then retired the first two batters in the seventh without troubl

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins now have something in common with their 1984 Super Bowl team, and its not good.Miami has allowed 971 yards the past two weeks, the highest total in consecutive games for the franchise in 32 years. The 1984 team gave up 455 yards in the AFC championship game and 537 in the Super Bowl, a collapse even Dan Marino couldnt overcome as Miami lost the title game.The Dolphins defense hasnt retreated so furiously since -- until now. Coordinator Vance Josephs unit has allowed season-high yardage totals (475 and 496) each of the past two games, the latter a 38-6 loss at Baltimore.The last two weeks we havent played well, Joseph said Thursday. Its Week 13. What weve done well for the last month and a half is on tape. Everyone is making adjustments, so we have to make an adjustment now and help our guys more.A dramatic turnaround will be necessary Sunday if Miami (7-5) is to beat the explosive Arizona Cardinals (5-6-1).The defense appeared upgraded during a six-game winning streak in October and November, but the Dolphins rankings have been in freefall the past two weeks. Theyre now 25th in yards allowed and 30th against the run.Pass defense has been the biggest problem lately. San Franciscos Colin Kaepernick threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns against Miami in Week 12, and Joe Flacco threw for 381 yards and four scores last week.Flacco and the Ravens did most of their damage in the middle of the field, exposing weaknesses in pass coverage by an injury-depleted linebacker corps.We were trying to play tight coverage, and it wasnt happening, Joseph said. We were soft across the middle. Joe got hot, and we couldnt stop it. We couldnt cover them. We couldnt chase them. We played zone; it was too soft. We played man; we couldnt chase them. It wasnt good.Carson Palmer is sure to test the Dolphins the same way with throws to Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson, who leads all running backs in receptions (64) and receiving yards (704), and leads the NFL in scrimmage yards.Our defense has to make sure we dont let Johnson take complete control of this game, Miami coach Adam Gase said. If we let him get going, thats a recipe for disaster for us.Another worry is the 6-foot-3, 218-pound Fitzgerald in the slot. Cameron Wake, the Dolphins 263-pound defensive end, happened to walk past as Joseph was discussing the challenge of covering Fitzgerald over the middle.I can play nickel, Wake said.Hes your size, so maybe, Joseph responded.With Kiko Alonso nursing hamstring and thumb injuries, the Dolphins might be forced to start backups at all three linebacker spots. Theyve also been without two starters in the secondary, making the season -- especially the Ravens game -- an education for young replacements.We can learn a lot from that, and I think we will, veteran cornerback Byron Maxwell said. Weve got a lot of smart guys on this team, and they want to get better. Its going to be better next time.Joseph has been known to shake up the lineup, but said hes not planning any changes this week. Effort hasnt been an issue, he said, and his main complaint has involved self-inflicted damage.As one example, he noted a third-and-15 play where the Ravens took advantage of a mental mistake.Lets be more detailed, he said. Lets get back to doing it right, and then we can see how we fare. But the last two weeks, it has been too much error.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL.---Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine. 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Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. DETROIT -- Eric Hosmer has been trying to find his way out of a long slump, and coming to Detroit may have done the trick.A night after homering in a win over the Tigers, Hosmer spent most of Wednesday torturing the Comerica Park crowd.He walked in the fifth inning to break up Anibal Sanchezs perfect game, doubled in the seventh to end Sanchezs no-hit bid, then hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the ninth to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-1 victory over Detroit and a three-game sweep.I dont think weve swept a series here in my career -- we havent even won more than a couple, he said. Ive been struggling for about a month now, but it has started to come around, and tonight felt really good.Sanchez threw seven shutout innings after allowing eight runs in four innings in his previous start. He struck out six and walked two Wednesday.Thats as good as Ive ever seen Anibal Sanchez throw the ball, Royals manager Ned Yost said. I had seen what he had done in his last start, but I know that when hes on, he has ridiculous command of his fastball and a phenomenal changeup. Thats what he had tonight.Sanchez agreed.Today, everything was coming out good, he said. I felt good all game, and I just wanted to keep the score at 1-0. I wasnt thinking about the no-hitter.The Tigers have lost eight of their last 10 games.Im not whining -- we have to come out and win a game tomorrow, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. They came up with big hits late tonight and we didnt. That was the difference.Justin Wilson replaced Sanchez for the eighth with a 1-0 lead and allowed a tying homer to Alex Gordon on his first pitch.In the ninth, Shane Greene (2-3) allowed a one-out single to Lorenzo Cain before Hosmers line drive into the right-field stands. Drew Butera added an RBI single later in the inning.I made a bad pitch to a good hitter, Greene said. It was a cutter and I tried to get too perfect with it. It happens.Matt Strahm (1-0) got his first career win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his sixth save.Victor Martinez gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the second with a homer over the 365-foot sign in right-center field. Detroit had 11 more baserunners, but hit into two double plays and stranded nine.The Royals didnt come close to getting a runner in the first four innings, but Hosmer and Gordon both drew walks in the fifth.ddddddddddddSanchez got through the inning without a hit, but was already at 80 pitches, and he came into the game having allowed a 1.080 OPS after his 75th pitch.Sanchez got through the sixth on eight pitches, then retired the first two batters in the seventh without trouble, but Hosmer lined a first-pitch curveball into the left-center field gap to end the drama.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: RHP Kris Medlen, sidelined since May 21 with rotator-cuff inflammation, threw two scoreless innings in a Rookie-level Arizona League game. ... LHP Jason Vargas, who has missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery, was scheduled to start Wednesday night for Double-A Northwest Arkansas.Tigers: Miguel Cabrera returned after sitting out Tuesdays loss with a strained left biceps. He didnt look entirely comfortable, shaking his arm after swings, but hit a 112 mph groundball in the third inning, per Statcast. ... LF Tyler Collins left the game after seven innings with a right-knee contusion. He had been hit by Yordano Venturas 99 mph fastball in the sixth, and Ausmus said hes expected to miss a few games.FORGIVING FANSErick Aybar got a loud cheer from the Comerica Park crowd when he batted for the first time as a Tiger -- a change from his usual greeting in Detroit. In 2011, Aybar bunted to try to break up Justin Verlanders no-hitter in the eighth inning, drawing an angry response from both the Tigers ace and the fans.Verlander joked that the Tigers trading for Aybar on Tuesday made him glad he didnt retaliate.I told him I was going to hit him, but I never did, Verlander said. So that will make things easier in the clubhouse.UP NEXTRoyals: Kansas City returns home to start a four-game series with the Twins on Thursday night. Dillon Gee (4-6, 4.78) is scheduled to start against Minnesotas Tyler Duffey (8-8, 5.71).Tigers: Detroit plays Boston on Thursday in the first of a four-game series. Matt Boyd (4-2, 4.16) faces Clay Buchholz (4-9. 5.66) in a game being played during the afternoon because of a Detroit Lions exhibition game at nearby Ford Field in the evening. ' ' '