sent home by team doctors before the game with flu-lik

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kansas City Royals have won the last six games started by James Shields, though its hard to tell by looking at his record. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale . "I think my two-month anniversary was coming up of not getting a win," Shields said Friday night after throwing six solid innings in the Royals 9-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Shields (3-6) earned his 90th career win, although it was his first in 11 starts. Shields previous victory came April 30 in an 8-2 win over Tampa Bay. Since then, the Royals have failed to give Shields much run support. But it was a different story on Friday. Kansas City had a season-high four homers, two from Eric Hosmer, and one apiece from Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas. Butler started things off with a three-run shot in the first. "I cant remember the last time Shields has had a lead, I mean seriously, I cant remember," Royals manager Ned Yost said. In fact, Friday marked the first time since that April 30 win that Shields had a lead of more than one run. "Is that opening day?" Hosmer joked. "This is what our offence is capable of doing, and we feel confident that we can put up a lot of runs and then put up days like this." Clete Thomas homered for the Twins, who got another rough start from P.J. Walters (2-4). Walters allowed six runs in three innings, one start after giving up six in the first at Cleveland last Saturday. The Royals entered the game with the fewest home runs in the majors (43) -- two behind Miami -- and had given Shields some of the worst run support in the league. But the veteran right-hander had a three-run lead by the time he took the mound for the first time Friday, thanks to Butler. "I think after that first swing, it really opened us up as an offence and we just kept getting the big hit or the big swing with guys in scoring position," Hosmer said. "Hopefully we can put up more offensive outings like that for Shields." Shields never allowed Minnesota to get close the rest of the way. Walters, on the other hand, never found a rhythm. Down 4-0 in the third, he allowed a two-run homer to Moustakas and drew a chorus of boos from the home crowd. "Walters just couldnt make any pitches and couldnt get the ball where he wanted to," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just a bad night for him." Walters has allowed 12 runs in his last 3 2-3 innings. "We all have games where we struggle," Walters said. "Everybody in the league has them. Ive just put two of them in a row together. In my eyes its unacceptable. To the team Im sure it is, too." Anthony Swarzak took over for Walters in the fourth and gave up a solo shot to Hosmer in the fifth. Hosmer got Swarzak again in the seventh, this time with Alcides Escobar on base, for the second multihomer game of his career. The offensive outburst was a welcome change for Shields, who had been stuck on 89 wins for his previous 10 starts despite putting up quality numbers. He entered Friday nights game with the eighth-best ERA in the AL (2.92), third in innings (111) and eighth in strikeouts (99). But his run support of 3.00 per nine innings pitched was second-lowest in the league. "This teams been grinding all season long," Shields said. "We won the last six of my games, and I have no doubt in my mind that were just going to keep going up from here." The Twins broke through against Shields in the fourth when Justin Morneau hit an RBI double. Morneau came around to score three batters later on a double by Brian Dozier. Thomas led off the fifth with a homer to right. Shields worked 6 1-3 innings before being pulled for Tim Collins. NOTES: Rain delayed the first pitch by 26 minutes. ... Hosmers last multihomer game came on Aug. 31, 2011, at Detroit. ... Ryan Doumit returned to Minnesotas lineup after missing a couple games with a sore ankle. .. Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey (back) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week with Class-A Cedar Rapids. ... Yost said RHP Felipe Paulino has developed soreness in his throwing shoulder and will not pitch on Sunday as part of his rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. ... The Royals and Twins play the third of their four-game series on Saturday when Wade Davis takes his 4-5 record to the mound against Minnesotas Kyle Gibson, who makes his major league debut. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Jerseys NFL Wholesale . - The Jacksonville Jaguars are leaning more toward playing injured quarterback Blake Bortles against Tennessee on Thursday night. http://www.cheapjerseyswholesalenfl.us/ . When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide.OAKLAND, Calif. - Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr often reminds his players the morning of a big game that they better be ready for a tough test that night.Regardless of the opponent, his team seems to deliver almost every time.The NBA-leading Warriors responded to the challenge again Monday night, getting contributions from all over and using a smothering defensive effort to rout the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-91.Coach always comes in and says, Hey, this teams pretty good, said Warriors forward Draymond Green, who had 11 points and 13 rebounds. Every time we break the huddle, Ill be like, Hey, were pretty good, too.Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry scored 19 points each as the Warriors (27-5) bottled up Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Thunder.Golden State held Oklahoma City to 30.6 per cent shooting, including 5 for 28 from 3-point range.I just think were in a good groove, Kerr said.The rejuvenated Thunder (17-18) missed a chance to move above .500 for the first time this season.Westbrook scored 22 points, and Durant had 14 points and 10 rebounds on a night when everything seemed to be a struggle. The Warriors led by 20 at halftime and never let the Thunder get close after that.Durant shot 3 of 16, and Westbrook finished 5 for 21 from the floorWe didnt play well tonight, theres no way around it. They outplayed us. Theyre the best team in basketball, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.Help is on the way for Oklahoma City and its All-Star tandem.The Thunder acquired shooting guard Dion Waiters from Cleveland in a three-team trade that was announced during the game. Oklahoma City sent the Cavaliers a protected 2015 first-round draft pick and moved reserve Lance Thomas to the New York Knicks.The Warriors, meanwhile, continue to set the league pace regardless of whether theyre at full strength.They extended the best start in franchise history — even with centres Andrew Bogut (right knee) and Festus Ezeli (left ankle) out — by shutting down an Oklahoma City team that had been surgging since Westbrook and Durant returned from injuries. Wholesale Authentic NFL Jerseys. Thompson made his first four shots and scored 13 points in the first 3 1/2 minutes, pleasing the white shirt-wearing sellout crowd of 19,596. But Thompson, Curry and Green all picked up two fouls and went to the bench before the end of the first quarter to stall the momentum.At least for a little while.Durant, who scored 30 points in the first half of a loss at Golden State on Dec. 18 before spraining his right ankle, missed his first seven shots. The rest of the Thunder struggled to sustain a rhythm as the small-ball Warriors switched every pick-and-roll and used their pace-and-space offence to pull away.Give them credit, but we missed some shots as well, Durant said.Golden State led 65-45 at halftime — with everybody from Curry and Thompson to Barnes and Justin Holiday coming up big — and never let the Thunder seriously threaten in the second half.Holiday finished with 12 points for the Warriors, who shot 46.6 per cent. Golden State has won four in a row.___TIP-INSThunder: Durant was selected Western Conference player of the week for last week. ... The Thunder are 0-3 against the Warriors this season. The teams are scheduled to play one more time in Oklahoma City on Jan. 16.Warriors: Golden State has won 12 consecutive home games and is 14-1 at Oracle Arena this season. ... Reserve forward Brandon Rush was sent home by team doctors before the game with flu-like symptoms.BARNES UNMASKEDBarnes shed the protective mask he had worn the past few weeks to protect his broken nose. He said he stopped wearing it after falling behind in a post-practice shooting contest against Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa. Not a big fan of the mask, said Barnes, who shot 8 of 14 and made all five of his 3-point attempts.SCOTT TRIBUTEA moment of silence was held before the game for Stuart Scott, the longtime anchor of ESPNs SportsCenter who died of cancer Sunday. Afterward, many fans yelled one of his signature catchphrases, Boo-yah!UP NEXTThunder: At Sacramento on Wednesday.Warriors: Host Indiana on Wednesday. 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