KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun each drove in a pair of runs in the ninth inning Thursday night, rallying the Los Angeles Angels past Kansas City and its stout bullpen for a 7-6 victory and an end to their seven-game skid against the Royals.

Kansas City had built a 5-1 advantage heading to the eighth, but All-Star reliever Wade Davis coughed up two runs in his first appearance since Aug. 6, when a stiff back put him on the shelf.

Greg Holland (3-1) entered in the ninth and gave up a leadoff single, a walk and threw a wild pitch. Cron followed with a pinch-hit double to tie the game, and after Johnny Giavotella singled, Calhoun added his go-ahead double into the right-field corner.

Holland then walked Mike Trout before he was finally pulled. The former All-Star closer allowed four runs and four hits and a pair of walks without retiring a batter.

Huston Street gave up Eric Hosmer’s solo shot in the ninth before getting Alex Rios to fly out with runners on first and second to end the game. Street earned his 27th save with Albert Pujols — because of pinch hitters and substitutions — forced to play third base for the second time this season and only the 12th time since 2002.

Jose Alvarez (3-3) tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Royals’ stunning bullpen meltdown squandered a nice bounce-back start by Jeremy Guthrie, who allowed two runs and three walks over six innings. The veteran had been dinged for at least 10 hits in each of his past three outings, putting his spot in the rotation in question.

Garrett Richards allowed three runs and eight hits and two walks for Los Angles.

Rios, Lorenzo Cain and Drew Butera drove in runs off Richards early in the game, and Hosmer and Kendrys Morales appeared to put it out of reach when they touched up the Angels bullpen.

Then, an offense that had been sputtering came to life.

Trout, Conor Gillaspie and David Murphy also drove in runs for Los Angeles, which had managed four runs total in a three-game sweep by the White Sox to start its road trip.

The victory snapped the Angels’ nine-game losing streak away from home.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson will have season-ending surgery to remove bone spurs. He hopes it allows him to be ready by spring training. … SS Erick Aybar was a late scratch with tightness in his lower back. Taylor Featherston replaced him.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (strained groin) hopes to begin a rehab assignment soon. He’s been taking regular batting practice and shagged fly balls in the outfield earlier this week.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Jered Weaver makes his second start since returning from the DL. He allowed two earned runs and four hits in five innings against Baltimore on Sunday.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy allowed three runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings before getting yanked from his previous start Sunday against the White Sox.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ian Kinsler doubled home two runs and the Detroit Tigers batted around in a four-run eighth inning to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Wednesday night.

The loss snapped the Royals’ eight-game home winning streak, their longest since winning their first 11 games in 2003 at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez (11-7) had retired 13 straight batters entering the eighth, which James McCann led off with a single. Volquez walked Anthony Gose, and Jose Iglesias had an infield single to load the bases with none out.

Kinsler doubled down the left field line to score McCann and Gose to finish Volquez’s night. J.D. Martinez’s single scored Iglesias. Kinsler scored on Tyler Collins’ fielder’s choice grounder as Detroit sent 10 to the plate in the inning.

Volquez, who had given up three or fewer runs in his previous seven starts, was charged with six runs, five earned, on eight hits over seven-plus innings.

Neftali Feliz (2-3), the former Texas Rangers closer, picked up the victory, retiring all three batters he faced. Bruce Rondon worked the ninth to log his second save in as many chances.

Victor Martinez drove in two of the Tigers runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and a double in the ninth.

Lorenzo Cain had two of the Royals hits, including a double, and scored a run. He is 11 for 19 (.579 average) on this homestand. Four of the Royals’ six hits went for extra bases, including an Alcides Escobar RBI triple in the third. Escobar scored on the play on Iglesias’ throwing error.

Tigers’ rookie left-hander Daniel Norris, who was acquired from Toronto in the David Price trade, permitted four runs on six hits in 6 1-3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera (left calf strain) took batting practice, fielded ground balls at first base and ran the bases. If all goes well, Cabrera should come off the disabled list Friday at Houston.

Royals: C Salvador Perez (sore left wrist) had an MRI Wednesday, which manager Ned Yost said came back clean, but Perez was held out Wednesday and likely won’t play Thursday. ”He’s got a little fluid in his joint and a little bit of a bone bruise,” Yost said. . RHP Wade Davis, who has missed the past six games with back stiffness, threw a bullpen session Wednesday and could be available Thursday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain had a huge night and wanted more.

