Das Team » AMESThe Tigers will get a test right out of the

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rougned Odor homered twice, and A.J. Griffin also went a little deeper for the Texas Rangers.Odor hit a ball into the second deck of seats for the second game in a row, along with another solo shot that just cleared the wall, and Griffin had his longest outing in seven starts since coming off the disabled list in the Rangers 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.I felt like that was a big step. I made a little adjustment in my delivery. I was more direct to the target, said Griffin, who was out of the majors the past two seasons after Tommy John surgery. Two years off from pitching is a long time. It caught up with me a little bit. I feel like I am getting that second wind. My shoulders responding a lot better with each outing.Griffin (4-1) is the only Texas starter other than All-Star lefty Cole Hamels with a win in July.The right-hander has been back just over a month from the disabled list, getting sidelined by right shoulder stiffness after going 3-1 in six starts through the first week of May. He struck out one and walked two while throwing 66 of 98 pitches for strikes in 5 2/3 innings.Probably the best hes used the up-to-down game, manager Jeff Banister said. The high fastball, low fastball, cutter, not really focusing on one location at the plate.Jurickson Profar also homered for the AL West-leading Rangers, and scored three runs.Odors solo homer in the first put Texas up 3-0 against Edinson Volquez (8-9). That 443-foot drive into the second deck in right field came a night after Odors 465-footer that is the longest in his career. His 21st homer, in the seventh, barely cleared the 8-foot wall in right.I dont try to hit homers, but if I hit it I feel good, Odor said.Eric Hosmer homered for the defending World Series champion Royals, who dropped to 10 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central. It is the first time Kansas City, also the AL champion in 2014, has been 10 games back in the division since a 10 1/2-game deficit on Aug. 31, 2013.Offense has been sporadic. Its just been tough. You just come to the ballpark the next day ready to find a way to win a game, manager Ned Yost said. Keep grinding away. ... Your mindset is theres a couple months left of baseball to play.FROM NONE TO SOMETexas loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth without scoring, but Profar and Nomar Mazara had consecutive doubles to start the fifth. An inning later, Profar hit his fifth homer of the season.HOSMER HOMERAfter Lorenzo Cain was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth, Hosmer snapped an 0-for-14 slump with his 14th homer. That got the Royals within 5-2 and chased Griffin.SHORT HOPSVolquez allowed nine hits and six runs while striking out five in six innings. .. Reliever Dario Alvarez made his Rangers debut, two days after coming in a trade from Atlanta. The lefty allowed singles to the only two batters he faced to start the seventh. ... Veteran RHP Kyle Lohse, who allowed 13 runs in 9 1/3 innings while losing both of his Texas starts, declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and became a free agent.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Cain played for the first time since June 28 after missing 25 games because of a left hamstring strain. He was reactivated from the disabled list, and rookie OF Brett Eibner was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. ... RHP Luke Hochevar (thoracic outlet syndrome) will get a second opinion Monday from another specialist in Kansas City after a Dallas specialist on Friday recommended season-ending surgery.Rangers: Slugger Prince Fielders season-ending surgery Friday to repair a herniated disk in his neck went as expected. ... LHP Derek Holland, on the 60-day DL with left shoulder inflammation and not eligible to come back before Aug. 20, said he wasnt tired after throwing a 42-pitch bullpen session. He is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Ian Kennedy (6-9) is 0-3 in five starts this month. He is also 0-2 in three career starts against the Rangers.Rangers: Lefty Martin Perez (7-7) was 4-0 in five starts in June, but goes into his sixth start in July still without a win. Hes 0-3 this month, and has allowed 29 runs (22 earned) his last four starts. Cheap Stitched NFL Jerseys . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. Nike NFL Jerseys China . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.cheapnfljerseyschina.info/ .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. NFL Jerseys Store . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. CLEMSON, S.C. -- When Clemson came back from its national championship loss to Alabama, coach Dabo Swinney showed his Tigers a handful of plays that could have changed the result.And none of them, Swinney said, were in special teams.Most remember that Clemsons fortunes in the 45-40 loss to the Crimson Tide turned on two special team plays -- a dramatic onside kick in a tie game and Kenyan Drakes kickoff return touchdown soon after that gave Alabama an 11-point lead the Tigers could not overcome.Swinney says his team will shore up special teams areas. More troubling were the mental busts that led Alabama tight end O.J. Howard to two, long touchdowns -- little mistakes, Swinney said, with big consequences.Swinney wants his team prepared should that national championship chance come around again.I think for the past several years weve been good enough and I think were good enough again this year, Swinney said. But every year is a grind. There are no free passes.The Tigers have an offense, led by top Heisman Trophy hopeful Deshaun Watson, that could render any defensive questions -- Clemson lost eight starters from last year -- moot. Watson became the first Bowl Subdivision player to throw for more than 4,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000. More so than his ability is the juniors poise and knack for making the right decision.Watson has added about 16 pounds (hes 218) since January and says he is just as fast and nimble. I think it makes me better, Watson said.Watsons hardest choices this fall might be wondering where to go with the football. Also back are tailback Wayne Gallman, who set Clemsons single-season rushing mark last year; tight end Jordan Leggett, who had 40 catches and eight touchdowns; and Mike Williams, the 1,000-yard receiver who missed most of last season with a neck injury.ddddddddddddFor Watson, its about achieving the goal the team fell short of last season.We want to do everything we can and as top-notch as we can, Watson said. We want to finish the drill.Other things to watch this season:DEFENSIVE ISSUESClemson lost two starting defensive ends, two starting safeties and a starting cornerback as early entrants to the NFL draft. Sound hard to replace? Perhaps not. Sophomore defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and Austin Bryant are primed to fill roles left by Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd. Cordrea Tankersley is the lone holdover in a secondary where the Tigers have stockpiled talented prospects the past three seasons. Ben Boulware should take over the linebacker role left by last years top tackler, B.J. Goodson.And there are few better in the game at drawing out the best than defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who reshaped last years defense after losing all four defensive linemen from 2014.KEY GAMESThe Tigers will get a test right out of the blocks when they open at Auburn on Sept. 3. The ACC Atlantic and probably the league title should get decided at Florida State on Oct. 29. It seems unlikely Clemson will be pushed by anyone else on its schedule.SEASON OPENERClemson starts at Auburn, where it last played in 2010 and dropped an overtime game to the eventual national champions and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. This time, its Clemson that is loaded.PREDICTIONIts hard to envision, after a close win in Tallahassee, Florida, not going 12-0 and rolling back into the College Football Playoff. 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