easy way to find it.Hes my rock, thats my man, Pat said. If there

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- There was no easing Wade Davis back into the Kansas City Royals closer+ role.Davis gave up a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning to Miguel Cabrera, and the Kansas City Royals lost 7-6 to the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.Davis had not pitched in the majors since July 22 because of a right flexor strain. He pitched three scoreless innings over three games on a rehab assignment before being reinstated from the disabled list earlier in the day.In his return, Davis was asked to safeguard a one-run lead after Paulo Orlandos two-run, two-out single in the eighth put the Royals ahead 6-5.Wade said (before the game), `Im ready to close, Royals manager Ned Yost said. You look at his rehab and he threw the ball well there. He was ready. It wasnt like he spent three weeks on the DL and didnt do his rehab stuff. He did all his rehab stuff, threw the ball well and was ready to go.Daviss first pitch hit Ian Kinsler, who stopped at third on Jose Iglesias single before Cabrera -- who homered among his three hits and had four RBI -- drove them both in.World Series champion Kansas City has three consecutive one-run losses after winning 18 of its previous 22 games.Cabrera hit a 439-foot shot, his 29th homer, off Peter Moylan in the seventh, and also had an RBI single in Detroits three-run third. Justin Upton homered in the second and added an RBI single in the third.Francisco Rodriguez (3-3) picked up the victory, despite blowing a save in the eighth on Orlandos single.Orlando thought the Royals were going to win after his big hit.Oh yeah, late in the game and you take the lead for the first time, but you play nine innings, Orlando said. Today was not to be.Orlando, who snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a single in the seventh, punched a single off Rodriguez to right, scoring Alcides Escobar and Jarrod Dyson.Obviously were happy we came out on the winning side, but what a great game to watch, just as a fan of baseball, with the back and forth, both teams scoring off of closers, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. It was good entertainment.Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez gave up three unearned runs and five hits over five innings.Cabreras fielding error opened the door for the Royals to score three runs in the third. Alex Gordon had a two-run single, while Kendrys Morales contributed a run-scoring single.Danny Duffy allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings and has allowed 18 hits and 11 runs over 10 2/3 innings in consecutive starts.I felt like I battled, Duffy said. We had a rough third inning there. They were kind of singling me to death. I did my best to try to keep my team in the game. Its kind of been a rough couple of games for us.Tigers left-hander Justin Wilson gave up a run on three singles to Orlando, Cheslor Cuthbert and Eric Hosmer in the seventh, the only three batters he faced.ROYALS PROMOTE FOURThe Royals purchased the contract of INF Hunter Dozier, a 2013 first-round pick who hit 23 HRs with 75 RBI this season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. They also recalled C Tony Cruz, IF-OF Whit Merrifield and OF Terrance Gore.STRANGE POSITIONErick Aybar started at third base for the Tigers. It was only his second career game there, with the other on May 30, 2007, while with the Angels against the Mariners. He did not have an assist or putout against the Royals.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: OF Cameron Maybin (left thumb contusion) has not played since Monday. ... 3B Nick Castellanos (fractured fifth metacarpal of his left swing) took about 25 swings with a fungo off a tee. He felt it a little bit today, swinging, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. It buzzed him every once in a while, which is normal.Royals: OF Lorenzo Cain has not played since Tuesday because of a sore left wrist. ... LHP Jason Vargas, who is rehabbing from 2015 elbow surgery, struck out 10 and walked none, while allowing two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings in a Thursday start for Triple-A Omaha against Round Rock.UP NEXTTigers: RHP Michael Fulmer is 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two appearances against the Royals.Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura is 6-0 with a 2.98 ERA in 10 games against the Tigers.Authentic NMD Shoes Australia . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Wholesale Adidas NMD Australia For Sale . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.clearancenmdaustralia.com/ . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Cheap Adidas NMD Australia . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Cheap NMD Australia Free Shipping . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Big brother stood behind little brother during the first workout together at the gym, lifted off the bar with five-pound weights on either end and passed down the inspiration that would stick with him along with it.Pat Elflein dreamed of playing football at Ohio State. Matt Elflein was going to do everything he could to help him get there.I saw it in him, the drive, and I remember the very first time at Metro Fitness in Pickerington [Ohio], Matt, now 27, said. I told him, Hey, if you want to play at Ohio State, it starts right now. That stuck with him ever since, and I tried to ingrain that work ethic in his head.Our relationship is one of a kind. We click. Ever since he got into playing some sports, I was just trying to be the older brother to look out after him.That early influence on the younger brother clearly worked. Pat Elflein is a senior captain of the Buckeyes, the rock of the offensive line at center, an Outland Trophy semifinalist and a surefire NFL draft pick when the time comes.But eventually, the roles shifted in the family. Little brother was the one standing behind big brother, and the weight that was holding him down was brutal drug addiction that threatened to destroy their bond.And this time the message had far greater stakes.Blessed with the same athletic genes and the work ethic the family passed on as well, Matt Elflein turned himself into a college football player first. And thats where the trouble started.He had dealt with his share of bumps and bruises as any linebacker would, dating to high school. And while dabbling in rugby, hed once had somebody fall on his head, breaking his eye socket and needing a plate put in his face. His mom didnt sign the paperwork for rugby again, turning him into a one-sport star on the way to a career at Ohio Dominican.A torn labrum during his sophomore year came with surgery and a bottle of pills that wound up doing far more damage than the hit that injured him.Thats when the whirlwind started, Matt said. I was introduced to pain pills. I was in my dorm, living on my own and didnt really have anyone to hold me accountable. Dont get me wrong, I was an adrenaline seeker. I loved the adrenaline rush, an opium rush, any of that. Anything that made me feel good, I liked.Thinking back to when I was younger, I had this addictive personality. Anything that made me feel good, I wanted more of. That started with the gym, really. That was my first addiction. I was working out before practice, before school, during football, after football.Eventually that effect would wear off for him. By the time he was physically ready to get back on the practice field or in the gym, Matt was already focused on chasing a different high.What started as a recovery process instead spiraled violently the other way. And for a while he was able to continue functioning, making it through some classes, passing some qualification tests and holding down a couple of jobs, but the addiction was taking hold.Well, you know, everyones rock bottom is different, Matt said. Rock bottom is when you quit digging. For me, it was bouncing between those two jobs and sleeping in my car. Sleeping at the drug house, sleeping on the floor there -- it was bad. I mean, I couldnt go home. They heated the house with a stove. There were mice and everything. It was terrible, dirty, [like the kind of] place you see on TV you would never think you would be.There I was. I was f------ there. Sleeping on the floor, scraping change to get a dollar to get a cheeseburger. And I lost my family. They didnt want anything to do with me, they still cared, but it was from a distance.That mission that started in the Metro Fitness had been accomplished. Pat Elflein had just arrived at Ohio State, was battling for a job on the offensive line and ready to achieve everything hed talked about with Matt over the years.But he was distracted, hurting and trying to figure out how to help a brother he barely recognized anymore.It was one of the worst things Ive ever been through, Pat said. Going from someone who was so close to you and you looked up to so much, goes through this disease and it just changes who that person is. This person is now lying to you, stealing from you and is doing whatever they can to get that fix. Theyre a totally different person, and they dont have control over that.Its tough not knowing if hes coming home that night, where hes at, where hes sleeping because hes not sleeping at home. Its really a tough situation.That was certainly obvious to those around the Buckeyes, who could see that Pats mind was often elsewhere.The young offensive lineman had his own future and career about which to worry. And while he wanted to be around to support Matt, thats not always possible for somebody in the middle of a football season.Yeah, it was awful, coach Urban Meyer said. Pat is like a family member, and my wife Shelley is very close with him. She deals with addiction -- thats her career, shes a psychiatric nurse and shes incredible. Shes helped other players and players families, so we actually got all together. I love Pat, theres nothing I wonnt do for