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"Brady had some issues with his low back in th

MINNEAPOLIS - Kurt Suzuki rarely makes errors or hits home runs. Jordan Bernstine Jersey Retro . He did both on Saturday night, and the homer made up for a bad throw that could have cost Minnesota another game. The All-Star catcher went 2 for 3 with a solo homer and made an impressive slide into home plate that helped lift the Twins over first-place the Kansas City Royals, 4-1. Suzuki redeemed himself for an errant throw in the fourth that allowed Nori Aoki to score after stealing third and give Kansas City a 1-0 lead. The mistake came with his starting pitcher, Phil Hughes, looking dominant and locked in a duel with hard-throwing rookie Yordano Ventura. "The hardest part is Phil was throwing so good and for me to do something like that, thats what really got me a little bit," Suzuki said. It was his fourth error of the season. "It was pretty brutal," Suzuki said. "It was just one of those things where you get your body moving too quick and I lost the ball probably about right before my arm started coming forward. I said, This is not good." It looked as if that run would be all the Royals needed to win their fourth straight. Ventura had dominated Minnesotas lineup with his power for most of the night, consistently hitting into the upper-90s. Hughes (13-8) allowed one run, seven hits and struck out six over 7 1-3 to outlast the young righty. "You just dont want to be the guy that breaks first," Hughes said. "Obviously in a situation like that, I knew that one run might not be good enough and I had to at least keep it there." Ventura (9-9) threw six innings of one-hit ball before the Twins broke through in the seventh. With runners on second and third, Ventura threw a 99-mph fastball that shattered Danny Santanas bat — but Santana reached base when Billy Butler tried to throw out Suzuki at home. The throw was in time, but the tag by catcher Salvador Perez was off, and Suzuki scored. Brian Dozier followed with his 25th double of the season to score pinch-runner Eduardo Escobar. Kennys Vargas chased Ventura two batters later with a sacrifice fly to score Santana. "You got to put up more runs than one," Butler said. "Thats not the way it is every night, but thats the way it is tonight." Hughes has won three in a row after losing three straight starts. He also has allowed only three runs this month. Casey Fien pitched to two batters in the eighth and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for this 31st save in 34 chances. SUZUKIS HOMER SURPRISES: Suzukis solo homer in the eighth off Aaron Crow was his first since May 20, a span of 217 at-bats. Asked if manager Ron Gardenhire said anything to him in the dugout, Suzuki laughed and said: "Yeah, he said, What happened? Whered that come from?" WALKS, WALKS AND MORE WALKS Ventura struggled with his command, walking a season-high six batters and getting called for a balk in the third inning. Still, he had a no-hitter through four innings despite allowing six base runners. None of his walks came around to score. The Royals lost a game Ventura started for just the second time in the last nine starts. "Command was off a little bit, but he did a nice job getting us to the seventh with a one-run lead," manager Ned Yost said. TRAINERS ROOM: Twins: A week after severely spraining his right ankle, RHP Anthony Swarzak appears to be fine and has avoided the disabled list. "He came and did everything out in the pen yesterday, actually simulated running off the mound going to first base. Hes fine," Gardenhire said. UP NEXT: Kansas Citys Jeremy Guthrie (8-10) will pitch Sunday against Tommy Milone (6-3) in the third of this four-game series. Guthrie will try to bounce back from his previous start when he allowed six runs — four earned — against Oakland on Tuesday as the As snapped the Royals eight-game winning streak. Milone makes his second start for the Twins since being acquired from Oakland last month. Matt Szymanski Jersey Retro . The Wizards gave up two seldom-used players — forward Jan Vesely and point guard Eric Maynor. Vesely goes to the Nuggets, while Maynor gets shipped to the 76ers. Philadelphia receives two second-round draft picks, one from the Wizards in 2015 and one from the Nuggets in 2016. Robert Jones Jersey Retro . Two-time Olympic bronze medallists Savchenko and Szolkowy received 79.02 points to finish ahead of world bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, who had 77.01 points.ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has undergone season-ending knee surgery, which was postponed earlier this month due to swelling. Coach Jeff Fisher said Tuesday that Dr. James Andrews did the operation to repair a torn left ACL a day earlier in Pensacola, Fla. Andrews also operated on the quarterbacks shoulder at Oklahoma. Fisher said trainer Reggie Scott, who accompanied Bradford, told him the procedure went well. "He said everything went very, very well," Fisher said. "Its a very, very healthy knee considering the circumstances, and so they were pleased." When the operation was pushed back, Fisher said the Rams anticipated Bradford would be ready for next seasons opener. Bradford was the first overall pick of the 2010 draft. The Rams (4-6) returned from their bye with a light workout Tuesday, feeling energized. "It helps 1,000 per cent," defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. "I think thats what the bye week is for, so your body can rest. Youre starting to feel thoose bumps and bruises, and all the joints and stuff get to heal. Jordan Franks Jersey Retro. "I feel great." Fisher and his staff got some time off, too. Earlier Tuesday, he told players it was time to go back to work. "I just kind of reminded them this morning that Im sure everybody had a good time, but those that are out of the NFL, thats what they do every weekend," Fisher said. Fisher shed some light on an injury that sidelined backup quarterback Brady Quinn not long after he signed with the Rams in late October, saying the issue was with the lower back. It had been listed as a hip injury. The Rams signed Quinn and Austin Davis to back up Kellen Clemens after Bradford was sidelined in a loss at Carolina in Week 7, but Quinn only lasted a few practices. "Brady had some issues with his low back in the weight room," Fisher said. "It was just kind of a very freak thing, and were trying to get him back as quick as we can." Clemens makes his fourth start this week against the Bears. ' ' '
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