The Detroit Tigers reached base in every inning but crossed the plate only twice in a 5-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.
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The Detroit Tigers had plenty of runners on base against Kansas City Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura, but failed to come up with a big hit.
Justin Upton’s at-bat in the fifth inning was a good demonstration of how it happened. He threw just 53 strikes in 105 pitches before turning a two-run lead over to Joakim Soria.
Kansas City Royals catcher Drew Butera dives for but misses a foul ball hit by Detroit Tigers’ Jose Iglesias during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in Kansas City, Mo.
Cabrera’s fielding error opened the door for the Royals to score three runs in the third. The Detroit Tigers dropped to 73-62 and lead the Royals by 3.0 games for second place in the Central. Daniel Norris was on the mound, pitching his best game of the year with just three hits allowed and only a solo home run given up.
Successive bunt singles by Raul Mondesi and Jarrod Dyson led to a run in the fifth as Cuthbert’s two-out single scored Mondesi.
Upton also doubled in a run in the second and now has seven home runs and 18 RBI in the past 14 games.
Tigers reliever Joe Mantiply, just called up from Double-A Erie, made his big-league debut in the eighth.
“It was definitely one of the tougher homestands we’ve experienced”, first baseman Eric Hosmer said. RHP Mike Pelfrey gave up five runs on nine hits with a strikeout in 3 1/3 innings in a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Toledo at Columbus.
Fulmer (10-6) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings for the Tigers, falling to 1-4 in his past five starts. The Tigers will continue their trip Monday at Chicago with Cy Young candidates Detroit RHP Justin Verlander and White Sox LHP Chris Sale starting the series opener. Royals OF Lorenzo Cain was unavailable because of left wrist inflammation, which has kept him out since Tuesday.
The Royals purchased the contract of INF Hunter Dozier, a 2013 first-round pick who hit 23 HRs with 75 RBIs this season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha.
Escobar homered in the third, tying it at 1 and hiking his hitting streak to 12 games.
Ian Kinsler belted his 25th home run to lead off the Tigers’ ninth off rookie Brooks Pounders.
Ventura pitched around an Andrew Romine leadoff single and a two-out walk to Miguel Cabrera in the third.
Erick Aybar started at third base for the Tigers, only his second career appearance at that position.
Royals: LF Alex Gordon left in the ninth inning with tightness in his right Achilles.
“He was really smart”, Royals manager Ned Yost said.
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RAYS 8, BLUE JAYS 3 Alex Cobb went five solid innings during his first start in two years, Logan Morrison hit a go-ahead two-run home run, and Tampa Bay beat visiting Toronto. The Royals counter with Yordano Ventura, who has a 3.03 ERA over his last ten starts, very similar to his second half of past year where he was very effective down the stretch.
