Sports – Page 588 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Kansas City waives wide receiver Armon Binns in series of moves

Posted on August 8, 2015August 8, 2015

Click the links below to hear post-practice audio from the Chiefs at MWSU.
Head Coach Andy Reid
LB Josh Mauga
TE James O’Shaughnessy
OL Jeff Allen

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have waived wide receiver Armon Binns and linebacker Sage Harold and signed offensive tackle Anthony Dima and wide receiver Adam Drake in a series of moves Saturday.

Binns had not been practicing after hurting his knee earlier in training camp. Harold was considered a longshot to make the roster at linebacker.

Dima signed with the Cleveland Browns after going undrafted last year, and also has spent time with the Houston Texans. Drake led the Football Championship Subdivision in yards receiving last season at Eastern Illinois with 93 catches for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis extends scoreless streak to 36 innings in win over Brewers

Posted on August 8, 2015August 8, 2015

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Matt Carpenter hit a leadoff home run, Jaime Garcia pitched two-hit ball for seven innings and the St. Louis Cardinals made it three straight shutout victories with a 3-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

The Cardinals have thrown 36 consecutive scoreless innings since the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 13-inning 4-3 win. Michael Wacha won his team-leading 13th game, stopping Cincinnati 3-0 on Thursday. Lance Lynn beat Milwaukee 6-0 Friday night in the opener of the three-game series.

On Saturday, Garcia (4-4) walked four, struck out five and allowed Jean Segura’s hit in the first and Elian Herrera’s in the third. The left-hander won for the first time in three starts since coming off the 15-day disabled list on July 28 with a strained left groin.

Kevin Siegrist pitched the eighth and Rosenthal earned his 33rd save in 35 chances, striking out Ryan Braun, Khris Davis and Jason Rogers in the ninth.

Carpenter hit his fourth career leadoff home run this season and Stephen Piscotty’s two-out RBI single in the second gave Garcia all the run support he needed as the Cardinals won their fourth straight and major league-leading 71st game. Piscotty made it 3-0 with a two-out hit in the seventh.

Garcia was sidelined for the first 40 games of the season while continuing his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery.

Carpenter is batting .389 (14 for 36) with six home runs and 11 RBI since returning to the leadoff spot on July 30.

Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta (2-7) settled down after Piscotty’s run-scoring hit in the second and retired the next 14 batters. Randal Grichuk’s hit with one out in the seventh snapped that string.

Peralta allowed five hits, one walk and struck out two in seven innings. It was his third start since returning from the 15-day disabled list on July 28 with a strained left oblique.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Matt Holiday, on the 15-day disabled list since July 30 with a right quad strain, has been rehabbing and receiving treatment at Busch Stadium. No date has been set for his return.

Brewers: Dr. William Raasch is set to perform Tommy John surgery on RHP Taylor Williams, a non-roster invitee to spring training, on Tuesday in Milwaukee. Williams pitched two-thirds of an inning on March 7.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP John Lackey (9-7, 2.85 ERA) makes his team-leading 23rd start of the season. A victory makes it his 12th consecutive 10-win season. He is perfect in two starts against Milwaukee in 2015 and 4-1 in six career starts.

Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (9-9, 3.57 ERA) makes his second start this season against the Cardinals. He is 0-4 with a 10.43 ERA in four games against St. Louis.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs’ great Will Shields enters Hall of Fame

Posted on August 8, 2015

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs lineman Will Shields has powered his way to football immortality.

The 12-time Pro Bowl right guard was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Shields became just the third right guard to enter the Hall.

He made it to Canton in his fourth year of eligibility. The 6-foot-3 Shields joked he’s glad he didn’t grow another couple of inches because if he was taller he might have been moved to tackle and might not have ended up in Canton.

Shields was presented for induction by good friend Adrian Lunsford.

— Associated Press —

Kansas City holds off White Sox to win series opener

Posted on August 7, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Edinson Volquez and John Danks have known each other for a while, rooming in the minors.

They are very familiar with each other this season squaring off for the fourth time this year. Volquez and the Kansas City Royals came out victors Friday night, beating Danks and the Chicago White Sox 3-2.

“I’ve known him for a long time in the minor leagues with Texas,” Volquez said. “We were roommates three years in a row. He was the first guy to let me drive his car in the United States.

