KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tyler Lyons couldnt seem to find any pitch that was working in the first inning Tuesday night. The next six? Just about everything was working. The St. Louis Cardinals rookie only allowed two hits against the Kansas City Royals scuffling offence, and the only run in the first inning. The result was a 4-1 win that kept Lyons perfect in his week-old big league career, and the Cardinals rolling as they head for home. "In the first inning, I was a little erratic with everything," he said. "Just trying to control that a little bit and get in the groove and figure out what was working and what wasnt. "Eventually, everything started working." By that point, Carlos Beltran had already belted a two-run homer to give Lyons the lead. Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday added solo shots in the sixth inning, and the Cardinals improved to a major league-best 20-9 on the road before heading home for two against KC at Busch Stadium. The only two hits that Lyons (2-0) allowed were to Billy Butler -- an RBI double in the first inning and a bloop single in the seventh, which ended a streak of 17 straight betters set aside. "He was very good, and pitched different today. He had a little trouble at first finding his fastball, but he had his breaking ball going today and that kept them off balance," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "He made a good adjustment and found his fastball later." Trevor Rosenthal pitched the eighth inning in a driving rain for St. Louis, and Edward Mujica breezed through a perfect ninth for his 16th save of the season. "Just the life, the energy -- theyre enjoying showing up every day to play the game," Matheny said, "and you can tell theyre really lifting each other up." Things couldnt be more different in the opposing clubhouse. Kansas City has lost seven straight and 18 of its past 22, erasing a 17-10 start that had a beleaguered fan base finally starting to believe in something. The Royals 10 consecutive losses at Kauffman Stadium matches the franchise record set just last season. "What are you asking me to do? Take my belt off and spank them? Yell at them, scream at them? What do you want?" Royals manager Ned Yost asked. "Do we need to make changes? This cant continue. Somewhere down the road, were going to have to make some changes." Their offence has been the biggest culprit: Its produced eight runs total in the Royals past five games, and hasnt scored more than four in a game since May 21 at Houston. While the Cardinals had three homers Tuesday night, the Royals have that many in 14 games. "If pressure turns into panic, you have a problem," general manager Dayton Moore said prior to the game. "Right now, weve just got to deal with the pressure in a way that is professional and with the right mindset and just get through it." St. Louis got off to a carbon-copy start of the previous night, when Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer in the first inning from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. This time, it was Beltran who went deep off Santana to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead after just seven pitches. It was the first time the Cardinals got two-run shots from the No. 2 spot in the first inning in back-to-back games since 1998, when Ray Lankford hit both of them, according to STATS LLC. The Royals havent accomplished the same feat since Amos Otis went deep in consecutive games in 1976. The Royals got one run back right away when Alex Gordon drew a leadoff walk -- the Royals began the night with the third-fewest walks in the majors -- and Butler drove him in with a double to left. But that was the hardest-hit ball of the night by Kansas City, which set a season low for hits in a game. Lyons retired 17 in a row before Butler blooped his single down the right-field line with one out in the seventh inning, and then he left the Royals DH stranded on first base. "I mean, I knew there had to be a few," Lyons said of his streak of retired batters. "I wasnt sure how many there were, but I like not having to pitch out of the stretch, so that was good." Other than the home runs, Santana was nearly as effectively on the mound. The Royals right-hander went 14 consecutive batters without allowing anybody on base at one point, and he was aided by double plays in the first and seventh innings to limit the damage. Not even the best defence could keep the ball in the park, though. Santana allowed four homers to the Angels his last time out, and has allowed seven in his past two starts. "That happens. Im not trying to be perfect, just trying to make my pitch. If I miss, thats how it is," Santana said. "I have to change the page and get them next time." Notes: Molina got a rare night off. Hed played in 58 of the Cardinals first 60 games. ... Gordon was back in the leadoff spot for Kansas City. CF Lorenzo Cain batted third in the order for the first time. ... RHP Jeremy Guthrie will be on the mound for Kansas City on Wednesday. RHP Lance Lynn will pitch for the Cardinals. ... The game took 2 hours, 7 minutes to complete. Discount MLB Jerseys For Sale . