and Danny Valencia reportedly scuffled out of re and Danny Valencia reportedly scuffled out of re | Forum

ALLEN PARK, Mich. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China . -- The Detroit Lions are alone in first place, and their top competitors in the NFC North have been floundering.Its an opportunity for the Lions to win their first division title since 1993 -- but their outlook could change awfully quickly if the next few weeks go badly.Confidence is building, but one thing we know about the league is, it will humble you, defensive lineman Kerry Hyder said.The Lions play three of their next four games on the road, starting this weekend at New Orleans. With road games against the New York Giants and Dallas also coming up, there are plenty of potential pitfalls awaiting a Detroit team that is in this position only because of its success in close games.The Lions (7-4) havent had a game decided by more than seven points all season. Theyve won enough of them to take a one-game lead over Minnesota in the division, and Detroit has the tiebreaker over the Vikings after sweeping them. But the Lions have room for improvement in all phases.Like anything else in our system, we can get better, coach Jim Caldwell said. We can get better defensively. We can get better offensively. We can get better in our kicking game.Detroit has had its share of chances recently to end its division title drought. In 2011, the Lions won their first five games, but they finished 10-6, well behind Green Bay. In 2013, the Lions were 6-3 and in sole possession of first place. The Packers were dealing with major injury problems, but Detroit lost six of its last seven games, costing coach Jim Schwartz his job.The following season, the Lions went 11-5 but lost a showdown at Green Bay in a regular-season finale that decided the division.Detroit has won six of its last seven after beating Minnesota on Thanksgiving , and the Vikings have dropped five of six. Green Bay is below .500. If the Lions win two of their remaining five games, that might be enough to keep them in first place. They have home games against Chicago and Green Bay still to come.The road games will be tough, though, starting with Sunday at New Orleans.Obviously Drew (Brees) has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league for a long time, pretty prolific. Those guys have been together, Caldwell said. Hes been in the same system.The Saints (5-6) arent in great shape in the playoff race, but unlike Minnesota, New Orleans has been playing fairly well lately . The Saints have won five of eight since an 0-3 start.New Orleans has scored at least 32 points in six of its 11 games. Detroit has reached that total only once.They have a powerful offense, Hyder said. They can run the ball well, they can throw the ball deep well. As a defense, weve got to bring our lunch pails.Game notes TE Brandon Pettigrew, who tore his left anterior cruciate ligament late last year and hasnt played at all this season, spoke for a bit in the locker room Monday. He did not rule out the possibility of returning this weekend. Well see where it goes. Im not going to say for certain, he said. ... The Lions signed TE Logan Thomas to the practice squad and released LB Brandon Chubb from the practice squad.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. Cheap Soccer Jerseys .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Having battled three tough games with the American League East leaders and with a four-game war with the Wests best coming up later this week, the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians got a breather in a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics that begins Monday night.Right-hander Carlos Carrasco will seek to improve upon his already impressive road numbers when he duels As rookie Andrew Triggs in the series opener.The Indians arrive in Oakland having won eight of their last 11, including two of three in a tense series with the Blue Jays over the weekend.All three games were decided by one run, with the Indians gaining the upper hand Sunday on Jose Ramirezs two-run homer in the eighth inning.Ramirez is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He has reached base at least once in 27 straight games, during which hes hit .377.For whatever reasons, hes able to come through in those spots more often than not, Indians pitcher Corey Kluber gushed of Ramirez after Sundays dramatics. I dont think theres anyone else wed rather have up in that situation.And theres nobody the Indians would rather have pitching on the road than Carrasco. Hes 5-3 away from home with a 1.97 ERA thats second-best in the AL (to Texas Cole Hamels 1.91) and third-best in all of baseball (Colorados Tyler Chatwood is No. 1 at 1.82) among pitchers who have made eight or more road starts.Carrasco has only one win to show for his last five starts, but its worth noting that four of those five games have been played at home.Hes allowed three or more runs just twice in nine road starts this season.Oakland fans already have gotten a taste for CCarrascos road brilliance. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic. He pitched a two-hit complete game in Oakland last July, winning 3-1.Its the only time hes pitched in Oakland. Hes 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three games, including two starts, against the As in his career.Carrasco also is scheduled to pitch Saturday in Texas, when the Indians (71-51) could find themselves battling the Rangers (73-52) for the best record in the AL.The Indians swept three straight from the As in an earlier series in Cleveland, dominating Oakland to the tune of 5-3, 6-3 and 8-0.Carrasco did not pitch in the series.Neither did Triggs, who will be making a fifth start in search of his first major-league.Hes is coming off the best of his first four starts, having held the Rangers to two hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings in a 5-4 loss last Tuesday.The 27-year-old has never faced the Indians. He takes an 0-1 record and 4.98 ERA to the mound, having pitched a total of 21 games this season.The As are coming off a 1-5 trip to Texas and Chicago, during which tempers flared on Friday after a 9-0 win over the White Sox.Billy Butler and Danny Valencia reportedly scuffled out of reporters view in the clubhouse. Butler was injured to the point where he did not play Saturday or Sunday.No comment, Valencia responded to the San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported the incident, after Sundays loss. What happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.Valencia got two hits in Saturdays game, his sixth straight with multiple hits, before being given Sunday off. ' ' '