sas City avoided being shut out for the second straight game.The Royals have lost eight of their past nine home games.Its been tough, Colon said. Were not used to this.VARGAS TO STARTRoyals left-hander Jason Vargas, who has

Mahela Jayawardene wondered on Twitter whether previous Australia captains would have left a tour early, as Steven Smith has done. Graeme Smith has echoed those sentiments publicly. Angelo Mathews was typically diplomatic, but as he prepares to play a side led by David Warner now, even he admits to being perplexed.I think they have their own player management system, but honestly, if it was me, I wouldnt have [left], because its a tough tour, Mathews said. You need the captain alongside the playing XI. They decided to rest him - well, I dont think we as players have any issues with that.Smiths own team-mates have - not surprisingly - been more understanding of his departure, despite the ODI series still hanging in the balance. Warner said regular breaks for players were required because of crickets hectic modern schedules. Smith had also been leading Australia across all formats, taking over the ODI team after last years World Cup, and the Test and T20 sides since.I can feel for Steve and the amount of cricket he has been playing, Warner said. It is going to very, very tough with the scheduling these days to play all three forms and every single game possible. Players are getting rested here and there. Everyone has to adapt, and weve got [to remember] that everyone is human.While Warner attempts to fill the gap in leadership that Smith has left behind, Australia will also need to replace the man who has been ODI crickets most prolific run-scorer over the past year. Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are in line to step into the XI. Warner suggested Smiths output makes a break from cricket particularly well-deserved.The stats he has on the board, runs-wise and the worlds best batter and player, I think he deserves a break whether or not it was during the series or before the series.There were times there when I may have been leaning towards having a break and then you have a bit of misfortune by getting injured and that has sort of been my freshen-up. [Warner broke a finger while fielding in June, and missed the end of the tri-series in the West Indies.]Warner is set to become Australias 23rd ODI captain, and said it had not been in his wildest dreams to lead the side. I feel honoured and thrilled, he said. Im really pumped to get out there, help the guys and lead from the front.Though he has never led a national side, Warner has had captaincy success in the IPL, leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to this years title. Allrounder James Faulkner, who plays for the Gujarat Lions IPL franchise, suggested that experience would assist Warners captaincy at the international level.Davids got lot of experience in all three formats - in IPL and BBL as well, Faulkner said. I know one thing - that he is pretty honest, and hes going to back each and every one of us. Much as the same with Smithy - very good leaders. They let their presence be felt in the middle. Im sure David will fill the position really well. Stitched White Sox Jerseys . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Kid Gleason White Sox Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/ . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Kodi Medeiros Jersey . 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. Goose Gossage Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ryon Healys long shot left the Kansas City Royals a longshot to return to postseason play.Stephen Vogt drove in five runs, Healy hit a mammoth three-run homer and the Oakland Athletics routed Kansas City 14-5 on Thursday night.Oakland put a huge dent in the Royals diminishing playoff chances, sweeping a four-game road series at Kansas City for the first time. The As outscored the Royals 43-12, the largest Oakland run differential in a four-game series in franchise history.Vogt had a two-run double in a five-run third, walked with the bases loaded in the fourth and hit a two-run homer in the sixth. The five RBI matched a career high.Healy, who had three hits, homered in third with Khris Davis and Yonder Alonso on base. The ball traveled an estimated 480 feet, landing above the left-field fountains.Has he ever hit a ball further?I really dont think so, Healy said. It was a changeup. I saw it well. I kept my hands back and tried to drive the ball to the outfield to score those runs.Marcus Semien, who knocked in four runs and hit a three-run shot in the eighth for his 25th home run, could not believe the distance on Healys drive.Ive never seen a ball hit up there, Semien said.Healy went 9 for 17 (.529) with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI in the series.Id like to say I hit one out there in BP in 1992 (when he played for the Royals), but I didnt, Athletics manager Bob Melvin said. I never saw it land -- 480 feet, thats impressive.Joey Wendle had his first career four-hit game and scored three runs as the As banged out 16 hits.Rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden (2-7), who was 0-4 with a 9.39 ERA in his previous seven starts, was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. He held the Royals to three hits over seven scoreless innings to pick up the victory, striking out six with no walks.Everything was down in the zone. I was locating really well, Mengden said. I got a lot of quick, early outs, weak contact, which is what we try to do. I went in every inning and tried to establish strike one, which has been one of my biggest I guess flaws since Ive been up here.Royals starter Edinson Volquez (10-11) faced 22 batters and nine scored in 3 1/3 innings. He aallowed nine runs on seven hits and four walks.ddddddddddddn his past four starts, Volquez has allowed 20 earned runs on 32 hits and nine walks in 18 1/3 innings for a 9.82 ERA.I was inconsistent, Volquez said. Ive been getting hit with all my pitches. I think my changeup always gets me out of trouble, but Im still getting hit with that pitch, so thats a bad sign for me.Chris Young, the third Royals pitcher, yielded the home run to Vogt and has given up 28 in 85 innings.Christian Colon hit a three-run homer in a five-run ninth as Kansas City avoided being shut out for the second straight game.The Royals have lost eight of their past nine home games.Its been tough, Colon said. Were not used to this.VARGAS TO STARTRoyals left-hander Jason Vargas, who has not pitched in the majors since July 21, 2015, and needed reconstructive elbow surgery, will start Saturday against the White Sox. Vargas will be on a 45-pitch limit over three innings. Kansas City manager Ned Yost said the goal is for Vargas to pitch 10-15 innings before the season ends. Vargas was 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA in nine starts before the injury last year.OVERTON RETURNSThe As recalled LHP Dillon Overton from Triple-A Nashville and he will be used out of the bullpen. Overton gave up all five runs in the ninth.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: RHP Henderson Alvarez will undergo another shoulder surgery Tuesday and wont pitch this season. Dr. James Andrews will perform arthroscopic surgery. Alvarez was a 2014 All-Star with the Marlins, but made only four starts last season before needing shoulder surgery on July 28.Royals: OF Lorenzo Cain, who has appeared in only one September game because of a sore left wrist, probably wont return this season. Hes not making great progress, Yost said. Hes getting a little bit better, but were starting to run out of time.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Kendall Graveman, who is 9-4 with a 3.64 ERA in his past 19 starts, will pitch the series opener Friday at Texas.Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy, who is 5-0 with a 2.16 ERA since the start of August, will start Friday against the White Sox. ' ' '