cCullers said. Thats not Steeler defense.At least not the

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kansas City Royals have won the last six games started by James Shields, though its hard to tell by looking at his record. "I think my two-month anniversary was coming up of not getting a win," Shields said Friday night after throwing six solid innings in the Royals 9-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Shields (3-6) earned his 90th career win, although it was his first in 11 starts. Shields previous victory came April 30 in an 8-2 win over Tampa Bay. Since then, the Royals have failed to give Shields much run support. But it was a different story on Friday. Kansas City had a season-high four homers, two from Eric Hosmer, and one apiece from Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas. Butler started things off with a three-run shot in the first. "I cant remember the last time Shields has had a lead, I mean seriously, I cant remember," Royals manager Ned Yost said. In fact, Friday marked the first time since that April 30 win that Shields had a lead of more than one run. "Is that opening day?" Hosmer joked. "This is what our offence is capable of doing, and we feel confident that we can put up a lot of runs and then put up days like this." Clete Thomas homered for the Twins, who got another rough start from P.J. Walters (2-4). Walters allowed six runs in three innings, one start after giving up six in the first at Cleveland last Saturday. The Royals entered the game with the fewest home runs in the majors (43) -- two behind Miami -- and had given Shields some of the worst run support in the league. But the veteran right-hander had a three-run lead by the time he took the mound for the first time Friday, thanks to Butler. "I think after that first swing, it really opened us up as an offence and we just kept getting the big hit or the big swing with guys in scoring position," Hosmer said. "Hopefully we can put up more offensive outings like that for Shields." Shields never allowed Minnesota to get close the rest of the way. Walters, on the other hand, never found a rhythm. Down 4-0 in the third, he allowed a two-run homer to Moustakas and drew a chorus of boos from the home crowd. "Walters just couldnt make any pitches and couldnt get the ball where he wanted to," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just a bad night for him." Walters has allowed 12 runs in his last 3 2-3 innings. "We all have games where we struggle," Walters said. "Everybody in the league has them. Ive just put two of them in a row together. In my eyes its unacceptable. To the team Im sure it is, too." Anthony Swarzak took over for Walters in the fourth and gave up a solo shot to Hosmer in the fifth. Hosmer got Swarzak again in the seventh, this time with Alcides Escobar on base, for the second multihomer game of his career. The offensive outburst was a welcome change for Shields, who had been stuck on 89 wins for his previous 10 starts despite putting up quality numbers. He entered Friday nights game with the eighth-best ERA in the AL (2.92), third in innings (111) and eighth in strikeouts (99). But his run support of 3.00 per nine innings pitched was second-lowest in the league. "This teams been grinding all season long," Shields said. "We won the last six of my games, and I have no doubt in my mind that were just going to keep going up from here." The Twins broke through against Shields in the fourth when Justin Morneau hit an RBI double. Morneau came around to score three batters later on a double by Brian Dozier. Thomas led off the fifth with a homer to right. Shields worked 6 1-3 innings before being pulled for Tim Collins. NOTES: Rain delayed the first pitch by 26 minutes. ... Hosmers last multihomer game came on Aug. 31, 2011, at Detroit. ... Ryan Doumit returned to Minnesotas lineup after missing a couple games with a sore ankle. .. Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey (back) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week with Class-A Cedar Rapids. ... Yost said RHP Felipe Paulino has developed soreness in his throwing shoulder and will not pitch on Sunday as part of his rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. ... The Royals and Twins play the third of their four-game series on Saturday when Wade Davis takes his 4-5 record to the mound against Minnesotas Kyle Gibson, who makes his major league debut. Air Jordan Schweiz Schuhe Shop On Sale . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Nike Schuhe Outlet . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. http://www.airjordanschweiz.ch/ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Air Jordan Schweiz Sale .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Discount Air Jordan Schweiz . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. PITTSBURGH -- Replacing Cam Heyward the football player may be the easy part for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Finding someone to do all the things their injured defensive end -- out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle -- does on the field that dont show up on tape will be considerably more difficult.It definitely hurts us, linebacker Ryan Shazier said. It punches you in the heart because hes the heart of our defense.One who does more than simply shrug off blocks and wrap up running backs. Heyward is one of Pittsburghs four captains for reasons that go far beyond simple talent. He makes the line calls, offers in-game pointers and serves as the emotional fulcrum for the guys around him.Now hes gone after an MRI discovered the twinge he felt in last weeks loss to Dallas was actually his pectoral muscle shredding itself, leaving behind a defense thats failed to limit big plays during a four-game losing streak thats sent the Steelers (4-5) tumbling into a midseason crisis. While the winless Cleveland Browns (0-10) offer the promise of a temporary salve on Sunday, Pittsburgh understands it needs to find a way to get better quickly if it truly wants to turn things around.Its hard to lose a guy like your captain and stuff like that, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. But other guys have to step up. I mean, its that time of year.If the Steelers want to get it together, they dont really have much of a choice.Weve just all got to get better as a group, rookie nose tackle Javon Hargrave said. Thats our leader. Hes the oldest on the D-line. He knows more than us. Weve just got to grow up.Quickly. The defensive front faltered when a bum left hamstring forced Heyward out of the lineup for the first time in his six-year career last month. He could only watch in frustration as Miamis Jay Ajayi became the first player in 16 years to go over 200 yards rushing against Pittsburgh in a Week 6 loss and New Englands Garrett Blount bulled his way for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns seven days later.Teams been running on us a lot lately, nose tackle Daniel McCullers said. Thats not Steeler defense.At least not the way Pittsburgh used to play it. Not so much anymore. The proof came in the final 2 minutes last wweek against Dallas, when Ezekiel Elliott sprinted to the end zone twice to rally the Cowboys to a victory that sent the Steelers to their fourth straight loss.dddddddddddd And that was with Heyward in the huddle. Now theyve got to clean up the mistakes without him.Sometimes we get in the right spots and were not executing, Shazier said. Sometimes were in the right spots, getting moved out of the way and sometimes were not doing the right thing.Heywards absence puts more pressure on Stephon Tuitt, who defensive coordinator Keith Butler will move up and down the line in search of mismatches. Thats fine by Tuitt, who has shown flashes of dominance at times but will now be asked to do it on a more consistent basis. Hes developed a close friendship with Heyward during his three years in the league, in part because he knew at some point this moment would arrive.Its gonna be tough because we have a partnership, we have a chemistry, Tuitt said.One Tuitt will try to develop with Hargrave, McCullers and Ricardo Matthews. Tuitt is more reserved by nature and joked earlier in the year he doesnt pay attention to the game plan and instead simply does what Heyward tells him to do. Now Tuitt will find himself doing the yelling.For me to get this role now, its not under the circumstances I want them to be under but I almost get the veteran role back and teach my defensive linemen and lead by example.Heyward will still be around on the sideline and in meeting rooms. But not having his familiar No. 97 in the huddle will take some getting used to for a group thats grown accustomed to his steadying influence.Hes like a brother to us outside of football, McCullers said. We always spend time with each other, hang out. Its big (to lose him). Weve got to play hard for him.Game notes TE Ladarius Green (knee), WR Sammie Coates (finger), S Jordan Dangerfield (groin) and TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps) were limited on Wednesday. ... C Maurkice Pouncey (finger) and WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) did not practice.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '