Recap: Kansas City vs. Detroit
Sports Network | August 22, 2008
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Justin Verlander threw almost seven shutout innings and Miguel Cabrera hit a pair of home runs, as Detroit held off Kansas City, 4-3, in the first of three games.
Verlander (10-13) allowed eight hits and three walks, and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings to take the win. The right-hander has not given up an earned run in his past two starts, both wins.
Placido Polanco ripped an RBI double, while Matt Joyce finished 1-for-4 with a double and run batted in for the Tigers, who have won three of four.
Brian Bannister (7-13) threw eight innings and allowed only five hits, but was tagged with all four runs, walked three and struck out just two to absorb the loss for the Royals.
Ross Gload finished 4-for-4 and John Buck went 2-for-4 with a triple and knocked in a run for Kansas City, which has dropped six straight and nine of 10.
Detroit reliever Fernando Rodney entered for the ninth as Kansas City trailed by three, looking to make a routine save. But the Royals made a comeback bid, starting with Mike Aviles' leadoff double. Esteban German smoked a pitch down the third-base line for another two-base hit, plating Aviles. Rodney then walked David DeJesus before striking out Jose Guillen and Mark Teahen.
Billy Butler looped a single into left as German came home, making it a one-run game, and DeJesus went to third. Rodney tossed a wild pitch, but the ball bounced back quickly enough for catcher Brandon Inge to relay to Rodney, who tagged out DeJesus to end the contest.
Cabrera got the Tigers started in the second with a leadoff home run to right field. Carlos Guillen followed with a double, and went to third on a wild pitch from Bannister. Two batters later, Joyce grounded out to second to plate the run, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead.
The visitors added one more run in the third. With one out, Curtis Granderson walked, then scored as Polanco roped a double to center field.
Cabrera's second homer of the game, to left field, came with two away in the sixth, boosting the Tigers' lead to 4-0.
Verlander managed to keep the Royals off the scoreboard and escaped one jam late. In the Royals' half of the sixth, singles from Jose Guillen, Butler and Gload loaded the bases with one out. But Verlander fanned Buck and got Joey Gathright to ground out.
Verlander was taken out of the game with two down in the seventh and replaced by Gary Glover, who ended that inning and began the eighth by getting the first two batters out. But Gload singled, and Buck followed by hitting the ball to the wall in right-center field to drive in Gload and bring the Royals within 4-1.
The Royals left 12 runners on base, and had 13 hits...The Tigers stranded just three runners...Struggling Detroit Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson has been removed from the team's starting rotation and put in the bullpen. Robertson has been a starter for the Tigers since 2004, and he made at least 30 starts from 2004-2007. He posted a 7-10 record in 26 outings this season with a 6.09 earned run average -- a career-worst during a season in which he's thrown at least 40 innings...The Royals placed left-handed pitcher Ron Mahay on the 15-day disabled list Friday with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. In a corresponding move, Kansas City recalled pitcher Kyle Davies from Triple-A Omaha.
New FanShot
