DETROIT (AP) — Buck Farmer kept throwing changeups to Mike Moustakas, and the Kansas City slugger eventually adjusted.

“After the first three or four, I was starting sitting on it,” Moustakas said. “Finally, he ended up leaving one up, and I was able to get a good swing on it.”

Moustakas hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Kansas City Royals outlasted the Detroit Tigers 8-5 on Sunday to earn a split of their four-game series.

Abraham Almonte hit a grand slam in the sixth to give the Royals a 5-2 lead, but Detroit tied it with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Kansas City took the lead again when Drew VerHagen (0-1) walked two batters in the seventh and Moustakas hit a drive to right off Farmer. It was the sixth pitch of the at-bat.

The Royals won for only the second time in 12 games, and Moustakas extended his hitting streak to 14.

Kevin McCarthy (1-0) became the first Kansas City reliever credited with a win this season, although that came after he let the lead slip away in the sixth. Brian Flynn pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Royals, and Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Detroit starter Francisco Liriano took a no-hitter into the sixth before Whit Merrifield led off with a homer to left. With two on and one out, Alex Wilson came on in relief and walked his first batter to load the bases. Almonte followed with a drive to right for his second career grand slam .

“I came into a big spot and I didn’t do my job,” Wilson said. “There’s nothing puzzling about it — I made terrible pitches.”

Royals starter Eric Skoglund walked the first two hitters of the bottom of the sixth, then was relieved by McCarthy. Nicholas Castellanos greeted him with an RBI single, and an error by left fielder Paulo Orlando left men at second and third. One out later, JaCoby Jones hit an RBI single, and James McCann added a sacrifice fly to make it 5-all.

“It is frustrating that Frankie gave us a chance and our hitters got us right back into the game, but our bullpen couldn’t get the ball over the plate,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We had some guys who weren’t available today, so we were mixing and matching, but no matter who we bring in, we need them to throw the ball over the plate and get outs.”

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI groundout by Miguel Cabrera and a run-scoring single by Castellanos.

Castellanos had three hits.

BIG SERIES

Almonte had a big ninth-inning hit in a win Friday night, then added three more hits Saturday. He wrapped up the series in impressive fashion with his grand slam.

“I’ve been feeling better every game, every at-bat,” Almonte said. “I’m getting more confident, I’m seeing the ball better.”

STRONG HOMESTAND

Although they finished on a sour note, the Tigers went 5-3 on their homestand, averaging 6.4 runs a game.

“We need to keep playing the way we played this week,” leadoff hitter Leonys Martin said. “We’re not going to win every game, but we will give ourselves a chance. That’s all you do. Play 27 outs and make sure you have a chance.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (left knee sprain) caught seven innings and went 3 for 4 with a homer Saturday night on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha. He went 1 for 3 as a DH on Sunday. … OF Alex Gordon (left hip tear) went 1 for 2 with two walks Saturday and 1 for 3 on Sunday. “They’re close,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.

UP NEXT

Both teams are off Monday. The Royals begin a two-game home series against Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Kansas City sends RHP Ian Kennedy (1-2) to the mound against RHP Zach Davies (1-2). Former Royals star Lorenzo Cain plays for the Brewers now after signing with Milwaukee in January.

The Tigers begin a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, with Detroit RHP Jordan Zimmermann (1-0) facing RHP Chad Kuhl (2-1).

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers came into this season well aware of how little was expected of them.

For now, they’re hanging around the .500 mark — and maybe, just maybe, starting to win over a few fans.

Nicholas Castellanos homered and drove in three runs, and the Tigers routed the Kansas City Royals 12-4 on Saturday. Detroit is a game under .500 after winning five of six. The Tigers broke a 3-all tie with three runs in the fifth on a day when both starting pitchers were in almost constant trouble.

“Everybody had a sheet on the chair, first day of spring training. One of the media guys, people printed that 2018 Tigers will stink,” said Castellanos, whose team lost 98 games last year. “All we’re doing is going out there trying to prove people wrong.”

Mike Fiers (2-1) allowed two earned runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Tigers, and Royals starter Danny Duffy (0-3) yielded six runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Warwick Saupold pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings for his first career save.

Abraham Almonte had three hits for Kansas City, which has lost 10 of 11. The Royals snapped a nine-game losing streak Friday night when they rallied in the ninth inning to salvage a split of a day-night doubleheader.

JaCoby Jones, whose home run won the first game of that doubleheader, went deep again for the Tigers on Saturday.

Castellanos finished a triple shy of the cycle. He opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first, and his two-run homer made it 3-1 in the third. The Tigers gave up two runs in the fourth, thanks in part to an error by catcher James McCann that loaded the bases with nobody out, but Detroit took the lead back for good in the fifth when Dixon Machado hit an RBI single with two outs to make it 4-3, chasing Duffy.

“He was really struggling to command his changeup, so he was grinding all day,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “When he loses that pitch, he’s only got his fastball and slider, and that means he has to be perfect with the slider. When he makes a mistake, like he does with Castellanos, it really hurts him.”

Reliever Tim Hill allowed a bunt single to Leonys Martin that loaded the bases in the fifth, then the left-hander walked Jeimer Candelario and Miguel Cabrera to force in two more runs.

Jones hit a solo shot in the sixth to give the Tigers a 7-4 lead, and Cabrera’s two-run single made it 9-4 in the seventh.

TOUGH CHALLENGE

Duffy was starting on short rest after pitching in a doubleheader Tuesday at Toronto.

“That wasn’t a problem at all. I felt better than I have on normal rest,” Duffy said. “It took a lot of preparation to get to that point, but I volunteered for that, and it didn’t bother me a bit.”

Duffy’s shaky outing, however, set the tone on a day when the Tigers had 16 hits and drew eight walks. Jose Iglesias had three hits for Detroit, raising his average to .206.

“It’s a good win for us,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “A good bounceback from last night.”

FALLING SHORT

The bunt single by Martin was the first hit allowed by Hill in eight major league appearances. He was one hitless appearance shy of tying the modern big league record, according to information from the Elias Sports Bureau, distributed by the Royals.

Garry Rogenburk (1963) and Jonathan Sanchez (2006) went their first eight outings without allowing a hit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Alex Gordon (left hip tear) played in the first game of his rehab assignment Friday, going 0 for 4 with a run for Triple-A Omaha. Salvador Perez (left knee sprain) went 1 for 4 in that game as a DH, and he was expected to catch Saturday night for Omaha.

UP NEXT

Detroit LHP Francisco Liriano (2-1) takes on Kansas City LHP Eric Skoglund (0-2) in Sunday’s series finale.

— Associated Press —