*** NEWS *** » Brad Keller has never given Royals manager Ned Yost

Not when the young right-hander walked into the clubhouse in spring training http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-deiter-jersey , freshly acquired from Arizona in the Rule 5 draft. Not when he was thrown into the bullpen after spending most of his career as a starter. And not when Yost moved him back to the rotation in the big leagues.

So when Keller stared down the Los Angeles Angels‘ potent lineup, and held Mike Trout and Co. to two hits over seven innings, the skipper may have one of the few people in the ballpark unsurprised.

”He was never wide-eyed. Never overwhelmed in any situation we put him in,” Yost marveled after the 22-year-old Keller pitched the Royals to a 2-0 win Monday in the makeup of a game frozen out in April.

Keller (2-2) struck out six and walked two in his fifth career major league start. Nobody reached second on him, one of his two baserunners was wiped out by a double play, and he gamely retired the side in order in the seventh, when his pitch count eclipsed 100 for the first time this season.

”I definitely feel more comfortable with every start,” Keller said. ”Just try not to let the moment get too big, especially up here. Things tend to snowball up here.”

His bullpen made the outstanding start stand up, too.

Kevin McCarthy struck out Chris Young and retired Ian Kinsler to strand a runner on third base in the eighth, and Wily Peralta finished the three-hitter by working around Albert Pujols’ single in the ninth.

It was the first save for the longtime starter in 136 career big league games.

”In a game like this, you’re not going to hang your hat on one situation. We just didn’t do enough offensively,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ”On the offensive side it was a tough day for us.”

The Royals scored the only run they needed off Tyler Skaggs (6-5) in the fourth. Duda, who is known primarily for his power, managed to dribble a single through the infield Garrett Bradbury Jersey , driving in Hunter Dozier after he reached on a leadoff double on a mild, sun-splashed afternoon.

Herrera added an RBI single, his career-high third hit of the game, in the eighth inning.

Skaggs, who was scratched from his start last week with right hamstring tightness, allowed seven hits and walked two in seven innings. He struck out eight for the third straight start.

”It’s difficult. A quick turnaround,” Skaggs said. ”A day game yesterday, fly here, kind of another day game – an afternoon game – and another game tomorrow. A lot of travelling and a tough schedule, but nobody’s feeling sorry for us.”

Indeed, both teams had to fly into Kansas City for the makeup game. The Angels kicked off a road trip that sends them to Boston and Baltimore, and the Royals stopped between series in Houston and Milwaukee.

Not that Yost’s bunch minds now. The Royals had lost nine in a row at Kauffman Stadium, and had been outscored 54-17 over the stretch, with their last win coming June 2 against Oakland.

Of their four wins overall in June, three have been shutouts.

JACKIE ROBINSON DAY

The Angels and Royals were supposed to wear No. 42 to celebrate Jackie Robinson when their game was frozen out on April 15. So http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-irv-smith-jr.-jersey , everybody donned the iconic No. 42 jerseys Monday instead.

”When we were going to do it, it was like, what, 18 degrees here?” Scioscia said. ”The guys were really looking forward to it. We’re glad we get the chance.”

ESKY ALL OVER

The Royals’ Alcides Escobar started at third to give Mike Moustakas a day off. The club wants to give youngster Adalberto Mondesi a long look at shortstop, so Escobar has been moved around a bit. He started in center in Houston last Friday and has a majors-leading streak of 411 consecutive starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: RHP Garrett Richards (left hamstring strain) threw off a mound, but Scioscia warned ”we’ll have to progress from there.” … INF Zack Cozart (left shoulder subluxation) began baseball activities but is still in the evaluation phase. … INF Jefry Marte (left wrist sprain) is also swinging now. ”We’ve got a whole team back in Southern California,” Scioscia deadpanned.

Royals: INF Cheslor Cuthbert remains sidelined with a lower back strain. ”He’s starting to feel a little better,” Yost said, but there is no timetable for his return.