Cain went 4 for 4 with a home run and Yordano Ventura pitched six scoreless innings as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-1 on Tuesday.

Needing a triple in his final at-bat to complete the cycle, Cain sliced a single to right field and was out trying to stretch it into a double in the eighth inning.

“I wanted it bad,” Cain said about the cycle. “(Jarrod) Dyson definitely reminded me before I went up to hit. I was looking to drive a ball to right-center or right field somewhere. Unfortunately I didn’t hit it hard enough to get it to the gap. I ended up sliding in for a single.”

Cain, who raised his average to .316, led off the sixth with his 12th homer, a mammoth shot to left field.

“It felt amazing,” he said. “It was a curveball. They’ve definitely been throwing me a lot of off speed lately, far more than I’ve ever seen in my life. I was trying to adjust and stay on it, wait back. I was definitely sitting on off speed there. I ended up putting a good swing on it and it went out of the park.”

Mike Moustakas snapped an 0-for-18 drought with a homer to right with Kendrys Morales aboard in the same inning.

Ventura (7-7), who is 3-1 since the All-Star break, limited the Tigers to two hits but walked a career-high six. He struck out eight, matching his season high.

“Ventura wasn’t crazy wild,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He was not missing by much. He stayed confident, stayed calm and continued to make pitches.”

Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the first, giving him 21 RBI in the opening inning.

Anibal Sanchez (10-10) yielded all three homers, bringing his season total to 28 — tied for most in the American League. Sanchez yielded only 13 homers combined in the past two seasons.

“I don’t know what to say about it,” Sanchez said. “I don’t know what’s happened. I don’t get rattled. I just give up the home runs.”

Moustakas also stroked a run-scoring single in the eighth for his third three-RBI game of the year.

The Tigers snapped a season-worst 17-inning scoreless drought with a run in the seventh against reliever Franklin Morales. Pinch-hitter Rajai Davis’ sacrifice fly scored Jefry Marte, who led off with a double.

Luke Hochevar worked 2 2/3 spotless innings for his first save since Aug. 8, 2013, against Boston.

DEFENSIVE DANDIES

The Royals made five defensive gems, including throwing out James McCann at the plate when he attempted to score on Marte’s double to deep left-center. “I was surprised,” Yost said. “I didn’t think they had a chance to get him. I was shocked they did. When Dyson made a good throw to Esky (shortstop Alcides Escobar), I still didn’t think they had a chance. The defense was just spectacular tonight.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera (left calf strain) took batting practice and could come off the disabled list this weekend for a series at Houston.

Royals: C Salvador Perez left after seven innings with inflammation in his sore wrist, which has been bothering him for a few days, manager Ned Yost said. . RHP Wade Davis (stiff back) has not pitched since Thursday.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Rookie LHP Daniel Norris makes his third start since being acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez, who is 1/3 with a 4.98 ERA in four career starts against Detroit, draws the assignment for the series finale.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Johnny Cueto could not have scripted a better introduction to the Kansas City fans.

Cueto threw a four-hitter in his home debut as the Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-0 on Monday night.

Cueto (1-1) did not allow a runner past second base, struck out eight and walked none. It was his sixth career shutout and second this season.

“The crowd really gave me an extra boost,” Cueto said with catching coach Pedro Grifol acting as his interpreter. “This is the most I’ve felt from a crowd; the intensity is by far the most.

“I felt really proud the fans were just feeding me that last little boost of energy I needed.”

Cueto, who was acquired from Cincinnati on July 26 for three pitching prospects, received a loud cheer as he went out for his warmup pitches and the standing ovations grew after every scoreless inning as he walked to the dugout.

Cueto struck out Anthony Gose on three pitches to begin the game as the festive Kauffman Stadium crowd roared with approval. Sluggerr, the Royals’ mascot, appeared wearing a Cueto-esque mane of dreadlocks.

When Cueto came out for the ninth, the Kauffman Stadium announced crowd of 36,672 rose in unison with a deafening roar that did not stop until long after he retired Victor Martinez on a fly ball to right fielder Alex Rios for the final out.

“A bunch of us were saying in the eighth inning just watch how loud this gets when he goes out for the ninth inning,” said Eric Hosmer, who had an RBI single in the seventh. “It was really cool to see and fun to be a part of it.

