“Come on and help out a little bit,” the president implored lawmakers to laughter and applause from an audience of 1,500 at the Uptown Theater. The 33-minute speech, which focused entirely on domestic issues, was the centerpiece of an 18-hour presidential stop in Kansas City. Republicans criticized the president’s often partisan tone.

In command all evening, Twins starter Phil Hughes promptly unraveled in the sixth inning. He yielded RBI doubles to Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas to allow the Royals to claim the lead and an eventual 3-2 victory. The outburst allowed Kansas City to draw even with Minnesota in the three-game series.

The multitalented Justin Timberlake was focused on his music Wednesday night. He kicked off a two-night stay at the Sprint Center with an emphasis on material from his dual 2013 releases, "The 20/20 Experience" and "The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2." Click the link for a gallery of photos from the first night by The Star's Allison Long, and come back later to KansasCity.com for music critic Timothy Finn's review of the show.