season off to a rocky start. Turgeon got 10 players involved in the first half, putting a priority on spreading the minutes. Games like this should ultimately help him determine a rotation for the tough

DETROIT -- With their playoff hopes fading fast, the Kansas City Royals showed some fight.Paulo Orlando hit a tying, two-run double and Eric Hosmer followed with a three-run homer against Francisco Rodriguez, capping a ninth-inning comeback that led the Royals over the Detroit Tigers 7-4 Saturday.Kansas City stopped a four-game losing streak, and its tragic number for elimination from postseason contention remained at three. The Royals would be the fourth straight World Series champion failing to reach the playoffs after winning a title the previous season.We want to finish strong, no matter where we are in the standings said Hosmer, who was hitless in four at-bats, including three strikeouts, before the home run. We have to be professional about what were doing and continue to play it through.Given a 4-2 lead, Rodriguez (3-4) allowed singles to Alex Gordon and Hunter Dozier before Orlandos double. Cheslor Cuthbert walked and Hosmer hit his 24th homer.We put together a lot of good at-bats, Hosmer said. I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and not miss it.Wade Davis (2-1) pitched a one-hit eighth and Kelvin Herrera, Kansas Citys seventh pitcher, got three straight outs for his 12th save in 15 chances, ending a game that took 3 hours, 50 minutes. Rodriguez blew a save for the fifth time in 49 opportunities.Detroits five-game winning streak was stopped, and the Tigers dropped a half-game behind Baltimore for the second AL wild card berth.Its a bad position to fail the way that I failed, Rodriguez said. Just unacceptable. This one hurts, big time. I let my team down.Royals starter Yordano Ventura, 7-0 against Detroit in his career, allowed three runs and 10 hits in four innings, then left with back tightness. Kansas City said he is day to day.Tigers starter Daniel Norris, who was in line for his first career victory over the Royals, gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.Alcides Escobar hit a sacrifice fly in the second, but the Tigers went ahead 3-1 on third-inning RBI singles by Cameron Maybin and J.D. Martinez, and Maybins RBI single in the fourth.Kendrys Morales homered leading off the sixth, becoming Kansas Citys first player to reach 30 since Jermaine Dye hit 33 in 2000. Martinezs RBI single gave Detroit a 4-2 lead in the sixth.Give them credit for coming back against one of the best closers in the American League, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.FREE PASSTigers slugger Miguel Cabrera drew an intentional walk in the fourth inning, his 14th of the season. He is tied for the most intentional walks in the AL with Bostons David Ortiz.LONG AFTERNOONSaturdays game was the longest nine-inning contest of the season for Detroit, which played a 3:47 game at the Chicago White Sox on June 14.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez started after missing Friday nights game with a minor knee issue. He went 1 for 5 with a single.Tigers: SS Jose Iglesias and Cabrera started after sustaining minor hand injuries Friday.UP NEXTRHP Edinson Volquez (10-11) is to start Sundays series finale for the Royals and LHP Matt Boyd (6-4) for the Tigers Wholesale Football Jerseys Throwback .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Cheap Football Jerseys Throwback China . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/ . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Stitched Football Jerseys Throwback . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Discount Football Jerseys Throwback .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- After shuffling players on and off the court all night, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon noticed that he had four freshmen in the game with the outcome hanging in the balance.I was like, `Dang, I must really believe in this group, Turgeon said. But the guys who finished the game I thought were playing the best.Melo Trimble scored 22 points, freshman Anthony Cowan added 12 and No. 25 Maryland used a late salvo to slip past American 62-56 on Friday night.After losing four starters from a squad that reached the Sweet 16, the Terrapins opened a new season with a decidedly new look. Turgeon has a 16-man roster containing nine freshmen, and he spent much of the game looking for the right combination.He expects the procedure to continue for quite a while.Were a definite work in progress, Turgeon said. But its exciting. I just think were going to be a heck of a team before its all said and done. Were just trying to figure it out.American led 47-43 with 7:34 remaining before Maryland finally played to form. Trimble -- the lone returning starter -- made two baskets in the lane to spark a 7-0 run.After Charlie Jones scored for the Eagles, L.G. Gill made two free throws and freshman Kevin Huerter buried a 3-pointer from the left side for a 55-49 lead.AU closed to 57-54 before Trimble made a driving layup with just over a minute left.Day to day, I dont know who my best players are, Turgeon said. I know Melos my best player but (beyond that), from day to day I dont know. The good thing is I have choices. In the end, we figured it out.Mark Gasperini scored 14 points for the Eagles, who finished 12-19 last season and are picked to finish in the middle of the Patriot League. On this night, however, AU gave Maryland all it could handle in a duel between Washington area teams.The Eagles were outrebounded 44-22 and outscored at the free throw line 18-4.Theyyre a terrific team, and for us to be able to hang in there is an accomplishment, coach Mike Brennan said.ddddddddddddTurgeon started two freshmen, Cowan and Huerter. The lone senior in the starting lineup was 6-foot-11 center Damonte Dodd, who had two fouls in his 2 minutes of playing time in the first half.Trimble had 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting to stake the Terrapins to a 31-25 halftime lead.Maryland led 16-11 before the Eagles got eight points from Leon Tolksdorf in a 12-2 run.After Turgeon called a timeout, the Terps rattled off 10 straight points. Cowan started the surge with a 3-pointer, two free throws and a three-point play.BIG PICTUREAmerican: Playing this well against a Big Ten contender should serve as confidence boost for the Eagles when they go up against Patriot League foes.Maryland: The youthful Terrapins got their season off to a rocky start. Turgeon got 10 players involved in the first half, putting a priority on spreading the minutes. Games like this should ultimately help him determine a rotation for the tougher matchups that loom ahead.POLL IMPLICATIONSMaryland should stay in the Top 25 through the weekend, but at this juncture Turgeon isnt too concerned.Just because people have got us ranked, we dont know who we are, he said. Its OK to have a tough game. And in the end were going to learn a lot more from it. Were going to be a better team because it was a close game.UP NEXTAmerican: Another road trip against strong opposition looms for the Eagles, who face Texas A&M on Monday night.Maryland: The Terrapins get an early season test Tuesday night against Georgetown at Verizon Center in Washington. Maryland squeezed past Hoyas 75-71 last season.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '