Vorstellung » Fernandez almost doubled the Vancouver lead

CHICAGO -- Danny Duffy couldnt help but think about his last start at U.S. Cellular Field. The Kansas City Royals left-hander matched a career high with nine strikeouts and scattered five hits over seven-plus shutout innings in a 9-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. His previous outing in Chicago didnt go well at all. Duffy injured his elbow in the first inning on May 13, 2012. Soon after he had Tommy John surgery and missed about a year. "Ive been waiting to come back here for a long time," Duffy said. "Its just nice to come out and do my job in this city and in this setting." The victory was the sixth straight for the Royals while the White Sox dropped their ninth in 10 games against Kansas City. Royals manager Ned Yost said there was a lot to like about Duffys complete effort. "For four innings he was really efficient, he really kept his pitch count down," Yost said. "He had everything working: his fastball, his breaking ball, had a good changeup and had a really, really good defence behind him." Mike Moustakas homered among his three hits as the Royals won their second straight in this weekend series. The Royals scored five times in the fourth -- four with none out -- to chase Chicago starter Hector Noesi (2-5). Noesi allowed five runs -- two earned -- and eight hits while walking one and striking out four. "To be able to put five runs on the board was big," Yost said. "Weve and a couple of big innings the last week or 10 days. Early in the year we get something going we get one or two out of it. Now that were swinging the bats better were getting four or five." Duffy last struck out nine on June 19, 2011, at St. Louis. Hes now 2-0 against Chicago. Duffy departed in the eighth inning after a leadoff single by Adam Eaton. White Sox designated hitter Paul Konerko spoiled the shutout with a homer off Michael Mariot to open the ninth. Two runs scored in the five-run fourth when third baseman Leury Garcia bobbled Lorenzo Cains grounder for an error. Moustakas then singled to shallow centre for another run. Alcides Escobars base hit extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games and loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. The Royals fourth run came on Nori Aokis double-play grounder. Omar Infante lined a two-out single to left, driving in Moustakas for a 5-0 lead. Noesi was chased in favour of right-hander reliever Javy Guerra with two outs in the fourth. "Hector, hes been good for us and hes always given us a chance, but we have to help him out on occasion," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "If were not helping him on defence, its going to make a difference. Thats a recipe to lose a game in a hurry." Moustakas homer in the eighth inning was his sixth of the season. He finished with two RBIs and two runs scored. Eric Hosmer had an RBI double to left to start a three-run ninth. Butlers one-out homer to right made it 9-0. Despite giving up an eighth inning single to Eaton, Duffys shutout was preserved after Eaton was thrown out at home on a throw by Aoki in a play overturned following a review. NOTES: Escobar was in Saturdays lineup despite having cramps and leaving Fridays game after extending his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games with a ninth inning double. . Kansas City has scored first in each game of its current six-game winning streak. . Royals right-hander James Shields (7-3, 3.44 ERA) makes his 15th start of the season in Sundays series finale against White Sox right-hander Andre Rienzo (4-3, 5.25 ERA), making his 11th start. . After going 63-99 in 2013, Ventura is pleased to have his team in contention this year, but he wont project beyond Saturday. "Were not going to look that far down the road," he said. "Were better off focusing on what were doing today." Nike Air Max 90 Sale . Sure, Josh Browns 45-yard field goal on the third drive of overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 23-20 win over Detroit on Sunday. But the Lions (7-8) dropped themselves out of the NFC North race by losing five of their last six games, blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback. Nike Air Max 90 From China . -- DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points, nine rebounds and six steals to lead the Sacramento Kings to their third straight preseason win, a 107-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. https://www.cheapnikeairmax90china.us/. Playing in his 19th career final, the second-seeded Tsonga was favourite to win the Open 13 for the third time and to secure an 11th career title, but he struggled with Gulbis attacking approach. 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Waston then headed home a Morales corner in the 56th minute for his first goal with the Whitecaps since joining the club last month to give Vancouver some breathing room. Morales goal snapped a scoreless streak of exactly seven and half hours -- or five full matches -- for the Whitecaps (8-6-13), who had been shut out in four straight games, and five of their last six. Vancouvers last goal before Wednesday came off the boot of Darren Mattocks, coincidentally in the 39th minute, of the Whitecaps 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 10. Morales -- who now has eight goals on the season, including six from the penalty spot -- snapped a six-game scoring slump of his own as Vancouver leapfrogged the Portland Timbers into the fifth and final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference. Both teams have seven games remaining on the schedule, including a critical game in Portland on Sept. 20. Vancouver entered Wednesday with just two wins in its last fourteen games and a recent stretch of 0-2-2 forced the club out of the top-5 in the West. Coming off a hard-fought 3-3 road tie against the Timbers on Sunday and having given up 14 goals in its last five games, San Jose (6-11-9) was just what the Whitecaps needed to shake their scoring woes and get back in the win column. Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson again opted for a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield, the same setup that failed to find a way through in Saturdays 0-0 home draw against D.C. United. Mattocks, who started that one but picked up an ankle injury, was replaced in the lineup by Erik Hurtado up top alongside Sebastian Fernandez. The Whitecaps had the bulk of possession before the breakthrough, with San Jose failing to even direct a shot towards David Ousted in the Vancouver goal in the opening 45 minutes. Waston had a chance to open the scoring in the 13th minute but sent a free header just over the bar off a corner kick as a season-low crowd of 17,183 at B.ddddddddddddC. Place Stadium groaned in disapproval. Fernandez and Russel Teibert then tried their luck from distance minutes apart midway through the half before Hurtado snatched at a loose ball in the 29th that forced an alert save from Busch. After the Whitecaps grabbed the lead late in the first half from the spot, Fernandez almost doubled the Vancouver lead in the 47th minute, but his shot whipped wide of Buschs goal. The Earthquakes entered Wednesday winless in their last six (0-2-4) and finally got a shot on target when captain Chris Wondolowski directed a header at Ousted off a corner in the 55th. But those positive vibes wouldnt last as Waston -- who missed that golden chance in the first half and another on Saturday -- finally opened his account with the Whitecaps off a Morales corner with a powerful header in the 56th that went through the legs of San Joses Cordell Cato at the near post and past Busch. The big defender pumped his fists and was mobbed by teammates before dropping to his knees in celebration. Morales almost bagged his second in the 73rd, but Busch got his fingers to a shot that was headed to the bottom corner, before Hurtado sent a shot just wide moments later that would have snapped a personal scoring drought that stretches back to June 7. Morales thought he had his second of the night in the 86th minute after scoring on a breakaway, but the referee judged that he controlled the ball with an arm. The loss leaves San Jose 10 points back of Vancouver and eight adrift of Portland in the chase for the final playoff spot in the West, but the Earthquakes do have a game in hand. Notes: Ousted has back-to-back clean sheets to give him nine on the season. ... Morales assist on Wastons goal was his 10th of 2014 to set a Whitecaps single-season record. ... Former Vancouver striker Carl Valentine was inducted into the Whitecaps Ring of Honour prior to the game. ... Vancouver defender Steven Beitashour returned to the starting lineup after missing out on Saturday with a hip problem. ... The Whitecaps will play their third game in eight days on Saturday when they travel to take on FC Dallas. ... San Jose hosts the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday, also their third game in eight days. ' ' '