that marked their impressive performances a week ago.
The duo who combined to lead four touchdown drives against the Packers failed to reach the end zone even once against the Jets.
Howard got the start and completed 10 of 15 passes for 75 yards, his most impressive moment coming on a 15-yard third-down connection with Ben Skowronek in which he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure before finding Skowronek over the middle.
That moment, however, was overshadowed by a pair of throws that ended up in the hands of the Jets on a night the former sixth-round pick looked very much like the project that he is.
“We can’t let this trip us up going forward," Howard said. "We have to continue to make strides. And we didn’t really make any strides tonight.”
Allar, taken in the third round this year, avoided turning the ball over but wasn't quite as electrifying as he was last week. His best moment came on a 39-yard connection with Lake McCree in which Allar went through his progressions before floating the ball to an open McCree down the sideline. Allar finished 11 of 23 for 110 yards.
It didn't help either quarterback that the protection in front of them was shaky most of the night. The Steelers allowed four sacks, including two to recently signed edge rusher Nate Lynn, who spent 2024 with the Detroit when Glenn was serving as the club's defensive coordinator.
Jets cornerback Tre Brown was helped off the field in the second quarter, but he returned.
Jets: Host MetLife Stadium roommates the New York Giants on Aug. 28.
Steelers: Travel to Buffalo on Aug. 27.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) avoids a tackle during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the New York Jets, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
New York Jets safety Andre Cisco (8) runs the ball after intercepting a pass during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard, left, reacts after being sacked by New York Jets linebacker David Bailey (31) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith throws during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) greets teammates before an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
