card at 7-4 -- but going for the win w

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers are rolling, reaching 16 games over .500 for the first time this year, and yet they couldnt truly celebrate their 11-1 rout of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. Miguel Cabrera was out of the lineup, and Jhonny Peralta was possibly in it for the last time for a long time. Alex Avila and Torii Hunter hit homers in a five-run second inning and Detroit scored five more runs in the fourth inning, getting a relatively strong outing from Justin Verlander after his shaky start. The AL Central-leading Tigers took the two-game series, have won five straight and nine of 10. Detroits superstar, though, is ailing again and its All-Star shortstop faces a possible suspension. "I feel better," Cabrera said after missing the game with a strained lower abdomen. "Hopefully, we can get out of way this quick and try to be 100 per cent Friday." After a day off Thursday, the Tigers open a series against the Chicago White Sox and might not have Peralta in the lineup. He doubled in a game that might be his last until late September because hes among the players linked to the Biogenesis case. Peralta said he shouldnt be on the dubious list. "Its wrong," he said. "But whatever happens, I need to fight and try to move on." Before and after the game, Peralta insisted he did not know whether Major League Baseball planned to suspend him. "I dont feel nervous," he said. "But yeah, I worry a little bit because I want to play every day here, and I love to be here in Detroit." If Peralta is suspended 50 games for first offence under baseballs drug program, he would lose $1,639,344 of his $6 million salary. Barring rescheduled games, he would not be eligible to play until Sept. 24, leaving him with just five games of the regular season. He would be eligible Sept. 14 for an injury rehab assignment -- if any of Detroits minor league teams remain in their playoffs. Peralta is batting .307 with 10 homers, 53 RBIs and a team-high 29 RBIs in 101 of the teams 106 games. "Hes very important to this team," Verlander said. "Hes obviously had an All-Star-caliber season, and hes gone out there and played just about every game at shortstop. "You lose a guy like that, thats tough. But I cant comment on how it would go to lose him because I dont know what the possibilities are." Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said the team protected itself against a possible suspension by acquiring slick-fielding infielder Jose Iglesias from Boston in a three-team trade Tuesday night. "If it were a 15-day thing, like a typical injury, I think we could have comfortably dealt with it with the players we already have," Dombrowski said. "But when you start to talk about 50 days and a possible playoff run, we feel better going ahead with Jose." Verlander (11-8) shook off a rough start by giving up only one run, four hits and a season-high matching five walks while striking out six over six innings. "My stuff was pretty good, but I was obviously erratic," he said. Gio Gonzalez (7-4) gave up 10 runs -- one short of his career high -- and 11 hits -- the most of his career -- over 3 1-3 innings. He entered the game with 4-0 record and a 2.06 ERA in his 10 starts, in which he allowed three or fewer runs, since his last loss on May 27. "In three months, youre going to run into a hiccup," Gonzalez said. "It just happened to be against a good team." Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Bryce Harper didnt finish the game because of a hip spasm. "I think hes going to be all right," Johnson said. Harper, though, was fuming about the fortunes of the Nationals, who have lost nine of 13 games since the All-Star break to create a double-digit deficit behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves. "You got to play with heart," Harper said. "You got to play as a family. Everybodys got to want it, starting with the manager on down -- everybody. Everybody wants to win this and keep going. We need to get going and play better, hit better, have better ABs in certain situations and pitch better also. Its just something we need to do. "We play the Braves nine games. This aint over. I really dont think its over. We just got to keep going, keep grinding and turn into the family that we were last year." NOTES: Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty, a Detroit native, has been released from a hospital after being treated for an irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure and is expected to rejoin the team Monday. ... Hunter was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and three RBIs. ... Nationals OF Jayson Werth had a sacrifice fly in the first, driving in the only run for his team. Custom Knicks Jerseys . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Mark Jackson Jersey Large . JOHNS, N. http://www.customknicksjersey.com/custom-anthony-mason-jersey-large-139w.html . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Custom Willis Reed Jersey . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Patrick Ewing Jersey Large . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Long before he confronted the difficult decision of trying a 62-yard field goal in overtime, Gary Kubiak made another call that would come back to haunt him.The Broncos coach didnt go for two after Bennie Fowlers 76-yard touchdown gave Denver a seven-point lead over Kansas City late in the fourth quarter Sunday night.A 2-point conversion would have made it a two-score game.No, were going up by eight there, said Kubiak, who sent Brandon McManus out for the extra point that made it 24-16.With this defense, an eight-point lead late in the game seems downright insurmountable.In last years AFC championship, the Broncos surrendered a touchdown throw from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski with 12 seconds left but Bradley Roby intercepted Bradys 2-point conversion attempt, sealing the Broncos 20-18 win that propelled them to the Super Bowl.This is largely that same defense that brought home the Lombardi Trophy two weeks later, save for the departures of Malik Jackson (whom the Broncos will face in Jacksonville on Sunday) and Danny Trevathan.If you give us an eight-point lead, I would bet my game check that no one would score on us, said cornerback Aqib Talib, who pulls in $500,000 a game, before taxes. So, I would have been in debt right now.Heres what made that seem like such a safe bet:-After the touchback, the Chiefs had 75 yards to go. They had averaged a mere 12 yards per drive on their first dozen possessions to that point.-They had three minutes and no timeouts remaining.-The Broncos were the fresher team, coming off a bye.Yet, after Derek Wolfe sacked Alex Smith for a 7-yard loss on first down, the strength of Denvers team suddenly couldnt find the game-saving plays that have defined them as one of the best clutch defenses ever.Kayvon Webster was whistled for holding, Von Miller jumped offside, T.J. Ward was flagged for illegal contact.Even after forcing three incompletions from their 14, the Broncos couldnt stop the Chiefs on fourth-and-10 with 15 seconds remaining. Tyreek Hill caught an 11-yard pass on Roby, who had inexplicably lined up behind the first-down marker.Hill hauled in the touchdown pass on the next play, the ball rattling off his shoulder pads before he secured it while sitting on tthe goal line when a clean catch probably comes up short and time runs out.ddddddddddddInstead, its 24-22 and 6-foot-7 tight end Demetrius Harris lined up across 5-10 cornerback Chris Harris Jr.I had never even heard of him, the Broncos Harris said of the Chiefs Harris, who played basketball at UW-Milwaukee but had to play club football because the Panthers dont field a football team.Smith hit Harris for the tying 2-pointer that sent the game into overtime, which Kansas City won 30-27 on Cairo Santos banked field goal as time expired .The debate ever since has centered on Kubiaks decision to try a 62-yard field goal knowing it was a low-percentage shot in the cold November night and that a miss would likely mean a loss because the Chiefs would take over at the Denver 48 needing just one first down against a gassed defense.A punt essentially concedes the tie -- and maybe loses the locker room.How do you tell a team thats fought hard for 74 minutes that youre not going to send out a kicker whos made 70-yarders in camp and had hit from 62 yards in pregame?A tie would be better for them in the standings -- now the Broncos are scrambling for a wild card at 7-4 -- but going for the win was worth it, Kubiak figured. If McManus makes it, the Broncos are breathing down the Raiders backs with a sixth straight AFC West crown in sight.Theres a lot of football left to play. It was a divisional football game and we need to win our divisional football games and we had a chance to do it with something that our kicker has done before. He did it before the game, Kubiak said. Its me showing confidence in him and confidence in our defense if it doesnt happen.I believe in our football team.And his players trust their coach.I like the fact that we went for the win, said Fowler, suggesting theres a stronger resolve than ever to reward Kubiaks faith in them now.Yeah, definitely, weve got Kubes back and hes got our back. So, were in this together.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ' ' '