Royals 4, Tigers 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Edinson Volquez threw seven scoreless innings and Mike Moustakas homered as the Kansas City Royals blanked the Detroit Tigers 4-0 Thursday night.
Volquez (3-0) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out five, lowering his ERA to 1.46. Volquez had a history of not pitching well against the Tigers, 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA in four starts last year and 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA in his previous seven career starts.
Volquez was backed by an Alex Gordon highlight reel catch. Alex Gordon, a four-time left-field Gold Glove winner, made a terrific diving catch on the warning track to rob Justin Upton of extra-bases in the fourth. Volquez took off his cap and tipped it to Gordon as the Kauffman Stadium crowd of 30,763 gave him a long standing ovation.
Volquez, who pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth, received his own standing ovation when he walked off the mound in the seventh.
Kelvin Herrera and Danny Duffy retired the final six batters to preserve the shutout.
Tigers right-hander Mike Pelfrey performed an escape act in the first two innings that even David Copperfield would envy.
Pelfrey gave up a double to Alcides Escobar and singles to Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain, the first three batters he faced. Escobar scored on Cain's single, a screamer that ricocheted off Pelfrey's glove.
Eight of the first dozen Royals batters reached base -- five hits and three walks -- plus Jarrod Dyson and Escobar pulled off a double steal in the second inning. The Royals, however, converted that into only a single run.
Eric Hosmer lined out to shortstop Jose Iglesias for an unassisted double play in the first. The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Lorenzo Cain grounded into an inning-ending double play started by Iglesias.
The Royals broke through with three runs in the fourth off Pelfrey. Omar Infante led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on Dyson's sacrifice bunt and scored on Escobar's sacrifice fly to left. Moustakas homered, his fifth, on a 1-1 Pelfrey offering.
Next, Cain walked and Hosmer singled, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. They pulled off a double steal, and when Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos failed to handle catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's throw, Cain came home for an unearned run.
Pelfrey, a Wichita State alumnus, was pulled after 104 pitches and five innings. He allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits and five walks while striking out two.
Volquez pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. With two outs, Victor Martinez singled, J.D. Martinez reached on an Escobar error and Castellanos walked on four pitches. Volquez struck out Saltalamacchia to strand the runners.
NOTES: RHP Dillon Gee, who missed the previous two games while on paternity leave, returned to the Royals. RHP Miguel Almonte, who was called up in Gee's absence, was sent back to Triple-A Omaha. ... Tigers C James McCann, on the disabled list with a right ankle sprain, threw from the crouch in early drills. ... OF Anthony Gose was not in the Detroit lineup, although he was 5-for-11 (.455) with a home run off Royals starter Edinson Volquez. Tyler Collins replaced Gose in center. ... Tigers LF Justin Upton entered the game with an American League-leading 24 strikeouts, and Royals LF Alex Gordon was second with 21. ... The Tigers open a six-game homestand Friday with RHP Justin Verlander facing Indians RHP Josh Tomlin. ... The Royals continue a homestand against AL East leader Baltimore. Orioles RHP Yovani Gallardo and Royals RHP Chris Young are the pitching probables for Friday.