DETROIT (AP) — Reliever Yohan Pino, called up earlier in the day by Kansas City, threw wildly to first base, allowing Anthony Gose to score the winning run in the ninth inning as the Detroit Tigers beat the Royals 6-5 on Friday night.
Gose led off the ninth with a double on Pino’s first pitch, and on the next delivery, Ian Kinsler bunted down the third-base line. Pino (0-1) fielded the ball and threw wildly to first, allowing Gose to score the winning run.
Joakim Soria (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning.
Tigers starter David Price allowed five runs and a career-high 13 hits before leaving the game in the seventh inning with a fluke injury. On the single by Alex Gordon that gave Kansas City a 5-4 lead, Price stepped on a discarded bat and appeared to injure his ankle.
Ameer Abdullah (2nd Round Pick of the Detroit Lions)
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) – Jim Caldwell’s first season as coach of the Detroit Lions was largely a success, with the team making the playoffs for only the second time in the past 15 years.
If there was an area of disappointment, it was probably the running game. The Lions struggled to move the ball consistently on the ground, and that was part of the reason the offense as a whole went through some underwhelming stretches.
“We’re working at it,” Caldwell said. “You can give it lip service all you want, but we also have added personnel to kind of help us do that. So we intend to get better, and we must.”
Two players the Lions added to help their running game were on hand Friday, the first day of the team’s rookie minicamp. In the draft last week, Detroit picked offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson in the first round and running back Ameer Abdullah in the second. Both newcomers have a chance to help the Lions in areas where the team fell short last year.
“My first impression was just, ‘Wow, this is NFL football,’” Tomlinson said. “Go out there and show the coaches what you can do.”
The Lions went 11-6 last season, but they averaged 88.9 yards rushing, ranking 28th in the league. Reggie Bush had only 76 carries, and Joique Bell averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt.
Detroit cut Bush this offseason, meaning there was room for another back to complement Bell. Abdullah was the choice, taken with the 54th pick in the draft after a stellar career at Nebraska.
In addition to Abdullah and Tomlinson, the Lions also drafted fullback Michael Burton in the fifth round and offensive lineman Corey Robinson in the seventh. The message was clear: Detroit wants to be a more powerful team up front on offense.
That could mean better protection for quarterback Matthew Stafford, but it’s the running game that may benefit even more from Detroit’s offseason moves. The Lions also traded for veteran offensive lineman Manny Ramirez.
Stafford improved his completion percentage a bit last season, but his total of 4,257 yards passing was the lowest of his career over a full season. He was sacked a career-high 45 times, and the lack of a strong running game didn’t help matters.
“It’s a quarterback’s best friend – plain and simple,” Caldwell said. “It takes some of the pressure off of him. Just in terms of our situation last year – we run the ball a little bit better, that gives us a chance to win a couple more ballgames. A couple more ballgames is the difference between 11-5 and 13-3.”
Abdullah rushed for over 1,600 yards in each of his final two seasons at Nebraska, while Tomlinson performed well enough at Duke to become that program’s first player drafted in the first round since 1987.
Now they begin the process of trying to impress new coaches and learn a new team’s system. Adaptability is key as players work their way into better condition.
“No matter what you do, until you get back to playing football, you’re never in top football shape,” Abdullah said. “I did a pretty good job in the offseason, training pretty hard, so I felt pretty good today. Obviously, your legs get a little tired.”
The 5-foot-11 Bell has shouldered an increased workload over the last three seasons, rushing for a career-high 860 yards in 2014. So Detroit doesn’t need someone else to come in and be an immediate star in the backfield. The Lions just need another back who can give the team an additional option. That, along with a better performance from the offensive line, could make a big difference.
“I’d like to be able to add a real strong running game,” Caldwell said. “Our running game was sporadic. There were some times, it was really good, and then there were some times, it wasn’t good enough. We’ve just got to get it where it’s consistent.”
DENVER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have optioned left-hander Tyler Matzek to Triple-A Albuquerque, and recalled catcher-first baseman Wilin Rosario.
Matzek has struggled with his control early in the season, particularly in his last start against Arizona on Wednesday, when he pitched two innings and gave up four runs, three hits and six walks. Manager Walt Weiss said the Rockies were still considering their options for a replacement for Matzek in the rotation.
Rosario played in 10 games for the Rockies before being optioned two weeks ago to Albuquerque, where he hit .343 with four doubles and four RBIs in nine games.
Rosario has three doubles and a home run in 14 at-bats with the Rockies this season.