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Cheap Seattle Mariners Jerseys . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. http://www.cheapmlbjerseysoutlet.com/?tag=cheap-detroit-tigers-jerseys . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Cheap MLB Jerseys Free Shipping . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. China MLB Jerseys . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. DENVER -- Von Millers two sack-strips of Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50 were just the start of his torment of Carolinas quarterback.Denvers star linebacker made the NFL MVP the butt of his jokes on SNL and trolled him on Instagram, saying it was all in good fun.On Saturday Night Live six days after he was voted MVP of the Super Bowl, Miller discussed the discovery of gravitational waves first postulated by Albert Einstein a century earlier by declaring: These waves are everywhere in the universe -- just like Im everywhere when Cam Newton closes his eyes.When Newton posted a picture of himself playing water polo with the U.S. national team in April, Miller photo-shopped himself in knocking yet another ball out of the QBs right hand.Although theyre more associates than amigos, Miller said his teasing and tweaking of Newton were actually measures of the respect he has for the man he calls the best player in the league.If I had sons that wanted to play quarterback, I would point them in the direction of Cam Newton and Peyton Manning, Miller said. I think thats where all the poking and fun comes for me is because I really do admire him and really respect him at the end of the day.That reverence is mutual, Newton said.Great player. Ninety-nine on Madden, said Newton, who added that Miller is a great and exceptional talent, one of the great players in this NFL by far.Newton, who faces his nemesis again Thursday night in the 2016 NFL kickoff in Denver, swears he didnt mind Miller rubbing it in after denying him the Lombardi Trophy.No, it doesnt bother me at all, Newton insisted. Hes a great player and with his elite ability, it gives him the right to do that.Newton spent much of his offseason adjusting to becoming a father and working on a Nickelodeon TV show for kids called All In With Cam Newton.But escaping the Super Bowl loss wasnt easy. Miller was everywhere.His cross-country victory lap included four dozen national TV appearances. Manning called it Millers world celebrity tour, a six-month jet-setting junket of television and dance studios, A-list parties and B-roll appearances.Surely, Newton was pained to see all that whimsicality at his expense.No, sir, Newton said matter of factly.Still, like the Super Bowl, its something Newton clearly doesnt want to talk about anymore.Im so focussed on the future as far as leading up to our game on Thursday, I cant even look back or dwell on the past, Newton said.ddddddddddddMiller isnt going down memory lane this week, either.Last year is last year, he said. We really dont talk too much about the Super Bowl. We dont want the success from last year to make us lackadaisical or to have us not prepared, or to come into this game without having our guard up. We know exactly what type of team the Carolina Panthers are.Newton, the No. 1 overall pick in the exalted 2011 draft class, is 0-2 against Miller, the second selection.When they first faced each other in 2012, Miller had a half-dozen tackles and a sack in Denvers 36-14 win at Carolina, where he imitated Newtons Superman celebration after taking him down.In the Super Bowl, Miller had six tackles and 2+ sacks, forced two fumbles and broke up a pass.Newtons 60 minutes of frustration on the field spilled over to his post-game interview when he answered questions with terse, short responses while slumped behind a podium with a hoodie covering most of his face. After three minutes he abruptly got up and walked off, drawing the ire of some other athletes who criticized his antics.Miller was voted the games MVP and quickly embarked on an offseason that transformed him from NFL superstar to mainstream celebrity. He signed the biggest contract ever for a non-quarterback : $114.5 million over six years, including $70 million in guarantees.That came roughly a year after Newton set the standard for franchise QBs with his five-year, $103 million deal, with $60 million guaranteed.Once the schedule came out featuring the Super Bowl participants kicking off the 2016 season, Newton responded to Millers Instagram jab by replying: Thought this was cute Von Miller. Lookin lookin lookin . lookin for revenge. Sept. 8.He included the hashtags All respect to you my killa, and I know you will be ready, we will too.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed from Charlotte, North Carolina. Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '