Persönliche Vorstellung » After Cavendishs sprint

MIAMI -- Alcides Escobar is the latest player to make an impact at the plate for the Kansas City Royals.Escobar homered, doubled, and drove in two runs to lead the surging Royals past the Miami Marlins 5-2 on Thursday night.Esky had a great game, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Just had a great game. Defensively, offensively, the home run was big to give us a two-run lead at that point.Escobar is hitting .388 (19 for 49) with four doubles, a triple, and a home run in his last 13 games.Salvador Perez and Kendrys Morales also drove in runs for the Royals as the defending World Series champions have won 15 of 18 to pull within four games of the second AL wild card spot.Weve been playing great baseball as of late, but we definitely know were a long way from where we want to be, Royals right fielder Lorenzo Cain said. We have to continue hopefully winning series -- thats our main goal.Kansas City starter Edinson Volquez (10-10) pitched five innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, and three hits.The Royals bullpen, which has been a successful formula for the reigning two-time AL pennant winners, pitched four scoreless innings to push their franchise-record scoreless streak to 38 2/3 innings -- the best in the majors since 2002-03 when San Francisco tossed 39 1/3 straight.Theyve just been spectacular, Yost said.Kelvin Herrera pitched a flawless ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.Tom Koehler (9-9) allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in six innings for the Marlins.It was an interesting game, Koehler said. Youve got to give them credit. They capitalized on our mistakes we made tonight.Kansas City went 4 for 28 with runners in scoring position and scored six runs during the three-game series, but left Miami with two victories.We dont care what we do as long as we win, Yost said. As long as we score more runs than they do and its a combination of pitching, great defense, and timely hitting and thats been our recipe for a while now.The Marlins also struggled hitting with runners in scoring position during the series going 3 for 26 and leaving 24 men on base including 11 on Thursday.We had a few chances, we didnt have a ton, but we had a few chances but werent able to scratch, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.The Royals opened the scoring in the third on an RBI double by Perez after the Marlins elected to intentionally walk Eric Hosmer with first base open. Cheslor Cuthbert scored on Perezs ground ball down the left-field line.Escobar extended the Royals lead to 2-0 on a home run to center field in the fourth. It was his third of the season and second of the month.I was looking for a fastball on that pitch, Escobar said. (Koehler) threw me a first-pitch cutter and the next pitch was a fastball and I swung the bat and hit the ball really good.Third baseman Cuthbert had two doubles to go with two errors, one of which led to the Marlins two runs coming in the fourth to tie the game at 2.Escobars tiebreaking RBI double off Koehler in the sixth gave the Royals the lead. Morales pinch-hit sacrifice fly put the Royals on top 4-2.The Marlins threatened in the sixth loading the bases with two outs, but lefty Matt Strahm entered the game and got Dee Gordon to ground out to escape the jam.The bullpen was phenomenal and Strahm probably gets the gold star, Yost said.The Royals pushed their lead to 5-2 in the ninth as Raul Mondesi walked, stole two bases, and scored on catcher J.T. Realmutos throwing error trying to get Mondesi at third on his stolen base attempt.A club like that over there thats got guys that can hit balls out of the ballpark, a three-run lead is much better than a two-run lead, Yost said.Both teams combined for six errors.DYSON WEB GEMRoyals center fielder Jarrod Dyson made one of the best catches ever at Marlins Park when he robbed Christian Yelich of a home run in the first inning.That was probably the best play that anybodys made for me in my entire career, Volquez said.Yelich said: It was a great play. Its a huge ball park. We play in the worst hitters park in baseball so you better get it. I didnt get enough of it and he made a great play. Youve got to hit it to get it out of here. Its a terrible hitters park.Dyson ran to make a leaping left-handed grab up against the wall in center field.Actually off the bat I thought I was burnt and I had no shot, but as I kept running and got closer I was like, `Yeah I got a chance, Dyson said.Many of Dysons teammates gave him the Royals customary tip of the cap for an impressive defensive play on his way back to the dugout.It felt great, Dyson said. I think thats the first one Ive ever robbed in my career so it was a pretty special moment for me.It was the first home run robbed at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012.Thats history right there and I love being a part of history, Dyson said.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez took a foul ball off his face mask in the eighth and was replaced by Drew Butera in the ninth as a precaution. He got a little light-headed so we just got him out, Yost said.Marlins: RF Giancarlo Stanton (groin strain) is hopeful he can return to the team at some point during the regular season to help the Marlins after sustaining the injury on Aug. 13. Anything could help so whatever I can do to be back, if its possible, is going to happen, Stanton said.