To me it has just been on the defensive end. W

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rougned Odor homered twice, and A.J. Griffin also went a little deeper for the Texas Rangers.Odor hit a ball into the second deck of seats for the second game in a row, along with another solo shot that just cleared the wall, and Griffin had his longest outing in seven starts since coming off the disabled list in the Rangers 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.I felt like that was a big step. I made a little adjustment in my delivery. I was more direct to the target, said Griffin, who was out of the majors the past two seasons after Tommy John surgery. Two years off from pitching is a long time. It caught up with me a little bit. I feel like I am getting that second wind. My shoulders responding a lot better with each outing.Griffin (4-1) is the only Texas starter other than All-Star lefty Cole Hamels with a win in July.The right-hander has been back just over a month from the disabled list, getting sidelined by right shoulder stiffness after going 3-1 in six starts through the first week of May. He struck out one and walked two while throwing 66 of 98 pitches for strikes in 5 2/3 innings.Probably the best hes used the up-to-down game, manager Jeff Banister said. The high fastball, low fastball, cutter, not really focusing on one location at the plate.Jurickson Profar also homered for the AL West-leading Rangers, and scored three runs.Odors solo homer in the first put Texas up 3-0 against Edinson Volquez (8-9). That 443-foot drive into the second deck in right field came a night after Odors 465-footer that is the longest in his career. His 21st homer, in the seventh, barely cleared the 8-foot wall in right.I dont try to hit homers, but if I hit it I feel good, Odor said.Eric Hosmer homered for the defending World Series champion Royals, who dropped to 10 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central. It is the first time Kansas City, also the AL champion in 2014, has been 10 games back in the division since a 10 1/2-game deficit on Aug. 31, 2013.Offense has been sporadic. Its just been tough. You just come to the ballpark the next day ready to find a way to win a game, manager Ned Yost said. Keep grinding away. ... Your mindset is theres a couple months left of baseball to play.FROM NONE TO SOMETexas loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth without scoring, but Profar and Nomar Mazara had consecutive doubles to start the fifth. An inning later, Profar hit his fifth homer of the season.HOSMER HOMERAfter Lorenzo Cain was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth, Hosmer snapped an 0-for-14 slump with his 14th homer. That got the Royals within 5-2 and chased Griffin.SHORT HOPSVolquez allowed nine hits and six runs while striking out five in six innings. .. Reliever Dario Alvarez made his Rangers debut, two days after coming in a trade from Atlanta. The lefty allowed singles to the only two batters he faced to start the seventh. ... Veteran RHP Kyle Lohse, who allowed 13 runs in 9 1/3 innings while losing both of his Texas starts, declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and became a free agent.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Cain played for the first time since June 28 after missing 25 games because of a left hamstring strain. He was reactivated from the disabled list, and rookie OF Brett Eibner was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. ... RHP Luke Hochevar (thoracic outlet syndrome) will get a second opinion Monday from another specialist in Kansas City after a Dallas specialist on Friday recommended season-ending surgery.Rangers: Slugger Prince Fielders season-ending surgery Friday to repair a herniated disk in his neck went as expected. ... LHP Derek Holland, on the 60-day DL with left shoulder inflammation and not eligible to come back before Aug. 20, said he wasnt tired after throwing a 42-pitch bullpen session. He is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Ian Kennedy (6-9) is 0-3 in five starts this month. He is also 0-2 in three career starts against the Rangers.Rangers: Lefty Martin Perez (7-7) was 4-0 in five starts in June, but goes into his sixth start in July still without a win. Hes 0-3 this month, and has allowed 29 runs (22 earned) his last four starts. Phillies Jerseys 2020 . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Philadelphia Phillies Gear . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/ . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Philadelphia Phillies Pro Shop . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. Fake Phillies Jerseys . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. MONTREAL -- Milos Raonic feels that things may finally be looking up. The big-serving Canadian, who is adjusting to a new coach and a more aggressive style, was never in trouble in second-round action Wednesday at the mens Rogers Cup as he downed Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-4 just before torrents of rain crashed down on Uniprix Stadium. It was the first time since May the lanky right-hander put two wins together, and the victory was much more decisive than his three-set win over Jeremy Chardy in the opening round of the US$3.49-million hardcourt event. "You sort of keep working away," said Raonic, who hired Ivan Ljubicic to replace Galo Blanco as his coach in May. "You keep hoping you get closer and closer to this. "The thing is, I felt like I was getting closer definitely on the practice court, I just wasnt really doing it in the matches." The Thornhill, Ont., product has maintained a career-high 13th spot in world rankings despite a 7-7 record over the last three months. Raonic will play Juan Del Potro in the round of 16 on Thursday after the No. 6 seed defeated Ivan Dodig 