“It was like a four-hour drive from Arizona to Bakersfield, California and he was tired and said, `Can you drive?’ I said I can drive, but I don’t have a driver’s license.”

Danks threw six scoreless innings on July 17 to beat Volquez.

“We’re tied now,” Volquez said as the pair went 2-2 in their matchups this season.

Volquez pitched seven strong innings and Lorenzo Cain doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth. Volquez (11-6) limited the White Sox to one run and four hits and has allowed three or less runs in seven straight starts, lowering his ERA to 3.11.

Danks (6-9), who has a 9-2 career record against the Royals, gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.

“I made a couple of mistakes I got burned with,” Danks said. “All in all I felt like it was a good day. I just got outpitched by a good pitcher himself.”

Cain, who tripled in the first inning but was stranded, doubled into the left-field corner to score Ben Zobrist for the initial run in the sixth. Eric Hosmer drove home Cain with a single, giving him 10 RBI in the past 11 games.

“Danks has had our number the last few years,” Cain said. “To lose two to Detroit was definitely tough, to bounce back today and get a win against a division team is huge.”

Alex Rios, who played with the White Sox from 2009-13, laced a double to left field to score Mike Moustakas, who had walked, with the first Kansas City run in the fifth.

Jose Abreu, who has hit safely in 16 of his past 17 games, doubled home Trayce Thompson, who led off the sixth with an infield single for his first big league hit, for the first White Sox run.

Luke Hochevar, who replaced Volquez in the eighth, walked Tyler Flowers and yielded a double to Thompson to start the inning, but recovered to strike out Tyler Saladino and Abreu. Left-hander Franklin Morales retired Melky Cabrera on a fly to the right field warning track to strand the runners as the White Sox went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

“We had plenty of opportunities,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “They pitched tough in those situations and we didn’t get it done. We had a big one there in the eighth. We had a chance there.”

Greg Holland gave up a home run to Adam LaRoche in the ninth, but earned his 24th save in 27 opportunities.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: CF Adam Eaton left after jamming his left shoulder when he fell catching Zobrist’s fly ball in the fourth inning. He is listed as day-to-day.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (left groin strain) could rehab with Double-A Northwest Arkansas or High-A Wilmington, who are both in the playoffs, in late August or early September, if he is ready, Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Jeff Samardzija, who served a five-game suspension for his part in an April 23 brawl with the Royals, starts Saturday. He is 0-4 with a 5.95 ERA in four games against the Royals.

White Sox: RHP Jeremy Guthrie will make his first start since July 29, when he yielded eight runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Indians.

— Associated Press —

Grichuk hits 3-run HR, Lynn pitches Cards past Brewers 6-0

Posted on August 7, 2015

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Randal Grichuk hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run fifth inning, and Lance Lynn pitched the St. Louis Cardinals past the Milwaukee Brewers 6-0 Friday night.

Lynn (9-6) stranded nine runners in six innings as the NL Central leaders became the first major league team to reach 70 wins this season. He allowed six hits and four walks while throwing 109 pitches.

It was the second consecutive shutout and 12th this season for the Cardinals (70-39), who beat Cincinnati 3-0 on Thursday behind All-Star Michael Wacha.

Brewers rookie Tyler Cravy (0-3) replaced veteran Kyle Lohse in the rotation and had little trouble with St. Louis until unraveling in the fifth. The Cardinals had three doubles, a walk and a single in the inning before Grichuk hit his 14th homer.

The Cardinals have won 42 of 63 games against the Brewers since St. Louis beat Milwaukee in six games in the 2011 NL Championship Series.

Cravy allowed only three hits and a walk through the first four innings. Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty hit consecutive doubles to open the fifth to make it 1-0. One out later, Matt Carpenter hit the first of his two doubles, scoring Piscotty for a 2-0 lead.

Kolten Wong walked and Jason Heyward singled to score Carpenter. Grichuk then hit a 1-1 pitch into the right-center stands.

Cravy pitched five innings, giving up six runs and eight hits.

The Brewers left two runners on in the first, second and fourth against Lynn. Milwaukee loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but the big right-hander struck out pinch-hitter Logan Schafer to end his night on the mound.

Carlos Villanueva pitched three perfect innings for his second save.

Since returning to the leadoff spot for the Cardinals on July 30, Carpenter is batting .406 (13 for 32) with five home runs and 10 RBI.

Lohse, demoted to the bullpen after going 5-13 with a 6.31 ERA in 22 starts, made his first relief appearance since Sept. 8, 2009, when he pitched a scoreless innings for the Cardinals against Milwaukee. The right-hander worked two shutout innings in this one.

The game was a rematch of the starting pitchers from June 2, when Lynn and the Cardinals beat the Brewers 1-0 in Cravy’s major league debut.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Milwaukee. Shane Peterson went 3 for 4 with three singles.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Citing the need to rest arms in the bullpen, the team recalled LHP Tyler Lyons from Triple-A Memphis and optioned INF Greg Garcia to its top farm club. “We have some guys that are beat up,” manager Mike Matheny said. It is the fourth time Lyons has been recalled this season. He is 2-1 with a 5.02 ERA in six starts for the Cardinals this year, but will pitch out of the bullpen this time.

Brewers: Trailing 6-0, the Brewers removed Ryan Braun after seven innings. He also was removed after seven innings Monday in a 13-5 loss. He missed two games in late July with a strained ribcage.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: St. Louis has been shut out in four of Saturday starter Jaime Garcia’s nine starts, but the left-hander has fared well against Milwaukee. He is 6-4 with a 3.09 ERA in his career against the Brewers.

Brewers: Wily Peralta will make his third start since returning from the disabled list with a strained left oblique. He struggled in his last start, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 innings of a 13-5 loss to San Diego on Monday.

— Associated Press —

Still young himself, Chiefs’ Kelce forced to be mentor

Posted on August 7, 2015August 7, 2015

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce signs autographs after NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Click the links below to hear post-practice audio from the Chiefs at MWSU.
Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson
QB Alex Smith
OLB Dee Ford
S Husain Abdullah

ST. JOSEPH, Missouri (AP) — Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is already getting the hang of being a veteran.

Never mind that he is only entering his third season in the NFL, and that Kelce missed most of his first season due to injury. When practice had ended earlier this week, James O’Shaughnessy dutifully picked up Kelce’s shoulder pads and helmet and trudged toward the locker room.

“He warned me during OTAs that I’d have to do a little bit of rookie stuff,” O’Shaughnessy said, “but it’s expected. Nothing I can complain about.”

A few years ago, it was Kelce toting shoulder pads off the practice field, going through a similar dose of rookie hazing. But after a breakout season in which the former Cincinnati star led the Chiefs in receptions, yards receiving and tied for the lead in touchdown catches, he has become the de facto leader of a tight end corps without much veteran presence.

Richard Gordon and Ryan Taylor may have a couple more years of experience, but neither has played many meaningful snaps in the NFL. Besides O’Shaughnessy, the only other tight ends on the Kansas City roster are third-year pro Adam Schiltz and second-year pro Demetrius Harris.

So, the responsibility as fallen on Kelce to speak up in position meetings.

“He’s great. He’s extremely knowledgeable for how young he is,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Everyone knows how talented he is, and as of late, he’s put the two together.”

Kelce had 67 catches for 862 yards and five touchdowns last season, helping to mask the deficiencies of the Kansas City wide receiver corps. Only a handful of tight ends — Jimmy Graham, Martellus Bennett, Greg Olsen, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates — were more productive.

In a late-season game at Arizona, Kelce had seven catches for 110 yards. He also had eight catches for 93 yards and a score against New England earlier in the year.

But all that production only seemed to validate the third-round pick that Kansas City spent on Kelce, and made everyone forget the knee surgery that cost him most of his rookie season.

“A lot of balls headed to Travis because he came back healthy,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said. “Travis was a big part of our system last year.”

He figures to be an even bigger part this season.

Kelce split time with Anthony Fasano, a nine-year veteran and more adept blocker, a year ago. But with Fasano no longer with the team, the flamboyantly popular Kelce will be asked to shoulder more of the burden, particularly when it comes to blocking in the run game.

“I’ve stepped up to kind of be the No. 1 role, with Fasano leaving,” he acknowledged. “But other than that, it’s all focused on getting better every day. You work on your fundamentals, you go into the film room to see what you have to do. On top of that, there’s little things in terms of the schemes that we’re doing. It’s just putting everything together.”

As solid as Kelce may be as a No. 1 tight end, the Chiefs use plenty of two- and three-tight end sets in their offense. That means that someone else will need to step up.

