Tigers use Fulmer, home runs to defeat Royals
DETROIT -- Victor Martinez, Justin Upton and Cameron Maybin blasted home runs to back rookie Michael Fulmer's seven innings of one-run ball in Detroit's 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night that kept the Tigers in control of the American League's second wild-card spot.
Detroit maintained its half-game lead on Baltimore for the second spot and the Tigers' fifth win in a row kept them one game behind Toronto.
Fulmer (11-7) allowed eight hits, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter. His seven innings gave him 155 2/3, enough to qualify for and assume the league's ERA lead at 2.95.
He needs 6 1/3 innings in his final start of the season Wednesday against Cleveland to reach the 162 he needs to qualify for the ERA crown.
Blaine Hardy pitched a scoreless eighth for Detroit but Mark Lowe allowed a two-run triple to Jarrod Dyson with two out in the ninth and Shane Greene was brought in to get the last out.
Danny Duffy (12-3) lasted only 3 2/3 innings, throwing 99 pitches, while allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks.
An overturned call on a challenge led to Kansas City's run in the sixth. Kendrys Morales was called out at the back end of a 3-6-1 double play that seemingly ended the inning, but the Royals challenged and Morales was ruled to have been safe, leaving Whit Merrifield on third.
Merrifield, who had singled and advanced one base on Eric Hosmer's single, scored after play resumed on a ground single to second by Paulo Orlando to make it 6-1.
Victor Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-1 and J.D. Martinez added a sacrifice fly for an 8-1 Tigers lead.
Earlier, Maybin's first-pitch home run, his fourth, scored Ian Kinsler, who had walked with one out in the fourth off Duffy, and gave Detroit a 6-0 lead.
Victor Martinez blasted his 26th home run to lead off the third and one out later Upton hit his 27th, and 14th since Aug. 21. It expanded the Tigers' lead to 4-0.
Detroit scored a pair in the first with just one hit, three walks, a wild pitch plus an error. Kinsler scored on a throwing error by catcher Drew Butera and Upton doubled in the second run.
NOTES: Royals' C Salvador Perez was a pregame scratch from Friday night's starting lineup due to a sore knee. "His knee's a little banged up," manager Ned Yost said. "It's nothing serious. He could definitely play. I just decided to give him a day." ... Tigers' 2B Ian Kinsler returned to the starting lineup after missing his team's three games in Minnesota with concussion symptoms. ... C Jarrod Saltalamacchia started over Detroit C James McCann because of better numbers against Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy (2-for-3 versus 3-for-17), but went 0-for-4 on Friday.