Nothing separated these teams until the final frame. The Royals and Tigers traded leads twice through eight innings, and it took a ninth-inning swing from Nick Loftin to settle it, as Kansas City beat Detroit 3-2 at Comerica Park.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| DET | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Loftin's homer to left field, measured at 397 feet, came with the score tied 2-2 and put the Royals ahead for good. He finished 1-for-3 with the RBI. Hao Yu Lee had the busier night at the plate for Detroit, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run of his own, and Salvador Perez matched him with a solo shot for Kansas City that tied the game in the seventh.
The scoring began early and stayed tight. Michael Massey's sacrifice fly to right in the second inning brought home Vinnie Pasquantino for a 1-0 Royals lead, but Detroit answered in the same inning when Lee doubled to right and Greene scored to tie it. Lee's homer in the fourth put the Tigers back in front, 1-2, until Perez's seventh-inning blast tied things again at 2-2. Loftin's ninth-inning homer was the last word.
Detroit starter Casey Mize gave the Tigers a chance, working 6.0 innings and allowing just 1 run on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and no walks. But the bullpen could not hold the line behind him. Jacob Waguespack took the loss after allowing 1 run over 1.2 innings, falling to 0-1 on the season. Michael Wacha started for Kansas City and worked 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 3 strikeouts, and Daniel Lynch picked up the win in relief. Alex Lange closed it out for his 10th save of the season.
The result dropped Detroit to 50-55, snapping their momentum with a first loss following a win, while Kansas City improved to 44-62 after halting its own skid. The Tigers sit fourth in their division; the Royals are fifth.