e it was a little bit of a mistake because I had a very fast tire in t

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Trevor Bauer was already in a foul mood when he learned he would start the Cleveland Indians first game of the AL Division Series on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox.After giving up two runs and three hits in the sixth inning of the Indians 6-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, Bauer was told by manager Terry Francona in the dugout he would start the postseason opener.I told him why I was taking him out -- because he was going to start Game 1, Francona said. But he was kind of in the middle of beating up the dugout. So much for that feel-good moment.Bauer threw 96 pitches, tuning up for the postseason by striking out nine over six innings of three-run ball.I have a lot of confidence in my teammates and hopefully they have confidence in me, Bauer said. It should be fun. Like I said before, they tell me when to pitch and I go out there and pitch. Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, or whatever, theyre all important.Cy Young Award candidate Corey Kluber will pitch Game 2 on Friday after throwing a bullpen session Sunday. Kluber has not pitched since leaving a start Monday with a quadriceps injury.Hell throw an extended side on Tuesday, which will line him up for Friday, Francona said. Klub really wanted to pitch Thursday. Weve been talking about it for three or four days, but I just kind of overruled him.In fact, I know its the right thing for everybody. I dont think its fair for Kluber to have him sit for 10 days and have him pitch two games in four days (possibly in the postseason). He certainly wanted to. I kind of -- again not just me -- but talking to everybody -- I just took it out of his hands. Now he can prepare for Game 2. He can do that without the anxiety and worry or rushing.Francisco Lindor hit a two-out two-run double during an eighth-inning rally, helping the Indians beat Kansas City.All three Indians runs in the eighth were unearned after second baseman Whit Merrifields error on pinch-hitter Abraham Almontes grounder, which allowed Rajai Davis to score with one out.Royals rookie left-hander Matt Strahm (2-2) issued Davis a leadoff walk and Davis stole second, his AL-leading 43rd steal.Walks killed us, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Four runs scored off of walks. That got us a little bit.Kevin McCarthy replaced Strahm and walked the bases loaded before Lindors double over third base.Mike Clevinger (3-3) won for the AL Central champs by retiring the only two batters he faced. Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 31st save in 34 opportunities.Tyler Naquin singled home Coco Crisp in the second for the Indians first run. Lonnie Chisenhall tripled in the third and scored on Edinson Volquezs wild pitch. Chisenhalls sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Lindor, putting the Indians up 3-1.Bauer yielded two runs in the sixth on successive doubles by Kendrys Morales and Paulo Orlando to lead off and Alcides Escobars RBI single. Merrifields two-out single in the third scored Drew Butera for the first run off Bauer.Volquez finished the season winless in his final seven starts. He was charged with three runs, five hits, four walks and a hit batter over five innings. It could have been Volquezs final Royals start as he is eligible for free agency after the season.I hope not, Volquez said. You have to wait until the World Series and see what happens.UNSUAL BACK-TO-BACKCarlos Santana doubled and tripled in back-to-back games. The last Indian to accomplish that was Ordell Hale on July 19 and 21, 1936. Santana has tripled in consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 15-16, 2012 against Detroit.TRAINERS ROOMIndians: RHP Danny Salazar could throw a simulated game Monday. He has been idle since Sept. 9 with a forearm strain.Royals: All-Star C Salvador Perez was not in the lineup for the third straight game because of a sore knee and hamstring strain. ... RHP Dillon Gee, who was treated for two blood clots after pitching Sept. 25, tweeted, Got the blood clot out of my vein. Another step done, on to the next one!!UP NEXTIndians: RHP Josh Tomlin will start the season finale on six days of rest.Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy has failed to complete six innings in four of his past seven starts. Ersan Ilyasova Bucks Jersey .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. Frank Mason Jersey . -- 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. https://www.bucksrookiesshop.com/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Donte DiVincenzo Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. Glenn Robinson Bucks Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. RIO DE JANEIRO -- It took Swiss mountain biker Nino Schurter eight years to climb all the way up the Olympic podium, a slow ascent that was at times frustrating, heartbreaking and infuriating.He finally reached the top step Sunday.Schurter pulled away from reigning champion Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic on the penultimate lap and rode solo to the finish, adding a gold medal to the silver he won at the 2012 London Games and the bronze he captured at the 2008 Beijing Games.I worked hard to complete my medal collection, Schurter said. My story is now perfect.The top two steps of the podium were a reversal of the finish from London, when Kulhavy overtook his biggest rival on the final section of turns at Hadleigh Farm.Schurter broke down in tears that day, so close to achieving his Olympic dream.Now looking back on London, he said, I think it had to be silver there. I worked hard to get stronger and better and Im really happy and satisfied.Schurter and Kulhavy worked together to establish a gap on the rest of the field over the mountain bike course, turned in some places to a quagmire by overnight rain. But the Swiss superstar and reigning world champion was able to up the tempo when it mattered the most.Schurter covered the seven-lap, 34-kilometer course in 1 hour, 33 minutes, 28 seconds. Kulhavy was 50 seconds back while Carlos Coloma of Spain was another 33 seconds adrift to take bronze.This was the most important moment of my career, Coloma said. I had perfect preparation. I had self-confidence. And this is a dream come true.Five-time world champion Julien Absalon of France, who intends to retire after this season, was eighth. World road race champion Peter Sagan had two flat tires and finished out of contention.Sagan decided to ride off road in Rio after scouting the climb-heavy road course and realizing it did not suit his strengths. But the decision earlier this year meant he only had time to squeeze in a couple of mountain bike races, leaving him ranked No. 900 in the world.That also meant he started with the final bib number in the very bacck of the pack.ddddddddddddJust like he did in laying waste to a small race in Wyoming a couple of weeks ago, part of his post-Tour de France training plan, Sagan immediately went to the front of the field.His power came in handy given the conditions.The rain tapered off an hour before the start left, but it left the winding, technical course in the Deodoro neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro a soggy mess. Riders had to dismount and push their bikes over a few particularly slick climbs, slipping and sliding as if they were on ice.Some riders lamented they did not adjust their setup to the conditions.My bike was the same as yesterday, Kulhavy said, but maybe it was a little bit of a mistake because I had a very fast tire in the rear and I had a problem with the muddy hills.Sagans chances ultimately were ruined when his front tire went flat at the start of the second lap. He began working his way back through the field again only for his back tire to go flat.Hardly the only rider to puncture on the stone-strewn course, Sagan finished in 35th place.The race began to string out by the third of seven laps. Schurter and Kulhavy were never more than a few feet apart, the reigning Olympic champ and world champ clearly the strongest riders in the field. Coloma hung with them for a while before slowly losing ground.Absalon was two minutes down by the sixth lap, his chances of another gold medal gone.It was about that point that Schurter finally shook Kulhavy from his rear wheel, dropping the Czech champion with some daring riding on the tricky descents. He was 44 seconds clear at the start of the final lap, all alone on a course jammed with fans.By the final straightaway, Schurter was all alone.Eight years of so many close calls had been wiped away in less than two hours, Schurter at last allowed to step to the top of the podium and hear the Swiss national anthem.Im just really happy, he said. Really satisfied with my whole medal collection. ' ' '