Detroit Tigers defeated by Kansas City Royals 4-3 in extra innings
The Detroit Tigers were bested by the Kansas City Royals 4-3 Sunday afternoon after Bobby Witt Jr. hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.
With the score 3-3, Jonathan India's groundout off Tyler Holton (1-2) advanced automatic runner Drew Waters to third, and Witt hit a 280-foot fly to left. Waters scored headfirst ahead of Riley Greene's throw.
Carlos Estévez (1-0) intentionally walked Greene to put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom half, then retired Dillon Dingler on a popup.
Kansas City went 2-8 on its trip and is 9-14. Detroit had won three straight.
Detroit left fielder Kerry Carpenter left the game after the eighth inning because of right hamstring soreness.
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, while Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Hunter Pasquantino and Drew Waters built a 2-0 lead with RBI singles in the second, but consecutive, two-out run-scoring singles by Carpenter and Zach McKinstry tied the score inthe fifth.
McKinstry's RBI single in the seventh ended Daniel Lynch IV's scoreless streak at 31 innings.
Mark Canha tied the score in the eighth with an RBI single after Witt reached second on a throwing error by third baseman Javier Báez.
With the bases loaded in the seventh, Salvador Perez scooped Greene's grounder and started an inning-ending 3-2-3 double play.
Skubal is 11-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 18 starts at home since the start of the 2024 season.
Tigers RHP Keider Montero (0-1, 9.00) starts Monday's series opener against Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (1-1. 1.74).