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a match that went past midnight local time because of a rain delay. Raonic, whose match with Youzhny was also delayed by rain, will get the chance to test himself against an elite player and see where his makeover to a more attacking style stands. Youzhny, a winner two weeks ago in Gstaad, ended a six-match winning streak. "The pieces are sort of coming together," said Raonic. "I still made a few errors in some critical situations where I wouldnt want to, but mostly I played clean. "I think if I keep working away, those little pieces will come together better and those errors will disappear. I know I can still do much better. Obviously, when the opportunities arise against top guys, thats where Im really going to try to push myself to show the best of myself. But I still know theres a lot of steps I need to take." Wednesday night also saw the biggest upset of the tournament so far with Alex Bogomolov Jr. defeating third-seeded David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4. Bogomolov sits a full 80 spots below Ferrer in the ATP rankings at No. 83. Raonic and Canadas second-highest ranked player, No. 71 Vasek Pospisil, were the only Canadians to reach the round of 16 as Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., Filip Peliwo of Vancouver and Jesse Levine of Ottawa all lost. Pospisil, of Vernon, B.C., downed Radek Stepanek 6-2, 6-4 on a day that also saw Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal both return to action. Murray, in his first match since his stirring victory at Wimbledon in June, shook off some rust and battled a swirling wind to down Marcel Granollers 6-4, 7-6 (2) on centre court. The Scotsman won his 13th straight match, including his victories at Wimbledon, where be became the first mens champion from Britain in 77 years. On Thursday, Murray will face Ernests Gulbis, who beat Fabio Fognini 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. Murray is 5-0 against Gulbis in his career. "I was pretty nervous beforehand -- that was a good sign," said Murray. "Im pretty ready to move forward and not think too much about Wimbledon and concentrate on the U.S. Open. "I think in some ways, its nice. Ill probably never feel that same pressure again. Thats why I was nervous today. Thats why Im really happy. It wasnt my best tennis, but the nerves were there and thats a good sign.dddddddddddd" A two-time Rogers Cup champion, Nadal was also back on court for the first time since Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round. The Spaniard, who arrived a week early to work on his hardcourt game, made short work of Levine in a 6-2, 6-0 win. "Im pleased about the victory, first thing," said Nadal, who is seeded fourth. "After seven weeks without playing a match, starting in a very tough tournament on a fast court, to be through to the third round is good." Levine made nine double faults, which he put down to soreness in his elbow that he hopes will be cleared up before the U.S. Open at the end of August. "He really doesnt let you go," Levine said of Nadal, who has won both of their meetings. "Once he gets you under wrap, youre in trouble. Its tough." Peliwo fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to Denis Istomin. The 2012 Wimbledon and U.S. Open junior champion had posted his first Rogers Cup win in the first round over Jarkko Nieminen. He was disappointed to lose, but was pleased he was able to compete with top ATP Tour players. "To be able to keep up with these guys, have chances to beat them, its a great feeling," said Peliwo. "Theres definitely a lot of confidence, a lot of positives to take from these matches. "Its something to build on for the weeks and the months to come." Istomin takes on two-time defending champion and top seed Novak Djokovic in the round of 16. Nadal will next face 15th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz, who outlasted Dancevic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Pospisils next match will be a first meeting with fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych, who beat Alexander Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-4. Pospisils No. 71 ranking will rise from this weeks performance after reaching the third round of a Masters series tournament for the first time. "Everything is going very well for me, indeed," the 23-year-old said. "But this is thanks to the hard work Ive been doing. "It is paying off right now. Everything is falling into place. The goal I had set for myself for the end of this year was, at best, to be top 50. But later, because I had been sick (a bout of mono early in the year), I thought I could try for top-70." Pospisil looked to be cruising when he took a 5-2 second-set lead with his fifth service break of the match but then lost on his own serve. He made no mistakes on his next service game, taking all four points. Pospisil, still heavy in the legs from a victory in a Challenger series event in Vancouver on Sunday followed by an overnight flight to Montreal, scored his first win over a top-20 opponent Tuesday when he ousted John Isner. "My match against John maybe rates higher in terms of the moment itself, but this is the first time I ever reached the third round here, or at a Masters or anything like that," he said. "Just knowing that Im improving, going in the right direction with my game gives me confidence. Things are very clear for me at the moment, so Ill just keep working in that direction and see where that will take me." Pospisil was among a record five Canadians to reach the second round. Elsewhere, qualifier Marinko Matosevic caught a break when his 10th-seeded opponent Tommy Haas retired during the first set with a shoulder injury. Matosevic will play Benoit Paire, who ousted eighth-seeded Stanislas Wawinka 6-2, 7-6 (2). ' ' '