Roma account there following his January move from Cagliari

DETROIT -- Max Scherzer could only watch as the lead -- and another shot at his 20th win -- slipped away. The Detroit right-hander didnt mind, especially once Alex Avilas homer put the Tigers ahead again moments later. Avila homered twice, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth inning that lifted Detroit over the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Sunday. Scherzer was in line for his 20th win when reliever Drew Smyly allowed the Royals to tie it in the top of the eighth, but Avila answered with a drive to right-centre for his 11th home run this season. "Were just looking to win the game," Scherzer said. "I dont care if I win another game, if we win our division, thats all that matters." The AL Central-leading Tigers remained five games ahead of second-place Cleveland, which beat the Chicago White Sox. Scherzer has two losses and two no-decisions since a 19-1 start but was terrific Sunday. He allowed a run and five hits with 12 strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. He was on track to become baseballs first 20-game winner this year when he pitched out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the seventh to preserve a one-run lead. But Smyly (6-0) allowed a leadoff double to Alcides Escobar in the eighth. After a flyout by Alex Gordon, Emilio Bonifacio struck out - with Escobar stealing third on the third strike. With Eric Hosmer batting, Smyly bounced a wild pitch that didnt skip too far away from Avila. Hosmer, who hits left-handed, stood and motioned to Escobar, who gambled by trying to score. Avila jumped up to retrieve the ball, which had bounced up the first-base line - but the Detroit catcher plowed right into Hosmer, who had moved slightly to his right in an apparent effort to get out of the way. That collision cost the Tigers any chance to catch Escobar. Tigers manager Jim Leyland came out to discuss the play with plate umpire James Hoye, but the run stood. "It wasnt interference," Avila said. "It was the right call. It was just a weird situation." Avilas homer in the bottom half put the Tigers back on top. After a poor start at the plate, Avila is hitting .313 since the All-Star break. "Just trying to hit the ball hard. Theres nothing that I changed, theres no magic or secret to it," Avila said. "Im just having some luck, some good swings and hitting the ball hard, really." Joaquin Benoit got three outs for his 20th save in 20 chances. Jeremy Guthrie (14-11) pitched all eight innings for the Royals, who remained 3 1-2 games back in the AL wild-card race. "I thought he could get us to the end. In hindsight, I pushed him too far, but I thought he could get us through the bottom of the order and maybe get the win or turn it over to the pen with a tie game," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "He did a lot of bending, but he didnt break." Guthrie allowed three runs and 13 hits. He struck out four and walked one. Avilas first homer was a two-run drive in the second. Gordon hit a solo homer for Kansas City in the fourth. Detroit left 10 men on base. In the fifth, Miguel Cabrera led off with a single and Prince Fielder followed with a double. They were stranded when Guthrie retired Victor Martinez, Andy Dirks and Omar Infante on consecutive groundouts. Gordons solo homer down the line in right field to lead off the fourth made it 2-1, and Bonifacio followed with a single. Scherzer found a groove after that, retiring 10 of 11 with nine strikeouts before a one-out single by Salvador Perez in the seventh. NOTES: Bonifacio was picked off by Scherzer in the first - the third straight game a Kansas City player was picked off. Toronto is the only other team to have that happen this year, according to STATS. The Blue Jays had a runner picked off three straight games in May. ... Detroit hosts Seattle on Monday night, with RHP Rick Porcello (12-8) facing LHP Joe Saunders (11-14). Kansas City takes on Cleveland. Royals RHP James Shields (11-9) opposes LHP Scott Kazmir (8-8). Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Hamilton signed offensive linemen Mike Filer, Joel Reinders, Landon Rice and Carson Rockhill. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Authentic . -- Keith Aulie has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning. http://www.cheapnhlcustomjerseys.com/ . So much so that even a simple foul pop up to the first baseman turned into a run. Houstons four-run rally in the ninth inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Monday night was capped by a bizarre play that started as Crowe fouled out to first baseman Justin Smoak with runners on second and third. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Online . 3 Ohio State. Amedeo Della Valle had 15 points, Marc Loving scored a career-high 13 and the bench provided 38 points as the Buckeyes sprinted past Nebraska 84-53 on Saturday. Fake NHL Jerseys . Nainggolan scored his first Italian league goal at Bologna, in October 2010, and he also opened his Roma account there following his January move from Cagliari. The Belgium midfielder volleyed home Miralem Pjanics cross from close range eight minutes from time.NEW YORK -- Forwards Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers as well as Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo were named the NHLs three stars of the week. Skinner was the first star with five goals and an assist in leading Carolina to three wins. The 21-year old native of Markham, Ont., has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 19 games this season. Hall claimed the second star after registering four goals and two assists in three contests.dddddddddddd The first overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft has 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games this season. Luongo captured the third star after posing a 3-0-0 record and 1.30 goals-against average with Vancouver. The 34-year-old Montreal native is 14-8-5 on the season with a 2.28 GAA and .918 save percentage. ' ' '