By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer

Moments after Detroit secured the AL Central title, Kansas City manager Ned Yost started pulling some of his regulars from the lineup.

It was finally time to start preparing for the playoffs.

Kansas City’s chance for a division crown was erased by Detroit’s victory on Sunday, and the Royals went on to a 6-4 comeback win over Chicago in the final game for retiring White Sox captain Paul Konerko.

Coming into the final day of the regular season, Kansas City was hoping for a one-game playoff on Monday in Detroit for the division crown. But the Tigers clinched with a 3-0 victory over the Twins, sending the Royals to the wild-card game on Tuesday night against Oakland in their first postseason appearance since winning Game 7 of the 1985 World Series.

“There’s been teams that have won the World Series from the wild-card game, and they know that,” Yost said. “So they’re excited to start the process.

“When a lot of teams are going home, the elite few get to stay back and play in this tournament, and for the first time in a long time, we’ve earned the right to play in it.”

Kansas City (89-73) will send James Shields to the mound against Oakland left-hander Jon Lester when it hosts the first game of the 2014 playoffs. The Royals went 5-2 against the Athletics this year, but both of their losses came against Lester.

“I’m glad we can kind of put the regular season behind us, start this new journey right now,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “It’s going to be a fun experience.”

Konerko started at first base and played five innings on the final day of his 18-year big league career. The slugger, who paid tribute to his wife and three children by writing their names in the infield dirt behind the bag, went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

Konerko went out to first before Kansas City batted in the sixth inning, and then was replaced by Andy Wilkins. Konerko waved his hat toward the visiting dugout, where the Royals were standing and applauding along the top step, and then waved to the standing crowd of 32,266, once again hearing chants of “Paulie! Paulie!”

The 38-year-old disappeared into the dugout for a brief moment and then popped back out for a curtain call. He waved to the crowd again and acknowledged the sustained cheers with a bow before retreating back into the dugout, where he received more hugs and congratulations from his teammates.

“This whole thing blew me away,” said Konerko, who also was honored by the White Sox before Saturday night’s game. “I know I’ve been here a while and I knew there’d be something at the end that would be commemorating me being here for a while. But this whole thing, the fans and all that last night, I never thought that I was one of those guys that gets that.”

Konerko also lingered on the field after the loss to exchange high-fives with the fans along the railing of his longtime home. A six-time All-Star, Konerko finishes with a .279 average, 439 homers and 1,412 RBIs.

Chicago had a 4-2 lead when Konerko departed, but Kansas City responded with three runs in the sixth. Christian Colon, who was activated from the disabled list before the game, hit a tying two-run double off Daniel Webb (6-5) and Carlos Peguero added a tiebreaking RBI single.

Casey Coleman (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for his first win since Sept. 9, 2011, for the Chicago Cubs against Milwaukee. Louis Coleman got three outs for his first save.

The White Sox (73-89) dropped five of their final six games. Adam Eaton went 3 for 3 before he was replaced in the field before the fifth inning, leaving him with a .300 batting average.

READY TO GO

Kansas City rookie Yordano Ventura allowed four runs and eight hits in four innings. He was lifted after 73 pitches and said he would be available for the game against the A’s.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Colon had been sidelined by a broken middle finger on his right hand.

White Sox: SS Alexei Ramirez (sore hamstring) and 1B Jose Abreu (sprained thumb) did not play.

MR. 162

Royals SS Alcides Escobar started every game this season. His previous career high was 158 games, set in 2011 and matched last year.

”It’s hard for most people, but it’s not hard for him,” Yost said. ”He just has that body type that allows him to go out and play at a high level every single day.”

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) – The mob arrived as soon as Salvador Perez squeezed that final foul popup, officially bringing Kansas City’s playoff drought to an end.

Yes, the Royals are going back to the postseason.

Kansas City clinched a playoff spot Friday night for the first time in 29 years, beating the Chicago White Sox 3-1 behind seven scoreless innings from Jeremy Guthrie.

Kansas City secured at least a wild card and ended the longest active postseason drought among the major North American sports leagues. The last time the Royals made it to the playoffs, George Brett led Kansas City to a World Series victory over St. Louis in 1985.

“It feels better than expected,” said Billy Butler, a 2004 draft pick and eight-year veteran. “It’s a great thing. I’m proud to bring this organization something they envisioned when they drafted me.”

Small-market Kansas City endured more than its share of losing in recent years. But it contended into September last season and kicked down the playoff door on Friday.

The Royals crowded around Perez near the plate after he caught Michael Taylor’s foulout.

A large contingent of Kansas City fans crowded near the visitors’ dugout, watching the party, and players tossed black and white playoff caps to them before walking off the field.

The clubhouse was as chaotic as expected, with players dousing each other with bubbly and snapping pictures, whooping it up as the franchise’s years of losing gave way to pure joy.

As the scene unfolded, Brett stood nearby with a bottle in one hand and a cup in the other, doing his best not to get drenched.

“I got tired of the people criticizing the players on this team because they hadn’t won a World Series since 1985,” he said. “Ninety-five percent of these … guys weren’t even born in ’85. It’s not their fault. These guys played their (butts) off all year.”

And look where they are now.

With Detroit losing to Minnesota, Kansas City trails the Tigers by a game in the AL Central with two to play. If they are tied after Sunday, the teams will play game No. 163 at Detroit on Monday to determine the division winner.

Kansas City also maintained a one-game lead in the wild-card standings over Oakland, which won 6-2 at Texas.

The postgame celebration eventually returned to the field, where there was more spraying alcohol, more jumping up and down and more pictures, all to the delight of their supporters. Fans chanted “Let’s go Royals!” and some derogatory comments toward Detroit.

