KANSAS CITY Mason Cole Color Rush Jersey , Mo. — The Kansas City Royals eliminated the Houston Astros in the 2015 postseason while on their way to winning the World Series.

The two clubs have taken different paths since.

The Astros, who are the 2017 World Series champions, bring an eight-game winning streak Friday to Kansas City for the opener of a three-game series.

On the other hand, the Royals have lost nine of 10 and are in last place in the American League Central. Only the Baltimore Orioles have a worse record than the Royals (22-46). And nobody has a worse home record than the Royals, who have lost 23 of 33 at Kauffman Stadium.

“This losing is getting old,” Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel said.

Kansas City manager Ned Yost is trying to keep the spirits of the players uplifted during trying times.

“It’s easier when you’ve got guys where winning and competitiveness is ingrained in their character,” Yost said. “You just don’t take a loser and make him a winner. Our scouting department, our player development people have drafted winners, and when things are going rough they continue to battle, they continue to fight, they continue to compete.”

There are a few leftovers from the 2015 championship club. That includes Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon Jets Sam Darnold Jersey , Salvador Perez, Kelvin Herrera and Alcides Escobar.

“It’s been fun to watch our veteran guys to continue to push and support and compete their tail off every single day,” Yost said. “Dayton (Moore, general manager) says draft winners. Get the most talented kids, but draft winners. That’s number one.

“We want kids that compete, love to play. We want guys that long to get better and understand the process of getting better. That’s what we look for. These kids, 95 out of 100, have that ingrained character trait or else they probably wouldn’t be here.”

The Astros are built for repeating. They are in a dogfight with the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West. The Royals are looking to 2021-22 as when they could be legitimate contenders.

In a 3-2 loss on Sunday at Oakland, Brad Keller made his third big league start. Yost used Scott Barlow, Tim Hill and Jason Adam in relief that afternoon. None of the four had ever thrown a pitch in the majors before this season.

“It’s what we have,” Yost said. “We like our young pitching.”

It is more about tomorrow than today.

“Part of this process every single day is we’re evaluating which guys are we going to move forward with,” Yost said. “We’re looking at which guys have that ability to continue to grow and get better and be part of a championship club.

“When it is all said and done Saquon Barkley Jersey Giants , that’s what you’re looking for. You’re trying to build a championship club again. A lot of players that are going to be on the next championship club aren’t here. They’re working their way up the farm system right now.

“But we do have a pretty good little group of guys that are going to be here when that time comes. They need to continue to develop, seek consistency in their game and their command. We like what we see out of them so far.”

The Astros will start right-hander Charlie Morton, who is 7-1 with a 2.82 ERA, in the opener. He will try to become the fourth Houston starter with at least eight victories.

Morton is coming off one of the strangest no-decision lines. In his previous start against the Texas Rangers, Morton walked six and hit four batters in 3 2/3 innings but allowed only two runs (one earned).

Morton is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in two starts against Kansas City.

Right-hander Jakob Junis will start for the Royals. He is 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 13 starts. No other Kansas City starter has more than three wins. Junis has lost his last three decisions. All five of his wins have come after a Royals loss.

This will be his second career start against Houston. He got a no-decision against the Astros on June 6, 2017, although he allowed seven runs (three unearned) in 3 2/3 innings.

He is 3-4 with a 4.19 ERA in seven home starts this season.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Let the comparisons begin.

Center Adam Gaudette, 21, will make his National Hockey League debut Thursday with the Vancouver Canucks (28-40-9) as they host the Edmonton Oilers (34-37-6) at Rogers Arena. The contest will be Gaudette’s first audition for permanent employment next season.

Many observers — including fans and media types alike — are ready to compare the former Northeastern star to other young hopefuls. The first comparison will be with injured rookie sensation Brock Boeser, who compiled 29 goals and 26 assists before being sidelined with a back problem earlier this month.

Boeser and others have said he benefited last spring when, like Gaudette Justin Bethel Color Rush Jersey , he joined the Canucks after completing his collegiate career. In his first nine NHL games in 2016-17, Boeser produced four goals and one assist. Now, others are wondering if Gaudette can display similar results.

Those wondering include Gaudette himself.

“It’s awesome to see how (Boeser) did this year,” Gaudette told reporters. “I followed him all year. I played with (Boeser) before we were both drafted. I played against him and we’ve been friends ever since then. It’s really cool to see somebody doing it (like Boeser), especially coming out of the NCAA. It just goes to show I could have that impact and, hopefully, do the same thing.”

Gaudette, a Braintree, Mass., native, signed a three-year entry-level contract Monday. He was originally drafted by Vancouver in the fifth round, 149th overall in 2015.

Despite the late selection http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-b.j.-hill-jersey , he developed into a potential superstar. He led the NCAA in scoring with 60 points (30-30-60) in 38 games this season and is a finalist for the Hoby Baker Award. His 30 goals led the NCAA, and he garnered many weekly and monthly honors.

At 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds, he is also known for a physical two-way game and has been likened to Anaheim center Ryan Kesler and Canucks middleman Bo Horvat — among others. Gaudette strives to emulate gritty Boston center Patrice Bergeron.

However, Vancouver coach Travis Green just wants Gaudette to focus on his own game.

“He doesn’t have to be Brock Boeser,” Green told reporters. “He just has to be himself.”

And, play well defensively, according to the coach.

But Green is among many who hope that Gaudette can help the Canucks overcome their dearth of offense. He produced 142 points in 116 career games for Northeastern from 2015 to 2018.

“By talking to him and listening to him, I can tell he has a good head on his shoulders,” said Green. “We’ll see where he’s at. Obviously, people are excited in Vancouver. Rightfully so. And the organization is excited to get him in here.

“Everybody who talks about him talks about how driven he is to be a player. That’s really important for young guys.”

Meanwhile, many observers are questioning Edmonton’s drive. The Oilers will try to rebound against Vancouver after squandering a three-goal lead and losing 7-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

“Our defensive (game) is something we’ve got to solve here,” Edmonton coach Todd McLellan told reporters. “I think we’re at 250 goals against and that’s never http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-paul-worrilow-jersey , ever going to make the playoffs in any year.

“We’ve got to make some decisions in the locker room whether that’s important enough.”

Simply put, the Oilers are a conundrum.

Despite Tuesday’s debacle, they have been playing reasonably well lately. They are 7-3-2 in their last 12 games, and captain Connor McDavid leads the league with 102 points after recording three against the Blue Jackets. But Edmonton’s power play was last in the NHL before Wednesday’s games.

In addition, McDavid is at the focal point of a debate that is starting to rage, at least, in Canada: Should he win the Hart Trophy as most valuable player for a second year in a row, even though the Oilers have been out of playoff contention for weeks?

The always humble McDavid has said he doesn’t know. But after watching the Oilers allow 12 goals in their past two games, he does know something for sure.

“We have to find a way to keep pucks out of our net,” he told reporters.

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