NEW YORK -- James Shields knows what this September means to the Kansas City Royals, a team that hasnt been to the playoffs since many of their players were born. Juan Mata Jersey . "Hopefully we can enjoy the moment and embrace it, have fun with it," he said. They sure will if he keeps pitching the way he did Friday night. Shields took a two-hitter into the ninth inning and Nori Aoki lined a run-scoring single in the third following Chase Headleys two-base error, leading the Royals over the New York Yankees 1-0. "You could sense the energy out there, and it is a lot of fun to play in," first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "Huge win for us. We have to take the first game of every series -- that is the goal." Kansas City (78-61), which opened a two-game lead over second-place Detroit in the AL Central, is in first place in September for the first time since 1985 -- when the Royals won the World Series in their last post-season trip. Kansas City has won four in a row and is 17 games over .500 for the first time since 1989, according to STATS. Two starts after losing to the Yankees 8-1 in one of his worst outings this season, Shields (13-7) retired his first 11 batters before Brett Gardners double in the fourth. Headley singled in the fifth, and Gardner flied out to the right-field warning track in the sixth. Shields retired 11 straight before Derek Jeter singled softly with one out in the ninth. "I think that is by far the best game he has thrown all year," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was surgical with his stuff. He had everything going, his curve, his changeup. He was spotting his fastball. He commanded the pitch count tremendously." With closer Greg Holland bothered by triceps tightness, Yost brought in Wade Davis. After pinch-runner Antoan Richardson stole second, Gardner struck out swinging on a 98 mph full-count pitch. Carlos Beltran then took a called third strike, giving Davis his first big league save. "He was up to the challenge," Yost said of Davis, who has fanned 92 batters in 62 1-3 innings this season. New York rarely hit the ball hard against Shields, who induced 12 groundouts. He allowed three hits in 8 1-3 innings, struck out five, walked none and hit a batter with a pitch. "He pitched way different than the Shields we faced in Kansas City," Beltran said. "Today he was using a lot of cutters and the changeup away. So basically he kept us off balance all game long." New York began the night four games out for the second AL wild card and is in danger of missing the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and 93. Michael Pineda (3-4), who has not allowed more than two runs in any of his 10 big league starts this year, has received 18 runs of offensive support in his last 13 outings dating to August 2013. He was hurt by the Yankees defence in the third, when Alcides Escobar hit a hard, one-out grounder that glanced off Headleys glove at third and into left field. Escobar hustled into second and scored an unearned run two pitches later when Aoki singled to centre. Pineda was nearly as sharp as Shields, giving up three hits, all singles, in seven innings with no walks. "To win in New York, 1-0, that is one of the best games of our season," Escobar said. TRAINERS ROOM Yankees: INF-OF Martin Prado, recovering from a left hamstring strain, was available to pinch hit but didnt play. He could be back in the starting lineup Saturday. UP NEXT RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-4) is slated to start Saturday for the Yankees against LHP Danny Duffy (9-11). NOT WATCHING Yost doesnt bother to watch the scoreboard and see how his teams rivals are doing. "Other people can do it. I dont like to do it. I like to just stay focused on what were doing. Ill look at the standings every couple of days," he said. "Im not up for staying up late and studying." After the Royals arrived in New York on Thursday evening, he had dinner and didnt watch the Tigers-Indians game, won by Detroit 11-4 in 11 innings just before midnight. "I was in bed way before that game ended," Yost said. BATTING PRACTICE CHATTER A different type of batter was speaking with Jeter on the field before the game: retired Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar. The batsman is nicknamed the "God of Cricket." Matteo Darmian Jersey . The Grizzlies erased most of a 25-point deficit before Durant, the leagues scoring champion, got hot. Anthony Martial Jersey . (January 11, 2014) – Once again Kevin Martin proved why he is the all-time TSN skins leader, winning $11,500 in prize money and a spot in the Travelers All-Star Curling Skins Game presented by Pintys final following a semifinal victory over Brad Jacobs earlier this evening at the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in Banff, Alta. http://www.jerseymanchesterunitedsoccer.com/womens-alexis-sanchez-manchester-united-jersey/ . -- Jesse Lussier scored 8:24 into overtime as the Halifax Mooseheads erased a four-goal deficit to beat the host Val-dOr Foreurs 6-5 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action.NEW ORLEANS - Anthony Davis stepped to his right and blocked a direct path to the basket for Tim Duncan, who instead went up for a layup.Davis took over from there.The 6-foot-10 power forward blocked Duncans shot before tying up the ball, drawing loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. He finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in New Orleans 97-90 victory over slumping San Antonio on Friday night.Honestly, I didnt even think about it was Tim, Davis said. I was just in the moment playing basketball.The Pelicans earned consecutive wins over the Spurs for the first time in team history. They also won 100-99 in San Antonio on Nov. 8.Ryan Anderson scored 22 points for New Orleans (15-14), and Jrue Holiday added 15 points and seven assists.San Antonio played without point guard Tony Parker, who was sidelined by a lingering left hamstring strain. Parker played the previous two games, including Thursdays 114-106 loss to Oklahoma City, but coach Gregg Popovich said the injury is still a problem.Duncan had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs (18-13), and Cory Joseph also scored 20 points. San Antonio has dropped six of seven.The Pelicans led 48-44 at halftime, and Davis helped his team stay in front in the third. He had 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots in the period, including an emphatic rejection of a Manu Ginobili shot that bounced out of play.After the block on Duncan, Davis turned to the crowd and let out an emotional yell.The crowd was energized, we get energized, Anderson said. When you see that kind of effort from a player - especially youre best player - it rubs off. Marouane Fellaini Jersey. You want to give that same heart and that same effort. That was an incredible stretch right there. You dont see that very often.Davis rested at the start of the fourth quarter, and New Orleans reserves helped push the lead to 81-72 on Andersons jumper with 7:50 to go. John Salmons 3-pointer increased the Pelicans advantage to 12 with 5 1/2 minutes left.The Pelicans put the game out of reach on Davis third assist of the game in the final minute, a soft underhanded toss to Anderson, who finished the play off with a dunk.Hes an MVP candidate, Popovich said of Davis. Hes blossomed.New Orleans scored 20 points off of 17 San Antonio turnovers and outrebounded the Spurs by five. The Spurs picked up only one offensive rebound.Any time you hold a team with Tim Duncan on it to one offensive rebound, you feel like youve accomplished something, Pelicans coach Monty Williams said.TIP-INSSpurs: Marco Belinelli scored 13 points, and Ginobili finished with 12. ... San Antonio led 24-20 after one.Pelicans: New Orleans won for only the second time this season when it shoots a lower percentage than its opponent. The Pelicans shot 41.7 per cent from the field, compared to 49 per cent for the Spurs. The only other such win was against Utah on Nov. 22.BLOCKEDThe Pelicans are fourth in the NBA in blocked shots, averaging six per game. But the key number for New Orleans is seven. When the Pelicans have at least that many, including Friday against San Antonio, they are 10-0 this season.UP NEXTSpurs: Host Houston on Sunday night.Pelicans: Visit Chicago on Saturday night. Cheap Canadiens Jerseys Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Devils Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Cheap Rangers Jerseys Cheap Senators Jerseys Cheap Flyers Jerseys Cheap Penguins Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Blues Jerseys Cheap Lightning Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Cheap Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Capitals Jerseys Cheap Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '