Tigers 4, Royals 3 (10)
Brennan Boesch singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Friday.
Alex Avila homered for the third time in as many days and Boesch added an RBI triple for the Tigers, who have won four of their last five.
The Royals went to Aaron Crow in the 10th with Detroit’s No. 9 hitter - Wilson Betemit - due up to start the inning. Crow (3-3) walked Betemit, who was traded from Kansas City to the Tigers last month, on five pitches.
Andy Dirks came on as a pinch-runner and moved to second on a wild pitch before Boesch took a 1-0 offering up the middle for the winning hit.
Daniel Schlereth (1-1) pitched two hitless innings and Jose Valverde worked the 10th for his 31st save.
Rick Porcello was in line for his sixth straight win before running into trouble in the seventh. The righthander allowed a run on three singles before being removed and then watched as Phil Coke and David Pauley each allowed an inherited runner to score to tie the game 3-3.