season, including a 24-23 loss to TCU in early October and

MINNEAPOLIS -- James Paxton was cruising along for the Seattle Mariners, as hes done often this season. Then Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and the middle of the Seattle Mariners batting order order broke out.Cano had four hits and two RBI, Cruz added a two-run homer among his four RBI and the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 10-1 on Friday night to stay on pace in the AL wild-card race.Nice to see the middle of our lineup come together, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. We havent had a game like that in a while. ... Those guys are huge in the middle. Theyve carried us all year. Nice to see them get going again.Seattle trailed Detroit by two games for the second wild card but passed Houston.Paxton (5-7) struck out nine and allowed one run on five hits. Seattle, which scored six runs in the seventh inning, entered Friday averaging just 2.88 runs per game while Paxton was on the mound.Feels good, Paxton said of pitching well while in the playoff race. This is what we need. We need to win right now. Guys are playing hard and were doing our best to stay right there, and try to climb up in the wild-card standings.Kyle Gibson (6-10) gave up two runs, five hits and four walks for Minnesota, which lost its seventh straight and fell to 99 losses, its most since 2011.Its tough to be too satisfied with a game where you only went five innings, threw a hundred pitches and your team loses 10-1, Gibson said. I think theres some positives but its hard to focus on those at that time.With a biting curveball at his disposal, Paxton allowed just three hits, two on infield singles, before waiting through the long top of the seventh. The only blemish on his night was Miguel Sano leading off the seventh with a triple off the wall in right field and scoring on Kennys Vargas single.He was in total control, Servais said. It was great to see. Fun watching him go like that because he gets on those rolls and the release points very consistent.Seattle supplied Paxton with the most run support hes received in a start this season.Cano and Mike Zunino had RBI bloop singles in the third and fourth before a big inning against three relievers.Cano drove in a run with an infield single. Cruz followed with a two-run double, Kyle Seager had an RBI double and Zuninos single led to two runs when left fielder Robbie Grossman committed two errors. Grossman let the ball bounce off his glove and then kicked the ball as he went to retrieve it.Byron Buxton made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Cruz of at least extra bases in the third, but Cruz hit his 38th homer in the eighth, a drive off the stone facing above the batters eye in center field. MLBs Statcast said the ball would have traveled 454 feet had it landed unimpeded.Seattle had scored two runs or fewer in six of its previous seven games.The start was delayed by 35 minutes due to rain, marking the 14th delay or postponement in Minnesota this season.HOLLANDERSeattle announced Friday that Justin Hollander has been hired as the teams director of baseball operations.Hollander, 37, was the Los Angeles Angels director of player personnel. He was hired by Los Angeles in 2008, serving multiple roles, where he worked under Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto.Hollander steps into the role left behind by Caleb Peiffer, who left the team to attend law school.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: RF Max Kepler was out of the lineup but was cleared to play after leaving Thursdays doubleheader with a mild neck strain from hitting the wall awkwardly. . 1B Joe Mauer was out of the lineup for the third straight game as he deals with sore quadriceps. He hasnt started since Sept. 17.UP NEXTSeattle LHP Ariel Miranda (5-1, 3.88 ERA) hopes to keep his surprising run going on Saturday. Minnesota will send RHP Tyler Duffey (8-11, 6.39) to the mound. Miranda has gone 4-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last four starts with 20 strikeouts in 25 innings. Duffey has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last four outings. Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks Jersey . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Luke Maye Bucks Jersey .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. https://www.bucksrookiesshop.com/Oscar-Robertson-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Custom Milwaukee Bucks Jerseys .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Vin Baker Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Matthew Wyman may have booted Charlie Strong right out of Texas.The senior kicker for Kansas knocked through a field goal to force overtime, then drilled a 25-yarder in the extra session Saturday to send the Jayhawks to a 24-21 victory over the Longhorns -- one that just might end Strongs disappointing tenure on the 40 acres.The moment Wymans field goal went through the uprights, the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7) poured off the sideline and into a jubilant pile with thousands of students. The win snapped a nine-game skid, a 19-game losing streak in Big 12 play and was their first over Texas since 1938.It made Strongs future bleak, but it made Kansas coach David Beatys appear just a little bit brighter.What resilient dudes those guys are, he said after his first Big 12 win. Theyve continued to work through some really, really difficult situations, and Ive said it before, I feel like we have the right kind of kids in our program. Theyve stuck it out.The Longhorns (5-6, 3-5) squandered chances down the stretch, including a fumble and failed fourth-down try in the final minutes of regulation that could have put the game away.They got the ball first in overtime, but Shane Buechele badly overthrew his intended receiver on their second play and Mike Lee was there to pick it off. After the Jayhawks marched inside the 5-yard line, their senior kicker playing in his final home game knocked through the winner.Its great to send the seniors out like this, he said. Theyve been through some struggles, some adversity, so it means a lot.Their stirring win made DOnta Foremans performance merely a footnote.The Texas running back carried a school-record 51 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns, though his two fumbles proved costly -- not only to the Longhorns season but quite possibly to Strongs future.The third-year coach has been on the hot seat all season, and the temperature is only going to rise after a loss to the lowly Jayhawks. Strong dropped to 16-20 since arriving at Texas, and not even the $10 million buyout he would be due could be enough to keep him from getting fired.We just had our opportunities there, Strong said. Not much needed to be said.Asked what it means for his future, Strong replied: No idea.The Jayhawks took advantage of four first-half turnovers, including a pick-six by Brandon Stewart, to take a 10-7 lead into tthe locker room.dddddddddddd But they committed two turnovers of their own in an ugly third quarter, which the Longhorns turned into back-to-back touchdowns for a 21-10 lead.Kansas marched downfield for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and Steven Sims won the race to the pylon to convert the 2-point conversion and get within a field goal.That proved to be pivotal in the final minute of the game.The Jayhawks stuffed Texas on fourth down and regained possession with 58 seconds left. Three passes to Keaun Kinner and a targeting penalty got them within field goal range, and Wymans kick from 36 yards out with 7 seconds remaining sent the game to overtime.Set up one of the most memorable wins in recent history, too.The seniors have been through a whole lot, and we havent had too much success, Kansas safety Fish Smithson said. Just proud, proud of how hard we worked. How resilient weve been.THE TAKEAWAYTexas: Texas was shaky throughout the game, especially when Buechele left for a short period in the first half with an injury, in what might go down as the biggest indictment of Strongs tenure.Kansas: Kansas has been close to breaking through several times this season, including a 24-23 loss to TCU in early October and a 31-24 loss to Iowa State earlier this month.STRONGS FUTURETexas athletic director Mike Perrin declined to speak with reporters after the game, looking away when he approached them. Strongs wife, Victoria, was crying outside the Longhorns locker room and even Strong looked visibly shaken as he fielded questions.I love coach Strong. Thats my dog, Texas safety DeShon Elliott said. No matter what, I love him, but I said thats not our decision. We cant make that decision. Its the AD and all the men up there.SEE YAAfter police encircled the goal posts at the south end zone, students raced to the opposite end of the field and hopped on that set. It took them a while before they got them to the turf, then they carried them right out of Memorial Stadium.UP NEXTTexas heads to TCU on Saturday for what could be Strongs final game as coach.Kansas tries to make it two straight on Saturday at Kansas State.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . ' ' '