|
 Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon each had three hits as the Royals
racked up a season-best 17 in winning the opener of the four-game
set. Five other players had two hits as Kansas City moved within a
half-game of the first-place Tigers in the American League Central.
Jason Vargas (7-2) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings
to win for the fifth time in six starts. Verlander (6-7) allowed
seven runs and 12 hits in six innings while losing for the fifth
time in six outings.
The Tigers had a 2-0 lead through four innings before the Royals
began their assault with four fifth-inning runs on Infante’s RBI
single and Butler’s bases-clearing double over the head of Detroit
center fielder Austin Jackson. Infante hit a three-run homer in the
sixth to make it 7-2 as Verlander continues to struggle and has a
7.83 ERA over his last seven outings.
The Royals added four more runs in the seventh, taking advantage of
two Tigers’ errors and receiving run-scoring singles from Cain and
Alcides Escobar. Detroit plated six ninth-inning runs on run-scoring
singles by Rajai Davis and Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez’s
second career grand slam but fell to Kansas City for the first time
in six meetings this season.
[to top of second column] |
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tigers RF Torii Hunter departed with a hamstring
injury after singling in the fourth inning. … The Royals have
outscored the opposition 56-25 during their winning streak. …
Detroit inscribed “TG 5.5” in the infield dirt between third base
and shortstop in tribute to Hall of Famer and San Diego Padres icon
Tony Gwynn, who died of cancer on Monday at the age of 54.
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