DETROIT (AP) — Omar Infante showed the Detroit Tigers what they’re missing.

Infante hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and had an RBI single in a four-run fifth against former teammate Justin Verlander, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Tigers 11-8 Monday night.

Infante became expendable in Detroit last November when the franchise traded first baseman Prince Fielder to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler. The next month, Infante signed a $30.25 million, four-year contract with the Royals, and their manager is glad he did.

“I didn’t really think much about Omar last year with the lineup that they had,” Royals skipper Ned Yost acknowledged. “I would try to pitch around this guy and pitch around this guy to get to Omar, and Omar constantly just beat our brains in offensively. At about the midway point, I started realizing how really good he was.”

With 90-plus games left this season, the Tigers are finding out how vulnerable they are and how good Kansas City is in the tightly contested AL Central.

The Royals have won a season-high eight straight to pull within a half-game of Detroit atop the division. Kansas City has won 11 of 13 since trailing the Tigers by 6 1/2 games at the start of the month.

“We got on a nice little run here and we’ve made up some ground,” Yost said.

Detroit scored six runs in the ninth inning and pulled within three on J.D. Martinez’s two-out grand slam off Donnie Joseph. Michael Mariot struck out Austin Jackson looking for the final out.

Jason Vargas (7-2) gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks to win his third straight.

Verlander (6-7) allowed seven earned runs in consecutive starts for the first time in his career, giving up a season-high 12 hits and striking out two over six innings. He got off to a good start, retiring the Royals in order on 10 pitches in the first inning, and pitched four scoreless innings before getting roughed up.

The Royals took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning when Billy Butler followed Infante’s RBI single with a three-run double off Verlander.

“Our confidence level is as high as it can get,” Butler said. “I don’t think it is as much him as it is we’re going really good right now.”

Infante cleared the left-field fences with his third homer this year with two on to make it 7-2 in the sixth, leading fans to boo Verlander, who is in the second season of his seven-year, $180 million deal.

“I don’t blame the fans for booing,” Verlander said. “They are frustrated with me, just like I’m frustrated with myself. I would have probably booed myself tonight. They’ve cheered me a lot of times, and they will cheer me again.”

The jeers kept coming in the next inning when Kansas City scored four runs — one earned — on four hits and two errors off Evan Reed, who failed to retire any Royals as their lead grew to 11-2. The Royals finished with a season high in runs and hits (17) on a steamy night in the Motor City.

Detroit hurt its chances of winning the opener of the four-game series early in the game.

Both teams lost a player to cramps.

Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter left the game in the fourth with a cramp in his right hamstring.

“It’s not a strain,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus insisted.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez was replaced in the seventh because of cramps in both calves.

“He’s fine,” Yost said. “They made him drink a bunch of fluids and gave him an IV.”

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The Royals are complementing their solid defense and pitching with a potent offense.

Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer and Kansas City completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 6-3 win Sunday.

James Shields (8-3) won his fifth straight decision and the Royals extended their season-high win streak to seven games.

Shields pitched out of trouble throughout his outing.

Shields allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings. Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save in 21 chances.

The Royals haven’t lost with Shields on the mound since May 2, and he’s 5-0 in eight starts because of the Royals’ 42 runs of support.

Eric Hosmer also hit a two-run home run for the Royals.

“This series we played on all cylinders,” Shields said. “We pitched, we hit, we played some good defense. We drew our walks, we had good situational hitting and good timely hitting.

“I think this is the first series all year that we really hit on all cylinders, so it is nice to see.

Alejandro De Aza had a two-run double for the White Sox, who lost their fourth straight game. Starter Andre Rienzo (4-4) allowed six runs and six hits in six innings.

The White Sox have lost 10 of their past 11 home games against the Royals been outscored 53-20 in them.

“Obviously they’re playing good baseball and we’re scuffling a little bit,” Gordon Beckham said.

“You know, it’s part of (the game). It’s frustrating, but we played a pretty good game today. Grinding out at-bats, try to do some good things. It just didn’t go our way.”

With one out in the first inning, Hosmer connected on a 1-2 pitch for a two-run shot to center. It was his fourth of the season.

“We’re getting off to early leads,” Hosmer said. “We’re giving our pitchers breathing room early. The way they have been throwing for us all year they have been lights out. Now to give them nice breathing room early and get some leads and not let them to be fine with their pitches and let them go out there and let the defense work.”

With the Royals up 2-1 in the third inning with two outs, Billy Butler was hit by Rienzo’s pitch. Alex Gordon drew a walk then Perez followed with a home run to left, giving the Royals a 5-1 lead. It was Perez’s seventh of the season.

Mike Moustakas scored from second on Jarrod Dyson’s RBI single in the fourth inning after he was initially ruled out on a force at second base. The call was overturned after a challenge.

Adam Eaton led off the first inning with a hard grounder that went underneath Hosmer’s glove at first. Eaton wound up with a stand-up triple.

One pitch later, Shields appeared to have Eaton picked off at third base, but plate umpire Paul Emmel ruled that Shields did not step off the rubber and awarded Eaton home.

Royals manager Ned Yost argued the balk and was tossed by Emmel as he was headed back to the dugout. Yost then confronted Emmel for another animated conversation before leaving the game.

“I said something when I was walking away that made me sit in this office,” Yost said. “I don’t think I ever got kicked out before the first out in the bottom of the first. I just felt really strongly that was a good play.”

De Aza had a two-run double off Shields in the fourth inning.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Danny Duffy couldn’t help but think about his last start at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Kansas City Royals’ left-hander matched a career high with nine strikeouts and scattered five hits over seven-plus shutout innings in a 9-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

His previous outing in Chicago didn’t go well at all. Duffy injured his elbow in the first inning on May 13, 2012. Soon after he had Tommy John surgery and missed about a year.

“I’ve been waiting to come back here for a long time,” Duffy said. “It’s just nice to come out and do my job in this city and in this setting.”

The victory was the sixth straight for the Royals while the White Sox dropped their ninth in 10 games against Kansas City.

Royals manager Ned Yost said there was a lot to like about Duffy’s complete effort.

“For four innings he was really efficient, he really kept his pitch count down,” Yost said. “He had everything working: his fastball, his breaking ball, had a good changeup and had a really, really good defense behind him.”

Mike Moustakas homered among his three hits as the Royals won their second straight in this weekend series.

The Royals scored five times in the fourth — four with none out — to chase Chicago starter Hector Noesi (2-5).

Noesi allowed five runs — two earned — and eight hits while walking one and striking out four.

“To be able to put five runs on the board was big,” Yost said. “We’ve and a couple of big innings the last week or 10 days. Early in the year we get something going we get one or two out of it. Now that we’re swinging the bats better we’re getting four or five.”

Duffy last struck out nine on June 19, 2011, at St. Louis. He’s now 2-0 against Chicago.

Duffy departed in the eighth inning after a leadoff single by Adam Eaton.

White Sox designated hitter Paul Konerko spoiled the shutout with a homer off Michael Mariot to open the ninth.

Two runs scored in the five-run fourth when third baseman Leury Garcia bobbled Lorenzo Cain’s grounder for an error.

Moustakas then singled to shallow center for another run.

Alcides Escobar’s base hit extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games and loaded the bases for the second time in the inning.

The Royals’ fourth run came on Nori Aoki’s double-play grounder. Omar Infante lined a two-out single to left, driving in Moustakas for a 5-0 lead.

Noesi was chased in favor of right-hander reliever Javy Guerra with two outs in the fourth.

“Hector, he’s been good for us and he’s always given us a chance, but we have to help him out on occasion,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “If we’re not helping him on defense, it’s going to make a difference. That’s a recipe to lose a game in a hurry.”

Moustakas’ homer in the eighth inning was his sixth of the season. He finished with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Eric Hosmer had an RBI double to left to start a three-run ninth. Butler’s one-out homer to right made it 9-0.

Despite giving up an eighth inning single to Eaton, Duffy’s shutout was preserved after Eaton was thrown out at home on a throw by Aoki in a play overturned following a review.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Lorenzo Cain had a two-run double to highlight a five-run first inning, Jeremy Guthrie pitched into the sixth inning and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to five games with a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Guthrie (3-6) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings to snap an 11-game winless streak. Guthrie’s last win was on April 9, against Tampa Bay.

Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler of the White Sox each had two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the first inning.

Jose Quintana (3-7) never recovered from the slow start, allowing six runs and eight hits in six innings.

Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 with an RBI for the White Sox.

The Royals staked Guthrie to a five-run lead before he took the mound.

The first four batters — Nori Aoki, Omar Infante, Hosmer and Butler — all singled to make it 2-0 and fifth-place hitter Alex Gordon followed with a double to right field to make it 3-0.

After Quintana struck out Salvador Perez for the first out of the game, Cain stroked a double to left to drive in two more and made it 5-0.

The White Sox got a run back in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Abreu. The Royals got it back in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by Hosmer.

Chicago loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the inning as Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo singled and Alejandro De Aza walked, but the White Sox pushed across just one run — on a walk to Adam Eaton — to make it 6-2.

Guthrie struck out Tyler Flowers with no outs and then struck out Gordon Beckham with one out following the walk to Eaton. Conor Gillaspie then flied out to center to end the inning.

The starters then settled down and neither team scored over the next four innings. Kansas City added a run in the seventh on Hosmer’s run-scoring single to make it 7-2.

— Associated Press —