turnovers that led to 28 Milwaukee points. "

DETROIT -- Max Scherzer figured he had squandered another lead when Alex Gordons fifth-inning drive sailed down the line in right field. "When that came off the bat, I was sure that thing was gone, and I was stunned when I turned around and realized it had gone foul," Scherzer said. After that reprieve, Scherzer walked Gordon and retired the next two batters to escape a bases-loaded jam, and the Detroit Tigers went on to beat Kansas City 4-2 on Tuesday night to pull within percentage points of the Royals atop the AL Central. Rajai Davis and J.D. Martinez homered for the Tigers, who can sweep the three-game series with a win Wednesday night. Scherzer (16-5) allowed a run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. Kansas City was down 3-1 in the fifth when Gordons deep fly to right went just foul with two on. Gordon walked to load the bases with one out, but Salvador Perez lined out and Eric Hosmer struck out. Joe Nathan worked out of another jam in the ninth to earn his 30th save in 36 chances. He allowed two infield singles to start the inning before closing out the game with two strikeouts sandwiched around a picked-off runner. Pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson was the man who was picked off second. "The hardest part about that play was not getting too fired up and throwing the ball away," Nathan said. "We so clearly had him that the only way it was going to get messed up was if I didnt get the ball to (second baseman Ian Kinsler). As it turned out, I didnt even need to make a great throw, but I made a pretty good one anyway." Kansas Citys Jason Vargas (11-8) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out six and walked three. Scherzer had allowed 14 earned runs over his previous four starts -- not terrible, but below his standards as the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. Hes had a hard time protecting leads lately. On Tuesday, the Tigers led 3-0 in the fifth when Omar Infante hit an RBI single for the Royals -- but Scherzer avoided the big inning. Martinez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Davis two-run homer in the second made it 3-0. Martinezs 20th homer of the season gave Detroit a 4-1 lead in the fifth. HEAD TO HEAD The Tigers are trying for their fourth straight AL Central title, and the hallmark of this run has been their ability to beat their closest competitors in the division head to head. Last year, Detroit went 15-4 against Cleveland and finished one game ahead of the Indians. The Tigers are 11-4 against the Royals this year, and the race is now in a virtual tie. Detroit has one more win and one more loss than Kansas City -- and the Royals still have to finish a suspended game in which they trail Cleveland 4-2 in the 10th. "You have to be conscious of the standings at this time of the year, but being tied for first doesnt mean a thing when we step on the field (Wednesday)," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. TOO MANY MISTAKES The normally sure-handed Royals made two errors Tuesday after making two in the series opener. Then there was Dysons mistake in the ninth, which eliminated a crucial baserunner. The Royals had men on first and second for the dangerous Gordon, but he struck out. Then Dyson was picked off second. Manager Ned Yost said he was hoping Dyson and fellow pinch-runner Terrance Gore could pull off a double steal. "Dysons the lead runner, Dysons going to find a spot when he can get a jump and go," Yost said. "Gores the tail runner. Hes going to be right behind him." The Tigers arent known for their impressive fielding, but Kinsler made a crucial diving stop to his left on Josh Willinghams grounder in the eighth. The Royals ended up scoring a run that inning, but that was it. TRAINERS ROOM Royals: Yost said he would not have used star closer Greg Holland on Tuesday, but he is close to returning from a triceps injury. ... RHP Liam Hendriks (1-1) is listed as Thursday nights starter against Boston -- LHP Danny Duffy is missing that turn in the rotation because of a sore shoulder. Tigers: Detroit expects RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) to be activated from the disabled list Wednesday. UP NEXT Kansas Citys James Shields (13-7) faces Detroits Rick Porcello (15-10) on Wednesday, although the possibility of rain puts that game in some doubt. Shields is coming off a 1-0 win over the Yankees in New York on Friday. Austin Barnes Dodgers Jersey .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Stitched Dodgers Jerseys . Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/355h-brett-butler-jersey-dodgers.html . -- With Tony Allen back, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to turn up their defence pressure and hold off the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch. Dodgers Jerseys 2019 . The (35-35-10) Jets have 80 points and are also playing .500 hockey on home ice this season with a 17-17-6 record. Michael Hutchinson will start his second straight game in goal. Los Angeles Dodgers Pro Shop . Geovany Soto had an RBI for the Cubs. Carlos Silva gave up one run on three hits over six innings to pick up the win. Josh Willingham drove in the lone run for the Nationals, who had just four hits. PHILADELPHIA -- Spencer Hawes had the hot hand and Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown wasnt afraid to ride it. The 76ers centre hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in regulation and scored 11 of his 25 points in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime Friday night to lead Philadelphia to a 115-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers trailed 98-88 with 2:10 to play but forced the extra session with a 14-4 run that featured three 3-pointers from Hawes, the last one tying the game. Hawes ran to the sideline to catch an inbounds pass, turned, and while falling away from the basket, released his shot on one leg. "Coach drew it up in the huddle and it reminded me of the last time a coach drew up a 3 for me to tie a game," Hawes said. "I was in college. I thought (Brown) screwed something up." Evan Turner added 27 points in helping the 76ers snap a four-game skid. "I guess the basketball gods were looking out for us and Spencer played well all night," said Turner who threw Hawes the inbounds pass. Hawes and Turner accounted for 19 of the Sixers final 22 points. Hawes added 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double in 14 games, and Turner was 8 for 12 from the field in the fourth quarter and overtime. "Spencer took us where we needed to go, and Evan took us home," Brown said. Caron Butler scored 38 points for Milwaukee, which lost its seventh straight. Butler fell two points shy of his career high on 13-of-22 shooting from the floor. He was 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. His 3-pointer from the right corner with 27.8 left in the game looked as if it would end Milwaukees skid, the franchises longest since it lost eight in a row to close the 2007-2008 season. "Yeah, I thought the game was in our control," Butler said. "But we havent developed a winning brand of basketball yet." Only two Bucks finished in double figures. Ersan Ilyasova scored 19 points and Gary Neal had 10. The Sixers also dominated on the glass, outreboundinng the Bucks 50-32 and outscoring them 52-28 on points in the paint and 13-4 on second-chance opportunities.dddddddddddd Still, had Hawes not hit his improbable fall-away, the Bucks would have won. "That was a tough shot," Butler said. "Hawes faded away, shot off one leg maybe, but it shouldnt have come to that. We had a lot of chances and all we needed was stops and rebounds." The Sixers actually led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, but the Bucks scored 23 of the final 31 points in the period to get within 55-53 at the break. At that point, the Sixers were led by rookie forward and Georgetown product Hollis Thompson, who had a team-high 10 points in the first half and finished with a career-high 16. Guards James Anderson and Michael-Carter Williams added 12 points apiece, and Carter-Williams fell two rebounds of a triple-double, recording 11 assists and eight boards. The Sixers shot a season-high 57 per cent from the field and led the Bucks in almost every offensive category, but forfeited their early lead and found themselves down by double-digits in the fourth quarter thanks to 26 turnovers that led to 28 Milwaukee points. "We were very lucky," Brown said. Bucks coach Larry Drew couldnt say the same, but ended up sounding a lot like Butler. "Towards the end, we relaxed," he said. "We didnt defend the 3-point line. James Anderson got away and hit one, and Hawes hit three of them. "It was a tough shot. It was a desperation shot. It shouldnt have gotten to that point. We had opportunities, we just didnt capitalize on them." NOTES: Sixers second-year guard Tony Wroten left the game in the second half with a lower-back strain and did not return. ... Forward Thaddeus Young missed his second straight game while on leave from the Sixers for personal reasons. ... Bucks G Brandon Knight missed his fifth straight game with a hamstring injury. . The Sixers outscored the Bucks 13-5 in overtime and 27-9 over the final 7:08. ' ' '