Field Level Media
Apr 4, 2019
Niko Goodrum knocked in three runs, Josh Harrison scored three times and the Detroit Tigers won their home opener by edging the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Thursday afternoon.
Blaine Hardy (1-0) gave up one run in two innings of relief to pick up the win. Shane Greene recorded his fifth save, allowing one baserunner and striking out one. Nicholas Castellanos scored two runs for Detroit, which has won three straight.
Alex Gordon hit a solo homer, scored two runs and drove in two for Kansas City. Whit Merrifield supplied two hits and two runs scored.
Kyle Zimmer (0-1) walked all three batters he faced and took the loss.
Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings. He gave up three runs (two earned). Royals starter Jakob Junis also lasted six innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out eight.
The Royals scored an unearned run with two out in the first. Gordon walked and Jorge Soler doubled to right. Right fielder Castellanos tried a barehanded pickup and bobbled the ball, allowing Gordon to score.
Detroit answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Harrison and Castellanos drew back-to-back walks. Miguel Cabrera singled in the first run and Goodrum knocked in the second with a fielder's choice grounder.
The Royals scratched out a run in the third on singles by Merrifield, Gordon and Soler.
Kansas City took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Merrifield's triple and Gordon's one-out sacrifice fly.
Detroit tied it in the bottom of the frame. Harrison reached on a one-out single, stole second, advanced on a throwing error and scored on Goodrum's bloop double.
Wildness by the Royals relief corps allowed the Tigers to regain the lead in the seventh. After Zimmer walked the bases loaded, Kevin McCarthy came in and walked Goodrum on four pitches, pushing across the go-ahead run. A sacrifice fly by Christin Stewart made it 5-3.
Gordon hit his second homer of the season in the eighth to cut Detroit's lead to one.
--Field Level Media