DETROIT (AP) — Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking home run in the second inning to back rookie Jackson Jobe and lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-3 victory over Kansas City on Friday night that extended the Royals’ losing streak to five.
Spencer Torkelson delivered a two-run double in the seventh for his AL-leading 13th extra-base hit for the Tigers.
Kansas City dropped to 1-7 on a 10-game trip. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino’s double for a 1-0 lead.
Tomás Nido, who had three hits, hit a tying single in the second and Ibáñez’s drive leading off the fourth put Detroit ahead for good.
Jobe (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in five inning.
Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney had RBI singles in a three-run fifth to chase Cole Ragans (1-1), whose team record-tying streak of three straight starts with 10 or more strikeouts ended. Ragans gave up five runs and six hits in four innings, striking out eight for a major league-best 39.
Witt singled and scored on Pasquantino’s single in the ninth off Kenta Maeda. Tommy Kahnle got two outs for his fourth save.
Key moment
The Royals sent the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Kahnle struck out Cavan Biggio before Drew Waters lined out.
Key stat
The Royals began the day averaging 2.95 runs — ahead of only Colorado. They have scored four runs or less in 19 of 21 games and haven’t scored more than four since April 4 against Baltimore.
Up next
RHP Seth Lugo (1-2, 3.86 ERA) starts for the Royals, who have dropped the first two in the four-game series. The Tigers counter with RHP Casey Mize (2-1, 2.60).
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