"very confident in being able to replace guys when they go dow

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- With all the power they possess in the middle of their lineup, the Los Angeles Angels dont usually need home runs from Chris Iannetta. Yet thats what they got in a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. The veteran catcher hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning Sunday to lift the Angels to a 4-3 victory. He also connected Friday night for their first run in a win. Iannettas latest go-ahead drive sailed into the lower seats in the left-field corner. "I didnt know if it was going to go out or not. I was just hoping it would stay fair. Im glad it did," he said. Reliever Tim Collins (0-3) retired the first batter in the eighth before Iannetta hit his fifth homer of the season. "I just missed. I was trying to go away," Collins said. "You cant miss your spots in those situations. Thats what I did, and thats what happens." Michael Kohn (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning. Ernesto Frieri got three outs for his sixth save, retiring Alcides Escobar on a popup with a runner on third. Garrett Richards, trying to preserve some arms in the Angels bullpen following Saturday nights 13-inning 7-4 loss, pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked two. "I was prepared to go back out for the eighth, with the bullpen being taxed from last night," Richards said. "But I always try to go deep in game because I know that if I do, Im doing my job. Im going as hard as I can for as long as I can." Royals starter Jason Vargas was charged with a run and three hits over 6 1-3 innings in his return to Angel Stadium, and was lifted after 109 pitches with a 3-0 lead. Kelvin Herrera took over with a runner at first and gave up a single by No. 9 hitter Collin Cowgill on his first pitch. Mike Trout hit an RBI double with one out, Albert Pujols was hit by an 0-2 pitch and David Freese had a tying, two-run single. Pujols tried to score the go-ahead run from second on C.J. Crons sharp single, but Lorenzo Cain -- starting in right field for the first time this season after 28 starts in centre -- threw him out at the plate. Vargas struck out six and tied a career high with five walks. This was the sixth time in 165 big league starts that the 31-year-old left-hander has walked as many as five batters, and the first time since July 20, 2011, with Seattle. "I think he was being extra careful with Pujols and Trout -- and Howie Kendricks also tough," manager Ned Yost said. "Thats a powerful lineup over there. So either he was going to make his pitch, or he wasnt going to make a mistake to those guys and let them drive it out of the ballpark." Vargas walked his first batter in the second, third and fourth innings after giving up a leadoff single in the first, but the Angels couldnt capitalize. He walked his first two batters in the third before retiring Pujols on a double-play grounder to shortstop and striking out Freese. "It was just one of those games where I had to battle through some innings," Vargas said. "I was just missing and wasnt able to get ahead on some of those guys, but I was fortunate to get back into some counts later in the inning and ended up getting out of it." The Royals, who scored first in all three games of the series, took a 3-0 lead in the second. Pedro Ciriaco hit a bloop double that scored Jimmy Paredes, who singled and advanced on Richards first balk in 291 1-3 career innings to that point. Jarrod Dyson reached on a fielding error by Gold Glove shortstop Erick Aybar, and Eric Hosmer followed with a sacrifice fly before Alex Gordon capped the rally with an RBI single. Richards retired his next 11 batters, striking out the side on 11 pitches in the fifth. "Other than the third inning, it was good," Richards said. Vargas was 9-8 with a 4.02 ERA in 24 starts with the Angels last season after four years with Seattle. He signed a four-year, $32 million contract with Kansas City on Nov. 21. NOTES: LF Cowgill made two sliding catches in foul territory, one on Hosmers sacrifice fly. ... The Angels optioned RHP Matt Shoemaker to Triple-A Salt Lake and selected six-year veteran LHP Wade LeBlanc to the major league roster. LeBlanc, who signed a minor league contract in November as a free agent, was 5-1 with a 3.69 ERA with Salt Lake. He had a combined 20-32 record and 4.51 ERA in 96 big league appearances with the Padres, Marlins and Astros, including 68 starts. ... The Royals recalled RHP Michael Mariot from Triple-A Omaha and optioned C Francisco Pena to the minor league team. Pena is the son of former Royals manager and current Yankees bench coach Tony Pena. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Store .Bacca took advantage of Cristian Alvarezs hesitation to head a lobbed pass over the goalkeeper and then used his feet to roll the ball into an empty net in the eighth minute. The Colombia strikers 10th goal pulled him level with Lionel Messi as the leagues third-leading scorers, far behind Cristiano Ronaldos runaway tally of 23 goals. Discount Soccer Jerseys .Voegele will next play Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who saved 10 of 16 break points to defeat Annika Beck of Germany 7-6 (6), 6-4.Also, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand defeated eighth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. http://www.cheapsoccerjerseys.co/ . The fourth-year guard from Carleton University kicked off his varsity career with rookie of the year honours in 2011, before racking up three straight Mike Moser Memorial Trophies for outstanding player. