DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers are ready to admit it.

They are playing with a chip on their shoulder after being left for dead at the trading deadline.

“Absolutely,” Alex Wilson said Thursday after the Tigers’ 8-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals. “You’ve got a bunch of guys in this clubhouse who were told that they didn’t belong in a pennant race, and we’re out to prove something. Not our big guys, obviously, but a lot of us.”

After four straight AL Central Division titles, the Tigers traded away David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria in the hours before the trading deadline, then fired long-time general manager Dave Dombrowski.

After winning two of three from the Royals, Detroit is 3 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot, although the Tigers have four teams between themselves and Toronto.

“We’re not that far out, and we know we’ve got a lot of games to play,” Ian Kinsler said. “No one in this room thinks this season is over.”

Kinsler finished the game in dramatic fashion, hitting a two-run homer off Ryan Madson in the ninth inning, but he was part of two earlier plays that might have been equally important.

In both the third and fifth innings, Kinsler hit ground balls to the left side of the infield that looked like inning-ending double plays. That would be nothing new for the Tigers, who came into the game having grounded into 110 double plays, 14 more than any other major-league team.

Aided by takeout slides from Jose Iglesias and Anthony Gose, Kinsler was able to beat both out. Each time, Victor Martinez followed with a homer — a three-run shot in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth.

“Those were both huge plays,” Kinsler said. “That’s how you play the game. Tyler Collins set the tone with a big slide earlier in the game, and even though they got the double play that time, you get the second baseman hesitating. Those two guys went in hard, and I was busting it down the line, because I didn’t want to end the inning and leave Victor standing on deck.”

Iglesias led off the ninth with a single against Ryan Madson (1-2) before Kinsler hit a 2-0 fastball into the bullpen in left field.

“I don’t know where that pitch ended up,” Madson said. “It was supposed to be a sinker, but it wasn’t where I wanted it.”

Wilson (2-3) got the win after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth.

Martinez hadn’t homered since July 17 and hadn’t had a multi-homer game since hitting two for Boston against Toronto on Sept. 17, 2010.

“That felt great,” he said. “Not just for me, but for this whole team.”

The Royals took an early 3-0 lead, fell behind 6-3 and tied it with a three-run seventh. Drew Butera led off with a homer, and Kendrys Morales had a two-run double.

“That was a nice rally,” Madson said. “I wish I could have held the Tigers down and given us another crack at it.”

The game was delayed for several minutes in the eighth inning when a squirrel ran around on the field. It briefly ended up in the Tigers’ dugout, then raced into left field.

“Usually, I have a BB gun to deal with squirrels, but I was trying to catch this one with a trash can,” Alex Avila said of the squirrel’s time in the dugout. “The problem was that I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to be able to lure it in there with my charm and good looks.”

When the squirrel arrived, the Tigers had runners on the corners and two out, but Anthony Gose struck out after it made its way to the outfield.

“I didn’t want any part of that squirrel,” said Rajai Davis, who got a close encounter with it as it hung out near third base. “I just tried to stay still and not draw any attention to myself.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: With a day game after a night game, Alex Gordon had a quiet day in his recovery from a groin strain. Gordon took batting practice off soft tosses Wednesday and hopes to return by the end of the month.

Tigers: Although 1B Miguel Cabrera (calf strain) was told by the team to take his time recovering from injury, now that the Tigers are out of the postseason race, manager Brad Ausmus said he thinks Cabrera could be back in the lineup by the end of the month — about two weeks later than earlier hoped.

UP NEXT

Royals: Kansas City returns home for a weekend series with the White Sox. Edinson Volquez (10-6, 3.20) faces Chicago’s John Danks (6-8, 4.80) in Friday’s opener.

Tigers: Detroit remains at home for three games this weekend with Boston. Daniel Norris (2-1, 3.23), acquired in last week’s David Price trade, starts on Friday against Joe Kelly (3-6, 6.11).

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — When the Detroit Tigers traded star pitcher David Price to the Blue Jays last week for three young left-handers, it was designed as a move for the future.

Turns out, it’s working well in the present.

Three days after Daniel Norris dominated Baltimore, it was Matt Boyd’s turn to pitch seven strong innings in a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Boyd received a standing ovation from the crowd of 34,628 after the seventh inning, and couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across his face.

“That was awesome — that’s a moment that I’m never going to forget,” said Boyd, moments after receiving the lineup card in honor of his first career win. “I told Daniel in the dugout that we’re home here.”

As a fly-ball pitcher, Boyd is already enjoying pitching at cavernous Comerica Park instead of the smaller Rogers Centre.

“I love this place already,” he said with a laugh. “Not only is it bigger, but it looks like a real baseball stadium with all that iron and the ivy.”

Boyd only allowed one run on seven hits and didn’t walk a batter in a career-long seven innings.

“He was great out there,” said Tigers catcher James McCann. “It has been exciting to see these new guys pitch — the results are obvious, but these are two young guys showing a ton of poise and pitching with a game plan. Matt is a guy who can live up in the zone, because he’s mixing three breaking balls in with a riding fastball.

“Once I catch these two a few more times, it will be even better.”

Bruce Rondon pitched the eighth before Blaine Hardy and Alex Wilson combined to finish off the Royals. Hardy got the first two outs, helped by a running catch by J.D. Martinez, before Wilson retired Alex Rios for his second save.

After the game, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus confirmed that Wilson will be the closer to replace Joakim Soria, who was traded to Pittsburgh. Wilson has been the team’s long man, set-up man and even made a spot start earlier in the season.