him.ddddddddddddIf someone you love is dealing with a hard time, his reaction didnt surprise me. And how he ended up dealing with it didnt surprise me. Hes an All-American center, but hes also an all-American person, which is even more important. I didnt want him to go through this by himself.Nobody can go through it alone.Matt fought that message four times, leaving rehab stints early and believing he had the answers for the problem without the help. Eventually it started to sink in as the distance between his younger brother and the family continued to grow.I was just hard-headed and refused to listen to the people that have all these degrees hanging on their wall or 15 years sobriety -- I thought I was different, that I could do it on my own, Matt said. Well, I couldnt. Finally my mom found me at work, like 5:30 in the morning, took me to McDonalds, got me a big orange juice and a steak-egg-and-cheese bagel, it was so good. Then we sat down and talked, cried, she came to me and she found me, but I was like, I need help. I need to go to rehab.I went back to work, she called me about three hours later and said, So, you want to go to rehab? Your plane leaves at 6. It arrived in Florida. After 47 days of inpatient treatment, the corner was turned. Three years later, hes sober, a project manager at work, a part-time firefighter, new dad -- and a rock again for his little brother.Pat Elflein stood on a stage at his high school in Pickerington, flanked by a senator on one side and an Army general on the other.His youth football coach, Wayne Campbell, who founded a nonprofit organization to fight drug usage called Tylers Light and had organized the event for more than 600 students as part of the push for drug-free clubs across Ohio, was in the audience.The Ohio State center was supposed to have 10 minutes to speak about his own experiences with his family, and Campbell was waving his hand to tell Elflein to wind it down.He just put his head down and said, Ive got another story to tell you, Campbell said. I went, Oh no, hes going way over. Pat what are you doing?Then he starts telling this story about his friend, I had never heard it because it just happened -- this place came to a standstill. You could hear a pin drop. Now Im thinking, It was meant to be. Im glad I didnt wave him off the stage and he got to say that part. Hes got it from a personal perspective, then his best friend.Drugs had just stolen another relationship with Elflein, this time for good. And while in this case there was no sign of a battle with addiction, Zach Hemmilas death hit Elflein hard after his childhood friend died in his sleep with a toxic mix of prescription pills in his bloodstream.The Arizona center had grown up down the street from him in Pickerington, best friends until a job took the Hemmila family to Phoenix -- where he would develop into another No. 65 on a Power 5 offensive line.Speaking to those kids kind of like fired off a rocket, Campbell said. Hes come to some awareness events before, and hell get up on the stage and talk. This was a completely different deal -- and the thing is, its away from football. We know youre popular over here, but look over here.He used that platform, and I think he really got excited about the feedback he got. Kids were just surrounding him. Pat, hes an All-American at Ohio State, but they wanted to talk about this. They didnt just want an autograph, they wanted to talk about this issue with him, which is really cool.The phone buzzes around three times each day, one Elflein to another.The fight never ends, but the older brother has a new habit for his addictive personality to chase -- staying sober. And when little brother needs a little motivation, he knows one easy way to find it.Hes my rock, thats my man, Pat said. If theres ever something I need, ups and downs, he calls me, I call him.Weve been through it all together.There was even another shoulder issue in the family to get through recently. And even though it was just a minor scope for Pat, there was another bottle of prescription pills around that couldnt help but give something of a scare to an otherwise imposing 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman.Oh yeah, because I know how easy that stuff is to get addicted to, Pat Elflein said. I had my mom hold on to it so she was giving it to me when I needed it. Right when I felt like I didnt need it anymore, we got rid of them. They were gone.As soon as I could tolerate the pain with just Ibuprofen or something over the counter relief, those things were gone.That was one lesson among many learned the hard way.And now its a new message for the Elfleins to deliver when they stand behind somebody else needing a lift.It gives me chills to hear him speak, Matt said. Thats why Im so open about it as well. Addiction is a vicious cycle, and I feel that pain.Oh man, this is just all about helping other people.After having drugs splinter a one-of-a-kind bond, now the brothers can help tackle that problem together. ' ' '