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . 22 because of a bruised foot and have added forward Sean Collins to the roster on emergency recall from Springfield of the AHL. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Online . The Wizards announced Friday that Webster had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. The operation was performed Thursday in Los Angeles.SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The way things have gone for the San Francisco 49ers recently with issues off the field, general manager Trent Baalke finds himself being questioned about the importance of drafting for character. The Niners top three selections from the 2011 draft have been involved in off-the-field situations in recent weeks, resulting in a negative hit for the teams image. Most notably, star linebacker Aldon Smith was arrested at an airport last month and authorities say he used the word "bomb." Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was linked to a Miami police report involving a woman who passed out in a hotel and later woke up in a hospital not knowing how she got there. Kaepernick has strongly denied any wrongdoing. Cornerback Chris Culliver -- who made anti-gay remarks before the 2013 Super Bowl -- has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanour hit-and-run charges and felony possession of brass knuckles from a March 28 arrest. "Its a risk-reward business," Baalke said. "And we try to take chances -- calculated chances -- and it has worked in a lot of cases. There are other times when the character of an individual coming into the NFL was sterling. But they end up being guys who get in trouble. "Its not always the guys that come into the league with a checkered past that leave the league with a checkered past. It can be the opposite. And if anybody in here has the answer about who is going to end up doing what, give it to me. I could use it." Here are five things to watch for in the draft for the 49ers, who pick 30th: FRONT-OFFICE TEAMMWORK: For anybody wondering whether Baalke and coach Jim Harbaugh will be duking it out in the draft room about which player to take, the GM says enough already. He insists the issue has been "misrepresented" since news broke that the Browns tried to trade for Harbaugh after San Franciscos loss in the NFC championship game. "To say that its always two rams butting heads is so false and misleading. To say theres no tension would also be false and misleading. Its good tension, its creative tension. It couldnt be better," Baalke said. "I feel good about where were at. If you want us to hug and mug for the cameras and do all that, youre looking at the wrong two guys." TRADING UP: Dont put itt past this team to move up the board.dddddddddddd And Baalke just might look to make a splash with a player who could have an immediate impact for the Niners as they begin a new era at Levis Stadium next to team headquarters. He has done so before. "A lot of its spontaneous, happening as the drafts unfolding," Baalke said. DEPTH AT LINEBACKER: San Francisco will be without All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman for a while as he recovers from torn ligaments in his left knee sustained in the post-season loss to the Seahawks. Baalke knows Smith could face a suspension from the NFL, too. The 49ers went 5-0 during Smiths five-week stint in rehab for substance abuse last season following his DUI arrest. While Dan Skuta and rookie Corey Lemonier emerged as solid replacements for Smiths pass-rushing presence on the edge, San Francisco is expected to search for depth at linebacker. Michael Wilhoite also became a reliable reinforcement, and Baalke says the team is "very confident in being able to replace guys when they go down." "We saw it in play last year," Baalke said. "Sometimes when you lose a player, you cant replace him with just one. Sometimes it takes multiple people, it takes other people stepping up to the challenge." THE CORNERBACK NEED: Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown joined the Raiders on the other side of the bay. With Culliver working to come back from a serious knee injury, drafting a cornerback will be a top priority to complement Tramaine Brock. FINDING GOOD GUYS: All eyes will be on Baalke, who has a successful run of draft picks who have produced right away, including first-rounders Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati and Eric Reid. But now, at least some fans will be counting more than ever on the 49ers finding just the right player. Baalke points to the locker room and roster as a whole, because only a few are affecting the franchises reputation. "We just have to do a better job. And thats the mentality of this group and thats the mentality of this ownership. To think that we dont care? I take offence to classless or lawless, because thats far from the truth," Baalke said. "Respect the masses because the masses are doing it right, and well get the other things fixed." ' ' '