ekansekans's blog: "df"

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees are still looking to bust out with that big hit. Jim Brown Camo Jersey . The mood in the clubhouse was much better, though, following a much-needed win. Robinson Cano homered, Phil Hughes beat Kansas City for the second time this month and New York eked out a 3-2 victory over the Royals on Tuesday night. Derek Jeter delivered a bases-loaded single that tied the score and New York rallied from an early two-run deficit to snap a three-game skid. Shut out Monday in the series opener, the Yankees (22-21) went 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position -- one night after they finished 0 for 13 in those situations for their worst performance with RISP since 1990. "It wasnt that pretty, but that was a good win," said Rodriguez, who struck out with the bases loaded but combined with Mark Teixeira on a game-saving defensive play. "It felt really good to win a game like this. Sometimes you need a game like this to kind of get you on a roll. Hopefully its a good sign of things to come. We havent been winning these kinds of games." New York, which had lost six of seven to drop into a last-place tie with Boston in the AL East, now has eight hits in its last 79 at-bats (.101) with runners in scoring position. Hughes (4-5) gave up five hits in six innings while striking out seven, beating Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar (3-5) for the second time in 17 days. "It seemed like nothing was a walk in the park tonight," Hughes said. The Yankees caught a break when Mike Moustakas lined into a double play to end the eighth. Rafael Soriano worked the ninth for his third save, retiring Alcides Escobar with a runner on third to end Kansas Citys five-game winning streak away from home. Rodriguez fielded Escobars grounder behind third base and made a high throw across the diamond. Teixeira stretched out his 6-foot-3 frame and kept his toe on the bag as New York got the call on a bang-bang play. "I dont think theres many other first basemen in the league that could stretch like that and make that play," Hughes said. "Had em all the way," Jeter said. Cano put the Yankees on the scoreboard with a long solo homer in the fourth, making him 6 for 12 with three home runs and nine RBIs against Hochevar -- including a grand slam May 6 in Kansas City. New York tagged Hochevar for seven runs and seven hits over 2 1-3 innings in that outing and he entered Tuesday night 0-2 with an 8.83 ERA in four career games against the Yankees. He hung tough this time, coughing up a 2-0 lead but keeping Kansas City in it when the Yankees appeared poised to finally break loose. Teixeira, batting seventh for the second consecutive game, singled through the shift to start the fifth and went to second when Jeff Francoeur bobbled the ball in right for an error. Russell Martin was grazed by a pitch and Dewayne Wise reached on a perfectly placed bunt single even though the Royals were expecting a sacrifice. Once again, the Yankees had the bases loaded and none out with big hitters coming up. They came up empty in that situation during Monday nights 6-0 defeat, but not this time. Jeter dumped an RBI single into right and Curtis Granderson drove in a run with a groundout, giving New York a 3-2 lead. "We scored a lot of runs right after that and piled on," Jeter said sarcastically. Cano was intentionally walked to load the bases for Rodriguez, and the Yankees had a chance to really bust it open. But Rodriguez struck out, drawing boos from the crowd of 37,674, and Raul Ibanez went down swinging as well. New York never managed another baserunner. "Hoch pitched great. He did a great job in that inning. They didnt really hit the ball hard," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He limited the damage big-time." Kansas City grabbed an early lead when No. 9 batter Humberto Quintero went the other way on Hughes hanging curve for an RBI double in the second. Francoeur added a solo shot in the fourth to make it 2-0, his third homer this season and second in two nights at Yankee Stadium. Hughes has served up 11 home runs in 47 1-3 innings this year. He has allowed at least one in all nine starts, the longest streak by a Yankees pitcher since Jack McDowell in 1995. NOTES: Kansas City put 2B Chris Getz on the 15-day disabled list with a ribcage injury and called up LHP Will Smith from Triple-A Omaha. Smith will start the series finale Wednesday night, his major league debut, against LHP Andy Pettitte. Royals RHP Luis Mendoza, originally slated to start Wednesday, is headed to the bullpen as a long man. ... Irving Falu started at 2B and likely will platoon there with Johnny Giavotella while Getz is sidelined, Yost said. ... Yankees closer Mariano Rivera walked through the clubhouse without crutches but said surgery for his torn knee ligament has not been scheduled yet. Rivera said the last time he had a checkup, the blood clot in his calf was still there. He is taking medication for the clot and doing exercises to strengthen the knee for surgery. Brandon Weeden Blue Jersey . Russell, the 34-year-old former University of Miami player ranked 83rd in the world, has never won a singles title in ATP Tour play. Brandon Weeden Authentic Jersey . -- Danny Mwanga and Jack Jewsbury each scored, Portland tightened its sagging defence and the Timbers knocked off the league-leading San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on Tuesday night. http://www.clevelandbrownsroom.com/josh-gordon-jerseys . The 30-year-old MacKenzie has 19 goals and 26 assists with 92 penalty minutes and a plus-18 rating in 193 career NHL games. D Qwell Jackson Womens Jersey . The Pro Bowl linebacker said it "definitely could be" the best team hes played on after sweeping changes during the off-season that sent expectations soaring. Mitchell Schwartz Jersey .C. -- Matt Schaub declared the rust gone after his first action in nine months. