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The Washington Nationals can secure their fourth straight series win when they host the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.

The Nationals beat the Royals 7-3 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game set. Washington has won three consecutive games and seven of its past 10. At 38-35, the Nationals are now three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2019 season, when they won the World Series.

Kansas City, which has lost five of six, will send veteran right-hander Michael Wacha (4-5, 3.58 ERA) to the hill to face left-hander Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.46) in the middle game of the series.

Wacha has struggled lately, going 0-3 with a 7.13 ERA over his past three starts. In his latest outing, he gave up four runs on nine hits in seven innings, resulting in a 4-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Thursday. He allowed a run in each of the first three innings before settling down.

“Just some waste pitches, I would say, just non-competitive pitches there in those first couple of innings,” Wacha said. “Just tried to make a quality pitch in the zone to the corners, trust my stuff in the zone and was able to get some quick outs.”

The Royals have lost each of Wacha’s last six starts.

Wacha, 34, is 5-2 with a 3.04 ERA in nine games (eight starts) vs. the Nationals.

Washington has a 10-4 record this year in games Griffin started, and he has allowed one earned run or none in three of his past four outings. He hasn’t lost since May 14. In his most recent start, he gave up a run on six hits over six innings against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. He was in position for the win before Washington blew a 9-1, eighth-inning lead and ultimately lost 11-10.

“Once we get on the plane, it’s over with, it’s done with,” Griffin said.

Griffin has never faced the Royals, the team that drafted him as the 28th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He appeared in six games for Kansas City over two seasons before he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022.

The Nationals have won three of four since the meltdown in San Francisco.

“I think that just shows a lot about this team we’ve got here,” Washington outfielder Dylan Crews said. “We don’t carry anything on our backs from the past and we just move on to the next day and it’s awesome to see.”

The Monday win was largely thanks to a five-run fifth inning. Luis Garcia Jr. delivered a two-run single before Crews hit a three-run homer. Crews has a five-game hitting streak and has driven in at least one run in each of those games.

Washington’s James Wood doubled in the third inning, and he has hit safely in seven straight games. During that span, he is batting .429 (12-for-28) with two doubles, three homers, 11 runs, six RBIs and three stolen bases.

Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone singled in the first inning and doubled in the fifth for his seventh multi-hit game this month. He is hitting .422 (19-for-45) in June.

Maikel Garcia gave the Royals a 3-2 lead with a two-run fifth-inning single. The hit came on a 1-2 fastball.

“I think what he did today is an example of what he’s been doing,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “When he’s down in the count, he’s not trying to do too much.”

Kansas City catcher Carter Jensen singled to extend his career-best hitting streak to eight games.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 15 : Lionel Messi may not have faced the media but dominated a chunk of Argentina’s press conferences ahead of their World Cup opener, with coach Lionel Scaloni and defender Nicolas Otamendi underlining his importance.

The 38-year-old captain is set to play a record sixth World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and both coach and teammates made clear his influence remains undiminished as the reigning champions prepare to face Algeria on Tuesday.

“Not only Argentines, we believe everyone wants to see him on the pitch, wants to see him play,” Scaloni told reporters on Monday, confirming the forward has recovered from a recent muscle strain and is expected to be in the starting lineup.

Messi was left on the bench during Argentina’s 2-0 win over Honduras in a friendly on June 6, but came in as a substitute in their 3-0 victory against Iceland last week, scoring one of their goals from the penalty spot.

Scaloni dismissed any suggestion the Inter Miami player’s presence could be a burden for the South American side, saying that his impact never waned as he played under different physical conditions over the years.

“He has always been there, and he has always been fundamental for us. And now even more so,” the coach said.

Long-time teammate Otamendi, also approaching what is expected to be his final World Cup, reflected on their shared journey – which included the title at Qatar 2022 – and described Messi as “the best player in history”.

“We have lived many beautiful moments together,” the 38-year-old said.

“He is a simple person who enjoys training camps and practices, and prepares himself for that. He is also a competitive animal. That pushes you to keep trying, not to relax, to try to be alongside him, to support him and help him.”

INGLEWOOD, California, June 15 – Iran kicked off their World Cup in Los Angeles on Monday, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in front of a crowd that consisted of both fans cheering them on and ‌Iranian Americans waving symbols of protest against the Tehran government.

The run-up to the match had been one of extraordinary drama ‌off the pitch, with the team playing on U.S. soil barely 24 hours after a peace deal was announced to end the war that began when the U.S. and ​Israel attacked Iran in February.

The footballers had flown into the U.S. on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico.

