KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Manager Ned Yosts faith in Bruce Chen paid off for the Kansas City Royals. Chen worked five innings and Salvador Perez doubled home two runs and the Royals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 on Wednesday night. The Royals, who have not made the playoffs since 1985, are 2 1/2 games back in the wild-card standings, while the Indians are a half-game behind. "I felt really good about Bruce being on the hill for us," Yost said. "I just felt his veteran experience was going to be crucial in a big game like this. My mindset was to get him through the lineup twice and if we had any lead at all, to do some manoeuvring. "A game of this magnitude you dont play around. Weve got 10 games left. You dont play (around) with 10 games left especially when they are this big. You get it out of the way and then you worry about tomorrow tomorrow." Yost did some bullpen manoeuvring to keep the lead. "Every single game is a must win," Chen said. "Were behind. Were trying to catch up. The bullpen did an outstanding job. We have the best bullpen in the American League." Chen was pulled in the sixth after giving up a single to Michael Bourn and walking Nick Swisher to lead off the inning. "He does what he does," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Chen. "Hes up, down, in, out. Nothing the same speed. He takes the sting out of your bat. He really knows how to pitch." Francisley Bueno replaced Chen and recorded two outs with three pitches. After Jeff Kipnis advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Bueno kept the runners put when Carlos Santana grounded out to third baseman Mike Moustakas. Louis Coleman came in and retired Ryan Raburn on a fly to right to strand the runners. Royals relievers Tim Collins, Will Smith and Greg Holland preserved the lead, allowing just one hit, to keep the teams playoff chances alive. The Royals broke the game open with three runs off four Indians pitchers in the eighth. Alcides Escobar had a two-run single on a full-count off Carlos Carrasco, while Jarrod Dyson walked with the bases loaded. "The last at-bat, thats one of my best at-bats of the year," Escobar said. "I was just trying to put ball in play, ground ball, fly ball, anywhere. I was really concentrating. I was trying to put the ball in play and got the base hit." Rookie Danny Salazar (1-3), who had allowed just one run in 13 2-3 innings in his first three September starts, took the loss, giving up four runs and six hits in six innings. The Royals jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first with Perezs two-out double, scoring Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler. Perez went to third on the throw home and scored on a Salazar wild pitch. The Indians scored a pair of runs in the third. Yan Gomes came home after centre fielder Dyson had trouble picking up Michael Brantleys double. Brantley wound up scoring on Bourns sacrifice fly. The Royals used a double steal in the fifth for their fourth run. Escobar avoided the tag of catcher Gomes to steal home, while Alex Gordon, who was initially caught in a rundown, stole second. Escobar became the first Royal to steal home since Jeff Francoeur on Aug. 11, 2012, at Baltimore. "I was kind of looking to take him back to third base and peaked (at the other runner) and when I did that he kind of dropped and went under my tag," Gomes said. Notes: The Royals recalled LHP Chris Dwyer, who allowed one single and struck out eight in seven scoreless innings for Omaha in the Triple-A 2-1 championship victory over Durham on Tuesday, and IF Irving Falu, who hit .256 in 135 games with the Storm Chasers. Falu was with Kansas City for one day, Aug. 11, but was optioned back to Omaha the next day without playing. ... Indians RHP Justin Masterson, a 14-game winner who is out with an oblique strain, threw 120 feet in long toss and made 20 to 25 pitches off flat ground. ... The Indians won the season series from the Royals for the ninth time in 10 years. Dave Kingman Cubs Jersey . -- C.J. Wilson parked his car and laughed while signing autographs for faceless fans who handed bats, balls and cards to the pitcher from the other side of a brick wall. Mark Prior Cubs Jersey . No, the San Antonio star didnt announce retirement plans during an off day at the NBA Finals on Wednesday. https://www.cheapcubs.com/2540t-lee-smith-jersey-cubs.html . Fans holding laudatory signs started showing up at Yankee Stadium when the gates opened at 4 p.m. Monday, an hour early in order to give them a chance to watch the New York captain take batting practice. Jody Davis Cubs Jersey .The Williams siblings, with 25 Grand Slam titles between them, will have a couple of Madisons joining them, too.Madison Keys had a 6-4, 7-5 upset win over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Saturday night, and Madison Brengle beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-2 in an all-U. John Lackey Jersey .com) - Theres nothing better for a team than to send out the staff ace in the most important game of the season.PHILADELPHIA -- Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon kept everyone guessing right up to his announcement to open Fridays NHL draft. "We proudly select, with the first pick overall of the 2014 NHL draft from the Ontario Hockey League," Tallon told a feisty full house at Wells Fargo Arena. And then he paused for dramatic effect. "Aaron Ekblad," Tallon finally pronounced. "I did not know. I was freaking out there for a second when he stopped," said Ekblad, a normally unflappable 18-year-old defenceman from Belle River, Ont., seen as perhaps the most NHL-ready player in the draft pool. "It was breath-taking to say the least." Said a straight-faced Tallon: "I thought we were in show-business. This is entertainment isnt it?" "I made Ekblad sweat a