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Category: Professional

Molina, Wacha lead Cardinals to shutout of Pirates

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina’s teammates could tell their All-Star catcher was not happy.

After taking a fastball from Ivan Nova high and tight, Molina hit the next pitch for a three-run homer to help the St. Louis Cardinal beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-0 on Sunday.

“Everyone knows don’t mess with Yadi,” St. Louis infielder Kolten Wong said. “After that, you could tell he’s (ticked) off. He took it out on the baseball.”

St. Louis, which has won three in a row and seven of eight, moved two games behind Chicago in the NL Central. The Cardinals are 2 1/2 behind Colorado for the second NL wild card.

Michael Wacha tossed eight scoreless innings and Randal Grichuk added a solo homer for St. Louis, which improved to 8-2 in September and moved to a season-high seven games over .500.

Molina tied a career-high with five RBI. He also drove in five runs on Sept. 17, 2010 against San Diego.

Pittsburgh dropped its fifth in a row and slumped to 10 games under .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season.

Molina, who left without speaking to reporters, pushed the lead to 4-0 with his drive in the fourth inning. After dodging the errant pitch, he calmly stepped back into the batter’s box and ripped his second round-tripper in as many games.

“I feel like he took offense to that,” Wacha said of the inside pitch. “It was great to see.”

Nova said he meant no harm.

“I’m not that type of pitcher,” Nova said. “Just pitching (my) game.”

Molina had an RBI single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

“Big day, great at-bats all day,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “Talk about big hits, he did a great job.”

Wacha (12-7) allowed five hits while striking out seven and did not walk a batter in getting his third win in three starts.

“It’s that time of the year where you’re trying to make the playoffs,” Wacha said. “And every game matters. When it gets down to it, you compete your tail off and try and get the win.”

The Cardinals’ two-game deficit in the NL Central is the closest they’ve been since Aug. 18 when they were 1 1/2 back.

Nova gave up five runs and five in hits five innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

The Pirates were shut out for the eighth time this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Pirates: INF Josh Harrison has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a fractured left hand.

Cardinals: OF Dexter Fowler was held out of the lineup Sunday with a left knee contusion after crashing into the wall on Saturday. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said there was, “significant swelling,” and was uncertain on his return. … OF Tommy Pham is still having vision problems and was held out of the lineup Sunday. He suffers from keratoconus and the problem is heightened during day games.

UP NEXT

Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (0-0, 5.79) will open a three-game series at Milwaukee on Monday. He will be opposed by RHP Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 1.52). Brault is making his second start. He was named the Most Valuable Pitcher in the International League after posting a 10-5 mark with a 1.94 ERA for Triple-A Indianapolis.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (10-7, 2.94) will start on Tuesday in the first of a three-game series against Cincinnati. He will face RHP Robert Stephenson (4-4, 5.15). Lynn has allowed one earned run in his last 14 innings.

— Associated Press —

Hosmer fuels rally in 8th, Royals beat Twins 5-2

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer drove in the go-ahead run with his third hit in a three-run eighth inning, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Saturday night.

Lorenzo Cain led off the eighth with a single against Ryan Pressly (2-3), and Melky Cabrera walked. Hosmer’s single off Buddy Boshers scored pinch-runner Terrance Gore.

Salvador Perez had an RBI double and Alcides Escobar a sacrifice fly to cap the inning.

Mike Minor (6-6) got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Brandon Maurer earned his second save in three chances since the Royals acquired him in a July 24 trade with San Diego.

Alex Gordon homered with two out in the Royals’ seventh to tie it at 2. It was Gordon’s sixth home run and his first since July 3, ending a 169 at-bat home run drought.

Cain tripled in the first and scored on Cabrera’s ground out for the first Royals’ run. Cain finished with three hits.

Royals rookie right-hander Jake Junis, who is 5-0 since a June 29 loss, allowed two runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Eddie Rosario took Junis deep in the third, and Byron Buxton homered in the sixth.

