Royals pile on Tigers to win fifth straight

Salvador Perez had a home run among his three hits and drove in two runs as the visiting Kansas City Royals won their fifth straight game with a 9-2 romp over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Perez also scored three runs while Vinnie Pasquantino and Paul DeJong drove in two runs apiece, each contributing to a six-run Kansas City seventh. Hunter Renfroe added two hits, two runs and an RBI.

Cole Ragans (8-7) gave up two runs and two hits while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.

Detroit starter Tarik Skubal (12-4) was charged with five runs on seven hits while fanning eight in 6 1/3 innings. Justyn-Henry Malloy reached base four times and hit a two-run homer for the Tigers, who have lost five straight.

The Tigers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Matt Vierling drew a leadoff walk and Malloy blasted his eighth homer, a two-out shot to left.

Kansas City got one of those runs back in the second on Perez’s 448-foot blast over the left-center field wall.

The Royals took a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Perez led off with a single and scored on Renfroe’s double to left. Renfroe moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on DeJong’s sacrifice fly.

Lucas Erceg, acquired from Oakland earlier in the week, replaced Ragans after Vierling singled and Malloy drew a two-out walk in the sixth. Wenceel Perez flied out to leave the runners stranded.

In the seventh, Skubal was removed in favor of Shelby Miller after giving up one-out singles to Dairon Blanco and Maikel Garcia. Bobby Witt Jr. singled to load the bases.

Pasquantino then smacked a single to left, scoring two runs. A wild pitch allowed Witt to score before Perez delivered an RBI double. Renfroe’s single put runners on the corners.

Beau Brieske then replaced Miller on the mound, and Freddy Fermin singled to bring home Perez.

The hit parade kept going as Garrett Hampson singled to load the bases and DeJong’s single scored another run.

–Field Level Media