Torii Hunter insisted the first-place Tigers werent

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kyle Lowry Jersey . -- Torii Hunter insisted the first-place Tigers werent trying to send a message to the second-place Royals as the AL Central rivals began a four-game series leading into the All-Star break. They did it anyway. Everybody who stepped to the plate for Detroit had at least one hit and scored one run, and a season-best offensive onslaught spurred the Tigers to a 16-4 rout of Kansas City on Thursday night. "Its not a big series. Its just another series. It was no statement," said Hunter, who led off the fifth with a homer, added another hit later in the inning and finished with three RBIs. "Its a good win because its in the division, but we werent trying to send a statement." Nevertheless, the Tigers extended their lead to 5 1/2 games over the Royals by capturing their third straight victory and fourth in a row in Kansas City -- winning those four games by a 42-12 margin. The latest offensive binge came just two days after Detroit blitzed the Dodgers 14-5. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus downplayed the outburst. "When you get as many hits and runs like we did today," Ausmus said, "youre usually finding holes." Drew Smyly (5-8) was the beneficiary, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in 6 2-3 innings for Detroit. He had lost six of his previous eight outings. Jeremy Guthrie (5-8) gave up a career-worst eight earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two hit batters. He was mercifully pulled with no outs in the fifth, which means the Royals veteran has allowed 16 earned runs in eight-plus innings covering his last two starts. "We didnt pitch good tonight. Thats the bottom line. Thats why they scored 16 runs," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We didnt pitch good and we fell out of the game early." The Tigers stunned the Royals with three runs in the first, added three in the fourth and put up a season-best eight in the fifth. They ended up with 19 hits for the game. Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez joined Hunter in driving in three runs apiece, while Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez each drove in two. "We didnt come here thinking we have to hold them off," Castellanos said. "Were confident in where were going to be at the end of September." Billy Butler homered in the fourth for KC. Eric Hosmer hit a two-run shot in the seventh. ""Losing is never easy. Anytime, its not fun," Butler said. "Obviously that game took a long time. It felt like they were hitting the whole time." The tone of the game was set in the first inning, when four of the first five Tigers reached base. A series of singles, groundouts and sacrifice flies resulted in a 3-0 lead. "It gives you a little less pep for the game when it starts out like that," Guthrie said. Kansas City scratched out a run in the second, only for Detroit to score three more in the fourth. Cabrera delivered the big blow with a two-out, two-run double. The floodgates finally opened in the fifth, when Hunter began a parade of 12 batters to the plate with his 12th homer of the season. Castellanos also had two hits in the inning, and everybody in the lineup besides Austin Jackson and Don Kelly reached base before the carnage was over. "Its fun," Hunter said. "You get everybody involved, this is what it can look like." Guthrie was pulled after two batters, and recently signed Royals reliever Scott Downs gave up two more runs while retiring one batter. Louis Coleman, recalled from Triple-A Omaha, gave up four more runs to cap the worst pitching performance by the Royals this season. Kansas City had previously allowed 12 runs in a loss to Toronto on May 31. "Well just throw it away and move on," Yost said. "Well just let it go.": NOTES: Coleman took the roster place of LHP Jason Vargas (appendectomy), who was placed on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon (right wrist sprain) will miss the All-Star game. He was replaced on the AL roster by Angels SS Erick Aybar. ... Tigers DH Victor Martinez (back strain) remained out of the lineup. Ausmus declined to say whether he might play in the series. ... Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez faces Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy on Friday night. Jakob Poeltl Jersey . Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas appeared to be on track to gain election from the Baseball Writers Association of America on Wednesday, and Craig Biggio could join them. Cheap Swingman Raptors Jerseys . Floundering in the English Premier League, United has delivered better performances in Europe this season and stunned Bayern by taking the lead against the run of play through Nemanja Vidics header in the 58th minute. Bayern had dominated possession but struggled to create a clear-cut chance before Schweinsteiger arrowed a half-volley high into the net in the 67th to give the German side a slight advantage ahead of the second leg in Munich next week. http://www.cheapraptorsjerseys.com/ . The 24-year-old right winger has one assist in nine games this season with the Sabres. In his career, he has three goals and six assists in 43 NHL games. SAN FRANCISCO -- The Carolina Panthers can now say they have that signature win everybody has been waiting to see: on the road, against the reigning NFC champions, in November. While facing one of the NFLs brightest young quarterbacks, to boot. Carolinas swarming, opportunistic defence stopped Colin Kaepernick in his tracks. Drayton Florence intercepted a pass by Kaepernick in the final minute to seal a 10-9 victory Sunday to snap the San Francisco 49ers five-game winning streak and give the Panthers their fifth straight win. So much for the idea that Carolina hadnt beaten any team of consequence thus far. "I dont think it really bothers us, it gives us the opportunity to step up to the challenge. We did," said wide receiver Steve Smith, who had six receptions. "A win like this can boost us, a win like this can continue to give us life throughout the season, and make us feel like were working for something, and we are." Graham Gano kicked a 53-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining that held up as the Panthers (6-3) twice shut down Kaepernick on last-ditch drives with swarming defence. DeAngelo Williams broke two tackles for a 27-yard touchdown run late in the first half that pulled Carolina within 9-7. Gano missed wide left on a 48-yard field goal in the third period, but came through later. San Francisco (6-3) got the ball back with 5:25 left at its 1, then again with 1:02 to go. Phil Dawson kicked a season-best 52-yard field goal among his three for the 49ers, who lost tight end Vernon Davis and rookie safety Eric Reid to concussions. Carolina fumbled twice in the closing moments, but recovered each time. First, Jonathan Stewart fumbled and Mike Tolbert pounced on the ball. Cam Newton recovered his own bobble. This was hardly the highly touted showdown between 2011 No. 1 overall pick Newton and Kaepernick, the sixth quarterback drafted that year, in the second round. They roomed together during the scouting combine. For Newton, the numbers hardly mattered. "This game is a maturity jump for us, because in the past what Ive been a part of, weve been somewhat uncertain of how we will turn out in these types of games," Newton said. "We needed that type of game, just to be in a dog fight, in somewhat of a barnburner, to show what type of team this really is." Kaepernick went 11 for 22 for 91 yards with an interception and was sacked six times for a 42.0 passer rating. Newton was only slightly bbetter, going 16 of 32 for 169 yards, an interception and four sacks for a 52. Delon Wright Jersey. 7 rating. For two teams that have been putting up points at a prolific pace for the past month, the defences dictated this one. "As the game went on, it got more and more intense," Smith said. More than losing the game, the 49ers losses of Davis and Reid could be troublesome for the reigning NFC champions as they hit the road next week for New Orleans, then go to Washington. "Well do what we do, bounce back, regroup, refit and reorganize and come back this week," coach Jim Harbaugh said. Davis didnt return after sustaining a concussion in the second quarter, then Reid went down on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Mike Tolbert in the third. Earlier, Reid recovered a fumble to give him five takeaways in an already-stellar rookie season that also includes three interceptions. Frank Gore had 16 carries for 82 yards, accounting for most of San Franciscos 151 total yards. "For the most part, I dont really think they did anything that necessarily confused us," 49ers centre Jonathan Goodwin said. "They only gave up nine points. Its hard not to give them credit. We expected it to be a physical game. Did we expect to only score nine points? Nah." Dawson put San Francisco ahead on a 52-yard field goal on the teams opening drive, then kicked second-quarter field goals of 43 and 25 yards. But Kaepernick could never get his team in the end zone in its first game since a bye on the heels of a win over Jacksonville in London. 49ers pass-rushing specialist and 2012 All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith played limited snaps after missing five games to undergo treatment for substance abuse. Wide receiver Mario Manningham started and had three catches in his season debut, nearly 11 months after a serious left knee injury that required surgery. Carolina got going after managing only minus-7 yards passing and 12 total yards in the first quarter. The Panthers finished with 250 total yards. "This one really did come down to the way the defence played," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "Any time you put yourself in a position where you can force the other team to kick field goals, you get a chance to win." Notes: The 49ers also lost TE Garrett Celek to a hamstring injury in the first quarter, while DT Ray McDonald hurt an ankle. ... Panthers LB Chase Blackburn did not return in the second half because of a foot injury. 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