MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kansas City Royals have won the last six games started by James Shields, though its hard to tell by looking at his record.
Blaine Gabbert Jersey . "I think my two-month anniversary was coming up of not getting a win," Shields said Friday night after throwing six solid innings in the Royals 9-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Shields (3-6) earned his 90th career win, although it was his first in 11 starts. Shields previous victory came April 30 in an 8-2 win over Tampa Bay. Since then, the Royals have failed to give Shields much run support. But it was a different story on Friday. Kansas City had a season-high four homers, two from Eric Hosmer, and one apiece from Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas. Butler started things off with a three-run shot in the first. "I cant remember the last time Shields has had a lead, I mean seriously, I cant remember," Royals manager Ned Yost said. In fact, Friday marked the first time since that April 30 win that Shields had a lead of more than one run. "Is that opening day?" Hosmer joked. "This is what our offence is capable of doing, and we feel confident that we can put up a lot of runs and then put up days like this." Clete Thomas homered for the Twins, who got another rough start from P.J. Walters (2-4). Walters allowed six runs in three innings, one start after giving up six in the first at Cleveland last Saturday. The Royals entered the game with the fewest home runs in the majors (43) -- two behind Miami -- and had given Shields some of the worst run support in the league. But the veteran right-hander had a three-run lead by the time he took the mound for the first time Friday, thanks to Butler. "I think after that first swing, it really opened us up as an offence and we just kept getting the big hit or the big swing with guys in scoring position," Hosmer said. "Hopefully we can put up more offensive outings like that for Shields." Shields never allowed Minnesota to get close the rest of the way. Walters, on the other hand, never found a rhythm. Down 4-0 in the third, he allowed a two-run homer to Moustakas and drew a chorus of boos from the home crowd. "Walters just couldnt make any pitches and couldnt get the ball where he wanted to," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just a bad night for him." Walters has allowed 12 runs in his last 3 2-3 innings. "We all have games where we struggle," Walters said. "Everybody in the league has them. Ive just put two of them in a row together. In my eyes its unacceptable. To the team Im sure it is, too." Anthony Swarzak took over for Walters in the fourth and gave up a solo shot to Hosmer in the fifth. Hosmer got Swarzak again in the seventh, this time with Alcides Escobar on base, for the second multihomer game of his career. The offensive outburst was a welcome change for Shields, who had been stuck on 89 wins for his previous 10 starts despite putting up quality numbers. He entered Friday nights game with the eighth-best ERA in the AL (2.92), third in innings (111) and eighth in strikeouts (99). But his run support of 3.00 per nine innings pitched was second-lowest in the league. "This teams been grinding all season long," Shields said. "We won the last six of my games, and I have no doubt in my mind that were just going to keep going up from here." The Twins broke through against Shields in the fourth when Justin Morneau hit an RBI double. Morneau came around to score three batters later on a double by Brian Dozier. Thomas led off the fifth with a homer to right. Shields worked 6 1-3 innings before being pulled for Tim Collins. NOTES: Rain delayed the first pitch by 26 minutes. ... Hosmers last multihomer game came on Aug. 31, 2011, at Detroit. ... Ryan Doumit returned to Minnesotas lineup after missing a couple games with a sore ankle. .. Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey (back) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week with Class-A Cedar Rapids. ... Yost said RHP Felipe Paulino has developed soreness in his throwing shoulder and will not pitch on Sunday as part of his rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. ... The Royals and Twins play the third of their four-game series on Saturday when Wade Davis takes his 4-5 record to the mound against Minnesotas Kyle Gibson, who makes his major league debut.
Will Compton Titans Jersey . The game was the first of two international friendlies that Canada is playing during the international break, with the second game against Slovenia set for Tuesday in Celje. Canada looked uncomfortable defensively throughout the game, and every free kick that came into Canadas penalty box looked like ending up in the back of the net.
Custom Titans Jerseys . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday.BOSTON - The American League Championship Series, featuring the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, gets underway on Saturday night at Fenway Park. Boston is making its first appearance in the ALCS since 2008. For Detroit, its a third straight trip to the ALCS and its fourth in eight years. The Red Sox last won the World Series in 2007, sweeping Colorado. The Tigers were last victorious in 1984, losing their two most recent appearances (2006 vs. St. Louis and 2012 vs. San Francisco.) GAME ONE PREVIEW: PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez (Regular season: 14-8, 2.57, 1.154 WHIP; Playoffs: 0-1, 10.38, 2.308 WHIP) Did not face Boston in 2013. Tigers manager Jim Leyland on Sanchez: "He led the American League in earned run average. He did not have a good playoff start. I think he was probably a little rusty, as Fister was the other day, it took him a couple of innings to get going. I think hell be back in the groove now. Like I said, he led this league in earned run average. Thats pretty impressive." Toughest matchup: Few Red Sox have large enough sample sizes vs. Sanchez (Shane Victorino and Stephen Drew, who spent significant time in the National League, are the exceptions.) But, as small sample sizes go, you cant do better than David Ortiz has against Sanchez: 3-3, 2 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI. Interesting note: Sanchez, a native of Maracay, Venezuela, was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on January 3, 2001. He was traded, along with Hanley Ramirez and others, to the Florida Marlins in the deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston, on November 24, 2005. Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (Regular season: 15-8, 3.75, 1.294 WHIP; Playoffs: 1-0, 2.35, 0.783 WHIP) 2013 vs. Detroit: (2GS, 2-0, 4.26, 1.579 WHIP, 2HR in 12 2/3 innings) Toughest matchup: A number of Tigers hit Lester well, including: Torii Hunter (30 AB, .433/.469/.633, 1 HR, 3 2B, 4 RBI) Miguel Cabrera (24 AB, .526/.625/.789, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI) Victor Martinez (14 AB, .429/.500/.786, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI) Jhonny PPeralta (27 AB, .
Bennie Logan Titans Jersey. 296/.406/.593, 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 5 BB) Lester on the Tigers lineup: "I mean, obviously very tough lineup. Weve seen it kind of go both ways as far as them come in and score some runs. But at the same time, the games that they dont theyre still tough outs. I think thats what makes them very similar to I think our offense is. You know youre not going to have three-pitch outs. You know youre not going to have at-bats that they just give away." LINEUP CONSIDERATIONS: Slick-fielding shortstop Jose Iglesias, acquired from the Red Sox in Julys three-team deal (White Sox) that netted Boston the services of Jake Peavy, will start Game One. That means Jhonny Peralta will either start in left field (at Fenway Park - *gulp*) or be relegated to the bench. Beyond Game One, Leyland was non-committal. "At my age I go one day at a time. So Iglesias will be my shortstop (Saturday) night." Meantime, Red Sox manager John Farrell has anointed Will Middlebrooks his starting third baseman but wouldnt look beyond Saturday night. "It will be Middlebrooks (Saturday.) And then based on some matchups, weve got some things were looking at in a couple of different spots." That could mean highly-touted prospect Xander Bogaerts for Game Two or at some other point in the series. INJURY CONCERN: Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, he of the 2012 Triple Crown, has been limited offensively for about six weeks, his Thursday home run against the Athletics notwithstanding, thanks to a nagging leg injury. Cabreras September: .278/.395/.333, 1 HR. His .729 marked a significant drop month over month. His .995 OPS in April had been his lowest monthly total of the season. In the five game Division Series vs. Oakland: 5-20 (.250/.286/.400,) with his home run in the fifth game accounting for his lone extra base hit. Cabrera didnt want to discuss his injury but described the process of working through it as "day-to-day." GAME ONE PREDICTION: Boston wins 6-4.
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