Boyd Throws 7 Strong In Tigers Debut, Detroit Downs KC 2-1
DETROIT (AP) - Matt Boyd pitched seven strong innings in his Tigers debut and Anthony Gose and Ian Kinsler hit key triples as Detroit beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Acquired last week from Toronto in the David Price trade, Boyd (1-2) only allowed one run on seven hits and didn't walk a batter in a career-long seven innings. He received a standing ovation after the seventh.
Bruce Rondon pitched the eighth before Blaine Hardy and Alex Wilson combined to finish off the Royals. Hardy got the first two outs, helped by a running catch by J.D. Martinez, before Wilson retired Alex Rios for his second save.
Johnny Cueto (7-7) couldn't pick up his first win for Kansas City despite only allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings. Cueto walked two and struck out two.
The Tigers broke a scoreless tie in the third when Gose's two-out triple over the head of Lorenzo Cain brought home Tyler Collins.
Kansas City got its own RBI triple in the fourth, this one off the bat of Kendrys Morales. It was his first triple since 2012 - also against Detroit - and just the fifth of his nine-year career.
Yet another triple let the Tigers regain the lead in their half of the fourth. Kinsler hit it into the right-centerfield gap and scored on Victor Martinez's groundout.
Rios singled and moved to third on a bad pickoff throw in the fifth, but Boyd got out of the jam.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: OF Alex Gordon (groin strain) took indoor batting practice at Comerica Park on Tuesday and hit soft tosses outside on Wednesday. Gordon, who has been out since July 8, is hoping to progress to shagging balls and full batting practice later this week with an eye to returning in late August.
Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera (calf strain) has been told to back off on his rehab work, now that the Tigers are falling out of the postseason race. Cabrera, who had been hoping to return in mid-August, now is only saying that he expects to be back this season. . LHP Kyle Lobstein (shoulder) made a rehab outing with Single-A Lakeland, allowing two runs in three innings in his first outing since going on the disabled list in May.
UP NEXT
The teams finish a three-game series Thursday afternoon with Yordano Ventura (6-7, 4.98) facing Anibal Sanchez (10-9, 4.77). Ventura is 5-2 with a 3.97 ERA in day games this season, compared with just 1-5 with a 6.11 ERA in night games.
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