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Ian Kennedy (8-9, 3.58) will start Fridays game at Boston against RHP Steven Wright (13-5, 3.01) in a three-game series with the Red Sox. Kennedy has recorded five straight starts of at least six innings and one-or-fewer runs matching Larry Gura for the longest such streak in franchise history. Kennedy is 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA during the stretch.Marlins: RHP David Phelps (7-6, 2.28) will take the mound Friday to begin a three-game series against San Diego, which will start former Marlins RHP Jarred Cosart (0-1, 4.54). Phelps is 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA over his last four starts since moving into the rotation. 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NFL Jerseys China . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming.BRESCIA, Italy -- Vincenzo Nibali coasted to the Giro dItalia title in the final stage of the three-week classic Sunday, while Mark Cavendish won the 21st leg in a sprint finish for his fifth victory in this years race. For Nibali, an Italian with the Astana team, the title cemented his status in an elite group of current riders considered capable of winning Grand Tours, along with Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. Nibali took the overall leaders pink jersey after the seventh stage, never gave it up, and padded his lead by winning the final two mountain stages in dominating fashion. Wearing entirely pink, Nibali was celebrated by fans throughout the mostly ceremonial final stage. "It was a really unique emotion hearing all the fans cheering for me," Nibali said. "I really enjoyed this stage. It was unbelievable seeing all those people along the road. This victory crowns a lifes dream." Rigoberto Uran of Colombia finished second overall and Cadel Evans of Australia, the 2011 Tour de France winner, was third, 4:43 and 5:52 behind Nibali, respectively. Evans said from the start that he was using the Giro to prepare for the Tour. "Like I said from the first day, I came here to recover the days of racing I lost last year to illness and to get back to my best," Evans said. "Not looking at results, but in terms of objectives to work for, it was really successful. To be on the podium for what was, in some ways, just a training ride, is something." It was Cavendishs 15th win in his Giro career and 41st in cyclings three Grand Tours -- the Giro, Tour de France and Spanish Vuelta. He has a career total of 102 victories. "Ive always just wanted to win," Cavendish said. "Ive been addicted to it since I was a child. Just wanting to win brings the best out of everyone. Especially when you have a team built around you, you have to deliver 100 per cent. Thats what I try to do. If someone comes along who is faster, Ill go home, work harder, and come back faster the next year. Its as simple as this." The British rider with the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team clocked 5 hours, 30 minutes, 8 seconds over the 206-kilometre (128-mile) leg from Riese Pio X to Brescia. The stage route was altered slightly due to avoidd passing through a few towns where local elections were being held.dddddddddddd Italians Sacha Modolo and Elia Viviani finished second and third in the stage, respectively, with the same time as Cavendish. The end of the stage was held entirely in Brescia, over a 4.2-kilometre (2.6-mile) circuit that was completed seven times. Part of the circuit took riders over cobblestones. While much of the three-week race was characterized by wet and cold weather, including hard rain and even a snow blizzard in the penultimate stage Saturday, the final leg was held under clear skies. Cavendish also secured the red points jersey by winning an intermediate sprint with 16 kilometres (10 miles) to go. Its the first time he has won the points jersey at the Giro, adding it to his jerseys from the 2010 Vuelta and the 2011 Tour. "Im lucky, the peloton is full of gentlemen that were content to let me fight for the punch (red jersey)," Cavendish said. "Nibali could have fought for it, but he was content to go for the maglia rosa (pink jersey)." After Cavendishs sprint, Nibali rode across the finish with his arms raised. While Nibali is not planning to ride the Tour this year, he could attempt to win the Vuelta in August and September, and perhaps go for the world title in Florence, also in September. It was his second Grand Tour victory, having also won the 2010 Vuelta. He finished third in last years Tour behind the Team Sky duo of Wiggins and Froome. Wiggins began the Giro as one of the pre-race favourites but the British rider withdrew before the 13th stage due to a chest infection. Defending champion Ryder Hesjedal also pulled out at the same stage, citing a "deteriorating physical condition." A 28-year-old from Messina, Sicily, Nibali (prounounced NEE-ba-lee) is nicknamed the "Shark of the Strait," after the Straight of Messina. Giuseppe Martinelli, Nibalis team director at Astana, has now guided six different riders to a total of seven Grand Tour wins. His other wins came with Marco Pantani (who had two), Stefano Garzelli, Gilberto Simoni, Damiano Cunego and Alberto Contador. Nibali has twice finished on the Giro podium previously, placing third in 2010 and second in 2011 after Contador was stripped of victory for doping. ' ' '