They held up signs that read “My playoff beard starts growing today,” and “Finally.”

That probably summed it up best for Kansas City. Yes, finally, the Royals are back.

“We know it’s been emotional, not only for us but for the city itself, which has supported us all along the way,” closer Greg Holland said.

Guthrie (13-11) could not have been much better, pitching four-hit ball while winning his third straight start. He struck out six and walked one.

The White Sox scored in the eighth against Wade Davis. Adam Eaton tripled with one out and came around on Alexei Ramirez’s single. But Jose Abreu and Conor Gillaspie struck out to end the inning.

Holland worked the ninth for his 46th save in 48 chances.

Alcides Escobar had two hits, including a leadoff single in Kansas City’s three-run first against Hector Noesi, and the Royals won for the fifth time in six games.

Noesi (8-12) allowed six hits in six innings after it looked as if he might get knocked out early.

The first three batters each got a hit, starting with Escobar’s single. Nori Aoki lined a run-scoring triple to right, and Lorenzo Cain had an RBI single for his 14th hit in 30 at-bats. Cain came around from second on Butler’s one-out single to make it 3-0.

Chicago’s Paul Konerko began his farewell weekend by going 0 for 4. The retiring slugger, back in the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s game, received loud cheers every time he stepped to the plate, starting with a standing ovation in the second inning.

In the Royals, Konerko sees some similarities to Chicago’s 2005 championship team with its pitching and timely hitting.

“I think they have a real good shot to go a long ways,” he said. “Good for them. Enjoy it. I’m happy for those guys.”

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Royals: There was no further update on INF Christian Colon, who is recovering from a broken middle finger on his right hand. It’s not clear if he will be on the postseason roster.

White Sox: Reliever Nate Jones is confident he will make a full recovery after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in July. Jones expects to start throwing a week before Thanksgiving. Jones also had back surgery in May. … The White Sox held OF Avisail Garcia out of the lineup for precautionary reasons after he left Thursday’s game because of a stiff lower back. Manager Robin Ventura expects him to be ready to play Saturday.

UP NEXT:

LHP Danny Duffy (9-11, 2.32 ERA) starts Saturday for Kansas City, with LHP John Danks (10-11, 4.82 ERA) pitching for Chicago.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) – Whether it’s through a wild card or the AL Central title, Lorenzo Cain doesn’t care how the Kansas City Royals reach the playoffs.

He just wants to get there.

Eric Hosmer homered and drove in two runs, Cain had four hits and scored twice, and the Royals put themselves on the verge of a playoff spot with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.

One more win for Kansas City, or a loss by Seattle, will send the Royals to the postseason for the first time since George Brett led them to a World Series championship in 1985.

Kansas City remained two games behind Detroit in the Central and moved one up on Oakland in the wild-card standings.

“We definitely want to win the division, but any way we can get in (the playoffs), we’ll take it,” Cain said.

The Royals aren’t about to be picky considering how long it’s been and all the losing for the franchise along the way. They were September contenders last season for the first time in a decade on the way to 86 wins.

Now they are right on the postseason doorstep, poised to barge in.

“I think this team’s learned a lot,” starter James Shields said. “I think we’ve got a mix of good veterans in here to keep this team loose. We’re really loose and having fun right now and that’s what it’s all about.”

Hosmer had three hits, including an RBI single in the first and a tying solo homer off Jose Quintana in the sixth.

The White Sox held retiring captain Paul Konerko out of the lineup, but he expects to start the final three games. He has been playing through a broken bone in his left hand and was a little sore after playing two of the previous three games in Detroit.

The Royals went ahead after back-to-back singles by Cain and Hosmer put runners on first and third in the eighth.

Jake Petricka relieved Quintana, and it looked as if the White Sox would get out of it when Billy Butler sent a grounder to shortstop.

But second baseman Marcus Semien bounced the relay to first after catching the throw from Alexei Ramirez. That allowed Cain to score the go-ahead run, and Alex Gordon followed with an RBI single to make it 5-3.

That made a winner of Kelvin Herrera (4-3), who worked a scoreless seventh after Shields went six innings.

Wade Davis pitched the eighth and Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 45th save in 47 chances.

Shields allowed three runs and five hits, including a two-run homer by Josh Phegley.

Quintana (9-11) gave up five runs and 11 hits over 7 1-3 innings.

“He threw a good game,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “We had a shot there to get out of it for him, and we didn’t. You’ve got to be able to do that.”

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Royals: INF Christian Colon (broken middle finger) played six innings and had two hits in his first rehab game in the Arizona instructional league, general manager Dayton Moore said. Moore had no comment when asked how Colon’s finger felt, and it’s not clear if he will be on the postseason roster.

White Sox: White Sox OF Avisail Garcia left the game because of a stiff lower back. He lined out in the second inning and was replaced in right field by Moises Sierra before the top of the third. He is day to day, although Ventura expects him to sit out Saturday. … 2B Carlos Sanchez was out of the lineup with his wife set to have a baby.

UP NEXT:

The Royals send RHP Jeremy Guthrie (12-11, 4.28 ERA) to the mound, hoping to wrap up a playoff berth. RHP Hector Noesi (8-10, 4.39) pitches for Chicago.

NO MICKEY MOUSE OPERATION

There was quite a scene in the visiting clubhouse before the game. Royals RHP Liam Hendricks was on all fours while leading the charge to capture a mouse hiding in one corner. He eventually trapped it in a box and took it to the bullpen for the game, with the players dubbing it the “Rally Mouse.”

Hendricks hopes to find the same mouse – or another one – before Saturday’s game and keep it in the bullpen.

“Whatever works, man,” manager Ned Yost said.