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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Just about the only thing that Justin Maxwell knew about the Kansas City Royals when he showed up to the ballpark Wednesday was that they were in the playoff hunt. Turns out thats precisely why the Royals wanted him. With an eye on the post-season for the first time in a decade, the Royals traded minor league pitcher Kyle Smith to the Houston Astros to acquire the speedy Maxwell, giving them a right-handed bat to help balance out the lineup for the stretch run. "It was definitely a surprise. I was on my way to the ballpark and (Astros GM) Jeff (Luhnow) gave me a call with the news," Maxwell said. "I dont really know much about Kansas City, but Im excited. Its a team in the wild-card hunt, or at least thats what Ive been told." Maxwell was expected to join the Royals in time for the series finale Thursday in Minnesota. Kansas City will have to make a corresponding roster move then. Kansas City had won seven straight entering Wednesday nights game at Minnesota, climbing above .500 and positioning itself to play meaningful baseball in August for the first time since 2003, when the club finished 83-79 for its only winning season since 1993. Still, the Royals were 7 1/2 games out of first place, so there was just as much speculation that theyd be sellers at the trade deadline as chatter about picking up some help. "I just think everybodys excited with the way theyre playing. I think everybody to a man has confidence in everybody on this team, and a little bit of help helps," Yost said after the deadline passed. "I think they feel as a group what weve got here is enough to compete with." Right-hander Ervin Santana was the name brought up most often in trade rumours. Hes in the final year of his contract and could be too costly for the Royals in free agency, especially after a resurgent season. Santana is 7-6 with a career-best 3.03 ERA. Santana had made it clear that he wanted to remain with the Royals, though, and even counted down the minutes on Twitter until the 4 p.m. EDT trade deadline had passed. "Yessssssss!!!!!!," Santana tweeted afterward. "Lets go get em!!!!!" Well, the Royals will go get em with a new outfielder to help out. They were seeking a right-handed outfielder prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and at least on paper achieved their goal. Maxwell is hitting just .214 with two homers and eight RBIs in 40 games this season, but hes hitting .302 against left-handed pitchers. Yost said hed play him at any of the outfield spots but mostly off the bench as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. Maxwell fits the bill for relatively cheap, too: Hes making $492,500 if he spends the entire season in the majors, and the Royals will have him under control through 2016. "I definitely enjoyed my experience here in Houston. It was my first extended time in the big leagues," Maxwell said. "I had a lot of fun this year and last year, met a lot of great guys on this team. I just wish them all the best." In return for Maxwell, the Astros picked up 20-year-old Smith, a fourth-round pick of Kansas City in the 2011 amateur draft. Hes 5-4 with a 2.85 ERA at Class-A Wilmington this season. Maxwells career has so far been filled with more downs than ups. He broke into the big leagues as a 23-year-old with the Nationals in 2007, but only played in 108 games over the next three seasons. He was traded to the Yankees in 2011 and then claimed off waivers by Houston, where hes spent the past two seasons. Maxwell hit 18 homers and 53 RBIS last season, and the Astros were hopeful of a late-career breakout this season. But he broke his hand while getting hit by a pitch in late April, and then sustained a concussion in late June while trying to make a diving catch. "The season didnt go the way I wanted it to," Maxwell said, "but I still have a chance to finish it out strong and thats what Im looking to do now." While hes expected to share time with David Lough in right field, Maxwell could become even more valuable if the Royals are without centre fielder Lorenzo Cain for an extended period of time. Cain hurt his left groin on Saturday. Acheter Des Yeezy En Ligne . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Pas Cher Yeezy Boost 750 . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. http://www.siteyeezypascher.fr/basket-nmd-pas-cher-chine.html Grossiste Yeezy . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Basket Yeezy Pas Cher . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. The San Diego Chargers visit the Kansas City Chiefs in a division matchup that could jump-start either teams season.The Chiefs swept the Chargers last year, winning both games, though the weather looks to be better this weekend than the last time these teams met at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs beat the Chargers in Kansas City, 10-3, but the game was played in a torrential downpour. The running attacks of both teams needed to be good last year and both will be looking to control the football in this contest as well. That might not be as easy for the Chiefs as they would have liked.The Chiefs running game ended the 2015 campaign in solid shape even though four-time Pro-Bowl running back Jamaal Charles was on the shelf with a torn ACL in his right knee. The injury happened in Week 5, so many in the organization thought Charles would be ready to play in the 2016 opener. Those plans may be tempered against the Chargers on Sunday.Charles will likely miss the season-opening game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday.Hes probably not going to play, Reid told reporters when talking about his running back.The Chiefs kept four running backs on the 53-man active roster with Charles still ailing. The tandem of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware held up their end of the bargain in 2015. The running backs combined for 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns.The Chiefs kept Knile Davis, primarily a kickoff returner, as the fourth tailback as insurance in case Charles is not healthy enough to play against the Chargers.Ware is the likely starter with West and Davis also available.Theyll all play, Reid said. We have some personnel groupings so well see how that goes. You could probably say that (Ware will start) but it depends on the personnel groups so dont hold me accountable.The Chargers have a new-look defensive line to take on those running backs. The Chargers first-round selection in the 2016 draft was defensive end Joey Bosa, and his defensive linemates will be tasked with trying to contain the Chiefs running attack.Bosa started practice this week with his leg wrapped, observing from the sideline, and is not expected to play.The starting nod goes to second-year defensive end Darius Philon. The former Arkansas Razorback is powerful with his hands and is strong at the point of attack. Philon is solid against the run when lined up next to nose tackle Brandon Mebane. Since the Chargers run a 3- 4 basee defense, the nose tackle position is critical to eat up the blocks of the center and at least one of the offensive guards.dddddddddddd That is a talent at which Mebane excels.With Mebane occupying two blockers, this should free up starting inside linebackers Manti Teo and Denzel Perryman to have clear paths to the Chiefs ball carriers. If Teo and Perryman fill the running lanes and tackle with force, the Chargers should be able to force the Chiefs into passing the football more than they would like.Thats where Bosa enters the picture. The Chargers lacked consistent pressure on quarterbacks in 2015. Bosa, along with outside linebackers Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu or Kyle Emanuel, will be rushing the edges against free-agent right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and newly-paid left tackle Eric Fisher. The revamped offensive line must keep quarterback Alex Smith clean in the pocket. The pass rushers of the Chargers hope this offensive line is as leaky as last years when the front five gave up 45 sacks on the season. Bosa, Ingram, Attaochu and Emanuel must get to Smith in the backfield if the Chargers hope to win the game.Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has never lacked confidence. Even with the Chargers coming off a 4-12 campaign and not winning a single AFC West contest, the signal-caller still believes in his squad.We believe in here that we can go from the very bottom to winning the division, said Rivers about the teams plan to rebound from a year ago.The difference must begin with Rivers and a much-maligned offense. This was an offense that was so poor in 2015 that most of the offensive staff was fired.Newly installed offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt needs to find a way to protect Rivers and establish a running game with Melvin Gordon. A 2015 rookie who had a very productive college career at Wisconsin, Gordon has yet to score a NFL touchdown or even rush for 100 yards in a game.Rivers has a new pass-catcher in wide receiver Travis Benjamin to complement Keenan Allen. This duo needs to be active outside the hash marks against the young cornerbacks of the Chiefs. Both Steven Nelson and Marcus Peters are second-year players who are aggressive, but can be beaten deep. Phillip Gaines is also expected to see time at cornerback opposite Peters. ' ' '