a way of gathering excitement for the big tournament the following summer.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Torii Hunter insisted the first-place Tigers werent trying to send a message to the second-place Royals as the AL Central rivals began a four-game series leading into the All-Star break. They did it anyway. Everybody who stepped to the plate for Detroit had at least one hit and scored one run, and a season-best offensive onslaught spurred the Tigers to a 16-4 rout of Kansas City on Thursday night. "Its not a big series. Its just another series. It was no statement," said Hunter, who led off the fifth with a homer, added another hit later in the inning and finished with three RBIs. "Its a good win because its in the division, but we werent trying to send a statement." Nevertheless, the Tigers extended their lead to 5 1/2 games over the Royals by capturing their third straight victory and fourth in a row in Kansas City -- winning those four games by a 42-12 margin. The latest offensive binge came just two days after Detroit blitzed the Dodgers 14-5. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus downplayed the outburst. "When you get as many hits and runs like we did today," Ausmus said, "youre usually finding holes." Drew Smyly (5-8) was the beneficiary, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in 6 2-3 innings for Detroit. He had lost six of his previous eight outings. Jeremy Guthrie (5-8) gave up a career-worst eight earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two hit batters. He was mercifully pulled with no outs in the fifth, which means the Royals veteran has allowed 16 earned runs in eight-plus innings covering his last two starts. "We didnt pitch good tonight. Thats the bottom line. Thats why they scored 16 runs," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We didnt pitch good and we fell out of the game early." The Tigers stunned the Royals with three runs in the first, added three in the fourth and put up a season-best eight in the fifth. They ended up with 19 hits for the game. Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez joined Hunter in driving in three runs apiece, while Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez each drove in two. "We didnt come here thinking we have to hold them off," Castellanos said. "Were confident in where were going to be at the end of September." Billy Butler homered in the fourth for KC. Eric Hosmer hit a two-run shot in the seventh. ""Losing is never easy. Anytime, its not fun," Butler said. "Obviously that game took a long time. It felt like they were hitting the whole time." The tone of the game was set in the first inning, when four of the first five Tigers reached base. A series of singles, groundouts and sacrifice flies resulted in a 3-0 lead. "It gives you a little less pep for the game when it starts out like that," Guthrie said. Kansas City scratched out a run in the second, only for Detroit to score three more in the fourth. Cabrera delivered the big blow with a two-out, two-run double. The floodgates finally opened in the fifth, when Hunter began a parade of 12 batters to the plate with his 12th homer of the season. Castellanos also had two hits in the inning, and everybody in the lineup besides Austin Jackson and Don Kelly reached base before the carnage was over. "Its fun," Hunter said. "You get everybody involved, this is what it can look like." Guthrie was pulled after two batters, and recently signed Royals reliever Scott Downs gave up two more runs while retiring one batter. Louis Coleman, recalled from Triple-A Omaha, gave up four more runs to cap the worst pitching performance by the Royals this season. Kansas City had previously allowed 12 runs in a loss to Toronto on May 31. "Well just throw it away and move on," Yost said. "Well just let it go.": NOTES: Coleman took the roster place of LHP Jason Vargas (appendectomy), who was placed on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon (right wrist sprain) will miss the All-Star game. He was replaced on the AL roster by Angels SS Erick Aybar. ... Tigers DH Victor Martinez (back strain) remained out of the lineup. Ausmus declined to say whether he might play in the series. ... Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez faces Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy on Friday night. Jack Ham Jersey . For Bergevin, the best pick is the 30th — which traditionally goes to the Stanley Cup winner. "Thats our goal. Jack Butler Jersey . - Andrew McCutchen went 4 for 5 and finished a home run short of a cycle, and Jordy Mercer drove in a career-high four runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. http://www.authenticsteelerspro.com/Terry-bradshaw-steelers-jersey/ .com) - Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for more than 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as Rutgers rolled past North Carolina, 40-21, in the Quick Lane Bowl. Custom Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys . Julien coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2010-11 and is the longest serving coach in consecutive seasons in the teams history. Claude is one of the top coaches in the NHL and has consistently shown a passion for winning, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Sunday in announcing the signing. Antonio Brown Jersey .com) - Eric Fehr and Marcus Johansson each registered a pair of goals, as Washington spoiled the head coaching debut of Peter Horachek by picking up a 6-2 victory in Toronto on Wednesday.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry: I was watching the Hawks-Blue Jackets game on Friday night - the game in which the Hawks scored with less than four seconds remaining to claim victory. My question concerns the face-off for that game-winning goal. Let me describe what I saw the previous play. With less than thirty seconds remaining, the puck was shot on the ice in front of the Jackets bench. Two Jacket players jumped on to the ice while two others went to the bench. The puck went just inside the Jackets zone where a Jacket defender got the puck with just over 20 seconds left. A linesman whistled down the play indicating that the Jackets had too many men on the ice and there would be a penalty with a faceoff deep in their end. As it turned out, the two referees counted the players on the ice and determined there were not too many players and NO penalty would be assigned. The face-off was still held deep in Jacket territory. The Hawks took control from the face-off and scored. My question to you is should not that face-off been held outside the Jackets blue line or at centre because the linesman blew down the play incorrectly? Since the Jackets had control of the puck when the "too many men" whistle blew, it seems to me unfair they should be penalized with the deep faceoff. Im sure the Leafs, Flyers and Devils agree with the call; however, I didnt and I am a Hawks fan. Could you please give me your take on this as I am sure it cost the Blue Jackets a very important point or two. Thanks, Doug MacLean --- Hi Doug: I have little doubt that the former Blue Jackets GM with the same name as yours would have been waiting near the officials dressing room looking for some clarification on this play as well if he still occupied thaat position.dddddddddddd The linesman clearly made an error in judgment when he determined the Blue Jackets were in violation of rule 74 - too many men on the ice - with 21.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Even though play was stopped through an officials error the face-off location in this case is determined by where the puck was last played under rule 76.2. “When the game is stopped for any reason not specifically covered in the official rules, the puck must be faced-off at a face-off spot in the zone nearest to where it was last played.” Defenceman Jack Johnson had the puck on his stick a couple of feet inside the Blue Jackets end zone when the linesman blew his whistle to stop play. As per rule 76.2 the face-off had to be conducted on the nearest end-zone face-off dot of the Blue Jackets. The only provision within the rules to relocate a face-off in the neutral zone following a linesmans error is contained in rule 81.2 - If the linesman shall have erred in calling an “icing the puck” infraction (regardless of whether either team is short-handed), the puck shall be faced-off on the center face-off dot. It is most unfortunate for the Blue Jackets that the whistle was not blown by the linesman when Jack Johnson first touched the puck when it rested on the blue line and prior to entering the defending zone. Had that been the case, the ensuing faceoff would have taken place on the neutral zone face-off dot. It might be unfair, Doug, that the Blue Jackets lost so much territorial advantage following the linesmans error but there was no option to locate the face-off in the neutral zone on this play. While the Blue Jackets did have some opportunities to get the puck out of their end zone following the face-off with 21.6 seconds remaining, I acknowledge it was a tough way for a team to lose such an important game. ' ' '