Minnesota starter Jose Berrios limited the Royals to two runs and eight hits over seven innings.

TWINS GO WITH SAME LINEUP

Manager Paul Molitor stayed with the same Twins lineup that beat the Royals the first two games of the series. “Three days in a row. I don’t know if we’ve done that this year, but it’s kind of nice to come in here and not overthink it,” Molitor said. “I didn’t see a lot of reason just to change. It’s clicking fairly well for the most part. I think the guys are comfortable where they’re at.”

With the Royals starting a left-hander Sunday and a day game after a night game, Molitor will likely have some lineup modifications for the series finale.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: 3B Miguel Sano (left shin stress) did some things on the field Saturday, and Molitor said he “had a good day.” Sano’s return will be made tricky by the fact that the minor league season is nearly over, meaning he won’t be able to go on a rehab assignment. … LHP Adalberto Mejia (arm strain) made a rehab start Saturday for Double-A Chattanooga and pitched five scoreless innings and allowed one run against Montgomery. He struck out five and walked none, throwing 50 strikes in 73 pitches.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (left elbow impingement) will throw a simulated game Monday. If all goes well, Duffy could return to the rotation next weekend. … RHP Ian Kennedy (rotator cuff fatigue) will probably not make his next start. … RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) felt fine Saturday after a bullpen session Friday. Manager Ned Yost said Soria would likely be activated Monday.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Bartolo Colon is 15-10 with a 4.78 ERA in 29 career starts against the Royals.

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas is 2-7 with an 8.13 ERA in his past 11 starts.

— Associated Press —

Royals drop second straight to Minnesota

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With the start Eddie Rosario gave Minnesota, manager Paul Molitor was hoping to for an easier win. This time of year, of course, he’ll take it.

Rosario homered and drove in four runs over the first four innings, helping the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Friday night.

Rosario had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, hit his 21st home run in the third inning off Ian Kennedy (4-11) and knocked a two-out, bases-loaded single in the fourth to score Robbie Grossman and Joe Mauer. Rosario has 10 home runs and 28 RBI in his past 30 games.

Ervin Santana (15-7) gave up four runs and five hits over five innings for the victory. He is 4-0 in nine starts since a July 21 loss, and he’s tied for the AL lead in victories.

Eduardo Escobar had three hits and homered for the Twins in the fifth. Still, reliever Trevor Hildenberger had to clean up a mess left by Taylor Rogers in the seventh before Matt Belisle finished for his seventh save.

“There were a lot of momentum changes,” Molitor said. “When you score the first five innings of a game and you have your best pitcher out there, you would like to think the game would be a little less stressful. But credit to the Royals and their fight, they kept finding ways to inch closer.”

Kennedy was pulled after giving up three runs, four hits and three walks over three innings. He is winless in a club-record 18 straight home starts. He is 0-9 since his last home victory on Aug. 20, 2016.

“His shoulder started tightening up in the second inning,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s got (rotator) cuff fatigue. He’s been dealing with it for about a month.”

The Twins jumped to a 5-1 lead, but the Royals trimmed it with Eric Hosmer’s solo home run in the third and Whit Merrifield’s two-run double.

Ramon Torres’ seventh-inning single scored Alcides Escobar, cutting the Minnesota lead to 6-5. Hildenberger replaced Rogers with two runners on base and none out and induced Merrifield into a groundball double play.

“Once I saw he wasn’t bunting, I was pitching for a ground ball,” Hildenberger said. “I enjoy ground balls right at people.”

The Twins added two in the eighth with Grossman tripling in one run and Mauer doubling in another.

“The guys just kept battling,” Yost said. “We just couldn’t overcome it.”

HERRERA NO LONGER CLOSER

Yost has removed RHP Kelvin Herrera, who blew a save Thursday, from the closer’s role. He gave up two runs on two hits in the eighth inning Friday.

“He’s not sharp,” Yost said. “He’s pitching about once over five days. We need to get him more in a pitching rhythm. It’s not enough to keep him sharp. We can pitch him in the seventh and eighth innings and get him in more games instead of holding him back for save situations and try to get him sharp again and then reinsert him.”

Yost said he would use a closer by committee, mentioning LHPs Scott Alexander and Mike Minor and RHPs Brandon Maurer and Peter Moylan.

TWINS’ ROTATION

Molitor said RHPs Kyle Gibson and Santana would start Tuesday and Wednesday against the Padres on their normal four days of rest, while others would be pushed back with the team off Monday. Gibson is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in his past four starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: LHP Adalberto Mejia (left arm strain) will make a rehab start Saturday for Double-A Chattanooga. If he has no setback, he could rejoin the Minnesota rotation next week. … 3B Miguel Sano (left shin) ran and hit in the Target Field cages and might hit on the field Saturday. … Molitor said LHP Hector Santiago (upper back pain) likely will not pitch again season. He went on the disabled list July 5.

Royals: CF Lorenzo Cain (tightness in quads) was the DH. Paulo Orlando started in center. … 3B Mike Moustakas (sore right knee) was not in the lineup and likely will be held out again Saturday. … RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) threw a bullpen session with no problems.

ON DECK

Twins: RHP Jose Berrios is 0-1 with an 8.20 ERA in four career starts against Kansas City.

Royals: RHP Jake Junis has won five straight decisions.

— Associated Press —

Weaver, Nicasio pitch Cardinals past Pirates 4-1

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to make the playoffs, rookie starter Luke Weaver will be a big reason why.

Weaver pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning and also drove in a run Friday night, helping the Cardinals improve their postseason hopes with a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“It’s just real fun to watch him take advantage of an opportunity like this this time of season,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

The Cardinals have won seven of nine, pulling within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs. St. Louis is even closer in the chase for the second wild-card spot.

The Pirates have lost three in a row.

Weaver (5-1) has won five straight decisions and his last four starts, not allowing more than two runs in any of them. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings.

“I thought it was good,” Weaver said. “I was getting a little more movement on the fastball than usual, so the ball was kind of leaking out over the plate a little bit. Gave up a few hits on just fastballs that weren’t commanded very well but just rebounded well. Got some groundballs, some double plays and that was big and just tried to manage it the best I could.”

Weaver drove in the Cardinals’ first run with a broken-bat groundout and scored a run.

Juan Nicasio made his St. Louis debut and got four outs for his third save. The Cardinals got him from Philadelphia for a minor leaguer earlier in the week.

Nicasio pitched most of the season with Pittsburgh before being plucked off waivers by the Phillies in late August. He spent just six days with the Phillies, appearing in two games.

“I’m really happy to be part of this organization,” Nicasio said through a translator. “Even more to be part of this postseason run.”

Trevor Williams (6-8) allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

The Cardinals returned home in the early-morning hours after going 7-3 on a road trip that finished in San Diego. The Pirates began a nine-game swing after going 4-3 at home to start September.

Williams gave up runs in the third and fourth, and a two-run single in the fifth to Jose Martinez.

“The pitch to Martinez is the one that hurt,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “Two strikes, elevated fastball. (Williams) wasn’t able to make pitches later on in some situations he got himself into. The fifth inning hurt.”

Pinch-hitter Adam Frazier singled in the seventh for Pittsburgh’s run.

TAKING A BREAK

Cardinals rookie INF Paul DeJong didn’t start for the first time since July 6. He was coming off an 8-for-42 (.190) road trip. DeJong is hitting .284 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 2B Kolten Wong (sore back) is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday night. Manager Mike Matheny said he thought Wong would be available to pinch hit. … 3B Matt Carpenter (right shoulder strain) returned to the lineup and hit leadoff.

Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco and Frazier were both reinstated from the disabled list for Friday’s game. Polanco batted third and played right field.

UP NEXT Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (11-10, 3.34) faces the Pirates on Saturday. He is 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 11 career starts vs. Pittsburgh. Martinez established a new single-season high with 192 strikeouts in his previous start.

Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (7-10, 4.32) will make his fourth start of the season vs. St. Louis. Kuhl is 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA against the Cardinals. Kuhl has allowed more than two earned runs just four times in his last 18 starts.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs stun Patriots 42-27 in season opener

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — There were big plays all over the field. The Chiefs, not the Patriots, were making them.

Rookie Kareem Hunt, after fumbling on his first NFL carry, scored three times and set an NFL mark to help Kansas City stun New England 42-27 on Thursday night in the season opener. Hunt’s 239 yards in his pro debut were a record since the 1970 merger.

Alex Smith threw two long touchdown passes and became the first quarterback with 300-plus yards, four TDs and no interceptions against coach Bill Belichick. The 42 points were the most the Patriots have allowed in Belichick’s 17-plus seasons.

Coming off their sensational Super Bowl rally to a fifth Lombardi Trophy, the Patriots faded badly in the second half. A raucous sold-out crowd of 65,878 celebrated the unveiling of yet another championship banner, and there was plenty of talk about Tom Brady leading them to a 19-0 record.

After Week 1, though, they are winless.

“I just think we need to have more urgency and go out there and perform a lot better,” Brady said “It’s a winning attitude, a championship attitude you have to bring every day. We had it handed to us on our own field.”

It was the first time the Patriots lost at Gillette Stadium when leading at halftime, a span of 82 games. They were no match for the Chiefs in the last two periods.

Tyreek Hill scored on a 75-yarder and Hunt put the Chiefs in front with a 78-yarder to punctuate Kansas City’s charge after trailing 17-14 at halftime. Hunt also had a 58-yard scamper and finished with 141 yards rushing and 98 receiving. Hill had 133 yards through the air, and Smith went 28 for 35 for 368 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Brady, the 13th quarterback to start an NFL game at age 40, didn’t look too spry. He struggled mightily in the second half and didn’t throw for a touchdown, finishing 16 for 36 for 267 yards.

“Just a very poor effort and we’ll have to do a lot better,” Brady said. “Didn’t make a lot of plays tonight, actually.”

Patriots newcomer Mike Gillislee scored on three short runs, becoming the first player since Terrell Owens of Philadelphia in 2004 to score three touchdowns in his debut with a new team.

And Kansas City aided the Patriots’ cause with 15 penalties for 139 yards. Yet, in the end, the Chiefs looked like world-beaters.

At the beginning, it seemed like an extension of February’s Super Bowl. Riled up, Brady and the Patriots tore through the opposing defense as if it belonged to, well, the Falcons, scoring in nine plays, with Gillislee surging in from the 2.

One play later, they were at it again as Hunt fumbled. The Patriots took over at the Kansas City 32 and appeared to go up 14-0 on Rob Gronkowski’s diving catch. Then a replay review overturned the score, with NFL headquarters — which now makes final decisions on such reviews — determining the ball hit the ground as Gronk came down in the end zone.

Gillislee was stopped on fourth-and-inches at the KC 10 and the Chiefs, looking very much like the host team, marched 90 yards in 12 plays. Hunt made up for his early gaffe by gaining 25 yards on the tying drive, which Smith capped with a sharp 8-yard pass to Demetrius Harris.

The teams traded long touchdown drives, New England going 82 yards to Gillislee’s second TD, the Chiefs covering 92 yards at the end of the half before Hunt ran in with a 3-yard swing pass.

Stephen Gostkowski’s 25-yard field goal was the margin for New England’s halftime edge.

But the crowd’s fervor was silenced with Hill’s long touchdown on which prized free agent addition cornerback Stephon Gilmore was torched. Hunt sped down the middle behind linebacker Kyle Van Noy and DE/LB Cassius Marsh to put Kansas City in front for good.

SHORT YARDAGE

New England failed twice in the first quarter on short-yardage runs, by Gillislee and Super Bowl hero James White, and again in the fourth period, by Gillislee. If anyone proclaimed the Patriots were missing RB LeGarrette Blount, who scored 18 TDs last season and was a beast in such situations, well, Gillislee, who came from Buffalo as a restricted free agent, ran in for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns and a 1-yarder.

