Tigers Sweep Royals With 7-1 Win
DETROIT (97.1 The Ticket/AP) - Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run shot early setting the tone for big hits as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Sunday.
As heard on 97.1 The Ticket - the Tigers (44-42) get a big win and sweep the series - in their last game before the All-Star break with the win over the Royals.
Delmon Young continued his home run prowess hitting his fourth home run in consecutive games. Prince Fielder hit a three-run shot and Peralta homered and drove in three runs.
The five-game win streak is a first for the Tigers during the first half of the season.
"I'm glad ... you know now everybody is starting to hit the ball well, we are doing what we need to do right now," said Peralta. "We are playing really well right now."
The power display backed Max Scherzer (8-5), who allowed a run and five hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out seven.
It was the Tigers' season-high fifth-straight win and put them two games over .500 - heading into the All-Star break - for the first time since April 25 (10-8).
Phil Coke pitched a perfect eighth and Octavio Dotel worked a perfect ninth.
Peralta was 3-for-4 with two doubles.
Salvador Perez homered for Kansas City.
Royals' starter Everett Teaford (1-2) took the loss. He allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked a batter and struck out five.
Peralta's two-out, two-run homer in the second inning gave Detroit a 2-0 lead. His towering drive down the left-field line and into the stands came on Teaford's 0-1 pitch and followed Brennan Boesch's single. It was Peralta's fifth home run.
Perez cut the lead in half for Kansas City with his fourth homer, leading off the third. A right-handed batter, Perez lined Scherzer's 1-0 pitch over the right-field fence and into the stands.
Young's 10th home run, leading off the fourth made it 3-1. He lined Teaford's 2-2 pitch into the shrubbery beyond the right-centerfield fence, an estimated 433 feet away.
Kansas City threatened with runners on second and third with two out in the fifth on a lead-off single by Jeff Francoeur and Alex Gordon's two-out double that sent Francoueur to third. But Scherzer got Alcides Escobar swinging to end the inning.
Fielder's three-run homer in the fifth broke the game open, giving the Tigers a 6-1 lead.
He greeted reliever Tim Collins by launching his first pitch halfway up the right-field stands, an estimated 417 feet away. It also scored Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry, who led off the inning with singles.
It was the 15th homer for Fielder - his third in four games - who was voted the A.L. starter at first base by the fans for Tuesday night's All-Star game in Kansas City. He will also participate in Monday night's Home Run Derby. Fielder is batting .299 and has 63 RBIs.
Peralta doubled in a run in the eighth.
Get the latest scores for Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons scores delivered daily to you from 97.1 for FREE. Simply text the keyword to the number and you're all set! Text SCORE to 97136. To unsubscribe anytime, reply STOP. Standard message charges apply.
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
