do with that, but sometimes you just go cold as a group.Verlander gave up five runs -- three earned -- four hits and a walk in seven-plus innings. He struck

CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose says hes still recovering from knee surgery and vows to show sitting out last season was the right decision. In an interview posted Wednesday on the teams website, Rose said he had to be selfish in his rehab as he tried to work his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee even though sitting out was "one of the hardest things Ive had to go through in my life." "Im not a selfish guy at all, but having this injury and going through what I had to go through and being smart, its something that I had to be selfish with," he said. "I couldnt worry about anyone else but myself and my health." He thinks fans who questioned him will realize sitting out was the right call once they see him playing again. "I think me going on the court and showing them and letting them know it was the right decision," he said. Rose hasnt played since he crumbled to the court near the end of the 2012 playoff opener against Philadelphia, sending the top-seeded Bulls to a first-round exit. He had surgery on May 12 that year, and his doctor said the recovery would probably take about eight to 12 months -- the final stage being playing in games. Rose practiced without restrictions the last few months of the season but never suited up for a game even though he had medical clearance. He and the Bulls never publicly ruled out a return, either. Without him, Chicago clawed its way to 45 wins and knocked out the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out to the champion Miami Heat. They were particularly banged up during the post-season, with players fighting through injuries and illnesses and Rose serving as a spectator. The Chicago product saw his image taking a hit, with analysts such as Charles Barkley and Steve Kerr, not to mention some fans, questioning why he wasnt playing. "When youre in practice, of course its not like game-like speed, unless its like training camp," Rose said. "Game-like experience is totally different when you have strategy, this and that, double teams. When I play, I get double-teamed a lot. We play the same defence (in practice) we play in the game, so there wasnt any double-teams. So I was able to roam around freely. And in a game ... I wasnt able to take on that double-team yet. "Every day I was working out like my leg is going to feel better," he continued. "I was pushing myself every day, eating right, trying to take care of my body so that I can be out there as soon as possible. But it didnt happen." Rose insisted he had his teammates support. "They saw how hard I was working in practice, just trying to rebuild my leg," he said. "All my teammates that were going through injuries, they used to tell me dont rush back just because they were going through stuff. So just to hear them say that, they knew I was trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible. They made a huge run at it. When they were playing, I told them things that I saw if they didnt see, or I was just working with them, just to show them I really cared about the team, and like I said they fought for me." George McGinnis Jersey . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Detlef Schrempf Jersey . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. https://www.cheappacers.com/ . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Malcolm Brogdon Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Darnell Hillman Jersey . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. DETROIT -- Raul Mondesi hit 271 home runs in 13 major league seasons.Eleven years after his career ended, his son is on the board.Raul Mondesi Jr. broke open a scoreless tie with a home run off Justin Verlander and the Kansas City Royals went on to a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.When Mondesi came up in the third inning, Verlander had retired all eight batters he had faced and appeared to be in dominant form once again.Verlanders first pitch was a 94 mph fastball for a called strike, but the second was a hanging slider and Mondesi drove it just inside the right-field foul pole for his first career homer.As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going to stay fair, so I just started running, he said. Im sure everyone could see me smiling when it went over the fence. That was a great feeling.Hitting it off Verlander made things even better.It makes it more special that I hit it in my first at-bat against that guy, he said. Hes a great, great pitcher, and I hit my first homer against him.Mondesi is listed as 6-foot-1 and a very generous 185 pounds, but Royals manager Ned Yost wasnt shocked by him going deep.Hes a skinny kid who we know is going to fill out over the next few years, but we knew he had some pop, Yost said. He can do more than people realize.Mondesis homer was the first of four solo shots by the Royals, three off Verlander. Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer also homered off Verlander (12-7), while Kendrys Morales went deep off Mark Lowe.Most of the time, Ill take my chances with giving up four hits, but tonight, every mistake I made got hit into the seats, Verlander said. They say solo homers dont hurt you, but that obviously wasnt the case today. It was just one of those games.Danny Duffy (10-1) outdueled Verlander, allowing three hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out five.Youd expect a pitchers duel from those two, and thats really what it was, Yost said. Danny was great, and Verlander threw the ball really well. We only got four hits off him, but somehow, three of them were homers. You dont expect that.Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered for Detroits only run. The Tigers have lost seven of nine.We just need to win, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. Our offense is cold right now, and the opposing pitching has a lot to do with that, but sometimes you just go cold as a group.Verlander gave up five runs -- three earned -- four hits and a walk in seven-plus innings. He struck out six.Kansas Citys second hit came in the fifth inning, when Gordon hit another slider into nearly the same spot as Mondesi. Gordon came into the game with a .205 career average against the Tigers ace.Duffy only needed 41 pitches over the first four innings, but Saltalamacchia put the Tiigers on the board with a fifth-inning homer into the shrubs above the centerfield fence.ddddddddddddHosmer restored Kansas Citys two-run lead with a seventh-inning homer to center field that was estimated at 443 feet. It was the fifth hit of the game -- four solo homers and a double by Detroits J.D. Martinez.Victor Martinez got the games first single in the seventh. J.D. Martinez hit into a force at second, but moved to third on a wild pitch and a fly ball. Duffy, though, struck out James McCann to end the inning.Detroits defense fell apart at the start of the eighth. Gordon hit a routine grounder to third, but ended up on second when Saltalamacchia missed Casey McGehees throw. Alcides Escobar singled to left with Gordon taking third, then moved to second when Justin Upton lobbed the ball into the infield.Verlander walked Mondesi on his 112th and final pitch, loading the bases. Bruce Rondon came in from the bullpen and struck out Paolo Orlando, but Cheslor Cuthbert hit a blooper to shallow center that Ian Kinsler got under, but dropped.Kinsler recovered in time to force Escobar at third, but Gordon scored to make to it 4-1. Lorenzo Cain doubled to give the Royals a four-run lead.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Three pitchers with long-term injuries are scheduled to make rehab performances this week. Kris Medlen, out since May with a rotator cuff problem, started Tuesday night for Surprise in the Arizona League, while Jason Vargas (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to start for Double-A Northwest Arizona on Wednesday. Mike Minor (shoulder) is supposed to pitch for Triple-A Omaha on Friday. Vargas and Minor have both missed the entire season.Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera was out of the starting lineup Tuesday with a strained left biceps. The injury, sustained in Mondays loss to the Royals, is not considered serious. Cabrera said after the game that he hopes to play on Wednesday. ... Jordan Zimmermann (neck) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday, and is scheduled to throw another on Thursday.TIGERS TRADEThe Tigers announced shortly before the first pitch that they had traded utilityman Mike Aviles and minor-league catcher Kade Scivicque to Atlanta for infielder Erick Aybar. General manager Al Avila said the move was designed to give the Tigers more offense off the bench. Aybar is hitting .242 this season as opposed to Aviles .210.UP NEXTThe teams finish their three-game series on Wednesday evening, with Kansas Citys Yordano Ventura (8-9, 4.60) facing Anibal Sanchez (6-12, 6.31). Sanchez has allowed 23 homers in 19 starts and only lasted four innings in his last outing. 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