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Jan 11 2013, 12:18 PM
Post #1
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. Falcons Womens Jerseys . -- John Farrell has plenty of reasons to be bummed that the Toronto Blue Jays wont be back in Kansas City this season. Four of them, to be exact. Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, Kelly Johnson also went deep, and the Blue Jays beat the Royals 4-1 on Monday night to wrap up their first four-game sweep in nearly three years. The Blue Jays improved to 6-1 on the road this season, making the most of their only trip through Kansas City. They head off to Baltimore for a three-game set that wraps up a seven-game road swing, one that has thrust them into the picture in the AL East. Brandon Morrow (1-1) took care of the struggling Kansas City lineup. The right-hander allowed seven hits and a walk in 6 2-3 innings, and Luis Perez and Francisco Cordero did the rest. Cordero got some help from a double-play groundout in the ninth for his second save. "I thought Brandon did a great job from the third inning on," Farrell said. "He pitched out of a number of jams and really executed when he needed to make pitches." He got some help from the Royals ghastly situational hitting, one of many factors that led to their 11th straight loss. Kansas City wound up winless on a 10-game homestand, the first team to lose its first 10 at home since the Cubs dropped 12 in a row at Wrigley Field in 1994. Eric Hosmer scored the Royals only run with a homer leading off the second inning. "Thats a good team over there with a lot of good players," Farrell said. "Theyve got a very good, talented young team. Its what we went through last year. You have to grow and mature." The four-game sweep was the Blue Jays first since May 2009, and their first ever at Kansas City. The last time they swept four on the road was 2003 against the New York Yankees. Bruce Chen (0-2) used his veteran guile to keep the Blue Jays on the ropes most of the game. His only major mistakes came against Bautista and Johnson, and they cost him the game. Kansas City (3-13) matched the 2006 team for the second-worst start in franchise history, and heads out on a nine-game trip having lost 11 straight for the first time since May 2008. The last team to lose 10 straight at home was Arizona in 2004. "Talk to us at the end of May and see what our record is," Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "I still believe weve got plenty of talent in this room to turn it around, and thats what we plan on doing. I wanted to get this one bad tonight just to get one at home." Johnson staked the Blue Jays to the lead with his first-inning home, and it was tied 1-all in the third inning when Alcides Escobar led off with a double. Chris Getz sacrificed him to third base, but Alex Gordon struck out -- hes hitting .177 on the season -- and Billy Butler grounded out to third base to end the inning. Royals manager Ned Yost made the same call for a sacrifice bunt following a leadoff double by portly catcher Brayan Pena in the fifth. This time, the bunt by Mitch Maier was fielded by Morrow, who had plenty of time to throw out the lumbering Pena at third base. The poorly executed bunt cost the Royals a run when Escobar singled moments later. Getz then popped out to the catcher and Gordon flied out to centre to end the inning without a run. "It seemed like there were guys on base the whole night," Morrow said. When they couldnt cross the plate, the Blue Jays took advantage. Johnson drew his second straight walk in the sixth inning, and Bautista connected on the first pitch of the at-bat from Chen, sending a go-ahead shot over the fence in left and into the Royals bullpen. Bautistas third homer of the season snapped a 2-for-12 stretch in the series. The Royals put runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh, but Perez got Gordon to ground out harmlessly to shortstop. Kansas City was 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and finished the four-game set 5 for 40 in such situations. "Pitching like we did this series," Johnson said, "thats going to give us a chance." Notes: Getz was the Royals fourth leadoff hitter of the series. ... Perez had not allowed a hit to a left-handed batter until Getz doubled in the seventh. ... Gordon went 0 for 4. ... The Blue Jays head to Baltimore for three games starting Tuesday. RHP Henderson Alvarez will pitch the opener. ... Royals LHP Luke Hochevar goes Tuesday night in their series opener at Cleveland. Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey . Louis Cardinals (87-73) - 8:15pm et (Sports Network) - One more win and the defending World Series champion St. Sam Baker Jersey . The 27-year-old has played in 23 NHL games with the Canucks and the Calgary Flames, collecting 37 penalty minutes. http://www.thefalconsfans.com/dunta-robinson-jerseys . The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback believes he can return this season despite spraining his right shoulder and suffering what he called a dislocated rib in Monday nights overtime win against Kansas City. Hes just not sure when hell be ready. Julio Jones Red Jersey . - Steve Molitor will face southpaw Fernando Beltran Jr. Matt Ryan Elite Jersey . Calgary ended its regular season with a fourth straight victory, a 30-27 decision over the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday night.MIAMI -- LeBron James was not at his best, and a game against his former team was slipping away. Chris Bosh made sure that didnt happen. Bosh scored 17 points in the fourth quarter -- the biggest final period by any Miami player this season -- and finished with a game-high 35 points, carrying the Heat to a 92-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Bosh shot 10 for 16 and reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season as Miami improved to 4-1 against Cleveland since James joined the Heat. "Whenever I play and I dont hesitate, good things happen," Bosh said. He was all about the points down the stretch, literally and figuratively. The 17-point final quarter matched the third-best of his career, and he capped the night with a pair of finger-wags -- one at one of his shots as it hovered on the rim before falling to begin a three-point play, the other at wife Adrienne after his jumper fell for an 84-76 lead and finally allowed Miami to exhale. "I think he made the biggest adjustment with this whole situation," James said, referring to the moves that allowed he, Bosh and Dwyane Wade -- who sat out again with a sprained right ankle -- to team up in July 2010. "Hes done it before." The 35 points matched Boshs high since joining Miami. Kyrie Irving -- Clevelands No. 1 overall draft pick and heir apparent after James as the face of the Cavs franchise -- scored 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Samardo Samuels made his first seven shots and finished with 15 points for the Cavs, who got an 11-point, 11-rebound night from Anderson Varejao and 10 points from Ramon Sessions. "We kind of beat ourselves tonight," Irving said. "We had 22 turnovers and we lost by seven points." Former Cleveland State star Norris Cole scored 10 for Miami, and Udonis Haslem grabbed 10 rebounds for the Heat. Miami committed 18 turnovers, leading to 22 Cleveland points, but found a way -- thanks to Bosh -- down the stretch. "Finally in the last three to four minutes, the ball started the move," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Bosh made his sixth three-pointer of the year with 4:26 left, giving the Heat some long-awaited breathing room at 75-67. And after Irving hit a pair of free throws to get Cleveland within three, Bosh went to work again. He took a pass from James, drove the left side of the lane, got fouled and fell to the court as his shot dropped to set up a three-point play. A minute later, Bosh faked Antawn Jamison into the air and making an 18-footer for an eight-point edge, capped by that salute to hiis pregnant wife. Julio Jones Womens Jersey. Cleveland got within three points twice in the final moments after scores by Irving, but no closer. "Stayed in the game for 48 minutes," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "And the only thing Im disappointed in is the fact that we had 22 turnovers. Thats killing our young team." Miami improved to 7-1 this season without Wade. His status remains day-to-day. It was the fifth meeting between the Heat and Cavaliers since James made his decision to switch jerseys. James first return to Cleveland was one of the signature moments of last season, and the other three matchups between the clubs -- while nowhere near the spectacle of that first game -- were accompanied by an extraordinary amount of interest and excitement. This time, Heat vs. Cavs was just another game. No huge media crush, no extra security presence, no hubbub of any kind. "I think after a year of kind of going through it, I think its just like any other basketball game right now," Scott said. So the game lacked the off-the-court buzz. In fairness, it was missing any on-court buzz, too. Samuels had a grand total of four baskets in 2012 entering the game, then posted that many dunks in the first half, coming off the bench to start 5 for 5 and help Cleveland leave for the break with a 39-37 lead. Heres how offensively troubled the first half was: Cleveland lost two points during intermission. Following a lengthy review after the teams left the floor, referee Tony Brothers ruled that a basket by Jamison with about 49 seconds left came after the shot clock expired. The basket was wiped away, knotting the game at 37. Things picked up somewhat in the third, with Irving using a screen to go past James, then leaping through a maze of three Heat defenders for a layup and a 45-43 Cleveland lead. Soon, though, Miami put together its best stretch of the night -- a 12-2 run, including James hitting a three-pointer from about 30 feet as the shot clock expired, and ended up taking a less-than-secure 61-58 edge into the final 12 minutes. The Heat never trailed again. "Itd have frustrated me a lot if we lost," James said. "Im all about team. When I dont play well and we lose, I feel like I didnt do enough. But my teammates picked me up." NOTES: Cavs rookie Tristan Thompson of Brampton, Ont., missed the game with a sprained left ankle, though is expected to be listed as questionable for Wednesdays game in Cleveland against New York. ... Cleveland returns to Miami Feb. 7, with James lone scheduled trip back to his former home building this season set for Feb. 17. ' ' '
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