little," he added. With Kingston Frontenacs forward Sam Bennett ranked No. 1 ahead of Ekblad among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, there was Ontario competition for the top pick. Bennett eventually went fourth to the Calgary Flames. Kootenay Ice centre Sam Reinhart went second to the Buffalo Sabres and Prince Albert Raiders forward Leon Draisaitl was selected third by the Edmonton Oilers. Draisaitl becomes the highest-drafted German-born player in NHL history. Previously that honour was held by Marcel Goc, taken 20th overall by San Jose in 2001. Tallon had two "really substantial" offers for his pick, but elected to stick with the big Barrie Colts blue-liner. "We decided at noon we were going to go this way," he said. Ekblad, who spent three seasons with the Colts, is seen as a potential franchise defenceman who is ahead of many of his fellow juniors in terms of size, strength and maturity. The teenager with Hollywood good looks feels he can help the Panthers in the fall. "Ive said that from the very beginning that I believe in myself and Im confident," he said. "I think if you dont believe in yourself and youre not confident, youre putting yourself behind the eight-ball right off the bat. I believe that if I work hard this summer, I can really step into the NHL next year. Obviously Im going to need a lot of help and its going to be a learning curve, but again Im confident in myself." The six-foot-three 216-pound Ekblad, granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada to enter the OHL at just 15, had 23 goals, 30 assists and 91 penalty minutes in 58 games last season. Ekblad says he plays "strong responsible defence" while trying to contribute on offence. He is the 13th defenceman to go first overall in the draft and the first since 2006 when St. Louis took Erik Johnson. The Panthers (29-45-8) won the draft lottery ahead of Buffalo (21-51-10) to kick off the draft for the first time since 1994 when they selected defenceman Ed Jovanovski, now 38 and on his second stint in south Florida. Florida also won the draft lottery in 2002 and 2003, but traded away the pick both years. There was a run on blue-liners in the 90s with Roman Hamrlik (1992, Tampa Bay), Jovanovski (1994, Florida), Bryan Berard (1995, Ottawa) and Chris Phillips (1996, Ottawa) all going first overall. The Panthers will be hoping to repeat the success of Colorado last year with the first pick. Centre Nathan MacKinnon jumped directly to the NHL from the Halifax Mooseheads, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie along the way.dddddddddddd After Bennett, Oshawa Generals winger Michael Dal Colle went to the New York Islanders and Calgary Hitmen winger Jake Virtanen became a Vancouver Canuck. Red Deer defenceman Haydn Fleury was chosen seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, ahead of Modo forward William Nylander (Toronto), Halifax winger Nikolaj Ehlers (Winnipeg) and Peterborough winger Nick Ritchie (Anaheim in a pick obtained earlier from Ottawa). Ehlers becomes the second-highest drafted Danish-born player in NHL history after Mikkel Boedker, picked eighth overall by Phoenix in 2008. The Canucks selected Sault Ste. Marie centre Jared McCann with the 24th overall pick and the Montreal Canadiens took Russian winger Nikita Scherbak of the Saskatoon Blades with the 26th selection. Ottawa did not have a first-round pick, having traded it to Anaheim in the Bobby Ryan deal. After Fridays first round, there will be six more rounds Saturday. Apart from Tallons cheeky delay at the mic, there were few other surprises. The top names all went high. Ekblad was ranked second among draft prospects by the International Scouting Services, which had Reinhart No. 1. Reinhart, an 18-year-old from North Vancouver, is seen as an elite playmaker with good skating and puck skills. The six-foot-one 185-pounder, named WHL player of the year in 2013-14, has true hockey bloodlines. Brother Max was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round (63rd overall) in the 2010 draft, while brother Griffin was chosen fourth overall by the Islanders in 2012. Father Paul, a 12th-round draft pick of the Atlanta Flames in 1979, played 11 NHL seasons with the Flames and Canucks. The crowd at Wells Fargo Center started a "Lets Go Flyers" chant before the opening roll call of teams. Every other team was greeted with the word "Sucks" as their name was announced -- with the exception of Pittsburgh and Boston, who drew deafening boos. Comcast president Dave Scott, head of the company that owns the Flyers, congratulated the Los Angeles Kings on winning the Stanley Cup -- and defeating the rival Rangers in the final. The feisty crowd loved the kicker. Commissioner Gary Bettman was booed long and loud when he took the stage. "I love your passion," said the unflappable commissioner. The crowd kept booing and Bettman kept up the one-liners as the evening wore on. The Canucks stole much of the pre-draft thunder earlier Friday, sending centre Ryan Kesler to Anaheim and defenceman Jason Garrison to Tampa Bay while acquiring forward Derek Dorsett from the Rangers. For Ekblad, it was "by far the longest day of my entire life." But it ended well. He is the sixth OHL player drafted No. 1 overall in the last eight years, following in the footsteps of Patrick Kane, Steve Stamkos, John Tavares, Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov. NOTES: The 30 players selected in the first round were born in 10 different countries: Canada (14), United States (five), Czech Republic (two), Finland (two), Russia (two), Denmark (one), England (one), Germany (one), Sweden (one) and Switzerland (one) ... Eight of the first 10 overall picks, including all of the first seven, came from the Ontario Hockey League or Western Hockey League. Ehlers (ninth overall) was the only one from the QMJHL. ' ' '