DETROIT -- Prince Fielder went three weeks without a homer, and the Detroit Tigers kept right on rolling. Now that droughts over -- and Fielders team is sitting pretty in the AL Central. Fielders two-run shot in the first inning Thursday night sent the Tigers to a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Andy Dirks added four hits for Detroit, which leads second-place Cleveland by 6 1/2 games in the division. "Prince produces runs. I dont care how he does it," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Tonight happened to be by way of the home run, but hes a run producer, always has been. Its in the book and itll be in the book at the end of this year." Dirks had two doubles and two singles for the Tigers, who took the opener of this five-game series with third-place Kansas City. The Royals have lost three in a row after a 17-3 stretch that put them in contention for a post-season spot. Kansas City now trails Detroit by 8 1/2 games in the division. The Royals are 5 1/2 behind Oakland in the race for a wild card. Detroits Anibal Sanchez (11-7) allowed a run and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. Bruce Rondon finished the eighth, and Joaquin Benoit pitched a hitless ninth for his 16th save in 16 chances. Jeremy Guthrie (12-9) allowed four runs and 13 hits in seven innings. Fielder went deep for the first time since July 24, belting a towering drive to right-centre to give Detroit a 2-1 lead. The Tigers scored two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera. Dirks, batting leadoff because Austin Jackson had the night off, scored twice. It was the second four-hit game of the season for Dirks, who is from Kansas and went to Wichita State. "It felt good. Its hard to explain -- its just one of those feel things," Dirks said. "I could feel the path of the bat as I was swinging. My timing was better and everything just clicks. Your legs work with your hands and different things." The Tigers won despite an atrocious night on the bases. Dirks led off the Detroit third with a double, and then was caught in a rundown when Hunter grounded to the mound. After Dirks was tagged out, the Royals got a double play because Hunter had turned too far around first. In the sixth, Brayan Pena took too much of a turn after hitting a single, and he too was caught off the bag. Kansas City, meanwhile, stole three bases, but the Royals couldnt break through against Sanchez after scoring a run in the first inning. "We had a good scouting report today," Kansas Citys Alex Gordon said. "When youre not hitting doubles and home runs, youve got to make something happen." Gordons RBI single made it 1-0, but Dirks singled to start the bottom of the first, and Fielder went deep for his 18th homer of the season. The Royals had a man on second in the second, a man on third in the fourth and then a man on second again in the fifth. But they were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. After a double by Dirks in the fifth, Detroit had men on second and third with one out. Hunter singled to make it 3-1, and Cabreras fly ball to centre dropped in front of Jarrod Dyson for another run. Cabrera, who has been bothered by hip and leg injuries lately, made a nice sliding catch in foul territory near third base on an eighth-inning popup by Gordon. "Hes obviously playing in some pain," Leyland said. "Just a gutty performance, day after day. You know, weve got a lot of guys that go out there all the time -- and I dont want to slight Miggy, because hes been going out there and playing. Theres not too many guys that could do what hes doing, under the circumstances, but weve got a lot of guys that go out there." NOTES: Emilio Bonifacio, acquired by Kansas City on Wednesday in a trade with Toronto, went 1 for 4 with a stolen base. ... A concession stand was closed after a small grease fire about three hours before the first pitch sent smoke high into the air behind the scoreboard in LF, but the situation was under control quickly and hardly anyone on the field at the time seemed to notice. ... Detroit and Kansas City play a doubleheader Friday. The Tigers send RHP Justin Verlander (12-8) to the mound in the opener against Royals LHP Danny Duffy (0-0). Detroit LHP Jose Alvarez (1-2) faces Kansas City RHP James Shields (7-8) in the nightcap. Mitch Richmond Kings Jersey .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Nemanja Bjelica Kings Jersey .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. http://www.nbakingsonline.com/Authentic-Chris-Webber-Kings-Jersey/ . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Chris Webber Kings Jersey . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. Mike Bibby Kings Jersey . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- It was North Carolinas strangest blowout win in a long time.Mitch Trubisky passed for 184 yards and three touchdowns to help the Tar Heels beat The Citadel 41-7 on Saturday.T.J. Logan had a touchdown catch and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score for North Carolina (8-3), which forced a season-high four turnovers.We were worried about that football team, North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. We knew they were a really good football team, that they would control the clock and that our guys were going to have to steal a few possessions. Defensively, we did that.North Carolina won even though its high-octane offense was quiet for much of the day. The Tar Heels converted just 1 of 8 third downs and were outgained by the Bulldogs 371-356.Perhaps most surprisingly, the Tar Heels intercepted a pass.Dominquie Green ended North Carolinas interception drought when he picked off a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. The Tar Heels had been the only FBS team not to intercept a pass this season.Ryan Switzer added a 72-yard touchdown as North Carolina won for the 11th time in its last 12 home games.The Citadel (10-1) rushed for 344 yards, possessed the ball for more than 42 minutes and ran 33 more plays than North Carolina.Grant Drakeford had a 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs, whose school-record 10-game winning streak came to an end.We were nowhere near playing where we wanted today, Citadel coach Brent Thompson said. We needed a day like today to remind us that if you dont play well and you turn the ball over and you make a lot of mistakes, youre not going to win very many football games.THE TAKEAWAYThe Citadel: The Bulldogs stumbled in their stiffest test of the season to date. Lacking an effective passingg attack, they were unable to rally after falling behind early.ddddddddddddThe Citadel must try to avoid similar circumstances in the postseason as opponents load up to try to stop its vaunted running game.North Carolina: Coming off a deflating loss and playing an undefeated opponent with an unconventional offense, the Tar Heels won a dangerous game without much difficulty. Their advantages in speed and overall talent were too much for The Citadel to overcome.We werent as sharp on offense, but we picked it up in other areas, Trubisky said.HE SAID ITFedora had grown tired of talking about his teams lack of interceptions, but he cracked a joke about the end of the streak.I was told that were the only team in the country that has returned all of their interceptions for touchdowns, he said. Thats a pretty big deal right there, I would think.HIGHLIGHT REELLogans 23-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter was impressive. He ran through the middle of the defense uncovered, and it appeared that Trubisky threw the ball too far in front of him. But Logan dived and speared the ball with his right hand before rolling over with control of it in the end zone. His kick return for a score to begin the second half was his school-record fourth kickoff return for a touchdown.UP NEXTThe Citadel: The Bulldogs will play in the FCS playoffs after earning the automatic berth from the Southern Conference.North Carolina: Still alive for the ACCs Coastal Division title, the Tar Heels host rival N.C. State on Friday. North Carolina needs to win and needs Virginia Tech to lose at home to Virginia in order to play in the conference championship game for the second year in a row. ' ' '