KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In the eyes of Indians manager Terry Francona, the biggest at-bat in Tuesday nights game against Kansas City may have come in the first inning, long before their game was decided. Theyd already loaded the bases against erratic Royals starter Luis Mendoza, and Carlos Santana was in a 0-2 hole. But instead of chasing something in the dirt, the veteran catcher kept staying off pitches, ultimately drawing a walk and bringing in the games first run. "Everybody in the ballpark is figuring fastball and he had enough to lay off it," Francona said after the game, "and that was huge." It was huge because the Indians kept staying off pitches the rest of the night. They drew eight walks and took advantage of a hit batter in a 6-5 victory, their fifth straight. "I think what stands out is that first inning," said Nick Swisher, referring to Santanas walk. "Thats the at-bat that got us going in the right direction." "It was an exciting game, but youre kind of shooting yourself in the foot when youve got eight walks and a hit batter," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Half their runs came off benefits of walks with guys on base and a hit batter." Cody Allen (3-0) earned the win in relief for Cleveland, while Chris Perez survived putting two runners aboard in the ninth inning for his eighth save of the season. After going on a 14-5 run to close June, the Indians (45-38) built on a four-game sweep of the White Sox by winning for the ninth time in 11 road games. The victory over another division rival also put them seven games over .500 for the first time since May 24. It was Clevelands fifth win in its past six games against the Royals. "The offence is putting up some big numbers," Indians reliever Joe Smith said. "Hopefully we can keep rolling like we have the past couple of weeks." The Indians wasted little time getting on the board. They loaded the bases with one out against Mendoza in the first before Santana recovered from a 0-2 count to walk in a run. Mendoza then uncorked a pitch that nicked Mark Reynolds in the shoulder -- and just barely missed his head -- to force in another run. Mendoza got out of the inning with a bases-loaded double play, but his erratic ways resulted in more trouble when the fourth inning rolled around. This time, Mendoza gave up consecutive singles to Giambi and Lonnie Chisenhall and a one-out walk to Michael Brantley to load the bases. Asdrubal Cabrera slipped a single through the right side of the infield to make it 4-0 before Jason Kipnis grounded into another inning-ending double play. "It was my command," Mendoza said. "I was just trying to figure what was wrong with my mechanics and my release points. I gave up a lot of ground balls in the hole." Corey Kluber, who gave up seven runs without making it through the fifth his last time out, was having his way with the Royals still-scuffling lineup the first couple times through it. The right-hander ran into trouble in the fifth inning. Mike Moustakas and David Lough singled and Johnny Giavotella walked to load the bases with nobody out. Jarrod Dyson flied to left field, and Moustakas thought about tagging up, but he ultimately thought better of it and scampered back to third base. No matter: Alex Gordon was waiting in the on-deck circle. The Royals leadoff hitter was swinging on a 3-0 pitch and drilled the ball to right field, clearing the fence with ease and pulling the Royals into a 4-4 tie. It was Gordons second grand slam of the season and the third for Kansas City. "I was just looking fastball and hopefully it was a strike," he said. "I was just trying to drive the ball with the bases loaded and one out, maybe try to put it in the gap. I just got out in front of it and put a good swing on it." It wound up being the Royals biggest highlight of the night. ""It was a big game. We could have gained some ground on the Indians," Gordon said. "Thats a good team over there, a lot of solid players. We know its going to be a grind when we play them. Thats what it was tonight. We just came just came up a little short." Notes: Santana walked his first three at-bats. ... RHP Luke Hochevar struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief. ... The Royals turned a season-high four double plays. ... Gordon is the ninth Royals player to hit two grand slams in a season. ... Indians RHP Zach McAllister (sprained right middle finger) felt good after throwing 45 pitches in a bullpen session, Francona said. ... LHP Scott Kazmir will start Game 2 of the series for Cleveland against Royals RHP Jeremy Guthrie. Alabama Jerseys From China . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Cooper Bateman College Jersey . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. http://www.cheapalabamajerseys.com/?tag=alabama-calvin-ridley-college-jersey . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. Donta Hightower College Jersey . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Nick Saban College Jersey . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- If the Tampa Bay Lightnings Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman was a man who liked to engage in the game of what-ifs, hed have a lot of material to work with.Theres the Stanley Cup finals defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. Then theres last Mays conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which the Lightning held a 3-2 series lead before losing two straight. And before all that, in 2014, he was the most high-profile snub of the Swedish Olympic team in Sochi, the one that lost the final to Canada.But hes not that kind of guy.Instead, hes trying to use the disappointments as fuel for future success.The first weeks after the loss were tough and I was still mad, but then, once I got back to offseason training, it was easier to start looking ahead again, he told ESPN.com recently in Swedish. Now those losses are whats driving me, but its a long [wait]. Also, its a tough league, and all teams are good and getting better, so we cant get ahead of things too much, either.If it were an episode in ESPNs 30-for-30 series, the chance for redemption would come quickly for Hedman and the Lightning. But in real life, a 10-month wait for the next opportunity is long, and if the focus is 10 months away, the chance might never come, Hedman said.Today, there are 30 teams in the NHL fighting for the playoff spots, and only 16 make it there. Our first goal has always been, and is now, to make the playoffs, he said. You cant get ahead of things, but instead, our focus has to be on game No. 1, and then take it from there, and try to form good habits that carry us deep.The Lightning still have their Stanley Cup finals core group intact, thanks to team captain Steven Stamkos decision to re-sign with the team. Hedman sees that as an additional strength for the team.We have good chemistry in the group, and we have a system that we like, he said, but Im sure the fact that weve been through a lot together is a driving force for us all and pushes us to get better.With the Lightning going deep in the playoffs, Hedman hasnt been able to play for Sweden at the world championships the past two years, and since then-coach Par Marts famously left him off the Olympic roster in 22014, its been four years since Hedman has worn his countrys three-crown jersey in an important tournament.dddddddddddd. That will all change when he suits up for Sweden in the World Cup of Hockey, which begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.Im excited about [playing for Sweden in the World Cup] because it has been a while, even if the fact that its been for the right reasons -- that weve gone deep in the playoffs, he said.Swedens head coach for the World Cup, Rikard Gronborg, spent a decade in the U.S. college system before joining the Swedish federation 10 years ago. The players, without exception, like his style, which they consider more North American than Swedish.He knows the American terminology and what its like to play in the smaller rink, and he understands how big this event is in Canada, said Hedman. He also knows a lot of [opposing] players and their styles.Team Sweden held a preparation meeting in early August, during which the players socialized a bit and listened to their new coachs ideas and thoughts. And shared their ideas with the coach.The coach says how he wants us to play, but he certainly listens to our suggestions, said Hedman. After all, he can give us templates, but we have to execute them on the ice.With players coming from different NHL teams, and a head coach that the players call Americanized, will there even be a Swedish style?Youll see, Hedman said with a grin.We have a lot of talent in all positions. We have a great defense, forwards that are world class, and we have one of the best goalies in the world. Well be creative, use our defense in the offense. Then again, all teams want to play a possession game, and all teams play a similar style, with their own nuances. We just have to do it better than the other teams.But there is one very Swedish thing the Tre Kronor players do when they get together. They do fika, which is Swedish for sitting down with a cup of coffee, talking about this and that, and just taking it easy for a while.We do have a lot of fika, he said. I think Ive had seven or eight cups of coffee.Thats fuel, too. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Hockey Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys China Wholesale Baseball Jerseys China Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys Near Me Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic MLB Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Throwback Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '