KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It has not been a smooth rookie season for right-hander Jose Berrios, the Minnesota Twins top pitching prospect.Berrios, who turned 22 in May, starts Friday against the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals.Berrios has not pitched since Aug. 11 when he yielded six runs (five earned) and eight hits in two innings in a loss to Houston.The last outing was not very well, Berrios said Thursday on the eve of his eighth career start.In the extra time between starts, he has been working with pitching coach Neil Allen and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado.They helped me a lot, Berrios said We throw sides the past ten days, so, we do a couple of adjustments, (on the) release point and rhythm, and so I think Ill be prepared for tomorrow.In his past two starts -- both defeats, Berrios surrendered 10 runs, 14 hits and two walks while striking out five in seven innings.Those two starts ballooned Berrios ERA to 9.32 in 28 innings. Batters are hitting .331 off him with a .410 on-base percentage, a .593 slugging percentage and a 1.004 OPS.Berrios, a 2012 first-round draft pick out of Puerto Rico, started for the World Team in the 2014-15 Futures Games, pitching a scoreless inning in each. He made four early starts for the Twins, but was demoted after retiring only two Tigers and giving up seven runs May 16.Berrios pitched well for Triple-A Rochester, 10-5 with a 2.44 ERA, earning an Aug. 1 recall. There is a learning curve for most rookies, even one as talented as Berrios that the Twins hope to build future rotations around.Now, I can learn every day and everybody here tries to help me, Berrios said. But its my first year. I have the ability. A couple of the outings have been rough, but I learn from that. I do adjustments. I keep the good things and the bad things I try to dont do it again. Thats what I do right now, learn about that.Veteran Royals right-hander Edison Volquez, who starts Friday, has a 2/3 record in his previous nine starts, but has pitched at least six innings in eight of them. Volquez is 6-3 with a 4.04 ERA at home this season.Volquez has a successful history against the Twins, a 5-1 record with a 2.29 ERA in eight career starts and one relief appearance. Volquez is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in three starts against them this season, allowing six earned runs in 18 1/3 innings.The Royals rotation has a 1.61 ERA in a five-game winning streak. Pitching can be contagious, said right-hander Dillon Gee, who allowed one run over seven innings Thursday in the 8-1 victory over the Twins.I think so, Gee said. I think energy alone is contagious. I think guys feed off each other. Good results tend to feed down. You watch those guys go out and there and put up the games theyve been putting up. It makes me want to do the same thing and provide for this team like they are.The only run off Gee was a leadoff home run to Brian Dozier.You just cant make mistakes to that guy, especially heaters up in the zone, Gee said. I was glad I could come back and settle down after that.With the club over .500 for the first time since July 22, Gee senses the club kicking into a higher gear to make a bid to return to postseason.Were having a lot of fun right now, he said. The guys on the bench are having a blast and keeping it loose. Guys are just having a good time out there and the results are starting to show the way weve been playing. Nike Vapormax Destockage . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Nike Vapormax En Solde . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. http://www.paschervapormax.fr/ . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Air Vapormax France .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Nike Vapormax Promo . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. News that Tom Brady would accept his four-game suspension for his role in Deflategate did little to dampen the public perception of his team; the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook still has the New England Patriots as the favorites to win Super Bowl LI.New England opened as the co-favorite to win Super Bowl LI along with the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers?at 8-1 at Westgate. Those odds were released even before Super Bowl 50 was played.The Patriots were bet down to 6-1 as the favorites at Westgate. Then, after the initial news that Brady was suspended on April 25, Westgate kept New England as the 6-1 favorite. Sportsbook operator CG Technology made the Patriots co-favorites with the Seahawks at 8-1.New Englands season expected win total dropped from 10.5 wins (over -155) to 10 (under -125), and the Patriots went from the favorite to win the AFC at +330 to co-favorites with Pittsburgh at +400 per CG Technology.ddddddddddddWestgate hadnt released its season win totals when the news broke, but opened New Englands season win total at 10.5.Now that Brady is officially out for the first four games, New England will indeed be a 5.5-point underdog at Arizona in Week 1 at Westgate (4.5 at CG Technology). According to CG Technology, New England will be favored at home in the following three games that he will miss (vs. Dolphins, Texans and Bills).At Westgate, New England is currently the 6-1 favorite to win Super Bowl LI, followed by Seattle, Pittsburgh and Green Bay at 8-1. No other AFC East team has odds better than 50-1. ' ' '