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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins started this game sloppily and never recovered against the surging Kansas City Royals. Billy Butler had two hits and drove in two runs, Lorenzo Cain stole a home run from Trevor Plouffe with a leaping catch over the centre field wall, and the Royals beat the Twins 7-2 on Thursday for their ninth straight victory. The biggest letdown of the afternoon came afterward, for Aaron Hicks and Canadian Scott Diamond. The Twins sent their starting pitcher and centre fielder to Triple-A Rochester. Corner outfielder Oswaldo Arcia will be recalled, and the Twins will make another move on Saturday to replace Diamond on the staff. A native of Guelph, Ont., Diamond (5-10) was the only one in last years rotation assured of a spot this season after going 12-9 with a 3.54 ERA in 27 starts. This year, his ERA is 5.52 and he has only 45 strikeouts in 107-plus innings. In his 20th outing, the Royals tagged him for seven runs, nine hits and three walks in five innings, rendering a homer and a double by Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., moot. "If youre not impacting the team and contributing at all, you dont deserve to be here," Diamond said. "Right now I just need to go down to Triple-A and figure some things out and hopefully come back." The 27-year-old underwent surgery in December to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. Over his last 10 starts, Diamond went 1-6. Only two of those were turns of six innings or more and three runs or less. "I just need to get back to being aggressive and clear my head and reset a little bit," Diamond said. "I think right now Im trying to do a lot. I was fearful of this actually happening so I think because of it I was just trying to do too much." Hicks, who made the opening day roster after never playing in triple-A, has had quite a time adjusting to major league pitching. After a brief improvement right before the All-Star break, Hicks has regressed again. Hes hitting .192 with 84 strikeouts in 281 at-bats. Even a rebuilding team with time to develop prospects couldnt let that continue. "It looked like at one point he was going up the ladder a little bit, and now hes going right back down. A lot of poor at-bats. The kids trying. Hes playing a great centre field. Im happy with that, but unfortunately right now his swing is not where he wants to be. He needs some confidence too," manager Ron Gardenhire said. Managing the strike zone is what Hicks needs to work on the most. "This game is just a business. You have to be able to produce and produce on a daily basis. The past couple weeks I havent really been producing that well," Hicks said. Hicks said hell try to take the positive out of his demotion. "Just relax and be able to have fun playing the game and get that competitive edge back," he said. Andrew Albers, a native of North Battleford, Sask., is the leading candidate to be summoned to replace Diamond. The left-hander is 11-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 22 starts for Rochester. The Royals last won nine straight games when they opened the 2003 season at 9-0. The last time they won more in a row was a 10-game run in 1994, according to STATS research. The Twins were swept in a series for the eighth time this year. James Shields (6-7) gave up two runs on five hits and five walks in six innings for the Royals, but against a team that hasnt hit for power, hasnt hit with runners in scoring position and hasnt been stealing bases, he was never really in trouble. "That was an ugly series. Those guys came in here, wanted it more than us and found out ways to win games," Gardenhire said. "And we didnt. Striking out too many times. Missing too many opportunities." In the field, too. Plouffe misplayed at third a potential double-play ball to load the bases in the second inning, and Mike Moustakas and Justin Maxwell drove runs in to get the Royals on the board. "Balls off the wall. Guys not going to pick it up. Standing there watching plays. Overthrowing cutoff men. Not acceptable," Gardenhire said. The manager had a meeting after the game to address the lethargic performance with his players. "I thought that was pretty ugly. Our fans dont deserve to watch that," Gardenhire said. NOTES: Twins GM Terry Ryan said OF Josh Willingham (left knee) will leave for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester this weekend. Willingham had surgery to repair a torn meniscus July 3 and said he hoped to be back with the Twins as soon as next weekend, when they have a series in Chicago against the White Sox. ... The Twins have three more games on this homestand, starting Friday with Houston. RHP Samuel Deduno (7-4, 3.18) will start the opener against the Astros, who have never been to Target Field.Vapormax Nere Senza Lacci . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. Vapormax Uomo Scontate . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.vapormaxscontateoutlet.it/vapormax-bianche-scontate-outlet.html . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Air Vapormax Outlet . LOUIS -- St. Vapormax Off White Nere . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.Louisville coach Rick Pitino said the schools self-imposed sanctions are enough to satisfy the NCAA as the governing body continues investigating an escorts allegations that a former Cardinals staffer hired her and other dancers to entertain recruits and players.In February, the school announced a postseason ban from the ACC and NCAA tournaments after Louisvilles investigation into Katina Powells allegations determined that violations did occur. Louisville imposed additional sanctions in April, reducing scholarships and recruiting visits and contacts by staff in 2016-17 and 17-18. Several investigations into the program continue, but Pitino says measures suggested by investigator Chuck Smrt should be enough.Chuck tells you, OK, this is what I find you guilty of and this is what we must do, so he was the guy that told us what to do. It wasnt the school, Pitino said during a radio interview Tuesday on Louisvilles 840 WHAS.We have to rely on his (Smrts) expertise, so in his expertise and his feelings, weve done everything that we needed to do.Pitino expressed the same feelings about the schools actions in a podcast with College Hoops Today earlier this week.Powell alleged last October in the book Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen that former Cardinals mens basketball staffer Andre McGee paid Powell $10,000 for 22 shows from 2010-14 at the players Billy Minardi Hall dormitory. Pitino has denied knoowledge of the activities described in Powells book but has also seemed inclined to move on from the scandal, no matter what the NCAA investigation determines whenever it serves the school with a notice of allegations.ddddddddddddIts just a matter of whats true, whats not true, Pitino said. Certainly, were guilty of certain things and thats why we took the penalty. We would not have taken the penalty if we didnt find ourselves guilty of those violations.Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich said last month that he didnt know when the NCAAs investigation might end. But the AD said the school is prepared to acknowledge mistakes and cited its previous measures as steps toward correcting them and moving forward.Pitino has expressed the same philosophy but didnt sound ready to let McGee off the hook. The coach said he hasnt spoken with his former player and staffer and isnt in a forgiving mood just yet.Do I still love him? Yes, I do, Pitino said. Do I forgive him? No, I dont, because in order to forgive someone, that person has to ask for forgiveness. Its no different from if I do something wrong that I ask for forgiveness and God willing, the people you hurt forgive you.When it comes the day that Andre wants to be forgiven for his deeds, hell ask for forgiveness and well certainly do that. ' ' '