ROGER, ROGER

Not only did the crowd revel in the video highlights from the Super Bowl, the fans booed vigorously when Commissioner Roger Goodell was shown talking on the sideline Chiefs owner Clark Hunt during warmups. A website distributed thousands of towels featuring Goodell’s face adorned with a clown nose, and many fans also had T-shirts with the caricature. Goodell watched the game from a suite, but not with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

INJURIES

Kansas City’s star safety Eric Berry was carted off with 4:56 remaining with an undisclosed injury.

The Patriots lost perhaps their best defensive player, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, in the third quarter with a knee injury. His absence showed on Hunt’s long TD reception. … WR Danny Amendola left in the fourth quarter with a head injury. He’s projected as New England’s slot receiver with Julian Edelman out for the season.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Host Philadelphia on Sept. 17.

Patriots: Visit New Orleans on Sept. 17.

— Associated Press —

Herrera blows 9th inning lead as Royals lose to Minnesota

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Twins had seen the scenario that faced them Thursday night play out seemingly countless times over the past few weeks: They rally down the stretch only to come up short in the ninth.

The outcome was far different this time.

Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead runs off ailing Kansas City closer Kelvin Herrera with two outs in the ninth, and Minnesota rallied to beat the Royals 4-2 on Thursday night in a game that could have massive implications on the American League wild-card race.

“It was really good to see us get over the hump in one of these games. We’ve been putting pressure on to the last out,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Guys put together some really nice at-bats.”

Herrera, who has been dealing with a mild forearm strain, inherited a 2-1 lead before giving up a pair of singles and a walk. Brian Dozier hit a tying sacrifice fly to the warning track, and after Joe Mauer was walked intentionally, Polanco lined a single up the middle for the lead.

Trevor Hildenberger (3-2) earned the win with a scoreless eighth in relief of Twins starter Kyle Gibson, while Matt Belisle handled a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth save.

“Any time you can go seven innings without striking anybody out, your defense is playing good,” Gibson said. “And hats off to the offense. That’s why we won the game. The offense didn’t give up.”

Herrera (3-3) squandered a solid night from Sam Gaviglio, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Mariners, and the rest of the Kansas City bullpen. Gaviglio allowed only a homer from Robbie Grossman and three other hits in five innings before a trio of relievers got the game to the ninth.

“We had it lined up the way we wanted it to line up,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

The loss was especially devastating for the roller-coaster Royals given their place in the crowded AL wild-card race. They began the night 2 1/2 games back of the Twins with 24 games to play.

“That’s a tough loss right there in the last inning,” the Royals’ Alcides Escobar said. “Just come back tomorrow, keep playing hard and win the series.”

Gaviglio and Gibson matched each other through four scoreless innings before Grossman drove a 3-2 pitch from the Royals’ new starter into the bullpen in right field with one out in the fifth.

Alex Gordon singled in Escobar in the bottom half, and Whit Merrifield’s hard-hit single gave Kansas City a lead that would stand until the ninth.

Max Kepler started the Twins’ go-ahead rally with a single. Then, after Eduardo Escobar struck out, Jason Castro singled and Grossman walked to set up Dozier, whose deep fly ball tied the game.

Polanco followed with the eventual game-winning hit.

“It was a pretty big game,” Yost acknowledged. “It looked like we had everything lined up to win it but we just didn’t win it.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Twins are 10-6 against the Royals this season. They were 4-15 against them last season. … Herrera has not recorded a save since Aug. 16 at Oakland. … Gibson has a 1.69 ERA in his last four starts. … Mauer reached safely five times for the second time this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins 3B Miguel Sano (left shin) did light running but hit off a tee rather than taking batting practice after experiencing soreness. He has been on the DL retroactive to Aug. 20. “We’ll see if he can get on the field (Friday),” Molitor said.

Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert was out of the lineup while dealing with a gallbladder issue. … LHP Danny Duffy (left elbow impingement) and RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) threw off the mound. “Both did OK,” Yost said. “They’re making progress.” … 3B Mike Moustakas was the DH to give his achy right knee a rest. “He’s playable,” Yost said, “or he wouldn’t be in there.”

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Ian Kennedy and Twins RHP Ervin Santana meet in a rematch of last Sunday, when neither factored into Kansas City’s 5-4 victory. Kennedy allowed four runs, two earned, in 5 2/3 innings while Santana yielded four runs in 6 2/3 innings.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis gets blanked in series finale at San Diego

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dexter Fowler struck out against Brad Hand with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, capping the San Diego Padres’ 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Hand allowed singles by Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk and Carson Kelly to load the bases in the ninth inning before getting Fowler to whiff on a slider in the dirt. Hand got his 16th save.

Jose Pirela had a run-scoring infield single in the first inning, and that was all the cushion Clayton Richard (7-13) and relievers Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates and Hand needed. Richard got 11 groundball outs while allowing five hits and striking out five in six innings.

Wil Myers added his 25th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the seventh.

After Stammen struck out two in the seventh, Greg Garcia and pinch-hitter Breyvic Valera singled, with Valera’s being his first in the majors. Manuel Margot then made a running catch on pinch-hitter Tommy Pham’s sinking line drive in center.

Lance Lynn (10-7) tiptoed around trouble in the first, allowing a run on three infield hits, an error by Alex Mejia and a walk. Pirela’s slow roller to third scored Margot after he opened the inning with a hit.

Lynn lasted through the sixth, giving up six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts on 118 pitches.

It was the second straight start the Cardinals failed to support Lynn. He pitched eight scoreless innings for the first time in three years but didn’t prevail against the San Francisco Giants last week.

The Cardinals got a rare runner in scoring position when Paul DeJong doubled in the first. He didn’t advance, though, and Richard induced double plays in the second and fourth innings. That gave Richard 27 groundball double plays, tying teammate Luis Perdomo for the most in the NL.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 2B Kolten Wong (sore back) is expected to return this weekend. … 3B Matt Carpenter (right shoulder strain) should be back in the lineup Friday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Luke Weaver (4-1, 2.50) faces the Pirates as St. Louis kicks off a six-game homestand. Weaver is one of five rookies to have double-digit strikeout games this season. His 90 strikeouts through his first 17 career games are the most ever by a Cardinal.

Padres: RHP Jordan Lyles (0-2, 6.71) is making his second start of the season and his first on the road. He tossed a season-high 4 1/3 innings in his Padres debut last week, getting a no-decision after allowing two runs on six hits to the Dodgers.

— Associated Press —

Perez homers twice as Royals rout Tigers 13-2

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DETROIT (AP) — Salvador Perez homered twice as the Kansas City Royals broke open a close game to rout the Detroit Tigers 13-2 on Wednesday night.

The Royals broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the seventh, then scored seven in the eighth. Perez drove in three runs, while Whit Merrifield had three doubles and three RBI. Alcides Escobar had four hits, falling a homer short of the cycle.

Jason Hammell (8-10) got the win, giving up two runs, nine hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out six while winning for the third time in four starts.

Tigers starter Matthew Boyd pitched six-plus innings, allowing four runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out four.

Perez gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the second inning with his 23rd homer. The home run was Kansas City’s 169th of the season, setting a franchise record. Escobar made it 2-0 later in the inning with an RBI triple.

The Tigers got on the board after an error by third baseman Mike Moustakas in the fourth inning. With runners on the corners and one out, he misplayed what looked like an inning-ending double play ball, allowing James Hicks to score from third.

Ian Kinsler tied the game in the fifth, hitting his 15th homer. It was his 16th straight solo homer, with his last multi-run home run coming on Sept. 28, 2016, against Cody Anderson of the Cleveland Indians.

