The Sports Xchange
Jul 25, 2017
DETROIT -- Danny Duffy recorded his second victory over Detroit in a week, and the Kansas City Royals stretched their winning streak to seven games by edging the Tigers 3-1 on Tuesday at Comerica Park.
Duffy (7-6) was the winning pitcher in the second victory of the streak, a 16-4 pummeling of the Tigers on Thursday in Kansas City. On Tuesday, Duffy limited the Tigers to one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Whit Merrifield led off the game with a homer, his 11th of the season. Eric Hosmer added an RBI single, and Mike Moustakas had a sacrifice fly for the Royals (52-47). Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 21st save.
The Tigers' Michael Fulmer (10-8) bounced back from the shortest outing but still lost to Kansas City for the second consecutive start. He pitched eight innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out six.
Mikie Mahtook extended his career-best hitting streak to 10 games with a fourth-inning triple and scored Detroit's only run.
Merrifield hit the first pitch of the game over the left field wall, his second leadoff homer this season. He got around on an inside fastball from Fulmer, who then struck out the side.
The Royals' lead grew to 3-0 in the fourth. Hosmer knocked in Jorge Bonifacio, who singled to lead off the inning, with a one-out base hit. Hosmer advanced on Salvador Perez's single and scored on Moustakas' fly to left.
Mahtook's two-out triple in the bottom of the inning led to Detroit's first run. Duffy then issued his first walk in four starts to Victor Martinez. James McCann followed with an RBI single.
The Tigers (45-54) left the bases loaded in the seventh, then saw another scoring opportunity disintegrate in the eighth. With runners at the corners and one out, Martinez ripped a liner to the corner in right that Bonifacio tracked down. Bonifacio then doubled off the retreating Mahtook with a throw to first.
NOTES: Royals C Salvador Perez left the game in the fifth inning due to right side rib tightness. ... Royals LHP Ryan Buchter and RHP Brandon Maurer were in uniform on Tuesday, one day after being acquired from the San Diego Padres in a six-player trade. ... Kansas City RHP Jakob Junis, who won Monday's game with one inning of scoreless relief, was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. ... Detroit LHP Daniel Norris had a second MRI to determine the extent of his right quad and left groin injuries. The results were not immediately released. Norris was placed on the 10-day disabled list July 6. ... Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera's second-inning single was his 2,600th career hit.