KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals skipped their normal batting practice before Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers, a prudent move considering how hot they have been at the plate lately.

They wound up getting plenty of swings in during the game anyway.

Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer, Paulo Orlando added a two-run shot and Kendrys Morales drove in four as Kansas City routed Detroit 15-7 to wrap up another series win.

Ben Zobrist drove in two runs for the Royals, whose 15 runs and 20 hits were their most since piling up 21 hits in a 16-8 victory at Colorado on July 3, 2011.

“It was definitely a long game,” Cain said, “but we’ll take that kind of win.”

Chris Young (10-6) got the victory with two scoreless innings in relief of Edinson Volquez, who yielded six runs, eight hits and a walk in three innings — but still put on a smile.

“It’s just part of the game,” he said. “Just a bad day.”

Not as bad as Matt Boyd’s day. The Tigers starter was hammered for six runs before getting the hook four batters into the second inning. The last batter he faced was Cain, whose skyscraping homer barely cleared the wall in left field on its descent for his second in as many nights.

“I just couldn’t throw stuff where I wanted to,” Boyd said.

Reliever Kyle Ryan (1-3) was tagged with the loss as Detroit pitchers allowed 61 runs during a 1-5 trip through Toronto and Kansas City, two teams in the thick of the playoff hunt.

“You better learn from it,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “You better try to get better `cause if it gets any worse, I don’t know what we’ll do. This was a very tough road trip for the pitching staff. We do have some young guys, but we’ve got to work to get them better.”

Nick Castellanos drove in three runs for the Tigers while James McCann drove in two.

After dropping the series opener, the Royals managed 34 hits and 27 runs in taking the next two games. That allowed the AL Central leaders to extend their unbeaten streak to eight series.

Perhaps coincidentally, their offense came alive in the two games that Jonny Gomes started after his arrival in a trade from Atlanta. Gomes had an RBI double on Wednesday night and two hits on Thursday night, including another run-scoring double.

All told, the teams combined for 34 hits while leaving 18 on base in a game that lasted 3 hours, 58 minutes. The first inning alone included 76 pitches — 38 each side — along with seven hits, five runs and two visits from pitching coaches during a 46-minute marathon.

Detroit scored three times in the first, including Anthony Gose’s leadoff homer, only for Kansas City to answer with two runs in the bottom half. The Royals scored four in the second, and the Tigers knotted the game 6-all by stringing together a series of hits in the third.

Both starting pitchers had been discarded by that point, and it came down to which team had the better bullpen. The Tigers kept faltering while Kansas City buckled down.

“They came in above the call of duty to get us through,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

ROSTER MOVES

The Tigers optioned RHP Guido Guido Knudson to Triple-A Toledo and recalled LHP Jeff Ferrell and INF Dixon Machado after the game. Machado will replace SS Jose Iglesias for a few days after Iglesias fouled a pitch off his finger while attempting to bunt Thursday night.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez (rotator cuff strain) reported no problems throwing from 90 feet before the game. He will try from 120 feet on Friday. “Baby steps,” Sanchez said.

Royals: The Royals have had no more cases of chickenpox after RHP Kelvin Herrera and RF Alex Rios were diagnosed last weekend, Yost said. Both are doing better.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein makes his first start since late May in the opener of a three-game set against Cleveland. He had been out with a sore left shoulder.

Royals: RHP Kris Medlen continues his quest for a spot in Kansas City’s postseason rotation in the opener of a three-game series against the White Sox.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The only things that slowed down Yordano Ventura on Wednesday night were the long periods that Kansas City’s 24-year-old flamethrower spent on the bench between innings.

While the Royals were pounding four homers and nine extra-base hits off Detroit pitching, Ventura had to sit idly in the dugout. Still, he managed to strike out 11 in seven sharp innings as the AL Central leaders cruised to a 12-1 rout of the slumping Tigers.

“Definitely good to have,” Ventura said of the run support, “but when things take that long, it can be challenging. I was able to overcome that.”

Ventura (10-7) walked one and hit one while matching a career high for strikeouts set in his last start. The 24-year-old with the 100 mph fastball has not allowed more than two earned runs in his last five outings, and is 6-0 since his last defeat July 20 against Pittsburgh.

“Good pitching generates good offense,” said Jonny Gomes, who got a hit and scored in his first start for Kansas City since arriving in a trade from Atlanta. “Obviously that strikeout stuff plays.”

Kendrys Morales hit a three-run shot, Cheslor Cuthbert added his first career homer, and Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain also went deep as the Royals matched a season high for runs.

Randy Wolf (0-3) gave up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings for Detroit, though he did last longer than Miguel Cabrera. The slugger was tossed by third base umpire Gary Cederstrom after fanning in the third inning, and after a quarrel with plate umpire Quinn Wolcott proved fruitless.

Even before Cabrera hit the showers, the Detroit hitters were sputtering.

After the Tigers put runners on the corners with one out in the first, Ventura allowed just one of the next 13 batters he faced to reach base. Ventura didn’t give up a run until the sixth, when Anthony Gose hit a leadoff triple and scored on Ian Kinsler’s groundout.

