Royals 10, Tigers 3
DETROIT -- Kendrys Morales hit three solo home runs plus a triple to set a club record for total bases in a game as the Kansas City Royals overpower the Detroit Tigers 10-3 Sunday.
Left fielder Paulo Orlando added a two-run shot to help Kansas City move one step closer to the American League Central Division title.
Kansas City trimmed its magic number to three, pending the outcome of Minnesota's game against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Royals drummed right-hander Alfredo Simon (13-10) for 13 hits in 4 1/3 innings as they edged the Tigers in the season series, 10-9.
Designated hitter Morales hit his 19th home run leading off the three-run third, belted his 20th with nobody on and two out in the fifth and clubbed his 21st to open the eighth. He now has 105 RBIs.
Morales added a triple in the sixth and his 15 total bases in the game set a Kansas City club record. His first career three-home run game was the Royals' first since Danny Tartabull on July 6, 1991.
Shortstop Christian Colon had his first career four-hit game as part of Kansas City's 19-hit attack.
Right-hander Kris Medlen (5-1), making his sixth start of the season, went the first five innings, allowing three unearned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Left-hander Danny Duffy made his first relief appearance after 24 starts this year and earned his first career save for pitching the final four innings.
Morales walked following a sacrifice fly by first baseman Eric Hosmer in the first and scored on singles by third baseman Mike Moustakas and right fielder Alex Rios.
Rios singled ahead of Orlando's seventh home run in the third, which put Kansas City up, 5-0.
Detroit picked up its three runs in the third on RBI singles by designated hitter Miguel Cabrera, first baseman Victor Martinez and third baseman Nick Castellanos. A fielding error made all three runs unearned.
Colon had an RBI double and Ben Zobrist an RBI single in the fifth to expand the Royals' lead to 8-3. Right-hander Jose Valdez wild-pitched Morales home after his leadoff triple in the sixth.
NOTES: C James McCann entered Sunday's start 10 1/3 innings shy of the most innings caught by a Detroit rookie receiver (880 innings by Frank House in 1954). ... RHP Jeremy Guthrie returns to the Kansas City rotation Monday against Seattle, his first start since Aug. 19. He worked eight times in relief between starts. ... "It's looking bleaker" that Detroit SS Jose Iglesias will be able to return this season, according to manager Brad Ausmus. Iglesias has a chip fracture of the right middle finger. ... Royals 2B Omar Infante will have an MRI Monday on his left oblique muscle but it may be touch-and-go whether he can return before the playoffs start. "It's gonna be a while," manager Ned Yost said.