There was no easing Wade Davis back into the Kansas City Royals’ closer+ role.
Advertisement
Shane Greene – Bailed the Tigers out of the seventh inning mess and pitched a scoreless eighth inning to shut KC down after retaking the lead.
Cabrera homered and had a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-6 victory over Royals on Friday night. “It’s kind of been a rough couple of games for us”.
The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Tigers (73-62), who fell one game behind Baltimore for the final American League wild card spot.
Eric Hosmer finally topped his rookie total from five years ago. “It’s just uncharacteristic of our team to blow leads late in the game like we did”.
“It just came down to us not getting a big hit when we needed it”, Detroit’s Ian Kinsler said. The seven losses are a career high for Soria. “Sometimes you have to tip your cap to the hitter”. Justin Upton homered in the second and added an RBI single in the third. NY rebounded from consecutive losses and won for the 10th time in 14 games, moving within one game of St. Louis for the final NL playoff berth. They couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth after Alcides Escobar opened the inning with a double.
Dyson sent a two-out, two-run triple down the right field line, just past first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who got a glove on the baseball.
Successive bunt singles by Raul Mondesi and Jarrod Dyson led to a run in the fifth as Cuthbert’s two-out single scored Mondesi. The Royals asked for a review.
“He was really smart”, Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I’ve got many options to go with and I didn’t”. “We had opportunities. We got on base plenty against him”. They’re in the hunt, we’re in the hunt. “Again it’s a matter of inches and inches didn’t work out in our favor today”. Alex Gordon and Paulo Orlando followed with hard hit groundouts to end the threat, game and likely playoff chances for the Royals.
Martinez, Ian Kinsler, Justin Upton, Tyler Collins and Andrew Romine each had multi-hit games. Holland (7-6) pitched six innings, allowing two runs, six hits and three walks.
Norris’ day finished at seven strikeouts and a walk, with three runs coming on four hits and a walk. Later, he would move Escobar to third on a ground out.
The Tigers scored four runs off KC starter Edinson Volquez on seven hits and a walk.
After a beaut of a home run by J.D. Martinez in the fourth and a pair of two-out hits in the seventh, the Tigers led 4-1.
Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin has been out since Monday with a bruised left thumb. RHP Mike Pelfrey (lower back strain) gave up nine hits in 3 1/3 innings in a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Toledo at Columbus.
The Royals are still without Lorenzo Cain, who has been out the last few days with a wrist injury.
Advertisement
Elsewhere, the White Sox ended their four-game losing streak by thumping the Twins 11-4 at Target Field.
