KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)– Justin Verlander threw his fifth consecutive quality start, and Ian Kinsler homered and drove in three runs as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 Tuesday night.
The Tigers, who had lost nine of 10 to drop into last place in the AL Central, snapped a four-game losing streak.
Verlander (3-6) limited the Royals to seven hits and four runs, two unearned, over 6 2/3 innings. He has a 0.76 ERA in his past five starts and the Tigers’ lone two victories since Aug. 19, including a one-hit shutout of the Angels in his previous outing.
Johnny Cueto (2-4), who the Royals acquired in a July 26 trade with Cincinnati, allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings. Cueto has given up 38 hits in his past four starts, the most hits he has allowed in his career over a four-start span. He has allowed 17 runs in 18 innings in losing his past three starts.
Cueto, who shutout the Tigers on Aug. 10, yielded six hits and three runs in the first two innings. Miguel Cabrera, who hit .393 in August, singled home Anthony Gose in the first inning.
Miguel Almonte gave up a two-run, seventh-inning homer to Kinsler in his major league debut. Kinsler also hit a two-out RBI single in the fourth.
Kendrys Morales homered in the fourth off Verlander. Alex Gordon, who missed 48 games with a groin injury, drove in a Royals’ run with a sacrifice fly in the second. Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar had RBI in the seventh.
The Royals cut the lead to one run in the eighth on a Salvador Perez single.
Bruce Rondon worked an unblemished ninth for his third save in four opportunities.
