Angebot, Shop » The Chiefs‘ Eric Berry and Spencer Ware joined the

KANSAS CITY John Cominsky Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Colts‘ Malik Hooker and Tyquan Lewis in street clothes for their cold, snowy divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.Or parkas, more accurately.The quartet of starters was among the inactives for the latest postseason matchup between the Chiefs and Colts. Berry was out with a heel injury and Ware remained out with a hamstring injury. Hooker was sidelined by a foot injury and Lewis by a sore knee in a significant blow to an Indianapolis defense that must contend with Kansas City’s high-powered attack.Hooker had played 87 percent of snaps this season, and an even greater amount during the Colts’ win over Houston in the wild-card round. George Odum, a rookie, will join Corey Moore and J.J. Wilcox in covering for him alongside strong safety Clayton Geathers.Colts coach Frank Reich said this week that Hooker would be a game-time decision, though he did sound optimistic when they had their final practice on Thursday.“Yeah, I mean obviously best-case scenario all the guys that we have a little dinged up, the best-case scenario is that they all go,” Reich said, “because if they are going we feel like they can play winning football even if they are dinged up. That will be our mindset going in, ‘Hey if you’re out there Qadree Ollison Jersey , we expect you to play winning football.”The Colts placed backup safety Mike Mitchell on injured reserve earlier this week with a calf injury, further depleting a defense that has played especially well during a five-game win streak.“In the sub packages, his role was big,” Reich said. “You just count on Mike, I mean, especially in those sub packages. … Mike has been pretty instrumental.”Al-Quadin Muhammad got the start in place of Lewis at defensive end.As for the Chiefs, any optimism their three-time All-Pro safety would return for the playoffs seemed to evaporate this week when Berry never took the practice field. His heel kept him out most of the season, and a recurrence before their regular-season finale sidelined him again.Jordan Lucas was slated to start against Andrew Luck and the Colts offense.Ware, who assumed the starting role when Kareem Hunt was cut midseason, has not played in a month because of a hamstring injury. Damien Williams started again in his place.The Chiefs did get some positive news when wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who has been out with a foot injury since November, was active for the playoff game. Watkins was in a walking boot a few weeks ago but practiced all week Ed Oliver Jersey , then tested his foot on the snowy field Saturday.When inactives were announced 90 minutes prior to kickoff, Watkins was ready to go.“He’s done a nice job,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the Chiefs’ final practice of the week. “He had good work all three days and looked pretty good.”If only the same could be said of the field.It looked pristine a few weeks ago for the Chiefs’ regular-season finale against Oakland, but rain Friday that quickly turned to snow saturated the playing surface. The Chiefs kept tarps on it as long as possible, but they were removed 2 hours before kickoff and snow began to accumulate.The middle of the field was already turning into a quagmire during warmups, as was the south end zone, where players and personnel enter and exit the field. Workers were trying their best to keep it in shape with a tractor load of dry dirt and gravel.
DENVER — Outfielder Brandon Nimmo will seek an encore performance after a memorable return to the region where he grew up and will try to continue his startling power surge Tuesday when the New York Mets look to win their fourth straight game and again beat the Colorado Rockies.

The Mets blasted the Rockies 12-2 on Monday with their biggest outburst since they scored 12 runs on May 15 against Toronto. Nimmo, who grew up in Cheyenne, Wyo., about 100 miles from Denver, led off the game with an inside-the-park home run and went 4-for-6 with two home runs and a career-high four RBI. The four hits tied his career-high and occurred after he hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday at Arizona.

Nimmo has hit a career-high 12 home runs this season and 10 since May 23, a 25-game stretch that also includes 19 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. Getting closer to the plate and eliminating his stride are among the suggestions Nimmo got from Mets coaches that have helped him improve his swing.

“I’ve been able to be more consistent when they make mistakes Cody Ford Jersey ,” Nimmo said. “That’s really been the biggest things, those swing changes allowing me to be a little more consistent. I was always in my approach looking for a good pitch to hit, to try and drive. Now I’m just doing it a little more often. That’s encouraging. That’s really nice. That’s actually a pretty dangerous player. I’m proud of that.”

Left-hander Jason Vargas (2-5, 7.39 ERA) will start for the Mets on Tuesday against German Marquez (4-7, 5.13).

The Rockies will look to end an eight-game losing streak at Coors Field, during which they have been outscored 81-39. Their longest losing streak at home was nine consecutive games at Mile High Stadium from July 25 to Aug. 18, 1993.

The Rockies (34-38) have lost nine of their past 11 games and 13 of their past 17, a slide that has dropped them a season-most four games below .500

Starter Tyler Anderson gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings before relievers Harrison Musgrave, Jake McGee, Jeff Hoffman and Brooks Pounders combined to allow nine runs in 3 2/3 innings, raising the ERA for the Rockies relievers to a National League-worst 5.60.

“Is there a higher ceiling for this group? For sure,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “But it’s going to take the combination of the good hitting and the good pitching Devin Singletary Jersey , and right now we got to get the pitching turned around. And we got to get it turned around quickly.”

Vargas is 2-2, 9.00 in five starts against the Rockies, the last in 2014. He’s 1-2, 11.40 in three starts at Coors Field, allowing three runs in seven innings in the most recent one in 2012 while pitching for Seattle.

Marquez is 0-2, 8.44 in three starts this month and last won on May 27 against Cincinnati. He’s 1-4, 7.71 in seven starts at home this season.

Marquez is 1-0, 3.75 in two starts against the Mets. He beat them this season on May 4 at Citi Field, allowing two runs in six innings in Colorado’s 8-7 victory and got a no-decision Aug. 3, 2017, at Coors Field when he allowed three runs in six innings in the Rockies’ 5-4 triumph.

The Mets (31-38) will be trying to win four straight games for the first time since May 18-21. They have since gone 7-19, and Monday’s victory was just the sixth for the Mets in their past 19 games. Monday also marked Nimmo’s second game at Coors Field. He pinc hit and grounded into a fielder’s choice last season on Aug. 2.

“I remember I broke my bat Dawson Knox Jersey ,” Nimmo said. “I did a little bit better today.”

Nimmo’s two-homer, four-hit game raised his average to .287 in 60 games with 22 RBI and a 1.013 OPS.

“It’s a much different feel (than last year),” Nimmo said. “It’s a different experience, but I’m glad to be here. Very, very blessed. Most people do not get to out their dream like this and wonder what it’s like to play on that field and then get to experience that some day in the big leagues. So really, really blessed.”