Tigers 12, Royals 4: Detroit bats erupt in big win over Kansas City

What’s this? Only one game today?

Well, the Tigers and Royals wanted to make sure we got the full show today by tying the game up 1-1 early on. Mike Fiers was showing some sluggish velocity on his pitches, and the curveball especially seemed to be hampered by a sloooowww curveball, helping the Royals’ Mike Moustakas climb to a 13-game hitting streak.

Then, in the bottom of the third, Nicholas Castellanos belted a two-run moonshot — his first home run of the season — giving the Tigers the lead again, and answering Gibby’s “he’s due” assessment. “They have not invented a shift that’s going to stop that one,” Mario Impemba observed.

Too bad the lead wouldn’t last long. The fourth inning proved to be ugly for the Tigers, especially with some sloppy defensive plays. The Royals tied things up.

In the fifth, Dixon Machado got the go-ahead run with an RBI single scoring Victor Martinez and moving Jose Iglesias — who had two hits on the game so far — up to third. Danny Duffy was pulled out of the game. Then, things got nutty. A successful Martin bunt. A bases loaded walk-in run, and suddenly the game was 5-3. Another run walked in. 6-3. Another pitching change. Nicholas Castellanos hit the ball 401 feet with the bases loaded, but thanks to the deeeeeep Comerica Park outfield, it was not a home run and the Tigers headed to the sixth back in the lead.

The Royals got another one back in the sixth, a run charged to Mike Fiers after he left the game. JaCoby Jones, currently super hot, wouldn’t stand for that, and hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.

The Tigers took advantage of the struggling Royals relievers, heaping on even more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Two walked batters soon became two runs scored, and the lead grew to 9-4. Castellanos hit a double that almost looked like a home run at first glance, but did hop on the warning track before jumping into the bullpen. While it was another near-home run that juuuust missed, this one managed to get two runners in scoring position. Miguel Cabrera took full advantage, hustling home on a shallow sacrifice fly from Victor Martinez. Yes, you read that right, Miguel Cabrera risked the run and made it home.

The Tigers continued to pile on the runs and the Royals could do nothing to stop the bleeding. The final score was 12-4 Tigers, with every starting player collecting at least one hit.