Royals 2, Tigers 1 (Game 1)
Danny Duffy collected his first victory since May 2012 with six innings of one-hit ball and Eric Hosmer homered as Kansas City ended Detroit’s 10-game home winning streak in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Duffy (1-0), who held the Tigers hitless through 5 2/3 innings, also walked three in his second start since undergoing Tommy John surgery 15 months ago. Billy Butler and Justin Maxwell each had two hits while Emilio Bonifacio drove in a run for the Royals, who posted a 3-0 triumph in the nightcap.
Justin Verlander (12-9) gave up two runs and seven hits over eight frames for the Tigers, who saw their lead in the American League Central fall to six games over second-place Cleveland and 6 1/2 over Kansas City. Ramon Santiago’s first home run since June 2012 accounted for Detroit’s only offense and one of its two hits.
Duffy had control problems early and only threw 55 of his 96 pitches for strikes, but did not allow a hit until Miguel Cabrera reached on an infield single. Kelvin Herrera and Aaron Crow bridged the gap to Greg Holland, who worked around a one-out walk in the ninth for his 26th consecutive save and 33rd overall.
Hosmer opened the scoring in the fourth inning when he lifted Verlander’s hanging 1-1 curveball over the Detroit bullpen in left and Bonifacio added another run in the seventh with a ground-rule double down the right-field line. Santiago cut the deficit in half with his first career pinch-hit homer to right in the eighth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hosmer’s solo shot was his first in 31 career at-bats against Verlander. … Detroit fell short in its attempt to mount an 11-game home winning streak for the first time since Aug. 12-29, 1949. … Butler’s 2-for-3 effort against Verlander increased his career batting average against the six-time All-Star to .519.