KANSAS CITY Gardner Minshew II Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman and were intent on selecting him with their first pick in the NFL draft all along.He was one of the fastest players at the scouting combine. He runs good routes but has room for some polish. He provides bonus value by being one of the best return men in the entire draft.It was just coincidence, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, that his game bears such a close resemblance to that of Tyreek Hill — their embattled star wide receiver, whose future with the franchise is uncertain because of an ugly child-abuse investigation that could result in his release.“You can coach a lot of things, and our staff does a great job of getting the most out of guys,” Veach said, “but at the end of the day, you can either run or you can’t. And he can run.”The Chiefs didn’t select until late in the second round after trading their first-round pick to Seattle as part of a package for pass rusher Frank Clark. But they used their three selections on Day 2 to fill some of their biggest holes, then wrapped up the draft with three more picks on Saturday.The Chiefs used another second-round selection on Virginia defensive back Juan Thornhill Christian Wilkins Jersey , who can play a variety of positions in new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. Their third-round pick went to Khalen Saunders, a massive run-stuffing defensive tackle out of Western Illinois.“All three of these guys are really, really good football players,” Veach said. “If you’d told me we’d end up with all three of these players, I wouldn’t have believed it.”As the Chiefs begin plugging additional holes with undrafted free agents, and turn their attention toward rookie minicamp and the rest of their offseason program, here is a look at their draft:WHO THEY GOTHardman was their initial pick but Thornhill may ultimately be the most valuable selection. The Chiefs signed Tyrann Mathieu in free agency as part of a massive defensive overhaul, and Thornhill’s ability to play center field should pair well with his game.“I was a little worried about it because I felt I had the potential to go in the first round,” Thornhill said. “I had to wait a little longer Michael Deiter Jersey , but I’m just ready to get there and play football.”On Saturday, the Chiefs added South Carolina defensive back Rashad Fenton and Utah State running back Darwin Thompson in the sixth round. They picked Illinois center Nick Allegretti in the seventh.SURPRISE MOVEThe trade for Clark was a bit eye-opening if only because it meant the Chiefs did not have a first-round pick for the second consecutive year. Of course, last year’s selection helped them nab quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who became the league MVP in his first season as a starter.“The one unique thing about Frank,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “is that it’s every play. Every down is an honest down. There is no time off where they are cruising at all.”HOW THEY DIDThe Chiefs were thrown a curveball by the legal trouble that has quickly engulfed Hill, forcing them to take a wide receiver earlier than anticipated. They plugged two big holes on their defense, getting particularly good value with Saunders late in the third round.“First of all my favorite color is red, so I’m just really excited to wear that. I wore red all through high school Daniel Jones Jersey ,” Saunders said with a laugh. “And secondly my hometown is St. Louis, so this is the best thing I can experience playing in Missouri. I’m from right across the state.”WHAT’S NEXTThe Chiefs have completely revamped their defense, moving from a 3-4 system to a 4-3 scheme, and they will continue to sift through prospects who fit what Spagnuolo wants to do. They also could use some depth pieces on offense, particularly along the offensive line. Joey Votto hit a grand slam and celebrated with a flap, honoring the bird that prolonged his at-bat.

Votto ended a long homer drought with his third career grand slam Tuesday night, powering the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-5 victory that ended the Detroit Tigers‘ longest winning streak in two years.

Votto came to bat with the bases loaded in the third inning of a scoreless game. A black bird wandered between the plate and the pitcher’s mound, prompting Votto to call time so he could try to shoo it away. The bird stayed in the middle of the infield.

”He was in the line of vision and I was going to try to swat it away,” Votto said. ”I was thinking Dexter Lawrence Jersey , `Make sure to hit the ball in the air’ and `Don’t hit it on the ground up the middle.’ I was taking care of the bird.”

Votto’s high fly ball to right field off Matthew Boyd (4-5) had just enough to avoid the outstretched glove of Nicholas Castellanos, who reached over the wall and barely missed it. Votto flapped his arms in tribute to the bird when he crossed the plate on his first homer since May 13, ending a 30-game drought.

Votto’s last homer at Great American Ball Park was May 6. He has seven homers after hitting 36 last season, one shy of his career high.

”I would like to think it’s all part of the season,” Votto said. ”I felt good. I have felt good. I’ve been swinging the bat well.”

Sal Romano (4-7) had a second straight solid outing, limiting the Tigers to four singles over seven shutout innings. Billy Hamilton also homered as the Reds pulled away to a 9-0 lead.

The Tigers had won five straight and moved within a game of .500. They haven’t been to the break-even mark since they were a season-best 4-4 on April 8. They’ve wasted five chances to get back.

Romano was coming off perhaps his best performance in the majors. He went a career-high eight innings and gave up one run during a 5-1 win at Kansas City on Tuesday.

Trailing 9-0, Detroit finally broke through in the ninth when Wandy Peralta walked home a run and Leonys Martin followed with a double.

Boyd walked three batters in four innings – all of them scored – and gave up a season-high five runs. He was most upset with the two walks that set up the first grand slam he’s allowed in his career.

”Walks will kill you,” Boyd said. ”Things like that (grand slam) are going to happen in this ballpark, especially when the wind is blowing out.”

INTERLEAGUE

The Reds are 12-11 against the Tigers all-time. This season Deandre Baker Jersey , the Tigers are 1-6 in interleague play. The Reds are 5-1.

BIRD IS THE WORD

The bird that wandered onto the field during Votto’s at-bat didn’t go away. It made a mound visit and later explored other parts of the field. Fans cheered when it was shown on the video board.

INTERESTING DESIGN

The outfield grass showed the effects of a concert at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, when high heat and the field covering left yellow patterns in the stressed grass.

STATS

Martin reached in all five plate appearances, going 3 for 3 with two walks. … Cincinnati’s Tucker Barnhart also reached in all five plate appearances, going 3 for 3 with a walk. He also was hit by a pitch. … Eugenio Suarez singled to extend his hitting streak to nine games, the longest active streak on the Reds and one shy of his career high.

REDS MOVE

The Reds called up RH reliever Jackson Stephens and optioned RH reliever Austin Brice to Triple-A Louisville. Stephens was 0-0 with a 4.20 ERA in nine appearances for the Reds earlier this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: Reliever Drew VerHagen left the game in the seventh after getting hit in the face with a throw while covering first base. He broke his nose and had it reset. Manager Ron Gardenhire said the Tigers were working on bringing up another reliever.

Reds: RH Homer Bailey will be re-examined on Tuesday. He’s been sidelined since June 2 with a sore right knee.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Michael Fulmer (2-5) has gone seven innings and allowed one run in each of his last two starts. He’s never faced the Reds.

Reds: Tyler Mahle (5-6) is 2-0 with a 1.10 ERA in three starts in June, allowing two runs in 16 1/3 innings. He’s never faced the Tigers.

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