DETROIT -- Its been over a decade since the Kansas City Royals were in first place this late in the season, and try as he might, manager Ned Yost couldnt totally downplay the achievement. Bobby Jones Jersey . He just wants it kept in perspective. "Its nice. Weve got a lot of games to play. We dont get all geeked up," Yost said. "Its better than the alternative, trust me." Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas homered as part of a seven-run second inning, and the Royals displaced the Detroit Tigers atop the AL Central on Tuesday night with an 11-4 victory, their ninth in a row. Kansas City is in first place this late in the season for the first time since 2003, according to STATS. The Royals were leading the division in late August that year, only to finish third at 83-79. They have not made the post-season since winning the World Series in 1985. "A lot of games left, so it really doesnt matter, but to say youre in first place, it feels pretty good," designated hitter Billy Butler said. "Being in first place any time is good -- even if its after the first game." Gordon and Moustakas hit two-run shots off Max Scherzer, and Kansas City has won the first two games of this four-game series emphatically. The Royals, who trailed the Tigers by seven games after a May 20 loss, now lead Detroit by a half-game. Scherzer (8-3) yielded a career high-tying 10 runs in four-plus innings. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner allowed the first eight batters of the second inning to reach base, with Kansas City scoring six runs before making an out. "Im just not putting guys away with two strikes. Thats my problem," Scherzer said. "Ive taken punches on the chin before, and Ive come back. Im not worried about that. I just have to get back to where Im putting guys away." Scherzer did strike out five in the game. Yordano Ventura (5-5) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings. Ian Kinsler hit a solo homer for Detroit. After winning 86 games in 2013, Kansas City is hoping to unseat the Tigers, who have won the last three division titles. Detroit looked headed for a fourth straight year at the top after a 27-12 start, but now the Tigers are facing a surprising number of questions about their starting rotation, which was expected to be among the best in baseball. Justin Verlander has slumped badly over the last month -- he took the loss in Kansas Citys 11-8 victory in the series opener Monday. Scherzer threw his first career shutout last week, but the Royals tagged him for 10 hits in his next start Tuesday. Gordon opened the scoring with his two-run drive to right field, and Moustakas homer made it 4-0. Omar Infante added a two-run single before Eric Hosmer finally made the first out of the second inning on a tapper to the pitcher. Some fans cheered sarcastically, even though another run came home on the play to make it 7-0. Verlander and Scherzer combined to allow 17 runs in the first two games of this series. Thats the most ever by two teammates with Cy Young Awards in back-to-back team games, according to STATS. Ventura allowed two runs in the second, but that was the first of three consecutive innings in which Detroit hit into a double play. With the Royals ahead 10-2 in the fifth, Ventura walked Miguel Cabrera with the bases loaded, but the hard-throwing rookie caught a break when a pitch to Victor Martinez sailed past catcher Salvador Perez. The ball bounced hard off the backstop, right back to Perez, and Detroits Eugenio Suarez was caught between third base and home. Perez threw to third to catch Suarez retreating and end the inning. NOTES: Detroit is out of first place for the first time since taking over the division lead July 3 last year, according to STATS. ... The Tigers agreed to terms with OF Derek Hill, the teams first-round draft pick. ... Perez extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... Royals INF Danny Valencia (left hand) was assigned to Triple-A Omaha for a rehab assignment. ... Detroit OF Torii Hunter, who left Mondays game with a hamstring cramp, did not play. ... Detroit LHP Drew Smyly (3-5) faces Kansas City RHP Jeremy Guthrie (3-6) on Wednesday. Nuggets Jerseys China . Hollis-Jefferson went 5-for-6 from the field and added six rebounds, while Stanley Jefferson contributed 14 points for the Wildcats, who used their trademark tough defense to dominate the games final 24 minutes and advance to Tuesdays winners bracket matchup with Kansas State. Malik Beasley Jersey . -- Manager Bob Melvin shuffled the Athletics batting order and got the type of production he was looking for from the top of the lineup. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/487y-ty-lawson-jersey-nuggets.html . According to the sportsbook BoDog, the Stampeders are 8/5 favourites to take home the Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on November 24.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Novak Djokovic opened the defence of his Dubai Championships title with a straight sets victory over Denis Istomin, while second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro had to retire from his first-round match on Tuesday. Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions. "I needed to work for my games. "Having not played for more than four, five weeks, an official match, obviously it takes its toll on the court." Djokovic saved all four break points he faced on serve and broke Istomin three times -- in the third and ninth games of the first set and in the second game of the second set. Del Potro was not so fortunate, being forced to retire against Somdev Devvarman of India after losing the first-set tiebreaker 7-6 (3). Since winning the Sydney title last month, Del Potro has been struggling with a left wrist injury that has conjured up memories of similar pain he experienced in his right wrist four years ago. In 2010, the year after he won the U.S. Open, he played only three tournaments before and after surgery on his right wrist. Del Potro was fighting back tears in Dubai when he came to talk to the media after his retirement. &"I dont feel really well," he said. Richard Jefferson Jersey. . "My wrist is hurting a lot and everybody knows what happened to me four years ago with my other wrist. "It was really tough to play today. I tried everything. I cannot be the player I would like to be." Having felt the pain in his left wrist during the Australian Open, Del Potro went at the end of January to consult with Dr. Richard Berger, who performed his right wrist surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The doctor recommended a course of physical therapy. Asked if he would have kept playing if he won the first set, Del Potro said: "I dont think so, no. It was hurting too much." Devvarman, a wild card who won a challenger in New Delhi last week, hit a service winner on his third set point in the tiebreaker. That proved to be the final point of the match. "Its unfortunate, especially for a guy like him," Devvarman said. "I realized he wasnt comfortable hitting backhands and I tried to make him hit as many as I could, and he wasnt really hitting over it so I knew he wasnt happy." Third-seeded Tomas Berdych extended his winning streak to eight matches with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Romanian qualifier Marius Copil. Berdych, who reached the final in Dubai last year, won the Rotterdam title two weeks ago. Fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France secured a 6-2, 6-4 win over Victor Hanescu of Romania. ' ' '