Pinch hitter Akil Baddoo and Parker Meadows hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning and the host Detroit Tigers snapped the Kansas City Royals’ six-game winning streak with a 6-3 victory on Tuesday.
Baddoo’s 11th homer of the season broke a 2-2 deadlock. Spencer Torkelson supplied a two-run double for the Tigers (74-83) in the opener of a three-game series.
Jason Foley (3-3) pitched one scoreless inning of relief to pick up the win.
Salvador Perez, Nick Pratto and Nick Loftin drove in the runs for the Royals (54-103).
Kansas City starter Zack Greinke gave up one hit and one walk in five scoreless innings while notching five strikeouts. Detroit starter Reese Olson allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Olson created his own mess in the second inning, and it cost him a run. Nelson Velazquez reached on a throwing error by Olson. After Olson retired the next two batters, he unleashed a wild pitch to allow Velazquez to move to second, and Pratto followed with an RBI single.
After walking the next batter and committing a balk, Olson prevented further damage by striking out Maikel Garcia.
Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. ripped his major-league-leading 10th triple to left center leading off the sixth. Perez brought him home with a single through a drawn-in infield to make it 2-0.
Anthony Veneziano, making his major league debut, replaced Greinke in the sixth and Kansas City lost the lead. The rookie got into trouble when he walked Carson Kelly with one out. Meadows then reached on an error. Matt Vierling fouled out before Torkelson smacked a two-run double down the left field line that tied the contest at 2-2. A groundout ended the inning.
Baddoo gave Detroit the lead on the first pitch he saw from Taylor Clarke (3-6). He clobbered a fastball an estimated 443 feet to right center. Meadows pulled a slider over the wall three pitches later.
Detroit wasn’t through scoring in the inning. With two outs, Kerry Carpenter singled, knocking out Clarke. With Jackson Kowar on the mound, Miguel Cabrera walked, and Andy Ibanez and Zach McKinstry followed with RBI singles.
–Field Level Media