By that point, the Royals already led 12-0.

Zobrist homered in the first to give Kansas City the lead, and Cuthbert — called up Tuesday when rosters expanded — added a two-run double in the second. Cain’s home run in the third and a five-run fourth inning highlighted by Morales’ towering shot to center made it a rout.

Cuthbert added his two-run homer during a three-run fifth.

“I couldn’t throw my curveball for a strike to save my life,” Wolf said. “My changeup was up. My fastball location wasn’t where I wanted it to be. You put all those elements together, it’s going to be tough to have a good night.”

Just about the only thing that didn’t go right for Kansas City was when Cain fouled a pitch off his left calf in the fourth inning. He was checked out by trainer Nick Kenney and manager Ned Yost and remained in the game, and promptly hit a two-run double.

Cain was replaced by Jarrod Dyson for precautionary reasons in the fifth, and said after the game that his calf was “a little tight right now. Kind of hurts to walk but I’ll be OK.”

With the game out of hand, both teams substituted as liberally as in spring training.

Left-hander Scott Alexander made his big league debut in the ninth for Kansas City, while Rajai Davis — who had been bothered by a finger injury — got into the game for Detroit.

“I don’t have much to say,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “It was all Royals.”

STATS AND STREAKS

Cabrera was ejected for the seventh time in his career and first since May 2014. … The Royals scored in each of the first five innings for the first time since July 2000, when they did it against the White Sox. … Cain has hit in 10 straight games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Al Alburquerque (hip) had a precautionary MRI exam Wednesday, Ausmus said. The reliever has not pitched since Aug. 24.

Royals: RHP Ryan Madson (weak arm) hopes to return this week, Yost said. Madson last pitched Aug. 22. … 3B Mike Moustakas (hamstring) got his second straight night off. “He’s feeling well. Better,” Yost said.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Matt Boyd starts the series finale against Kansas City, though Ausmus declined to say who would start Friday night against Cleveland. LHP Kyle Ryan could get the nod.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (12-7) has lost twice to the Tigers this season, including a 2-1 defeat when David Price was on the mound for Detroit on May 2.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Verlander may not be pitching like he did in 2011, when he won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards.

But he’s been plenty good for Detroit over the last month.

Verlander threw his fifth consecutive quality start, and Ian Kinsler homered and drove in three runs as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 Tuesday night.

The Tigers, who had lost nine of 10 to drop into last place in the AL Central, snapped a four-game losing streak.

Verlander (3-6) limited the Royals to seven hits and four runs, two unearned, over 6 2/3 innings. He has a 0.76 ERA in his past five starts and the Tigers’ lone two victories since Aug. 19, including a one-hit shutout of the Angels in his previous outing.

“It wasn’t spectacular, but it’s nice to get the win for the team,” Verlander said. “My fastball location was really good. When other pitches aren’t working as well, fastball location gets you out of trouble.”

Verlander’s velocity picked up as the game went along. He was throwing 97 mph in his final inning, including 10 straight pitches of 95-plus.

“I’m aware of it,” Verlander said.

The last time Verlander faced the Royals was Aug. 4, when he allowed five runs and 10 hits over seven innings. It was his only rough start in his past eight.

“Obviously we adjusted our game plan to have more success,” catcher James McCann said.

Johnny Cueto (2-4), who the Royals acquired in a July 26 trade with Cincinnati, allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings. Cueto has given up 38 hits in his past four starts, the most hits he has allowed in his career over a four-start span. He has allowed 17 runs in 17 innings in losing his past three starts.

“This is obviously part of the game,” Cueto said with coach Pedro Grifol as his interpreter. “Every player has a streak like this. I’m not concerned because I’m well aware that this is going to turn around and I’m going to help this team.”

Cueto, who shut out the Tigers on Aug. 10, yielded six hits and three runs in the first two innings. Miguel Cabrera, who hit .393 in August, singled home Anthony Gose in the first inning.

“He just wasn’t real sharp the first three innings,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Miguel Almonte gave up a two-run, seventh-inning homer to Kinsler in his major league debut. Kinsler also hit a two-out RBI single in the fourth.

Kendrys Morales homered in the fourth off Verlander. Alex Gordon, who missed 48 games with a groin injury, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second. Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar had RBI in the seventh.

The Royals cut the lead to one run in the eighth on a Salvador Perez single.

Bruce Rondon worked a scoreless ninth for his third save in four opportunities.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris (right oblique strain) made 60 throws from flat ground.

Royals: LF Gordon was reinstated after being out eight weeks with a strained left groin. … RHP Kelvin Herrera and RF Alex Rios have the chickenpox and likely will miss a minimum of two weeks. … 3B Mike Moustakas (pulled hamstring) did not start, but grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Randy Wolf makes his third start after losing his first two despite a 2.57 ERA.

Royals: Newly acquired OF Jonny Gomes will likely start Wednesday. He is 13 for 23 (.522) with two home runs off Wolf.

— Associated Press —