KANSAS CITY http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , Mo. (AP) — Adalberto Mondesi was identified as the Kansas City Royals‘ top prospect several years ago based primarily on his blazing speed, advanced defense and raw athleticism.The youngster is starting to flash some power, too.Mondesi homered for the second straight game, this time a two-run shot as part of a four-RBI performance, and the Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 9-2 on Wednesday to sweep a two-game set.“He’s starting to come into his own a little bit,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s like a thoroughbred. He’s a quick-twitch, extremely explosive guy.”Mondesi made his big league debut as a 19-year-old during the 2015 World Series, but he struggled the past two seasons to stick with the Royals. He seems to have broken through, though, as Kansas City begins a massive rebuilding project based around talented prospects like him.“He’s been up here and stayed here and that’s big,” said Alex Gordon, who also hit a two-run shot on Wednesday. “We’ve seen in spring training his talent. Even better things to come.”Danny Duffy (8-11) allowed both of his hits and his only run in the first inning, when Mikie Mahtook drove in Jose Iglesias with a two-out single. The left-hander labored through the frame but breezed the rest of the way, striking out six while working around a trio of walks.Brett Phillips had a pair of RBIs as the Royals, who have struggled to score much of the season, pounded Tigers starter Michael Fulmer (3-10) in his second outing off the disabled list.Fulmer, who tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings against the White Sox last week, allowed seven runs on eight hits before he was chased with two outs in the fourth. Fulmer is winless in his last seven starts, losing five of them, since beating the Twins on June 14.“I got ahead of guys, and I felt my stuff was OK James McCann Jersey ,” he said. “I can live with the mistakes getting hit. But the two home runs were out of the zone. One was up and one was down. It’s the good pitches I thought I made that got hit too. You just have to get them credit.”Mondesi began Kansas City’s onslaught with his homer in the second, his second in as many days. Gordon went deep in the third, and the Royals added on with two triple and two doubles in the fourth.Seven of the eight hits Fulmer allowed went for extra bases.The Royals kept tacking on runs against the Detroit bullpen, sending the Tigers to their fifth consecutive loss. They’ve now lost 26 of their last 32 on the road.Mahtook provided the lone highlight when he homered off Wily Peralta in the ninth.“A rough day,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.Much like Fulmer, Duffy had been struggling much of the past month, going winless in three starts around a stint on the DL. But he was in complete control after the first inning, the only runners he allowed coming on a pair of walks and an error by third baseman Hunter Dozier.Duffy’s performance was rather unexpected, too. He’d lost three straight to the Tigers, including two rough outings earlier this season, and was 3-8 with a 6.01 ERA in day games.“It was a grind,” Duffy said. “The offense took care of business and it’s easy to go out there and throw strikes with the runs they provided me.”GORDO’S KNOCKGordon’s homer was his 170th, moving him past Hal McRae for fourth on the Royals’ career list. He trails only George Brett (317), Mike Sweeney (197) and Amos Otis (193).DUDA TRADEDAfter the game, the last-place Royals traded 1B Lucas Duda to the first-place Atlanta Braves for cash considerations. Duda signed a $3.5 million, one-year deal with Kansas City this past offseason. He was hitting .242 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs.TRAINER’S ROOMTigers: Iglesias left in the fourth inning with a lower abdomen strain. He singled in the first inning and flied out to center field in the third. Jim Adducci replaced him in the lineup.Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (left oblique strain) was scheduled to make his first rehab start at Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday night. … OF Bubba Starling, a former first-round pick, will begin his rehab stint after a dislocated finger at rookie-level Idaho Falls.UP NEXTThe Tigers head to New York on Thursday night with LHP Francisco Liriano (3-9, 4.82 ERA) facing Yankees LHP J.A. Happ (15-6, 3.80) in the opener of a four-game set. The Royals get the day off before facing Baltimore on Friday night in a matchup of the two worst teams in the majors. MIAMI (AP) — The path to progress for the Miami Marlins starts on the mound.The Marlins believe their reboot will gain momentum in Season 2 under CEO Derek Jeter, and any improvement likely will be most apparent in the rotation. There’s more depth there than elsewhere http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , and perhaps a starter or three who could be part of the foundation as Miami tries to build a contending team.New pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., whose coaching career in professional baseball began in 2002, said the Marlins’ situation is unique in his experience.“I’ve been in a lot of camps,” Stottlemyre says. “This is dangerous, but bar none it’s the youngest, most talented bunch of arms that I’ve ever dealt with in all my years coaching.”That’s reason to watch baseball’s most off-the-radar team in 2019. Some other things to know about the Marlins:ROTATIONThey may finish last in attendance again, and they’re likely to finish below .500 for the 10th year in a row. But the starting pitching should be interesting.The group is led by right-hander Jose Urena, who is scheduled to start opening day March 28 against the Colorado Rockies. He’s 23-19 over the past two seasons, while in other games during that span the Marlins have gone 117-164.Right-hander Dan Straily, a likely midseason trade target, and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen are other veteran options. But whether the season’s judged a success or failure likely depends on how several young pitchers develop.The Marlins believe Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith and Trevor Richards all have major league stuff. Stottlemyre knows that’s not enough.“We need to find a way to harness it and get to a point to where they have some understanding of what they possess and learn more who they are,” he says.There are also more talented arms in the minors than when Jeter’s group bought the franchise in October 2017.OFFENSEThe Marlins finished last in the majors in 2018 in runs, home runs, slugging and OPS, and they’ll likely again struggle to score. They don’t have a player who hit over .278 last season, or hit as many more than 12 home runs, or stole more than six bases.NEW FACESThirtysomething newcomers Miami added include first baseman Neil Walker, outfielder Curtis Granderson and reliever Sergio Romo.“Any time you have a young team that’s very impressionable and you’re trying to build something special, it’s important to surround them with some veterans Sparky Anderson Jersey ,” Jeter says. “They played the game the right way and bring those intangibles. We were able to bring in some guys who have had a lot of success in their careers. More important, they’re great in the clubhouse.”Miami also acquired catcher Jorge Alfaro, 25, in the trade that sent catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies.ROOKIES TO WATCHHard-throwing right-hander Jorge Guzman, acquired from the New York Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade in late 2017, will begin the season in Double-A but might join the rotation sometime this year.Outfielder Victor Victor Mesa will begin the year in the minors, and the Marlins would love to see him take a fast track to the majors. The Cuban outfielder was considered the top international free agent last fall when he received a $5.25 million signing bonus, but his progress was set back by a hamstring injury early in spring training.RIGHT DIRECTION?Since the sale of the team, the Marlins have traded five players with All-Star pedigrees — Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Dee Gordon and, most recently, Realmuto.Bruce Sherman, the new majority owner, has taken a hands-off approach but endorses Jeter’s rebuilding plan. He’s unfazed by last year’s poor record (63-98) or poor attendance.“You know the things we’ve done that may not be popular right now,” Sherman says. “But if you look out over the next few years, all of the decisions made by the organization will become increasingly popular and increasingly supported. I’m very excited about it.”