Escobar led off the seventh with a double and Alex Gordon blooped an RBI double down the left-field line, ending Boyd’s night. Warwick Saupold allowed a third straight double, this one to Merrifield, giving the Royals a 4-2 lead.

Lorenzo Cain singled home Merrifield, and Melky Cabrera doubled to move Cain to third and bring Jairo Labourt out of the Tigers bullpen. A passed ball gave Kansas City a 6-2 lead, but Labourt struck out Eric Hosmer and, after an intentional walk, got Moustakas to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Moustakas, who had been noticeably limping in the field, left the game after the inning with a sore knee. He’s listed as day to day.

The Royals put the game away with their seven-run eighth, including two runs on Merrifield’s third double and two more on Perez’s second homer. Tigers rookie Joe Jimenez gave up five runs in the inning while only recording one out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Joakim Soria (oblique) and LHP Danny Duffy (elbow) both threw short bullpen sessions on Wednesday. If they have no soreness, they will throw again on Friday with the hopes of returning before the end of the regular season.

Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez (calf) could pitch this weekend against the Blue Jays. Sanchez left Tuesday’s start after being hit by a groundball on his fifth pitch of the night, so he could pitch with fewer than four days’ rest.

UP NEXT

Royals: Kansas City returns home Thursday to start a four-game series with the Minnesota Twins. Sam Gaviglio (3-5, 4.62) will make his Royals debut after being claimed on waivers from Seattle on Friday, while Kyle Gibson (9-10, 5.33) starts for Minnesota.

Tigers: Detroit is off on Thursday before starting a three-game series in Toronto on Friday. Buck Farmer (3-2, 7.18) starts for the Tigers against an undetermined Blue Jays starter.

— Associated Press —

Royals allow six home runs in 13-2 loss at Detroit

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DETROIT (AP) — JaCoby Jones and John Hicks hit two home runs and the Detroit Tigers had six homers in all in a 13-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Tigers starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez threw only five pitches and was knocked out of the game in the first inning after getting hit by Whit Merrifield’s single in the right leg. Sanchez, who was charged with one earned run when Merrifield later scored, left the game with a calf injury.

Reliever Myles Jaye (1-0) replaced Sanchez and pitched 2 1/3 innings. He allowed one hit, two walks and a wild pitch, leaving in the third inning with the Tigers holding a 7-1 lead.

Jason Vargas (14-10) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs and six hits, a walk and a hit batter in two innings of work.

After the Royals took the 1-0 lead, the Tigers scored seven runs in the second inning. Jeimer Candelario had a two-run double, followed by Alex Presley’s RBI single, Jones’ two-run homer and Mikie Mahtook’s two-run homer.

Hicks’ two-run homer in the fourth made it 9-1 and Jose Iglesias’ solo shot in the fifth pushed it to 10-1. Jones had his second homer, a solo blast, in the seventh, and Hicks hit another home run in the eighth.

Lorenzo Cain had a solo home run for the Royals in the sixth, making it 10-2.

TRAINERS ROOM

Tigers: Sanchez, who recently returned from the disabled list with a hamstring injury, tried to throw a few pitches after being hit in the first inning. He could not apply pressure to his leg, though. His injury was a right calf contusion and X-rays were negative.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (7-10, 4.80 ERA) faces the Tigers on Wednesday.

Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd (5-8, 5.92) takes on the Royals.

— Associated Press —

Homers and defense lead Royals past Tigers 7-6

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DETROIT (AP) — Since joining the Kansas City Royals in 2007, Alex Gordon has made a practice of coming to Comerica Park and robbing the Tigers of hits and runs.

Monday’s 7-6 victory might have been his best defensive effort yet in the Detroit outfield.

Gordon ran down James McCann’s fourth-inning line drive in the left-center field gap, taking away a potential RBI double, but that wasn’t his best play of the inning.

After Jeimer Candelario singled to put runners on the corners, Mikie Mahtook hit a fly ball that appeared destined for the Tigers bullpen. Gordon, though, got back to the wall, jumped and reached over the fence to take away a three-run homer.

“When he hit it, I didn’t think I had a chance, but I knew I needed to get back to the fence as fast as I could,” Gordon said. “At that point, it was just a matter of timing my jump and reaching as far as I could.”

Gordon wasn’t the only defensive star for Kansas City. Lorenzo Cain’s sliding catch took two RBI away from Jose Iglesias in the sixth.

Those plays turned out to be crucial when the Tigers rallied with three runs in the ninth.

“Those plays were a huge part of this win,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “In a one-run game, they were the difference.”

Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar homered for the Royals.

Since trading Justin Verlander and Justin Upton on Thursday, the Tigers are 0-5 and have been outscored 36-11.

The Tigers trailed 7-3 going into the ninth, but Nicholas Castellanos hit a three-run homer off Brandon Maurer with one out. Maurer struck out Efren Navarro before McCann and Candelario singled to put the potential winning run on base.

Scott Alexander replaced Maurer and retired Mahtook for his third save in five chances.

“I knew they didn’t want to use me, because I’ve pitched in a lot of games lately, but I felt great,” Alexander said. “I just wanted to attack the bottom of the zone.”

Jake Junis (7-2) improved to 5-0 in his last seven starts, giving up three runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

Artie Lewicki (0-1) pitched five innings in his major league debut, allowing five runs on 11 hits and a walk. He struck out one.

“Anything four inches above the knee is too high here, and that’s where I lived most of the day,” he said. “I paid for it.”

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first and then scored four in the third. Whit Merrifield and Cain started the inning with singles, and both scored on Melky Cabrera’s double. Eric Hosmer followed with his 23rd homer to make it 5-0.

The Tigers had a chance to get on the board in their half of the third, but Andrew Romine was thrown out at the plate while trying to score from second on an infield single.

Gordon’s catch in the fourth was within a couple feet of the spot where Mahtook spiked Jose Ramirez’s ball over the wall on Sunday.

“In that same inning, he gets the ball off McCann’s bat, then you add in robbing the home run,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “I guess you could say he hurt us a little with his defense.”

The Tigers came back with three runs in the fifth. Romine and Jose Iglesias led off with back-to-back doubles, making it 5-1, and Alex Presley’s triple scored Iglesias. Castellanos hit a sacrifice fly.

Kansas City’s defense struck again in the sixth, with Cain grabbing Iglesias’ sinking liner off the grass with runners on second and third.

“Our defense prides itself on stealing as many runs as we score,” Gordon said. “Plays like that can really deflate an offense.”

Perez hit his 22nd homer off Daniel Stumpf in the seventh, making it 6-3, and Alcides Escobar hit his fourth off Drew VerHagen in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Kelvim Herrera (forearm strain) was not available for Monday’s game, but could pitch later in the three-game series.

Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (neck strain) became the latest Tigers starter to go down with an injury. He will consult a specialist about the injury, which has been a problem since last season, and could be out for the year. In the last month, four members of Detroit’s rotation — Zimmermann, Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Anibal Sanchez — have sustained injuries. The fifth, Justin Verlander, was traded.

“We hope for the best,” Ausmus said of Detroit’s makeshift rotation. “If they struggle, we have a lot of arms in the bullpen.”

TOUGH DEBUT

Since 1913, only one Tigers starting pitcher has allowed more hits in his major-league debut than Lewicki’s 11. On April 19, 1921, Carl Holling gave up 13 hits (and 12 runs) in his debut against the Cleveland Indians. Holling’s career ended the next year after 40 games, including 12 starts.

UP NEXT

Sanchez (3-3, 6.95) will return to Detroit’s rotation for the first time since straining a hamstring on Aug. 16 in Texas. He faces Jason Vargas (14-9, 3.87). Although Vargas is having the better season, he is 3-5 with a 6.03 ERA in 11 career starts against Detroit, while Sanchez is 6-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 16 appearances against the Royals.

— Associated Press —

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