Matzek is 2-1 with a 5.96 ERA in five starts for the Rockies this season, his second in the big leagues. He is 8-12 with a 4.06 ERA in 24 career starts.
DETROIT (AP) — The Royals placed left-hander Jason Vargas on the disabled list and reinstated shortstop Alcides Escobar from the seven-day concussion list.
Vargas allowed two runs over five innings Tuesday night and spent a long time in the trainer’s room after the game. The team said then his back was being treated. On Friday, his injury was listed as a left flexor strain.
The Royals also placed third baseman Mike Moustakas on the three-day bereavement list in a series of roster moves before opening a three-game set against the Tigers.
Recently acquired catcher Drew Butera joined the club following his trade from the Angels and right-hander Yohan Pino was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Catcher Francisco Pena had been optioned to Omaha following Thursday’s win over Cleveland.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska will be able to play its baseball series against Purdue at Haymarket Park in Lincoln after all.
The athletic department announced Friday that the three-game series would start Saturday at 12:05 p.m. That’s two hours earlier than originally scheduled. The game was moved up because of a forecast calling for rain.
Officials said Thursday it would be doubtful the series could be played at Haymarket because of an 8-inch rain that left the field under water. Coach Darin Erstad and his staff looked for an alternate site for Saturday.
But water was pumped out of Haymarket by Friday morning.
The series is crucial for Nebraska. The eighth-place Huskers need to finish the regular season eighth or higher to make the conference tournament.
North Platte High School Activities Director, Marc Mroczek, has named Marie Holmes-Brosius as the new head cross country coach for the 2015-2016 school year. Marie has coached cross country at North Platte St. Pats for the past 8 seasons.
Marc Mroczek, North Platte Activities Director comments: “Marie is well qualified and will bring valuable experience to our coaching staff at NPHS. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion for cross country will be valuable assets to our student-athletes. I am excited for the future of North Platte High School Cross Country with Coach Holmes-Brosius leading the program.”
Holmes-Brosius takes over for Dennis Fornander, who resigned earlier this year.
Kearney High School boys and girls swept the team titles at the 2015 GNAC track meet; the girls winning the title with a conference record 203 points. North Platte boys finished as the runner-up with 73 points and the North Platte girls finished 8th with 10 points.
North Platte had individual conference champions in three events along with six additional top three finishers.
North Platte 2015 GNAC Conference Champions
Boys Long Jump – Trevon Weaver – 21-10.00
Boys 4×100 Meter Relay – Shay Bamesberger, Miles Creel, Austin Chitty, Trevon Weaver – 43.79
Boys 100 Meters – Trevon Weaver – 11.16
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber remained winless through seven starts this year, with Eric Hosmer hitting a three-run homer in the first inning that sent the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Indians 7-4 Thursday.
Kluber (0-5) matched the record for most winless starts by a pitcher after winning a Cy Young . Zack Greinke in 2010 and Frank Viola in 1989 also went seven in a row without a victory.
Kluber gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in 5 2-3 innings, and left with a 5.04 ERA. In his past four starts, Kluber has a 7.43 ERA, yielding 38 hits and 19 earned runs in 23 innings.
The Cleveland ace went 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA last year.
Franklin Morales (3-0) won with two innings in relief.
Rain delayed the start of the game by two hours, 17 minutes.
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies say closer Adam Ottavino has undergone Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Ottavino had his ulnar collateral ligament reconstructed by Dr. James Andrews on Thursday in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
The 29-year-old Ottavino visited with the surgeon the day before but already was resigned to the possibility of having season ending surgery, saying earlier in the week “if it is that way — I’m expecting it to be — I’ll take it head on.”
He went on the disabled list April 27 with right triceps inflammation, soon after he was promoted to closer. Ottavino hasn’t given up a run in 10 1-3 innings this season. He has struck out 13.
John Axford will take over the closer’s role for the Rockies.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A storm that dropped as much as 8 inches of rain in the Lincoln area and flooded Haymarket Park has left Nebraska looking for a place to play its Big Ten baseball series against Purdue.
Grounds crew pumped water into the parking lots Thursday, but officials say it’s doubtful the field will be playable this weekend.
The Cornhuskers and Boilermakers were scheduled to play single games Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Nebraska spokesman Jeremy Foote said coach Darin Erstad is trying to line up an alternate field. TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Werner Park in Papillion and even Missouri Western in St. Joseph have been contacted.
The series is crucial for Nebraska. The eighth-place Huskers need to finish the regular season in the top six to make the conference tournament.