It also means Kelce will need to continue to tutor them.

“Gordon and Taylor, Schiltz, there are some good guys there that can work in here for potentially a second or third spot,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. ” We’ve got good competition there. For what we do, we’ve got some pretty good players there.”

The Chiefs could always make a move after cuts are made, and Harris — who has been out with a foot injury — has shown flashes of athleticism that make him an intriguing possibility.

Regardless of who earns the other jobs, Kelce at least makes them feel good about one.

“It’s a group effort,” he said. “I might be the name on the group, but it’s a cohesive effort. Everybody’s putting in the work together, everybody is helping each other out.”

NOTES: RB Jamaal Charles did not participate in 11-on-11 drills Friday while as the Chiefs try to limit unnecessary wear and tear. Knile Davis ran with the first team. … Taylor left with a left quad injury. DL Nick Williams left with a concussion. … S Ron Parker made the play of the day by intercepting Alex Smith and returning it for a touchdown.

— Associated Press —

Former Mizzou star Aldon Smith released by 49ers

Posted on August 7, 2015August 8, 2015

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — More than missing one of the game’s most menacing pass rushers, the San Francisco 49ers care that Aldon Smith can carry on with a healthy life off the field over the long haul.

With or without football.

The former Missouri star received second chance after second chance with the Niners before they finally had enough following his fifth run-in with the law. The franchise parted ways with the troubled but talented linebacker Friday after Santa Clara police accused him of drunken driving, hit and run and vandalism.

The move came only three days after general manager Trent Baalke expressed his desire to keep Smith beyond this season, which would have been a contract year.

Instead Friday, Baalke and coach Jim Tomsula met with Smith at team headquarters after he left jail to inform him he was no longer part of the team.

Smith was arrested Thursday night — on a day off from training camp for players — the fifth legal run-in since the team drafted him 7th overall in 2011.

Mizzou announces 2015-16 non-conference men’s basketball schedule; play MWSU in exhibition game

Posted on August 7, 2015August 7, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball’s 2015-16 non-conference schedule will include the Tigers’ participation in the highly regarded CBE Hall of Fame Classic (Nov. 23-24) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as nine home contests inside Mizzou Arena.

Head coach Kim Anderson’s program will take on a challenging slate in its warmup for its 2016 Southeastern Conference schedule, including road contests at Xavier (Nov. 17) and at Arizona (Dec. 13). The Tigers will face North Carolina State at home on Dec. 19, ahead of the 34th Annual Braggin’ Rights Game vs. Illinois at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on Dec. 23.

“We have once again put together one of the best and most challenging schedules in the country,” Anderson said. “Our non-conference opponents will provide a great test for our young team and hopefully prepare them for the rigors of an always tough Southeastern Conference schedule. Last year, we played one of the top schedules in the country and this one is set to match or exceed that.”

Mizzou’s opening opponent in the CBE event matches the Tigers against former conference foe Kansas State (Nov. 23). The Black & Gold have battled it out in historically even fashion against the Wildcats, with the all-time series at 117-118 to KSU. Kansas State posted a 15-17 (8-10 Big 12) record a season ago.

Mizzou will face either North Carolina or Northwestern in its second game of the event at the Sprint Center. UNC advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, finishing the season with a 26-12 (11-7 ACC) overall record. Northwestern compiled a 15-17 (6-12 Big Ten) record last season.

Anderson’s group get rolling at home to begin its 2015-16 schedule, first with an exhibition matchup against Missouri Western on Nov. 6. The Tigers begin the season in earnest the following week vs. Wofford (Nov. 13) and vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (Nov. 15) in a pair of host site games for the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. Wofford (28-7, 16-2 Southern) fell in its opening game of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, dropping a 56-53 result to Arkansas in the second round. UMES posted an 18-15 (11-5 MEAC) overall mark a season ago.

“We are always looking forward to being able to bring our team to great venues across the state with two games at the Sprint Center in Kansas City and the annual Braggin’ Rights game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Combined with an overall 18-game home schedule, Tiger fans around Missouri will have many opportunities to see us play.”

Mizzou hits the road for its contest at Xavier on Nov. 17, before it begins CBE games at the Sprint Center from Nov. 23-24. The Musketeers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season, finishing with a 23-14 (9-9 Big East) mark. The Tigers battled Xavier last season at Mizzou Arena, dropping a 74-58 result on Dec. 13, 2014.

The Tigers return home from the CBE with a three-game home stretch vs. Arkansas State (Dec. 1), vs. Northern Illinois (Dec. 4) and vs. Omaha (Dec. 9). The Red Wolves went 11-18 (6-14 Sun Belt) last season, while Huskies posted a 14-16 (8-10 MAC) record. The Mavericks compiled a 12-17 (5-11 Summit) overall record a season ago. Mizzou holds a combined all-time record of 7-0 against the three opponents. The Tigers most recently took down Northern Illinois by a score of 97-61 on Dec. 27, 2010.

Anderson’s team heads to the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona, on Dec. 13, to face Arizona, an Elite Eight squad from a season ago. The Wildcats posted a 34-4 (16-2 Pac-12) overall record last season, spending the majority of their campaign ranked within the nation’s Top 5.

Mizzou’s Dec. 19 contest vs. N.C. State pits the Tigers against potentially its fourth opponent that advanced to last season’s Sweet 16. The Wolfpack posted a 22-14 (10-8 ACC) overall record in 2014-15.

Mizzou closes its non-conference slate with two games over the holiday break, first facing Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 29) and followed by Savannah State (Jan. 2). The Golden Lions posted a 12-20 (9-9 SWAC) overall record a season ago, while the SVSU Tigers went 9-20 (5-11 MEAC) in 2014-15.

Tickets for the CBE’s championship round games at Sprint Center are available through www.axs.com, www.cbehalloffameclassic.com, by phone at 1-888-929-7849 or in-person at the Sprint Center Box Office.

Game times and network designations for non-conference games will be announced at a later date by the SEC.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Largest video board in MIAA coming to Western

Posted on August 7, 2015August 7, 2015

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Plans for a new video board were unveiled Friday during a special announcement on the next phase of the Spratt Memorial Stadium renovation project.

Steve Craig, founder and CEO of Craig Realty Group and benefactor of the Craig School of Business at Missouri Western State University, has pledged to give Spratt Memorial Stadium a high-definition LED video scoreboard. The board, which will be larger than the screens at many Division I stadiums, is the largest individual gift in the history of Missouri Western athletics. In recognition of the gift, the playing surface will now be known as Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium.

“Once again, Steve Craig has made a transformational gift to Missouri Western,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “Thousands of people visit the Spratt Stadium complex every year for football and soccer games, the summer training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs, our spring commencement ceremony, marching band competitions and other special events. Steve’s gift will create an atmosphere for those events that will be second to none.”

The video board will stand at the south end of the stadium, near the Baker Family Fitness Center. At a little more than 65 feet wide and 38 feet tall, or approximately 2,500 square feet, it is believed that the video display will be the largest in NCAA Division II. It will be larger by area than many Division I schools, including the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas.

The brick structure built to house the scoreboard will be approximately 72 feet tall, with storage rooms inside, static signs and displays, and a rooftop fireworks launchpad. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the Spring Commencement Ceremony in May 2016.

Craig said he hopes his gift encourages others to support greatness.

“When you look at things like the St. Joseph Parkway system, St. Joseph City Hall, and many of the other great buildings around town, it’s clear that excellence was one of the values that built St. Joseph,” Craig said. “I believe there’s been a revival in doing things in a great way in St. Joseph, and this is another example. I hope people take a look at what’s going on at Missouri Western and support the things that will allow the university to compete on the national level.”

Video boards remain relatively rare for Division II schools, but are becoming increasingly common in the MIAA, according Kurt McGuffin, Missouri Western’s director athletics.

“Right now more than half of the football-playing schools in the conference have video boards,” McGuffin said. “When you combine the video board with our current renovations and the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex, our facilities will be among the best in the MIAA, which makes them among the best in the country.”

Craig will contribute $1.1 million of the estimated $2.6 million project. Private donors have pledged the rest of the cost through the Missouri Western State University Foundation’s Centennial Capital Campaign.

In addition to the video board, the current Spratt Stadium renovation includes corporate suites, additional chair-back seating for fans, elevator and other accessibility improvements, additional restrooms, expanded concessions area, new ticket office, a team store to sell Griffon merchandise, new press box and fencing.

