KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Detroit starter Matthew Boyd and reliever Alex Lange both exited with injuries and the Tigers still ended a three-game losing streak, beating the Kansas City Royals 10-3 Monday night.
Willi Castro, Robbie Grossman and Niko Goodrum homered for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera got three hits and drove in two runs, with his RBI single keying a four-run first inning.
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The Royals, who have not led since finishing off Thursday’s 6-1 victory in Oakland, lost their fourth in a row. They are a season-worst five games below .500.
Boyd departed in the third because of discomfort in his left arm. Lange left after recording just one out in the fifth with shoulder trouble.
“(Boyd) came into that inning and was throwing well,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “After a few pitches he called us out. He said he felt a little something in his tricep."
Boyd told the team trainer that his arm had felt odd the whole inning.
“We immediately removed him from the game. We’re going to send him for some tests. It’s very disappointing on the night because he was throwing the ball well with probably the best fastball he’s had in the last month," Hinch said.
Hinch said he didn't know if Boyd would miss any time.
“I think Lange is going to end up on the injured list from the initial diagnosis,” Hinch said. “He’s had some shoulder issues. I didn’t even get out to the mound. By the time I got to the (foul) line, they were already walking off.”
Royals starter Brad Keller (6-6) struggled throughout, allowing six earned runs and eight hits in five innings.
“I think he’s trying to overdo it a little bit,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He feels good. Sometimes when he tries to hump up his fastball he gets too much movement.”
Keller has struggled in the first inning all season. Following three earned runs in the first on Monday, his ERA in the first inning is now 9.64. Keller didn’t record an out until his 22nd pitch when he struck out Eric Haase.
Keller hit Grossman with his first pitch of the game, Harold Castro singled and Jonathan Schoop reached on an error that rolled through the legs of third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, allowing a run to score. Cabrera added an RBI single and Goodrum hit a two-run single.
After giving up back-to-back, one-out singles in the third by Whit Merrifield and Carlos Santana, Boyd was pulled from the game. He was relieved by Joe Jimenez (2-0), who struck out Salvador Perez and got Jorge Soler to pop out.
Castro hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Goodrum connected in the eighth and Grossman homered in the ninth.
The Royals scored a run in the fourth on a two-out double by Hanser Alberto that drove in Edward Olivares, who was called up to replace the injured Andrew Benintendi.
The Royals got runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but left the bases loaded in both.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: C Grayson Greiner began an injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored a run. He has been out since May 12 with a strained left hamstring.
Royals: SS Adalberto Mondesi was eligible to come off the 10-day injured list Monday, but he was not ready, according to Matheny. Mondesi came out of the game May 31 with a left hamstring strain.
ROSTER NEWS
Tigers: RHP Michael Fulmer was reinstated from the IL. He is 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA in 20 appearances (four starts). Since being moved to the closer’s role, he’s converted four out of five save opportunities.
Royals: Benintendi was placed on the IL with a right rib fracture. Matheny said Benintendi was injured making a throw from the warning track Sunday in Oakland. OF Edward Olivares was recalled.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Casey Mize (3-4, 3.44 ERA) will look to continue a streak of seven quality starts in his last eight. The only game he didn’t get a quality start was a five-inning outing when allowed just one run against the New York Yankees on May 28.
Royals: LHP Mike Minor (5-3, 4.50 ERA) will try to build on his last outing, when he allowed only a solo home run in seven innings against Oakland. He gave up three hits, struck out eight and walked one.
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