“It was pretty fun to see, his first game as a Royal at the K and hear the crowd out there in the ninth inning. It was a fun atmosphere tonight, a different feel tonight, a lot of people excited.”

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus complained to plate umpire Joe West that Cueto’s delivery was illegal, that he was stopping in his windup.

“Really, the way the rule reads, you’re not supposed to even alter your motion,” Ausmus said. “That’s the way the rule reads. They don’t enforce it. Well, he said if he stops it’s an illegal pitch.”

Tigers lefty Matt Boyd, who was acquired from Toronto on July 30 in the David Price trade, gave up three runs in the first inning.

Boyd (1-3), who beat Cueto and the Royals 2-1 last Wednesday when he allowed seven hits and one run over seven innings in his Tigers debut, gave up singles to Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist on his first two pitches.

Lorenzo Cain doubled to center, scoring both. Kendrys Morales’ one-out single produced the third run of the inning.

Zobrist went 3 for 3 with a walk. The Royals’ first five hitters — Escobar, Zobrist, Cain, Hosmer and Morales — went a combined 11 for 19 with four RBI.

J.D. Martinez doubled in the second for the Tigers’ only extra-base hit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera (left calf strain) did light running around the bases. … RHP Alex Wilson (shoulder fatigue), threw a 12-pitch bullpen session. If his arm responds well Tuesday, he could be ready to pitch.

Royals: RHP Wade Davis (back stiffness) has not pitched since Thursday.

CHANGING LEFTIES

The Tigers optioned LHP Ian Krol, who had a 1/3 record with a 6.75 ERA in 26 relief appearances, to Triple-A Toledo. They recalled LHP Kyle Ryan from Toledo.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Anabel Sanchez is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in three starts against the Royals this season.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura has an 8.18 ERA in two starts, both no-decisions, against the Tigers in 2015. He has yielded four home runs and 16 hits in 11 innings.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With All-Star reliever Wade Davis nursing a bad back and closer Greg Holland earning saves the past two days and unavailable, Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost turned to Ryan Madson to protect a one-run lead in the ninth.

Madson struck out two in a spotless inning as the Royals edged the Chicago White Sox 5-4 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

“We feel we have four guys that can close,” Yost said.

Madson saved 32 games in 2011 with Philadelphia, but had been out of the majors until this year because of injuries.

“It helps a bunch,” Madson said of being familiar with the role. “When you first try it, it’s a totally different feel, a totally different game in that ninth inning.”

“But so, yeah, I appreciate all the experience I’ve had throwing in the ninth inning `cause then it’s just the same game as it is in the eighth and seventh. Sometimes it’s a little bit easier because the hitters feel more pressure and they’re a little more aggressive,” he said.

The Royals have won three straight games by one run for the first time since August 2012. Kansas City widened its lead to 11 1-2 games in the AL Central and improved to 10-3 against the White Sox this season.

Kendrys Morales hit a two-run homer that put Kansas City ahead 3-0 in the first.

“The first inning changed my whole game,” White Sox starter Jose Quintana said.

It was 4-all in the eighth when Alex Rios singled with one out off Jake Petricka (3-3) and Paulo Orlando followed with a ground-rule double. Omar Infante hit a grounder to first baseman Jose Abreu, and Rios slid home ahead of the tag.

“Jake threw the pitch he wanted,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “It wasn’t very well struck. At that point it doesn’t matter. They’ve got a guy who can run well down the line. It was a tough play by Jose, but I thought he made a good effort.”

Kelvin Herrera (3-2) picked up the victory despite blowing a save and giving up the tying run in the eighth on Melky Cabrera’s RBI single with two outs.

Eric Hosmer doubled home a run in the first and Morales hit his 13th homer. It was Morales’ major league-leading 24th multi-RBI game.

Royals starter Danny Duffy was pulled after 3 1/3 innings and 73 pitches. He gave up three runs in the third on a walk, hit batter, wild pitch and two hits. Kris Medlen replaced him and threw 3 2/3 hitless innings.

Gordon Beckham singled home the first run, his first RBI since June 21, and Alexei Ramirez had a two-out, two-run single.

Ben Zobrist put the Royals ahead in the fifth when he singled home Jarrod Dyson.

