Wichtig » who hit 9 of 12 down the stretch.Jones kept Richmond in it b

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Yordano Venturas first career complete game wasnt enough to get the Kansas City Royals their first winning streak this month.Mitch Morelands second home run of the game broke a tie in the eighth inning and Cole Hamels earned his 12th win of the season as the Royals lost to the Texas Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night.The Royals came to Texas to open a four-game weekend series on the heels of a 7-5 home win over the Los Angeles Angels that snapped a four-game losing streak. Theyre 4-9 since the All-Star break, havent won consecutive games since June 29-30, and have fallen nine games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central.In Wednesdays win, the Royals snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak. In Thursdays loss, Kansas City managed six hits off Hamels (12-2) and closer Sam Dyson and went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.When Royals manager Ned Yost was asked how his team can emerge from its slump, his blunt answer referred to such struggles at the plate.Start stinking hitting, he said. Its as simple as that. Start hitting and start getting some run production.Ventura (6-9) allowed only four hits, but three were home runs. That included the second of Mitch Morelands two shots, both to the opposite field, which broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning.Ventura struck out six and walked only one. He said through a translator that he was able to do with the ball what he wanted, keep it low in the strike zone.I hate that the result was what it was, but I thought he pitched a great game, Yost said. He got out on a couple of pitches but less than a handful. He really stayed within himself.In Venturas last six starts, he has five losses and a no-decision. His most recent win came on June 17.The game was a pitching rematch of the Rangers 7-4 win in Kansas City last Saturday, with the same pitchers of record. Hamels 123 pitches on Thursday night were 10 more than his previous high for the year. Since the All-Star break, hes 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA and .190 opponents batting average.Hes our front-end guy, Texas manager Jeff Banister said. I mean, hes our ace. Hes the guy that sits in the front of that rotation.Paulo Orlandos second home run of the season, and first since May 17, was pulled well beyond the 14-foot wall in left field and gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead.Kansas City broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth when Raul Mondesis topper to shortstop scored Alex Gordon. Gordon had singled and advanced to third on a blooper to center by Brett Eibner that broke an 0-for-19 streak.JUST PLAYING AROUNDWhen Rougned Odor homered off Ventura in the second inning, the two exchanged stares. Both are known to get emotional on the field, but Ventura said they were simply having fun.Even though were not on the same team, I have a good friendship with him, Ventura said through the translator. It was a bad pitch. Odor is a good fastball hitter, and I missed my location.SHORT HOPSThe first son of Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert was born on Thursday morning in Venezuela. . Texas also didnt have a hit with runners in scoring position because it didnt have an at-bat in such a situation. . The game began after a 35-minute rain delay. It was the second rain delay in three days, an unusual summer occurrence in Arlington.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: RHP Luke Hochevar was placed on the 15-day disabled list with symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session on Friday. One of the scheduled hitters is RF Shin Soo-Choo (hamstring strain).UP NEXTFriday nights game will be a pitching rematch of Sunday afternoons 2-1 Texas win at Kauffman Stadium in which each starter allowed one run and got a no-decision. Royals RHP Edinson Volquez (8-8) allowed seven hits in six innings, Rangers RHP A.J. Griffin (3-1) four hits in five innings.Authentic NCAA Jerseys . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Cheap College Basketball Jerseys . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. http://www.wholesalencaajerseys.com/ . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Wholesale College Jerseys . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Cheap College Football Jerseys . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void.RICHMOND, Va. -- Zach Smith had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Devon Thomas added a career-high 17 points and Texas Tech held off Richmond 79-72 on Saturday for the Red Raiders first true road win of the season.Richmond trailed 52-49 with 13:10 remaining but didnt score again until Khwan Fore made a 3-pointer at the 5:28 mark to get within 14 points. The Spiders got as close as five points with 11.3 seconds left when Fore made a layup in traffic. He didnt convert the 3-point play but Kwesi Abakah grabbed the offensive rebound before ShawnDre Jones was called for traveling near the 3-point line.Aaron Ross sealed it at the line with 6.7 seconds left.Ross finished with 13 points for Texas Tech (10-1), which won its seventh straight. Justin Gray had 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Thomas previous high was 11 points.Fore tied a career-high with 19 points and had seven assists for Richmond (5-5). DeMonte Buckingham made three of the Spiders 10 3-pointers and scored a career-high 16 points, and Jones added four 3s and 14 points.Texas Tech guard Keenan Evans was fouled away from the basket with 1:02 left and hit two free throws for a 10-point lead. Those makes were the start of six straight for the Red Raiders, who hit 9 of 12 down the stretch.Jones kept Richmond in it by hitting a pull-up 3-pointer in transitionn with 57 seconds left and making another 3 on Richmonds next possession to get within 72-66.ddddddddddddut Texas Tech answered after both of Jones makes. Gray threw a length-of-the-floor pass to Thomas for an open layup and Thomas made two free throws with 47.1 seconds left for an eight-point lead.Texas Tech was 3 of 4 from the free-throw line in the first half and made 14 of 21 in the second.Texas Tech is obviously a very good team and very athletic, Richmond coach Chris Mooney said. I thought we competed and did some things very well, but just not enough to beat a team at that level.BIG PICTURETexas Tech: Prior to the game, Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said: Not only for this game against Richmond but for the rest of the season, were going to have to show in Big 12 play the ability to compete on the backboards. The Red Raiders dominated the glass against the Spiders, 41-28, including 16 on the offensive end.Richmond: The Spiders got gritty performances from their underclassmen. Fore, a sophomore, and Buckingham, a freshman, combined for 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.UP NEXTTexas Tech: hosts Longwood on Wednesday night.Richmond: plays at James Madison on Tuesday night. ' ' '