In Los Angeles – home to the biggest Iranian community outside Iran, many of whom fled the country after the Islamic Revolution – Iranian American soccer fans said they had been left torn between excitement at seeing the team on the world’s biggest stage, anger at Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and concern about Washington’s bombing campaign.

Though most Iran ‌fans at the stadium passionately backed their team, many ⁠signalled opposition to the government in Tehran by holding up pre-revolutionary flags – the lion‑and‑sun emblem used before 1979 and now a symbol of protest.

Some went further, cheering New Zealand or booing their own side, which some Iranian ⁠Americans view as a proxy for Tehran.

Outside the stadium, several hundred held a protest, waving anti-Iranian government signs and flags.

Iran had threatened to halt matches if unofficial flags were brought in or slogans chanted.

But numerous people carrying the lion-and-sun flag or wearing t-shirts with the symbol passed through security at the ​stadium without ​any issue and the game on Monday proceeded as planned.

When asked about the ​matter, world soccer’s governing body FIFA has previously pointed ‌to rules that prohibit flags or apparel of a political nature.

But it has not commented specifically on its approach to the Iranian pre-revolutionary flag and did not immediately comment on Monday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was present at the match.

‘LET GO OF POLITICS’

Three people in the stands wearing white t-shirts emblazoned with the lion-and-sun motif said they had decided to wear them despite the warnings.

“This team is not the team of the people of Iran,” said one of the three, Farhad Jafargad.

Other fans wrapped themselves in the official flag and complained that they had been heckled by ‌the protesters. Some said they wanted to focus on their team – affectionately known ​as Team Melli – and forget the politics.

“We’re very proud of our country,” said 57-year-old ​Mehdi Jafari, wearing an Iran soccer shirt, going into the ​stadium ahead of the match.

“We’re here to support Iran. I think we should all let go of the politics ‌and just go in and cheer on the Team Melli.”

Iran’s ​participation in tournament matches in the ​U.S. has been beset by controversy against the backdrop of the war, which has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.

That followed nationwide protests in January inside Iran in which thousands were killed in a government crackdown.

In recent weeks, the ​Iran soccer team changed their base from Arizona ‌to Mexico, while their federation complained that not all their staff received U.S. visas and that tickets allocated to supporters ​had been withdrawn.

June 16 : New Zealand midfielder Matt Garbett has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury in training ahead of his side’s 2-2 draw with Iran in their Group G opener on Monday.

“The whole squad’s thoughts are with Matt at this time and we are gutted he won’t be able to play in the tournament,” New Zealand Football said in a social media post.

Auckland FC forward Logan Rogerson has been called up as a replacement for Garbett, who plays for Peterborough United in England’s third tier.

“Matty’s a good mate of mine and I am really gutted for him,” Rogerson said in an Auckland statement. “It’s a weird feeling to be honest, slightly conflicted as I am also buzzing to get out there and meet up with the team.”

New Zealand’s next match is against Egypt on June 21.

MIAMI, June 15 : Saudi Arabia and Uruguay played out a 1-1 draw in their Group H World Cup opener on Monday after Abdulelah Al Amri’s opener for the Gulf nation was cancelled out by Maxi Araujo in a game where both sides profited from goalkeeping errors.

The first half was dominated by Uruguay but Saudi Arabia took the lead against the run of play in the 41st minute when Fernando Muslera made a costly error on a set-piece, parrying the ball into the path of Al Amri who poked the ball past the veteran keeper.

The majority of the second period was played in Saudi Arabia’s half as Uruguay frantically searched for an equaliser and their persistence paid off when goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais also made an error when a save fell nicely for Araujo to fire home.

The draw leaves Group H finely poised after the first round of games following Spain’s draw with Cape Verde earlier on Monday, with all four teams on one point each.

SEATTLE — In a game that was billed as Mohamed Salah vs. Kevin De Bruyne, it was another legendary name whose influence was arguably most profound.

Heavily favored Belgium were struggling for inspiration against Egypt before Romelu Lukaku conjured up a crucial equalizer without even touching the ball. Just 23 seconds after his introduction in the second half at Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), the veteran striker forced his way between two defenders and employed some smart movement to prompt Mohamed Hany to divert the ball into his own net.

Described by head coach Rudi Garcia as being “out of shape” on the eve of the tournament, Lukaku’s introduction proved decisive as Belgium held Egypt to a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener. It was a fitting contribution on an afternoon when a number of great players began to write what might yet prove to be their final World Cup stories.

First, of course, it was Salah’s turn to grab the spotlight. It has been an arduous season for the talismanic forward, who brought down the curtain on a glittering nine-year Liverpool career last month.

On Monday, his 34th birthday, Salah led his country out with the weight of his nation on his shoulders. Despite their imperious continental pedigree, Egypt have never won a game at the World Cup, let alone make it to the knockout stages.

Salah — so accustomed to shouldering the hopes and dreams of so many, both for club and country — helped set his side on the path to breaking that gloomy record when he teed up Emam Ashour to score a superb opening goal inside 21 minutes.

It was no less than Egypt deserved, with Hossam Hassan’s side seemingly relishing the underdog label.

“We haven’t been showing up as frequently as other teams,” Hassan acknowledged in his prematch news conference. “But now we have a generation who belong on this stage.”

Certainly, Egypt lived up to that acclaim as they hassled and harried Belgium, with Mostafa Zico and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush both forcing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into saves in the first half. Though Salah was not at his sparkling best, he remained at the heart of much of Egypt’s attacking play and came close to doubling their advantage when his header was saved from close range after the break.

Just seconds earlier, De Bruyne had rattled the post with a curling free kick from the edge of the penalty area. The sequence of events seemed almost poetic — two modern-day legends unable to quite make their customary brilliance count on the biggest stage.

That both players were substituted when the game was still in the balance also felt symbolic. By that point, it was Lukaku who was at the center of the action, providing a focal point that Belgium had so desperately missed in the first hour of this contest. One of the last remaining bastions of Belgium’s so-called golden generation, Lukaku’s involvement in this tournament had been in doubt after a torrid season in which he played only 69 minutes for Serie A side Napoli because of injury.

Though his country was second best for much of the afternoon against Egypt, Lukaku’s display — and that of Courtois — were a reminder that playing history and experience can make the difference at major tournaments.

“He can’t start a game,” Garcia said of the striker in his postmatch news conference. “The switch for Lukaku will be when he is ready to start. The story has got a happy ending because we thought he wouldn’t even be able to come with us. Sixty-four minutes across the season doesn’t bode well for a World Cup.

“… For me, it was very positive. His body needs to get back into groove. … If he can play the super-sub role and then score every time he comes on, that’s great. If you’re a defender and you see him coming off the bench, you’re probably quaking in your boots. I’m delighted for him.”

Certainly, Belgium will need to lean on every ounce of experience if they are to progress to the latter stages of this tournament. Their performance in Seattle was, at times, uninspired, and Garcia acknowledged Belgium “have to win” in their next game against Iran.

For Egypt, Monday’s outing should produce a sense of quiet confidence that they can advance to the knockout stages for the first time in their history. Though Father Time might not be on Salah’s side, the squad as a whole looks poised to make its mark on this tournament.

“The most important thing is that the Egyptian people trust us, the fans trust us,” Hassan said. “Egyptian football is something we live and breathe. It’s not just something on the side. Everyone back in Egypt knows the national team stands for us and fights for us.”

Indeed, if Egypt can harness that same spirit over the coming weeks, that elusive World Cup win might be just around the corner.

ATLANTA, June 15 : Cape Verde keeper Vozinha broke down in tears at the end of Monday’s 0-0 draw with Spain after the 40-year-old was mobbed by his teammates following a stunning display as he denied the European champions victory in their World Cup opener, and became a social media sensation in the process.

“He was overwhelmed with emotion,” Cape Verde manager Bubista said.

“He is quite an experienced player and has struggled throughout all of these years to be here at this world stage. It was also a cry of resilience.”

Four years ago, Spain began the tournament in Qatar with a 7-0 hammering of Costa Rica and after the draw for this year’s competition pitted them against a country making their World Cup debut, a similar outcome may well have been expected.

Vozinha plies his trade in the Portuguese second tier with Chaves, and while this was a major step-up in opposition quality for the veteran, and his country, their defensive record in qualification was perhaps a clue that this would be no walkover.

Vozinha was an ever-present in Cape Verde’s qualifying campaign, where he conceded eight goals in 10 games. Four of those goals came in one fixture against Cameroon and the keeper kept seven clean sheets, including in all five home matches.

Cape Verde were pinned back in their own half for much of Monday’s game but whenever Spain broke through their dogged rearguard, Vozinha came to the rescue.

GREW IN BELIEF

Spain threatened to turn the screw shortly before the break, and when the ball came back off the crossbar from Ferran Torres’s shot, Mikel Oyarzabal looked set to score with a header from the rebound but Vozinha tipped the ball over at full-stretch.

Vozinha got down well to hold another effort from Torres and then clawed Aymeric Laporte’s header around the post, and the minnows grew in belief as they held Spain scoreless going into halftime.

