DETROIT -- Danny Duffys season has taken quite a turn for the worse over the past month.Duffy allowed six runs and was chased in the fourth inning Friday night, and the Kansas City Royals lost 8-3 to the Detroit Tigers. Detroit remained a half-game ahead of Baltimore for the second wild card in the American League.Duffy had won 10 straight decisions before allowing seven runs in a loss at Boston on Aug. 27. Hes won only once since.Duffy (12-3) allowed seven hits in 3 2/3 innings Friday. He walked four and struck out four.I cost my team a chance to win that game, Duffy said. I just didnt have it. There are going to be days like this.Michael Fulmer pitched seven sharp innings for the Tigers in his first win in over a month. Fulmer (11-7) allowed a run and eight hits, striking out nine with no walks.Justin Upton, Victor Martinez and Cameron Maybin went deep for the Tigers, who won their fifth game in a row.I think theres a little bit of a sense of urgency now, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. This is our last homestand. This is the last chance at home to try and do something in the standings, and were playing against two teams ... in Kansas City and Cleveland, we know very well. Maybe I was the only one that felt it, but I felt there was more energy.The Tigers jumped ahead right away against Duffy. The Royals made two errors in the first inning, and Uptons RBI double made it 2-0.They are fighting for their life and doing everything they have to do to be a playoff team, Duffy said. You could tell there was that kind of hunger there.Martinez and Upton each hit solo shots in the third, and Maybins two-run homer in the fourth made it 6-0.Upton has 27 homers on the season, including 14 in his last 29 games.Kansas City has lost nine of its last 12.DISPUTED CHALLENGEKansas Citys only run off Fulmer came after replay overturned the second out of an apparent double play, which would have ended the top of the sixth. Ausmus complained to the umpires, saying the Royals had waited too long before challenging.I said I wanted to protest, which, even going into it, when I said it, I knew instant replay wasnt protestable, Ausmus said.After the review revived the rally, Paulo Orlando hit an RBI single.ON THE BORDERLINEFulmer is the ALs ERA leader at 2.95 -- his 155 2/3 innings are enough to qualify at this point. Hell need to throw 6 1/3 more to qualify for the title at the end of the season.The Tigers have taken steps to limit his workload, and this latest start was a positive sign.I thought Fulmer was really on top of his game, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Really good fastball, down in the zone, really good slider, really good changeup.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Kansas City C Salvador Perez sat out with what Yost described as a very minor knee issue.UP NEXTRoyals: Kansas City sends RHP Yordano Ventura (11-11) to the mound for Saturdays game at Detroit. Ventura is coming off a complete game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.Tigers: Detroit starts LHP Daniel Norris (3-2) in the middle game of this series.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Nike Vapormax Canada . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Cheap Nike Vapormax . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. http://www.cheapvapormaxcanada.com/ .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. Cheap Vapormax Canada . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Cheap Nike Vapormax Wholesale . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. SAN FRANCISCO -- Ronnie Boyce scored a career-high 28 points, Remu Raitanen made a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left, and San Francisco held on to beat Illinois-Chicago 82-80 on Friday night.Boyce was 11 of 19 from the field and made four 3-pointers. Nate Renfro had 12 points, and Chase Foster chipped in eight points and grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds.Dikembe Dixson had 15 points to lead UIC. Godwin Boahen and Tai Odiase added 12 points apiece.The Dons hadd a seven-point lead with about four minutes left.dddddddddddd UIC used a 13-6 run, capped by Dixsons 3-pointer, to tie it 80-80 with 56 seconds remaining. After Raitanens free throws, the Flames missed three shots on their next possession.Renfro missed a pair of free throws with four seconds left, and Boahen missed a layup at the buzzer. ' ' '
