ERST LESEN! » It will be Gees 12th start and 27t

My best. Thats where Faf du Plessis rated this century -- his second at Adelaide and sixth overall. It came after a week of intense scrutiny over du Plessis methods of shining the ball, a week in which he was found guilty by the ICC and fined, a week in which he made headlines for all the wrong reasons. His team-mates stood steadfastly behind him and he saw this innings as his chance to stand steadfastly ahead of them.Im just pretty proud of today. It was a big day for me to stand up as a captain and make sure I lead from the front, he said. To get through all of that and this week in the manner that I did today makes me really proud.Du Plessis expected some heat when he made his first public appearance -- he had addressed the media the day before -- but he was surprised that, after he stood alone to take South Africas total over 250, he was not wholeheartedly forgiven.I was expecting a little bit of hostility but not to that extent, he said. When I came out, I was obviously quite aware of it [the booing]. As the innings went on, it disappeared a bit. To be really honest, when I got to 100 I wasnt expecting to still get booed so that was disappointing.It also added a little to du Plessis already immense desire to do his talking with the bat. I was really motivated before today. I felt it was a character test and the only way I could do it is by scoring runs but it did help a little bit. Maybe 5%.What helped more was that du Plessis was more focused than he has been ever before. The pink ball seamed and then swung, it also turned; the Australia attack searched and, in the case of most of his team-mates, found; but du Plessis had promised himself he would not give it away easily. I have never been that switched on. Every ball I said to myself, that is not enough. I want to get a big one here. I was just more motivated than I have ever been, he said. Surprisingly, technically I was the best I have been this series as well. I felt really good.Before this innings, du Plessis contribution was a top score of 37 and he did not seem to have the same control he has displayed in the past. Today, his defences could not be breached but he also looked to score. He was not the same batsman who stonewalls for fun, he was someone who had purpose and, if he had more partners, he would have carried on. I could have gone for another day. I really wanted to bat. The way I felt mentally I could have gone for a week, du Plessis said.But with the chance to put Australia in under lights and make some early inroads, du Plessis decided not to search for an extra 20 or 30 runs and take advantage of a situation in which Australia were forced to seek an emergency opener. Du Plessis knew David Warner had spent time off the field and could not bat, he wanted to see if his bowlers could make the ball talk at night and, with the knowledge that 224 was the top score in last years day-night Test in Adelaide, he felt a total over 250 was good enough.The position of the game was that it was time for us to declare. We were trying to get some wickets, he said. I dont think we would have declared if we were seven down in the last hour of the night. We would have tried to get to 300. We got 250 but it feels like we got more. It isnt a massive score but the statistics of the pink ball says it may not generally be a five-day game. It speeds up a little because there is a lot more action on the ball - 250 is perhaps 350 with the red ball.Vapormax Off White Fake . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Vapormax Off White Cena . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. http://www.vapormaxlevne.cz/ . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Nike Vapormax Plus Levne . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Vapormax Flyknit Pánská . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- On Aug. 6, the Kansas City Royals were seven games below .500, 11 games back of the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central and 9 1/2 games out in the wild-card chase.The defending World Series champion Royals, however, have been the hottest team in the majors since then, winning 17 of 21 games and seven consecutive series.Kansas City has crept within 5 1/2 games of the Indians and is three games back of the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild-card spot.The Royals, who play 20 of their final 32 games at home, host the New York Yankees in a crucial three-game series beginning Monday night.Were getting hot as a team at the right time to get hot, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said.The Yankees, too, are playing well lately behind slugging rookie catcher Gary Sanchez, and they remain in the playoff picture. They had their four-game winning streak snapped Sunday in a 5-0 loss to the Orioles, but they are just 3 1/2 games out in the wild-card hunt.The Royals erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning -- the most runs they scored in an inning since Aug. 5, 2013 -- to win 10-4 at Boston on Sunday night. They took two of three from the Red Sox. Rookie Raul Mondesi, who bats ninth, connected on a three-run triple in the big inning.You can ride guys like (Kendrys) Morales when they get hot or (Hosmer) when they get hot, Royals manager Ned Yost said. But if youre going to have any kind of sustained winning streak, its got to be everybody. Its got to be a different guy every night.On Sunday, the Royals picked up a game on the Indians, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Yankees and Red Sox, all teams battling for postseason play.After the Yankees beat the Orioles in the first two games at Yankee Stadium, New York failed to complete the three-game sweep.Its not what you want, but were playing good baseball and winning series, and thats what we need to continue to do, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. If someone says youre going to win a series against Baltimore, I think you have to feel pretty positive about that, but when you win the first two, sometimes guys can get down a little.Im not down -- I think we played very well this weekend. We need to continue to do that, and if we do, Ill take our chances.While Sanchez did not homer Sunday, he doubled and singled. He homered in each of his previous three games and became the quickest playeer in major league history to hit 11 home runs, accomplishing it in 23 games.ddddddddddddHis 21 RBI in his first 23 career games tied for the second most in Yankees history.Girardi is glad his young players are experiencing a pennant race.I think when the games have meaning every day, youre playing in your division or against other teams vying for the playoffs, I think its very valuable, Girardi said. Those are games that in a sense have pressure, so I think the meaning of the games, you get a better evaluation of players, and I think thats important.New York right-hander Michael Pineda draws the starting assignment Monday at Kansas City. Pineda has not pitched since a no-decision on Aug. 22 at Seattle, where he gave up five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings. He is 1-0 in four August starts.Pineda is 4-4 with a 3.87 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings in his past 14 starts. He went 2-6 with a 6.92 ERA in his first 10 starts. Opponents are hitting .228 off him in the 14-start stretch after hitting .320 in his first 11 starts.Hosmer is 5-for-15 with a home run off Pineda, while catcher Salvador Perez, who has three homers in his past two games, is 6-for-17 (.353) with a homer off him. Alex Gordon is 3-for-19 (.158) and Lorenzo Cain is 1-for-10 against Pineda.The Royals will counter with right-hander Dillon Gee in the series opener. It will be Gees 12th start and 27th appearance. Gee lost 3-0 Wednesday at Miami, giving give up three runs in the sixth inning on four consecutive one-out singles and a sacrifice fly that ended up his evening and ceased his 11-inning scoreless streak.Gee is 2-2 with a 4.21 ERA in August after posting an 0-3 record with a 6.04 ERA in July. He is limiting opposing hitters to a .229 batting average with runners in scoring position, while they are 4-for-37 (.108) with runners in scoring in position with two outs.Gee will be facing the Yankees for the second time this year, having held them to one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings in a relief outing on May 9. He is 1-2 with a 3.04 ERA in four career appearances against the Yankees -- including three starts when he was with the Mets. Gee is 3-3 with a 4.37 ERA in six starts and 15 appearances at Kauffman Stadium this year. ' ' '