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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals have not been to the playoffs in 29 years and are skidding towards a 30th straight season. Daniel Nava hit a grand slam, Xander Bogaerts added a three-run shot and the Boston Red Sox rallied past the Royals 8-4 on Sunday. Kansas City blew a four-run lead and dropped three of four to the last-place Red Sox. The Royals fell 1 1-2 games behind Detroit, which beat Cleveland, in the AL Central. Kansas City is in the thick of the wild-card race. Red Sox manager John Farrell said there is no sympathy for the Royals last-season slump. "Its been a long time--everyone in the game knows its been a long time since theyve been in the post-season," Farrell said. "Theyve got a good team. But our season is not over. Were going to play to our capabilities and with the competitiveness that we expect out of our guys." Royals manager Ned Yost was asked if his club could afford to lose three of four to a last-place club that is 18-games below .500? "No, no, no," Yost succinctly answered and promptly ended his post-game media conference. The Red Sox chased Jason Vargas (11-9) with one out in the sixth after Mookie Betts and Bogaerts singled. Reliever Aaron Crow walked Yoenis Cespedes to load the bases and struck out Allen Craig. Nava hit Crows next pitch into the Red Sox bullpen for his second career grand slam and a 7-4 lead. "We realized at the trade deadline, when we had a lot of moves, that we werent going to the playoffs," Nava said. "Everyone knew that. We wanted to finish strong and make a push. A couple of years ago some teams knocked out some guys in this clubhouse from the playoffs. I think it is something you keep in the back of your mind. If the roles were reversed, thats what they would try to do. Thats how you play the game." Said Crow, "Today is tough, especially for me because I was the one out there when they took the lead." Bogaerts homered in the third and got three hits. He also had a sacrifice fly and drove in four runs, giving him 11 RBIs in his past 15 games. Joe Kelly (3-2) gave up five consecutive hits and four runs in the second, but nothing else in six innings. The Royals loaded the bases in the ninth off Edward Mujica, but Lorenzo Cain struck out looking to end the game. "That pitch was a foot outside," Cain said. Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the second, and Omar Infantes grounder scored another run in the inning. ORTIZS DEPARTURE. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Red Sox DH David Ortiz in the seventh inning. "He got called away from this game," Farrell said of Ortiz. "There was a family emergency that he had to attend to and he jumped on a flight late this afternoon. He should catch up with us in Pittsburgh." TRAINERS ROOM Red Sox: INF-OF Brock Holt (concussion) remains sidelined and is having vision problems. Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (sore shoulder) made 20 throws with no discomfort in a bullpen session. Manager Ned Yost said they would check on how Duffy feels Monday and make a decision on whether he will start Tuesday against the White Sox. ... DH Josh Willingham (groin strain) has not played since Thursday. UP NEXT Red Sox: After an off-day Monday, the 10-game trip continues Tuesday with the first of three games at Pittsburgh, another playoff-contending club. Rookie right-hander Anthony Ranaudo will start the series opener. Royals: Staff ace James Shields, who has a career-high 18 1-3 inning scoreless streak, will start the series opener against the visiting White Sox. Shields hasnt done well against Chicago SS Alexei Ramirez, who has a .412 batting average with two home runs in 51 at-bats against him. fake jerseys china . 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On the day after Billy Horschel posted his 12th straight round in the 60s, won his second straight tournament against a world-class field and picked up an additional $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion, Watson was kicking back in his seat at a Kansas City Royals game. replica jerseys china .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.LAKE FOREST, Ill. - New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace recalled driving from Eastern Illinois to New Orleans in a beat up car for a job interview all those years ago.From working in game-day operations with the Saints for a year to rising through their front office and landing Chicagos general manager job, it has been quite a climb.Pace was introduced Friday as the Bears GM, charged with turning around a franchise with just one playoff appearance in the past eight years.Im really proud of the path that I took. It just makes me smile, said Pace, who at 37 is the leagues youngest general manager.Pace comes to Chicago after 14 years with the Saints — 13 in their personnel department.He has a big task rebuilding a team that went 5-11 and fired GM Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory.Pace, a defensive end at Eastern Illinois in the late 1990s, helped build a championship team with the Saints. He also was the interim GM during the Bountygate sanctions.I was in a good situation in New Orleans, he said. I worked with great people there in a good environment. I wasnt one of those guys looking to jump to the next job. This was a very thorough and calculated decision by me and my family. And thats because this is a historic franchise that desperately wants to win and theyre willing to do whatever it takes for that to happen. And I want to be leading that charge.Topping Paces to-do list is hiring a coach.As for Cutler, who signed a seven-year, $126 million deal after the 2013 season, Pace is not ready to draw any conclusions. The contract makes him tough to trade. Cutting Cutler could be an option if the Bears decide not to keep him.I want to get to know Jay, he said. I want to get to know him further before I come to these conclusions.Pace beat out Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, who spent 12 years in Chicago working under Emery and his predecessor Jerry Angelo, along with Tennessee Titans vice-president of player personnel Lake Dawson and Houston Texans director of pro personnel Brian Gaine.Pace will report directly to team president Ted Phillips and will lean heavily on him along with chairman George McCaskey and consultant Ernie Accorsi in the coaching search. But he will have final say on that as well as the makeup of the roster.I want to win, he said. The challenges, the first step, again is hiring the right head coach to hellp me lead that charge.dddddddddddd And thats all Im focused on right now. Thats the most critical thing we can do right now. I think it helps me, again, to have a step-by-step plan in my head — a progressive plan — and right now, thats hiring a head coach, Step 1.Phillips said Pace impressed the Bears during his interview.He just did a great job, from showing intensity, from showing toughness, from really being able to articulate the kind of head coach he wants and how to build the roster, he said.The Bears interviewed Seattle defensive co-ordinator Dan Quinn and Denver offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase before Pace was hired. They also interviewed Arizona defensive co-ordinator Todd Bowles on Thursday right after they hired their GM.Pace, who was in on that session, indicated he wont hire a coach based on a certain scheme. He said more interviews have been lined up since he was hired, but would not reveal names. Previous head coaching experience in the NFL is not a requirement.He mentioned how the Saints hiring of Sean Payton in 2006 sparked a jump from 3-13 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to the NFC South championship. Signing Drew Brees obviously helped, but the new coach was quickly able to get his players to buy in.Sean came from (Bill) Parcells, so discipline was important right off the bat, Pace said. But Sean has a charisma, a confidence and an energy to him thats infectious. I think thats important, you know? When a head coach gets in front of the room, think about it, hes selling his plan to the players. And there needs to be buy-in. Sean Payton has that, and well be looking for some of those qualities.He mentioned re-establishing Chicagos identity as a team that relies on the run and tough defence, areas it veered from under Trestman.Pace also insisted he is fine with the Bears maintaining their chain of command, with the GM reporting to the president rather than the chairman. He said Phillips reminds him of Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and that theres an automatic connection.Its a structure that we like, McCaskey said. Its a structure that we think works. But as Ryan pointed out, more important than the structure are the people that you have in the various positions. We think we have a good one in general manager.Note: McCaskey does not expect Accorsi to remain on the payroll after the coaching search is completed.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '