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DETROIT -- Michael Fulmer is one of the biggest reasons the Detroit Tigers are still in the mix for a postseason spot.At the start of the teams final homestand, the rookie right-hander came through with his sharpest performance in weeks.Fulmer pitched seven strong innings for his first win in over a month and the Detroit Tigers homered three times in an 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Justin Upton, Victor Martinez and Cameron Maybin went deep for the Tigers, who won their fifth game in a row to remain in the lead in the race for the ALs second wild card.Detroit remained a half-game ahead of Baltimore, which beat Arizona in 12 innings.I think theres a little bit of a sense of urgency now, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. This is our last homestand. This is the last chance at home to try and do something in the standings, and were playing against two teams ... in Kansas City and Cleveland, we know very well. Maybe I was the only one that felt it, but I felt there was more energy.Fulmer (11-7) allowed a run and eight hits, striking out nine with no walks. It was the first victory since Aug. 14 for Fulmer, who emerged around midseason as a Rookie of the Year candidate but is now having to fight off a torrid challenge from Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees.Danny Duffy (12-3) allowed six runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four.The Tigers jumped ahead right away against Duffy. The Royals made two errors in the first inning, and Uptons RBI double made it 2-0.Martinez and Upton each hit solo shots in the third, and Maybins two-run homer in the fourth made it 6-0.Upton has 27 homers on the season, including 14 in his last 29 games.Kansas City has lost nine of its last 12.DISPUTED CHALLENGEKansas Citys only run off Fulmer came after replay overturned the second out of an apparent double play, which would have ended the top of the sixth. Ausmus complained to the umpires, saying the Royals had waited too long before challenging.I said I wanted to protest, which, even going into it, when I said it, I knew instant replay wasnt protestable, Ausmus said.After the review revived the rally, Paulo Orlando hit an RBI single.ON THE BORDERLINEFulmer is the ALs ERA leader at 2.95 -- his 155 2/3 innings are enough to qualify at this point. Hell need to throw 6 1/3 more to qualify for the title at the end of the season.The Tigers have taken steps to limit his workload, and this latest start was a positive sign.I still feel good, so I guess its working, Fulmer said. Hopefully Im able to still pitch beyond the regular season. Thats our goal as a team.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Kansas City C Salvador Perez sat out with what manager Ned Yost described as a very minor knee issue.Tigers: 2B Ian Kinsler returned to the lineup from a concussion after missing three games. He had a single, a double, two walks and three runs. ... SS Jose Iglesias left in the top of the seventh with a bruised right hand. X-rays were negative.UP NEXTRoyals: Kansas City sends RHP Yordano Ventura (11-11) to the mound for Saturdays game at Detroit. Ventura is coming off a complete game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.Tigers: Detroit starts LHP Daniel Norris (3-2) in the middle game of this series.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Jocelyn Lemieux Jersey . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. Jason Marshall Jersey . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. https://www.cheapblues.com/1734z-ivan-barbashev-jersey-blues.html . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Blues Jerseys 2021 . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Brendan Shanahan Jersey . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Alabama coach Nick Saban challenged his players to play a complete game last week against Kent State.The players did that in Sabans eyes in a 48-0 romp, and now the coach is hoping the team can build on that momentum again in their homecoming matchup against Kentucky. Kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).Now that we are back in SEC play, I think its time to build on that; build on the momentum, Saban said. If we want to be the team that we are capable of being, I think its important for everyone to buy into that and do that. The SEC is a tough league, and every game you play in this league is an important game as this game will be against Kentucky.Kentucky marks the first of four straight SEC games before Alabamas bye week.Saban is hoping to get a couple of people healthy, including running back Damien Harris, the Tides leading rusher with 345 yards and an impressive 8.6 per carry average.The injury update is Damien Harris is still day-to-day, Saban said, adding that wide receivers ArDarius Stewart and Robert Foster also are considered questionable this week with knee injuries.Harris is a freshman from Richmond, Kentucky, just a short hop from the Wildcats campus in Lexington and very well known to Kentucky coach Mark Stoops.Damien looks very good, just like we knew recruiting him and watching him play right here in Kentucky, Stoops said. Hes just like youd expect. Hes a very talented guy and he looks very explosive, the great vision, the great jump cuts that you see out of him, thats what you see on film.The Wildcats are 2-2 (1-1 SEC) overall after a 17-10 victory over South Carolina last weekend. Although they may not appear to be a threat to the 4-0 Crimson Tide, as is his wont, Saban isnt taking Kentucky lightly.Kentucky has played their best in the last two games that they have played, Saban said. Mark Stoops has done a really good job of sort of finding out who they are and how they want to play. They played really well in the last two games.They have really ggood skill players on offense, good running backs and good receivers.dddddddddddd. They have explosive guys that have put up pretty impressive performances to this point.Their quarterback has played well for them, even though he had to come in for the starter, and he has done a nice job. They havent really skipped a beat.Maybe so, but this is still Kentucky, which hasnt beaten Alabama anywhere in that state in 22 tries, going 0-9 in Tuscaloosa, 0-8-1 in Birmingham, and 0-4 in Montgomery.You know they are led by arguably the best coach of all-time in college football and it starts there, Stoops said, referring to Saban. But what impresses you about them is their whole program.Top to bottom they do things right. They are extremely talented, and they are very well coached. So, there is a lot to talk about on what they do right.Stoops, however, isnt dwelling on what the Tide does as much as he zeroes in on his Wildcats, who have won their last two games over New Mexico State and the Gamecocks to even up their record after losses to Southern Mississippi and Florida.I want to see us continue to worry about us, he said, continue to progress, and continue to improve in the areas we need to improve.Quarterback Stephen Johnson, a junior-college transfer who has taken over for injured starter Drew Barker, guided the Wildcats to both of their wins. He has completed 28 of 41 attempts in the two games for 445 yards and three touchdowns.I saw a guy that made plays when he had to and really did what he had to do to manage the game and win the game, Stoops said. There were some throws that he could have forced that he didnt.He made good decisions and got critical first downs with his legs. He took care of the football later on.There are still some things we know we need to clean up that Im not happy about with turnovers and the ball on the ground but late in the game he did a better job with that. ' ' '