As the game progressed, Vozinha’s social media following burgeoned with each Spanish attempt he thwarted.

The Cape Verde keeper had amassed over two million followers on Instagram by 3:45 p.m. EST. Before kickoff, he had less than 50,000, he estimated when asked during a post-match interview.

Spain piled on the pressure after the interval, but Vozinha plucked crosses and corners from the air, and the Cape Verde fans had a nervous wait when the keeper went down injured just before the hydration break, after taking a knock from a frustrated Rodri.

Vozinha returned to the action, and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was forced to turn to his bench in an effort to snatch a win.

Lamine Yamal, held in reserve after battling injury, entered the fray and injected some pace into Spain’s rather slow, sterile possession play.

The 18-year-old winger linked up with Marcos Llorente to set up another replacement, Mikel Merino, but his tame effort was never going to trouble Vozinha.

Spain can take some comfort from the fact that when they won the World Cup in 2010 they lost their opener to Switzerland, and after thrashing Costa Rica last time they went out in the last 16, so they may well look back on this result and smile.

Cape Verde celebrated the draw as if they had lifted the trophy, and who can blame them?

The third-smallest country by population to reach a World Cup finals had plenty of noisy supporters inside the Atlanta Stadium, and they rose to acclaim their side at the final whistle, with the loudest cheers reserved for Vozinha.

MLB provided its first update on All-Star voting Monday, and to the surprise of few, Shohei Ohtani leads the way.

The two-way superstar for the Los Angeles Dodgers is one of only two players who have cracked 1 million votes, with 1,165,133 votes for Ohtani to start as the designated hitter in the National League.

The other is Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, the top-vote getter in the American League. He received 1,015,768 votes as the leader to play DH in the AL.

The top vote-getters in each league through Phase 1 of All-Star fan voting earn a starting spot on their respective All-Star teams. The field will then be whittled down to Phase 2 of voting, which will determine the starters at each remaining position. Phase 2 of voting starts June 29.

As for whether Ohtani will appear as an All-Star pitcher for the NL during a season in which he’s an MVP and Cy Young candidate, fans don’t have a say. Pitchers and backup position players are determined via player ballot and the commissioner’s office.

Here’s where the voting stands as of MLB’s reveal on Monday.

American League

First base
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays: 603,014
2. Ben Rice, Yankees: 509,830
3. Munetaka Murakami, White Sox: 437,107
4. Nick Kurtz, Athletics: 269,658
5. Pete Alonso, Orioles: 202,781

Second base
1. Ernie Clement, Blue Jays: 904,702
2. Ezequiel Duran, Rangers: 287,996
3. Travis Bazzana, Guardians: 279,862
4. Jose Altuve, Astros: 244,131
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees: 230,846

Shortstop
1. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals: 890,575
2. Andrés Giménez, Blue Jays: 354,651
3. Kevin McGonigle, Tigers: 266,239
4. Colson Montgomery, White Sox: 176,673
5. Jeremy Peña, Astros: 162,537

Third base
1. Junior Caminero, Rays: 625,520
2. Kazuma Okamoto, Blue Jays: 556,172
3. Miguel Vargas, White Sox: 329,208
4. Josh Jung, Rangers: 285,827
5. José Ramírez, Guardians: 269,973

Catcher
1. Shea Langeliers, Athletics: 715,625
2. Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays: 298,401
3. Adley Rutschman, Orioles: 261,607
4. Dillon Dingler, Tigers: 261,084
5. Ryan Jeffers, Twins: 235,679

Outfield
1. Aaron Judge, Yankees: 977,460
2. Mike Trout, Angels: 926,601
3. Cody Bellinger, Yankees: 533,842
4. Byron Buxton, Twins: 497,562
5. Riley Greene, Tigers: 422,835
6. Julio Rodríguez, Mariners: 421,205
7. Randy Arozarena, Mariners: 412,273
8. Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays, 337,581
9. Jesús Sánchez, Blue Jays: 310,970

Designated hitter
1. Yordan Alvarez, Astros: 1,015,768
2. George Springer, Blue Jays: 323,112
3. Yandy Díaz, Rays: 267,585
4. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees: 160,727
5. Joc Pederson, Rangers: 120,603

National League

First base
1. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers: 870,606
2. Matt Olson, Braves: 802,848
3. Bryce Harper, Phillies: 651,792
4. Jake Bauers, Brewers: 207,276
5. Alec Burleson, Cardinals: 155,211

Second base
1. Ozzie Albies, Braves: 517,147
2. Bryson Stott, Phillies: 399,729
3. Brice Turang, Brewers: 373,656
4. Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers: 345,924
5. Luis Arraez, Giants: 325,994

Shortstop
1. CJ Abrams, Nationals: 579,796
2. Mookie Betts, Dodgers: 567,566
3. Elly De La Cruz, Reds: 473,485
4. Trea Turner, Phillies: 414,652
5. Otto Lopez, Marlins: 230,286

Third base
1. Max Muncy, Dodgers: 941,218
2. Alec Bohm, Phillies: 386,425
3. Nolan Arenado, D-backs: 363,091
4. Austin Riley, Braves: 353,394
5. Nick Gonzales, Pirates: 267,518

Catcher
1. Drake Baldwin, Braves: 972,813
2. Will Smith, Dodgers: 662,883
3. J.T. Realmuto, Phillies: 446,915
4. William Contreras, Brewers: 303,240
5. Hunter Goodman, Rockies: 110,450

Outfield
1. Andy Pages, Dodgers: 800,496
2. Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves: 693,472
3. Brandon Marsh, Phillies: 668,191
4. Michael Harris II, Braves: 635,473
5. Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers: 507,625
6. Jordan Walker, Cardinals: 437,071
7. James Wood, Nationals: 431,607
8. Corbin Carroll, D-backs: 425,814
9. Juan Soto, Mets: 421,513

Designated hitter
1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: 1,165,133
2. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies: 820,009
3. Dominic Smith, Braves: 371,508
4. Christian Yelich, Brewers: 174,746
5. Iván Herrera, Cardinals: 101,738

LOS ANGELES: Tunisia have responded to their 5-1 World Cup thrashing by Sweden by sacking coach Sabri Lamouchi and replacing him with Frenchman Herve Renard, the federation announced on national TV on Monday (Jun 15).

Renard coached Saudi Arabia to a shock win against eventual winners Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has since coached the France women’s team.

“The president of the Tunisian Football Federation, Moez Nassari, announced that an official agreement had been reached with French coach Herve Renard for him to take charge of the national football team until the end of the 2026 World Cup,” the Tunisian public broadcaster announced.

Lamouchi, a former French international, had only been in charge since January.

The heavy defeat by Sweden on Sunday leaves Tunisia with a tough task to reach the knockout round.

They face Japan in their next Group F match on Saturday.

HOUSTON, June 15 : Portugal’s latest bid for World Cup glory begins in Houston on Wednesday when they take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in a Group K clash against a side appearing at their first global finals in 52 years.

DR Congo played as Zaire when they took part in the 1974 World Cup but lost all three games, conceded 14 goals and scored none. They are unlikely to be so poor again. 

Portugal have 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo aiming to win one of the last remaining pieces of major silverware to have eluded him in his illustrious career.

They exited in the quarter-finals at the hands of another African side, Morocco, at the 2022 finals, while their best finish is third in 1966.

A positive start is important in a pool that also contains Colombia and Uzbekistan.  

They have lost only two of their last 15 World Cup group-stage matches, but one of those was to South Korea in 2022.

“We know the World Cup is a fast competition,” Portugal defender Matheus Nunes said. “There are only eight games, and when we play against all these national teams, I think they all have a lot of quality nowadays. 

“We have to approach every game as if it were a final, because in theory there may be teams that look weaker, maybe on paper, but then on the field, it’s a match, and in a match anything can happen. 

“Ninety minutes is a long time, and we have to be more than ready to win every game.”

Portugal defender Ruben Dias trained separately from the rest of the squad on Monday for undisclosed reasons. 

Portugal are unbeaten in their last five World Cup group-stage matches against African opponents, recording four wins and a draw since a 3-1 loss to Morocco in 1986.

DISRUPTED PLANS

DRC have had a disrupted build-up to the tournament due to the Ebola virus outbreak back home.

The majority of their players are based in Europe and none play for clubs in the DRC, but were subjected to a 21-day stay in camp in Belgium and Spain before being allowed to enter the United States. 

They have since been well received in Houston and have looked relaxed and ready for the tournament, despite a 0-0 draw with Denmark and 2-1 loss to Chile in friendlies.

“We adapted to the situation,” coach Sebastien Desabre said. “We had to focus, as we have had to adapt often. That is what we did. 

“We worked well, we played two tough friendlies and here we are. Now, it is another step for us. It is up to us to put up a good showing in this tournament.”

DRC booked their ticket to this year’s finals through the World Cup intercontinental play‑off tournament, defeating Jamaica 1-0 after extra time.