“We would be in a lot of trouble without Alex Wilson,” Ausmus said. “Given everything he’s done for us this year, he has earned the chance to finish out games.”

Johnny Cueto (7-7) couldn’t pick up his first win for Kansas City despite only allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings. Cueto walked two and struck out two.

“That’s part of the game,” Cueto said through an interpreter. “I know that I just have to do my job and my team will take care of the rest.”

The Tigers broke a scoreless tie in the third when Gose’s two-out triple over the head of Lorenzo Cain brought home Tyler Collins.

“We had a plan of playing Gose shallow, and it just backfired on us,” Cain said.

Kansas City got its own RBI triple in the fourth, this one off the bat of Kendrys Morales. It was his first triple since 2012 — also against Detroit — and just the fifth of his nine-year career.

Yet another triple let the Tigers regain the lead in their half of the fourth. Kinsler hit it into the right-centerfield gap and scored on Victor Martinez’s groundout.

Rios singled and moved to third on a bad pickoff throw in the fifth, but Boyd got out of the jam.

“He was pitching up in the zone, but we couldn’t catch up with his fastball,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Alex Gordon (groin strain) took indoor batting practice at Comerica Park on Tuesday and hit soft tosses outside on Wednesday. Gordon, who has been out since July 8, is hoping to progress to shagging balls and full batting practice later this week with an eye to returning in late August.

Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera (calf strain) has been told to back off on his rehab work, now that the Tigers are falling out of the postseason race. Cabrera, who had been hoping to return in mid-August, now is only saying that he expects to be back this season. . LHP Kyle Lobstein (shoulder) made a rehab outing with Single-A Lakeland, allowing two runs in three innings in his first outing since going on the disabled list in May.

UP NEXT

The teams finish a three-game series Thursday afternoon with Yordano Ventura (6-7, 4.98) facing Anibal Sanchez (10-9, 4.77). Ventura is 5-2 with a 3.97 ERA in day games this season, compared with just 1-5 with a 6.11 ERA in night games.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — Salvador Perez can’t explain his success against Justin Verlander. He just hopes it continues.

Perez had three hits off Verlander, including a homer, and drove in three runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 Tuesday night.

Perez is now hitting .474 (18-for-38) in his career against Verlander.

“He’s a great pitcher, and I don’t know any secret,” Perez said. “I’m just up there trying to do my job and he’s trying to do his job. Today he left a couple fastballs up, and I was able to hit them.”

Verlander (1-4) struggled in his ninth start of the season, allowing five runs on 10 hits in seven innings. He didn’t walk a batter for a career-best third straight start, but the Tigers are now 1-8 in his outings this year.

The game was overshadowed by an afternoon announcement that Dave Dombrowski was being replaced as Detroit’s general manager by his top assistant, Al Avila. In 14 years with the Tigers, Dombrowski took one of the worst franchises in the game and took it to six postseason appearances including World Series losses in 2006 and 2012.

Detroit came into the season looking for a fifth straight AL Central title, but now trail the Royals by 12 1/2 games.

“It is strange to come here and see some of their big guys gone and then to hear about Dave Dombrowski,” said Eric Hosmer, who scored twice, both on Perez RBI. “That has to be really tough for them, especially after the last few years.”

Danny Duffy (5-5) allowed one run on five hits and four walks in seven innings, only striking out two.

“Danny was outstanding tonight,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”

After Perez drove in Kansas City’s first three runs, former Tiger Omar Infante doubled to lead off the fifth, took third on Alcides Escobar’s sacrifice fly and scored on Ben Zobrist’s sacrifice fly to deep right.

Detroit loaded the bases with one out in their half of the fifth, but Anthony Gose grounded into a force at the plate and Rajai Davis popped out.

“That was huge,” Yost said. “With that offense, you don’t want to give them anything that lets them get back into the game.”

Alex Rios increased the Royals lead to 5-0 with a bloop double in the sixth, scoring Kendrys Morales, but the Tigers got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Victor Martinez’s RBI single.

Detroit threatened again in the seventh, as Nick Castellanos led off with a triple and Jefry Marte followed with a walk. Gose grounded to third baseman Mike Moustakas, who looked Castellanos back to the base before throwing to second for the force.

Castellanos then broke for the plate, and Omar Infante threw home to easily retire him and end the threat.

“My initial reaction was that if he wanted to go to the plate I was a sitting duck,” Castellanos said. “Then when I saw that he was turning two, then I decided to go. I should have just taken off as soon as he hit it.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Duffy continued to pitch very well since returning from the disabled list with biceps tendinits. Duffy is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA in eight starts since returning from the injury in late June.

Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein (shoulder) threw on the side with Triple-A Toledo. Lobstein, who has been out since May 24, is expected to begin a rehab stint with the Mud Hens this week. … Tigers manager Brad Ausmus did not have any update on Miguel Cabrera (calf), who has begun agility drills in advance of an expected return later this month.

UP NEXT

The teams play the second of their three-game series Wednesday afternoon, with both teams pitching deadline acquisitions. Johnny Cueto (7-6, 2.70) makes his second start for the Royals, while Matt Boyd (0-2, 14.85) will make his Tigers debut after being acquired for David Price. In Boyd’s last major-league start — the second of his career — he faced seven Red Sox without retiring a batter.

RARE LOSS

Verlander came into the game with a 31-1 record in 37 career starts where he didn’t walk a batter. His only previous loss came to the White Sox on August 11, 2006.

— Associated Press —