Tigers Lose To The Royals 3-2
LARRY LAGE,AP Sports Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Chris Getz's infield single in the ninth inning put Kansas City ahead, and the Royals held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 Wednesday.
Joaquin Benoit (0-1) gave up a double to Mike Moustakas, who advanced to third on a groundout and scored when Getz hit a grounder that was too deep into the hole for shortstop Jhonny Peralta to make a strong enough throw.
Tim Collins (1-0) got Prince Fielder to fly out to the warning track in left and struck out Ryan Raburn in the eighth for the victory after Detroit tied the game on Brennan Boesch's two-run homer.
Jonathan Broxton gave up a one-out single and got Andy Dirks to ground out into a game-ending double play for his fourth save in five chances for the Royals.
Tigers ace Justin Verlander started two innings by letting the leadoff batter get on, and both of those batters scored. Jarrod Dyson opened the game with a walk and scored on Eric Hosmer's two-out single that ended his 0-for-19 slump. Alex Gordon singled in the sixth and came around on Jeff Francoeur's groundout.
Verlander allowed two runs, six hits and a walk and struck out seven. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner also hit a batter in his 123-pitch, eight-inning outing.
Kansas City starter Jonathan Sanchez gave up only one hit — with one out in the fifth — two walks, hit a batter and struck out two in five innings. Jose Mijares pitched a perfect sixth inning.
Kelvin Herrera allowed two runners to get in scoring position in the seventh, but Aaron Crow kept Detroit scoreless by getting Ramon Santiago to ground out. Crow, though, gave up Austin Jackson's leadoff single in the eighth, and Boesch made it 2-all with a line drive over the right-field fence.
Kansas City finished a 4-3 trip and starts a homestand Thursday night against the New York Yankees.
Detroit, which hasn't won back-to-back games in two weeks, has fallen to .500 after a 9-3 start.
NOTES: The Royals expect RHP Felipe Paulino, on the DL with a strained right forearm, to make his first start this year on Saturday night against the Yankees. ... The Tigers used Dirks as a pinch hitter in the ninth after he left Tuesday night's game after aggravating his strained left hamstring. ... Kansas City RHP Greg Holland, on the DL with a left rib stress reaction, threw on the side Wednesday and probably can return to pitch next week.
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