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Bartolo Colon only used his changeup twice, in the first inning and on the last pitch he threw. The way his fastball was dancing around the strike zone, the Oakland Athletics right-hander really didnt need his offspeed stuff. Its been that way most of his career and the 39-year-old Colon sees no reason to change now that hes enjoying a renaissance with the As. Colon pitched eight strong innings for his third consecutive win at home, Yoenis Cespedes homered and drove in three runs and Oakland beat the Cleveland Indians 8-5 on Saturday night. "What you see is what you get out of him," As manager Bob Melvin said. "He makes you make the adjustment. Hes got great movement on his fastball, hes on the corners on both sides. Weve seen quite a bit of that this year." Colon (10-9) struck out three and scattered five hits while beating his former club for the sixth time in 10 starts. The burly right-hander didnt give up a hit until the fourth and allowed only two runners past first base. In doing so, Colon became the third-oldest pitcher in Oakland history to reach double digits in wins after turning 35. Don Sutton (1985) and Tom Candiotti (1998) are the others. "I didnt know that. I had no idea about it," Colon said. "Im happy about it. At the same time I want the team to continue to play like we are." Its the ninth time this season Colon has not walked a batter and the 18th time in 24 starts with Oakland that hes walked one or fewer. The 10 wins are also the most for Colon since he had a career-best 21 with the Angels in 2005. "(He) did a real good job," said Cleveland right fielder Shin-soo Choo, who singled off Colon in the fourth. "You know hes going to throw that two-seamer and you still cant hit it." Cespedes homered and drove in three runs, Josh Donaldson had two hits and an RBI while Coco Crisp added two-run triple for Oakland, which won its third straight after entering the night one-half game behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot in the American League. On a night when the As celebrated the 10th anniversary of their 20-game winning streak, Cespedes managed to steal a bit of the spotlight. He hit a two-run home run against Indians starter Corey Kluber (0-2) in the third and added an RBI single off reliever Cody Allen in the seventh. It was the second home run in three games for the As slugger after he went 54 at-bats without an extra base hit. Cespedes finished 2 for 4 and is batting an AL-best .377 (46 for 122) since the All-Star break. "He gets frustrated, he gets mad but he never presses," Melvin said of Cespedes. "Shoot, when we signed him if we knew hed have the numbers he has right now, boy we would have taken it in a heartbeat." That was all the support Colon needed to win for the fourth time in five starts. He gave up Carlos Santanas 13th home run with two out in the seventh but was otherwise stellar. Grant Balfour recorded one out for his 11th saave after Oaklands bullpen nearly let it get away in the ninth. D Qwell Jackson Jersey. . Evan Scribner replaced Colon and gave up Choos two-run home run. Brent Lillibridge later hit a pinch-hit two-run shot off Jerry Blevins to cut the As lead to 8-5. Jason Donald followed with a pinch-hit single before Balfour replaced Blevins and struck out Ezequiel Carrera to end it. Cleveland committed two errors while losing for the fourth time in five games on its road trip. The Indians have dropped the first two games in this series after losing the final two games in Anaheim. "When you walk guys and make errors its going to be costly," Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. "Defence has been our strength all year so Im not going to complain about that. Its only thing weve done well all year." Colon didnt allow a hit until giving up a one-out double to Cabrera in the fourth. Choo followed with a single to move Cabrera to third, but Colon got out of it by getting Santana to ground into a double play. The As scored their first run off Kluber without getting a hit. Cliff Pennington reached on a throwing error by Indians shortstop Cabrera, was sacrificed to second, stole third and scored on Donaldsons groundout. Josh Reddick followed with a double to left centre to drive in Crisp to make it 2-0. After a visit to the mound by pitching coach Ruben Niebla, Cespedes lined a 1-1 pitch from Kluber onto the top of the scoreboard above the fence in left field. Oakland added a run in the sixth on George Kottaras RBI single then scored another in the seventh when Cespedes singled in Jemile Weeks. Crisps two-run triple in the eighth off Chris Seddon made it 8-1. Kluber struck out two and walked three in five innings. He remains winless in four career starts. "He has good stuff and you have to be patient," Acta said. "Were not going to make any knee-jerk reactions. We brought him up to look at him and thats what were doing." NOTES: Indians leadoff hitter Jason Kipnis is 6 for 55 since July 27. ... The As honoured their 2002 team in a pregame ceremony celebrating the franchises AL-record 20-game winning streak that season. Several ex-players attended, as did former manager Art Howe. The winning streak was the subject of the Brad Pitt movie "Moneyball." ... Oakland manager Bob Melvin is encouraged about the progress made by pitcher Brett Anderson after he threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Saturday and believes Anderson will the team before the season ends. "Well find a way to get him in there at some point," Melvin said. "Hes that good." ... 3B Brandon Inge is hitting off a tee and is flexing his right shoulder with little to no discomfort. Hes eligible to come off the 15-day DL on Aug. 27. ... RHP Jarrod Parker (7-7), who pitches the series finale for Oakland, is still looking for his first win in August. ... RHP Justin Masterson (9-10) is seeking his third consecutive win for the Indians. ' ' '