KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dillon Dingler had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each homered and drove in two runs for the Tigers, who won for the 20th time in 28 games and improved the best record in the majors to 38-20.
Brant Hurter (2-0) was the winning pitcher. Will Vest earned his eighth save.
Neither starter made it out of the fourth inning. Seth Lugo (3-5) allowed four runs on five hits, including two homers) in 3 1/3 innings. Casey Mize allowed three runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The Tigers jumped on the Royals with two runs in the first on Greene’s 13th homer. Bobby Witt Jr. answered with a 442-foot blast in the bottom of the first. Mize escaped further trouble when Kerry Carpenter made a running catch with two runners on to end the inning.
Dingler extended the lead with a two-run homer in the second.
Drew Waters lined a two-run single in the bottom of the third to pull the Royals within 4-3.
Detroit added a run in the fifth on a single by Torkelson, and the Royals got a sacrifice fly by Mark Canha in the seventh.
The Tigers added two runs in the eighth on Torkelson’s homer and Dingler’s single.
Key moment
Trailing by one run in the fourth inning, the Royals had second and third with one out and the 3-4-5 hitters due up when the Tigers brought in Hurter. Hurter struck out Vinnie Pasquantino and got Maikel Garcia to fly out to end the inning.
Key stat
The Tigers’ bullpen allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of relief of Mize.
Up next
The Tigers and Royals play an afternoon game Saturday in the second game of the three-game series. The Tigers will send LHP Tarik Skubal (5-2, 2.49 ERA) to the mound to face Kansas City RHP Michael Wacha (3-4, 3.21 ERA).
