Royals Score 4 In Big 1st Inning, Ease Past Tigers 8-4
NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Salvador Perez singled, doubled, scored a run and drew two of Kansas City's seven walks as the Royals eased to an 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
Kansas City scored four runs in the first inning off Mike Pelfrey, who didn't make it out of the second. Every hitter in the Royals' lineup scored exactly once except right fielder Paulo Orlando.
Danny Duffy (5-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings for Kansas City. He struck out seven and walked one.
Ian Kinsler homered for Detroit, but the Tigers were facing a significant deficit before they even came up to bat for the first time. Pelfrey (2-9) allowed five runs, four hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Royals closer Wade Davis pitched a perfect ninth in a non-save situation. He'd been out since June 30 with a right forearm strain.
Pelfrey actually retired the first batter of the game, but the next six Kansas City hitters reached base. Alex Gordon opened the scoring with a bases-loaded single, and Pelfrey then hit Orlando to force in another run. Cheslor Cuthbert's RBI single made it 3-0, and Christian Colon brought home another run with a groundout.
After allowing a single and two walks in the second, Pelfrey was pulled with the bases loaded and two outs. Reliever Dustin Molleken immediately threw a wild pitch that made it 5-1.
Kinsler's two-run homer in the third cut the lead in half, but the Royals added three more runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Colon, Jarrod Dyson and Eric Hosmer.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: Davis was activated from the DL before the game. ... Manager Ned Yost said OF Lorenzo Cain (left hamstring strain) might go out on a rehab assignment next week.
Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris (right oblique strain) is expected to begin rehab work with Triple-A Toledo next week. ... RHP Jordan Zimmermann (right neck strain) said he'll probably throw a bullpen session Monday.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (6-7) takes the mound in the series finale Sunday. He's 6-0 with a 3.27 ERA in his career against the Tigers.
Tigers: Rookie RHP Michael Fulmer (9-2) tries for his 10th consecutive start allowing one earned run or fewer
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