Detroit Tigers Walk Off As Winners Against Royals
It looked like the Detroit Tigers had the Kansas City Royals right where they wanted them. After two, two-run singles by Andrew Romine and Ian Kinsler in the bottom of the second inning, Detroit had a 4-0 lead with their ace on the mound.
However, as has been the story for Brad Ausmus’ club all year, the starting pitching was inconsistent. The early lead given to David Price, lasted only one inning before it was gone.
A two run home-run by Salvador Perez brought the Royals within two, before a Christian Colon single brought the lead down to just one. Then, to cap the disastrous inning, Nick Castellanos allowed Kansas City to tie the game with a throwing error.
It looked like the Royals had the Tigers right where they wanted them. After an Alex Gordon single, Kansas City had a 5-4 lead, and all of the momentum.
But that lead lasted even shorter than the Tigers’ lead earlier in the game. Victor Martinez drove in Anthony Gose and Detroit fought back to tie it.
In the eighth, the two teams each posted zeroes, and headed to the ninth where the Tigers would make the plays that Kansas City could not, all of last year.
In the top of the ninth, Joakim Soria shut down the Royals after he forced Eric Hosmer to ground into a double play, and then, after a leadoff double by Gose, Kinsler dropped down a bunt which pitcher Yohan Pino threw into right field.
The Tigers won, 6-5, and moved to 19-11 on the young season.
While David Price was disappointing, Soria continues to be impeccable for Detroit. The former Royal, and Ranger, has been exactly what Detroit has been lacking in the closer’s role, and is now 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA.
In a re-match of the thrilling series opener, the two teams will meet again tomorrow afternoon when Anibal Sanchez takes the mound against Jeremy Guthrie at 1:08. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and 97.1 The Ticket.
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