UP NEXT

The Angels begin their scheduled road trip Tuesday night in Boston, where left-hander John Lamb (0-0, 5.40 ERA) starts in the opener of a three-game set. Kansas City returns to the road with right-hander Jakob Junis (5-8, 4.43 ERA) starting the first of two games in Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

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Barring ties in Week 17 — and there are some wild scenarios should certain games end in draws Sunday — the road to the playoffs is quite straight in the NFC. The path to a first-round bye in the AFC has a bunch of curves in it.Already in are NFC division winners Dallas (East), New Orleans (South), Chicago (North) and the Los Angeles Rams (West). AFC divisions clinched belong to New England in the East and, well Alexander Mattison Jersey , nobody else. But there are clear leaders .Seattle owns an NFC wild card, and the LA Chargers have one in the AFC, though they can still win the AFC West.“You either believe in something or you don’t,” says coach Pete Carroll, whose 9-6 Seahawks made the postseason in what was considered a rebuilding year. “I think just staying the course and knowing we’re on to something. Believing in the history. We know what we’re capable of doing. We’ve shown it over a lot of years. You’re always adapting, but it’s staying what you’re true to. I think that’s what is happening. We look like a team that we have seen before, and that’s powerful.”Most powerful so far has been New Orleans, with the league’s best record at 13-2, and a dynamic offense led by Drew Brees. The Saints have home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.The Rams (12-3) get the other opening-round bye if they beat San Francisco on Sunday. If they lose and the Bears win at Minnesota, Chicago (11-4) earns the week off and Los Angeles drops to the third seed.A Bears win also could keep the Vikings (8-6-1) out of the postseason, providing defending champion Philadelphia (8-7) wins at Washington. Only the Vikings or Eagles can get the second NFC wild card.“We’ve got to empty the bucket, and that’s the way we’ve got to play next week at home,” Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph says. “I’m really looking forward to that environment.”In the AFC, seeding is more muddled. Any of four teams could be the top or second seed.The simplest route is if Kansas City (11-4) and New England (10-5), currently the top two in the conference http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dru-samia-jersey , both win Sunday. But if the Chiefs lose at home to Oakland and the Chargers (11-4) win at Denver, Los Angeles moves into the top spot.Houston (10-5) also could wind up No. 1 in the AFC with losses by the Chiefs, Patriots against the Jets, and Chargers. New England, the only unbeaten team at home this year, would get the first seed with a victory and losses by the Chiefs and Chargers.And get this: Houston doesn’t even own a division title. If the Texans fall at home to Jacksonville, the winner of the Colts at Titans game in Tennessee takes the AFC South, and the Texans become a wild card, joining either the Chiefs or Chargers.Texans coach Bill O’Brien, whose club began the season 0-3, is intrigued by the division being so ensconced in the playoff picture this year.“I think that’s an interesting question because I can remember the question was, two years ago, ‘Why is the AFC South so bad?'” he says. “Now, ‘Why is it so good?’“…I’ve never thought it was bad. I think every year it’s been extremely difficult to win games in the division. I just think there’s a lot of great coaches. You’ve got Frank (Reich) in Indy, Mike (Vrabel) in Tennessee Daniel Jones Jersey , Doug (Marrone) in Jacksonville. You’ve got a lot of great players, quarterbacks, so you’ve got a tough division.”The AFC division often looked at as the toughest has been the North, which, not surprisingly, has come down to Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh. Except the Ravens (9-6) host the Browns, while the Steelers (8-6-1) must beat visiting Cincinnati and hope their archenemies from Cleveland sidetrack Baltimore, either beating or tying the Ravens.Neither the Ravens nor the Steelers can be a wild card — except if Pittsburgh ties the Bengals, then Indianapolis and Tennessee also tie. Then the Steelers are in.Of course, Pittsburgh also can win the North with a draw and a loss by Baltimore.Your head spinning yet?