Soon Bargnani will join that group,

[ljmei123]

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kansas Citys James Shields is accustomed to pitching in close games this season. Nike Roshe Run Suede Heren . He kept his team in the game until the Royals were able to break through late. Shields was sharp for 7 1-3 innings, Alex Gordon had three RBIs, and Kansas City scored five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Tuesday. "The way Shields was pitching, it was like, Ok, just hold em until we can break something open," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Finally, in the eighth it got broken open." Shields -- the key part in the deal that sent top prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay in the off-season -- struck out seven and notched his American-League best 22nd quality start. Shields (9-8) went over the .500 mark and only allowed one hit through seven innings before running into trouble and leaving in the eighth. While the wins havent been there for Shields, hes pitched well. "Ive got a ton of quality starts this year and I feel like Ive been pitching well all year," Shields said. "The wins are going to come. Im not really too worried about it. Im just going to keep grinding out the rest of the season and hope for the best." Kevin Correia struck out a season-high seven over seven shutout innings, but ended up with a no-decision. Brian Dozier had the Twins RBI. Seven consecutive Royals hitters reached base in a five-run eighth that broke open a scoreless game and handed reliever Jared Burton (2-8) his third loss to Kansas City this season. The first two runs scored on a bloop single from Chris Getz and a Jarrod Dyson bunt. Gordon followed with a bases-clearing double down the right-field line that made it 5-0 and sent most of the fans at a steamy Target Field heading for the exits. Burton also lost Sunday in Cleveland. "Ill talk to Burton a little bit tomorrow about what he did and how he felt and what he was thinking, and then we move on," Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson said. Billy Butler hit his 14th home run in the ninth. After losing seven straight and damaging their playoff chances, the Royals have won three in a row. "You have to fight through it," Dyson said. "Thats the great part about us. We fight through everything." After walking Ryan Doumit in the second, Shields retired 14 of the next 15 batters and held the Twins until the offence got him some support. Wade Davis, the other pitcher Kansas City acquired in the Myers deal, hasnt been nearly as effective and was demoted to the bullpen on Tuesday. Danny Duffy will be called up on Wednesday from Triple-A Omaha and take Davis slot in the rotation. The Twins have struggled to score since All-Star Joe Mauer went on the disabled list a week ago with a concussion. Minnesota had a chance to cut into the lead after Doziers double chased Shields and made it 5-1 in the eighth. But Will Smith struck out Chris Herrmann and Justin Morneau with runners on second and third to end the threat. The Twins struck out 11 times and were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. "Good ball game until we got into the eighth, and then things kind of unraveled there, we couldnt really stop them," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The ball kept going their way, bunts, you name it, everything, stolen bases, bloops, and there you have it, a five spot." NOTES: Davis is 6-10 with a 5.67 ERA and will move to the bullpen. ... Twins general manager Terry Ryan said its still to be determined if Mauer will make the upcoming road trip to Texas. Ryan also said that Mauer is making progress in his recovery from a concussion. ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said OF Oswaldo Arcia will probably be out for at least a few more days with a sore hand. ... The Royals signed Carlos Pena to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. Pena, 35, hit .209 with eight homers in 85 games for Houston before being released on July 31. ... Kansas City also traded minor-league OF Quintin Berry to Boston for minor league reliever Clayton Mortensen. ... Twins 1B Chris Colabello was selected the International MVP and Rookie of the Year. He hit .352 with 24 home runs. ... The Royals bumped Bruce Chen back a day so Duffy could start Wednesdays game against the Twins. Duffy had elbow surgery last season and has made two spot starts for Kansas City in August, allowing two runs in 9 2-3 innings. ... Andrew Albers (2-1, 3.00 ERA) makes his fifth major league start for the Twins on Wednesday. Albers pitched 8 1-3 scoreless innings in his major-league debut against the Royals earlier this season. Nike Blazer High Heren . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Nike Blazer High Dames . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. http://www.rosherunsale-nl.com/nike-blazer-low.html . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J.TORONTO - Andrea Bargnani meant everything to this Raptors franchise once. Drafted first overall in 2006, he was once the source of hope for an ailing fan base. A mysterious 21-year-old from Italy, he possessed the unique skill set required to become a special player in a league obsessed with upside. A seven-footer who could shoot and put the ball on the floor, he had more upside than he knew what to do with. As silly as it seemed then to compare a player with no NBA experience, a player most knew nothing - or next to nothing - about to a future hall of famer and soon-to-be MVP, that stopped (almost) no one from doing just that. He was supposed to be the next Dirk Nowitzki. Bargnani meant everything to his former team until, gradually over seven years laden with false hope and hurt feelings, he meant nothing. "I dont know what it was," said Dwane Casey, Bargnanis coach for two of his seven seasons in Toronto, looking back at the tarnished relationship between fans and the former first-overall pick. "I thought Andrea needed a fresh start." One exhibition game into that fresh start, Bargnani will make his first return to the Air Canada Centre on Friday, three months after the trade that sent him to New York. Catch the game live on TSN Radio 1050 starting at 7pm et. "We have no ill feelings for Andrea," Casey acknowledged Thursday afternoon following practice. "For him personally and as a friend Im glad to see him not have to go through some of the things he went through here." Plagued by injuries and a perceived lack of effort, Bargnani experienced far more lows than highs in Toronto and as a result many fans began to sour on a player they once celebrated, however briefly. In seven seasons, Bargnani averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 44 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three-point range. Over his final two seasons as a Raptor he missed more games (82) than he played in (66) and saw his scoring average fall from a career-best 21.4 in 2010-11 - his first as the offensive focal point, sans Chris Bosh - to just 12.7 last year. By midseason and to the dismay of Casey and several vocal Raptors players, Bargnani was routinely booed by the home crowd. "You hate to see somebody on your team go through something like that," reiterated DeMar DeRozan, a teammmate of Bargnanis for the past four seasons. Nike Roshe Run Heren zwart/groen Schoenen. "Just the [negative] energy, it can do a lot mentally to a player. We tried to keep him up, in good spirits all season but it was tough on him." Although Fridays game - the first of two preseason visits to Toronto for Bargnani and the Knicks - wont count towards the standings, the atmosphere in the ACC could resemble the return of past Raptors-turned-Raptor villains. "They can boo him all they want to now," Casey joked. "Fans are going to do what theyre going to do and so he should probably put on ear plugs." Bargnanis return will likely be the latest in a long line of former Raptors to be welcomed back with a chorus of boos and jeers from the ACC faithful. When beloved point guard Jose Calderon made his return to a standing ovation in April, Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank (now an assistant with the Nets) alluded to the Toronto franchises long history of hostile homecomings. It all started with Damon Stoudamire, who scored 22 points in 2000 returning with the Blazers two years after forcing a trade out of Toronto. Tracy McGrady poured in 24 points in his first game back a year later, followed by 39 points from Vince Carter in 2005 and 25 from Bosh in 2011. For what its worth, Hedo Turkoglu was held to 11 in his return, but that should surprise no one. Soon Bargnani will join that group, matching Boshs seven seasons as the longest tenured but unlike most of that list, who achieved some individual and/or team success here (Turkoglu being the obvious exception), his Raptors legacy will leave a predominately bitter taste in the mouths of Raptors fans. He wont be remembered as a 20-point scorer. He wont be remembered for finishing second, behind only Brandon Roy in Rookie of the Year voting. No, instead hell be remembered for his declining shooting percentages, his modest rebounding numbers, his laissez-faire attitude, the injuries, the general manager who blindly stood by him until the end and a Primo pasta ad that will forever be ingrained into our hearts. Most of all hell be remembered for what he failed to become. "I didnt get out of him what [I] was hoping for," Casey admitted Thursday; not the first and likely not the last coach to come to that realization. "I wanted him to be Dirk-like." Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China cheap jerseys factory ' ' '