ZOBRIST AT THIRD

Zobrist started at third base for the first time since Sept. 30, 2010, while with the Rays at Kansas City. He did not field a ball at third base for seven innings before being replaced by Mike Moustakas in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF J.B. Shuck (left hamstring strain), RHP Daniel Webb (back strain) and IF Emilio Bonifacio (left oblique strain) are on the 15-day disabled list.

Royals: LHP Brian Flynn (left lat tear) is rehabbing in Arizona, but it appears unlikely he will return before the season ends, although he did not require surgery.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale, who has allowed 14 earned runs and 18 hits in 10 1/3 innings in losing his previous two outings, will start Monday against the Angels.

Royals: RHP Johnny Cueto will make his first home start since the Royals acquired him in a July 26 trade with the Reds. The Royals dropped his first two starts on the road.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kendrys Morales and Salvador Perez each drove in two runs and the Kansas City Royals overcame Jose Abreu’s two home runs to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Saturday night.

Perez, who had been in a 6-for-32 skid, had a two-out single in the three-run fourth. Morales and Perez picked up back-to-back run-producing doubles with two out in a four-run fifth.

White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija (8-6) failed to make it out of the fifth, giving up seven runs on six hits.

Abreu homered to lead off the fourth and sixth innings.

Jeremy Guthrie (8-7) picked up the victory, although he gave up six runs on 10 hits, including both of Abreu’s homers, in 5 2/3 innings.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Edinson Volquez and John Danks have known each other for a while, rooming in the minors.

They are very familiar with each other this season squaring off for the fourth time this year. Volquez and the Kansas City Royals came out victors Friday night, beating Danks and the Chicago White Sox 3-2.

“I’ve known him for a long time in the minor leagues with Texas,” Volquez said. “We were roommates three years in a row. He was the first guy to let me drive his car in the United States.

“It was like a four-hour drive from Arizona to Bakersfield, California and he was tired and said, `Can you drive?’ I said I can drive, but I don’t have a driver’s license.”

Danks threw six scoreless innings on July 17 to beat Volquez.

“We’re tied now,” Volquez said as the pair went 2-2 in their matchups this season.

Volquez pitched seven strong innings and Lorenzo Cain doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth. Volquez (11-6) limited the White Sox to one run and four hits and has allowed three or less runs in seven straight starts, lowering his ERA to 3.11.

Danks (6-9), who has a 9-2 career record against the Royals, gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.

“I made a couple of mistakes I got burned with,” Danks said. “All in all I felt like it was a good day. I just got outpitched by a good pitcher himself.”

Cain, who tripled in the first inning but was stranded, doubled into the left-field corner to score Ben Zobrist for the initial run in the sixth. Eric Hosmer drove home Cain with a single, giving him 10 RBI in the past 11 games.

“Danks has had our number the last few years,” Cain said. “To lose two to Detroit was definitely tough, to bounce back today and get a win against a division team is huge.”

Alex Rios, who played with the White Sox from 2009-13, laced a double to left field to score Mike Moustakas, who had walked, with the first Kansas City run in the fifth.

Jose Abreu, who has hit safely in 16 of his past 17 games, doubled home Trayce Thompson, who led off the sixth with an infield single for his first big league hit, for the first White Sox run.

Luke Hochevar, who replaced Volquez in the eighth, walked Tyler Flowers and yielded a double to Thompson to start the inning, but recovered to strike out Tyler Saladino and Abreu. Left-hander Franklin Morales retired Melky Cabrera on a fly to the right field warning track to strand the runners as the White Sox went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

“We had plenty of opportunities,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “They pitched tough in those situations and we didn’t get it done. We had a big one there in the eighth. We had a chance there.”

Greg Holland gave up a home run to Adam LaRoche in the ninth, but earned his 24th save in 27 opportunities.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: CF Adam Eaton left after jamming his left shoulder when he fell catching Zobrist’s fly ball in the fourth inning. He is listed as day-to-day.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (left groin strain) could rehab with Double-A Northwest Arkansas or High-A Wilmington, who are both in the playoffs, in late August or early September, if he is ready, Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Jeff Samardzija, who served a five-game suspension for his part in an April 23 brawl with the Royals, starts Saturday. He is 0-4 with a 5.95 ERA in four games against the Royals.

White Sox: RHP Jeremy Guthrie will make his first start since July 29, when he yielded eight runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Indians.

— Associated Press —

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 —