The Spratt Stadium project, including video board, is part of the Centennial Capital Campaign, designed to raise the resources needed to enable Missouri Western to continue to grow and transform its students, the region and the world. The MWSU Foundation hopes to reach the initial celebration goal of $20 million before the end of 2015, Missouri Western’s centennial year.

Royals lose to Detroit on Kinsler’s HR in the ninth

Posted on August 6, 2015

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers are ready to admit it.

They are playing with a chip on their shoulder after being left for dead at the trading deadline.

“Absolutely,” Alex Wilson said Thursday after the Tigers’ 8-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals. “You’ve got a bunch of guys in this clubhouse who were told that they didn’t belong in a pennant race, and we’re out to prove something. Not our big guys, obviously, but a lot of us.”

After four straight AL Central Division titles, the Tigers traded away David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria in the hours before the trading deadline, then fired long-time general manager Dave Dombrowski.

After winning two of three from the Royals, Detroit is 3 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot, although the Tigers have four teams between themselves and Toronto.

“We’re not that far out, and we know we’ve got a lot of games to play,” Ian Kinsler said. “No one in this room thinks this season is over.”

Kinsler finished the game in dramatic fashion, hitting a two-run homer off Ryan Madson in the ninth inning, but he was part of two earlier plays that might have been equally important.

In both the third and fifth innings, Kinsler hit ground balls to the left side of the infield that looked like inning-ending double plays. That would be nothing new for the Tigers, who came into the game having grounded into 110 double plays, 14 more than any other major-league team.

Aided by takeout slides from Jose Iglesias and Anthony Gose, Kinsler was able to beat both out. Each time, Victor Martinez followed with a homer — a three-run shot in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth.

“Those were both huge plays,” Kinsler said. “That’s how you play the game. Tyler Collins set the tone with a big slide earlier in the game, and even though they got the double play that time, you get the second baseman hesitating. Those two guys went in hard, and I was busting it down the line, because I didn’t want to end the inning and leave Victor standing on deck.”

Iglesias led off the ninth with a single against Ryan Madson (1-2) before Kinsler hit a 2-0 fastball into the bullpen in left field.

“I don’t know where that pitch ended up,” Madson said. “It was supposed to be a sinker, but it wasn’t where I wanted it.”

Wilson (2-3) got the win after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth.

Martinez hadn’t homered since July 17 and hadn’t had a multi-homer game since hitting two for Boston against Toronto on Sept. 17, 2010.

“That felt great,” he said. “Not just for me, but for this whole team.”

The Royals took an early 3-0 lead, fell behind 6-3 and tied it with a three-run seventh. Drew Butera led off with a homer, and Kendrys Morales had a two-run double.

“That was a nice rally,” Madson said. “I wish I could have held the Tigers down and given us another crack at it.”

The game was delayed for several minutes in the eighth inning when a squirrel ran around on the field. It briefly ended up in the Tigers’ dugout, then raced into left field.

“Usually, I have a BB gun to deal with squirrels, but I was trying to catch this one with a trash can,” Alex Avila said of the squirrel’s time in the dugout. “The problem was that I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to be able to lure it in there with my charm and good looks.”

When the squirrel arrived, the Tigers had runners on the corners and two out, but Anthony Gose struck out after it made its way to the outfield.

“I didn’t want any part of that squirrel,” said Rajai Davis, who got a close encounter with it as it hung out near third base. “I just tried to stay still and not draw any attention to myself.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: With a day game after a night game, Alex Gordon had a quiet day in his recovery from a groin strain. Gordon took batting practice off soft tosses Wednesday and hopes to return by the end of the month.

Tigers: Although 1B Miguel Cabrera (calf strain) was told by the team to take his time recovering from injury, now that the Tigers are out of the postseason race, manager Brad Ausmus said he thinks Cabrera could be back in the lineup by the end of the month — about two weeks later than earlier hoped.

UP NEXT

Royals: Kansas City returns home for a weekend series with the White Sox. Edinson Volquez (10-6, 3.20) faces Chicago’s John Danks (6-8, 4.80) in Friday’s opener.

Tigers: Detroit remains at home for three games this weekend with Boston. Daniel Norris (2-1, 3.23), acquired in last week’s David Price trade, starts on Friday against Joe Kelly (3-6, 6.11).

— Associated Press —