Hosmer caps Royals' ninth-inning uprising, jolts Tigers
DETROIT -- Eric Hosmer belted a three-run home run to help the Kansas City Royals overcome a two-run deficit with two outs in the ninth and pin a potentially damaging 7-4 loss on the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Paulo Orlando blasted a two-run double in the ninth for Detroit, which entered the day a half-game ahead of Baltimore for the American League's second wild-card spot and a game in back of Toronto. Each were playing later in the day.
Hosmer's 24th home run of the season, which gave him 100 RBI, came on a low 1-1 changeup by Francisco Rodriguez (3-4).
Orlando tied the score at 4-4 with a two-run double to deep center on a 2-2 changeup by the Detroit closer, who blew his fourth save chance out of 48 this season. Alex Gordon and rookie Hunter Dozier each singled earlier.
Wade Davis (2-1) got the win with a scoreless eighth and Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 12th save.
Detroit took a two-run lead in the sixth on J.D. Martinez's second RBI single. Martinez, who was 0-for-12 entering the game, grounded a single to left on a 3-2 pitch to make it 4-2. Two walks off reliever Matt Strahm preceded the hit.
Kendrys Morales hit his 30th home run leading off the sixth, drawing Kansas City up to within 3-2. The last Royal to reach 30 home runs was Jermaine Dye, who hit 33 in 2000.
The Royals' Yordano Ventura (11-12) had to leave the game with lower back tightness after throwing a 1-2 pitch that Justin Upton bounced down the first base line for a double leading off the fifth.
Ventura was touched for 10 hits and three runs in his four-plus innings. He struck out six and walked two, one intentionally.
Lefty Daniel Norris pitched the first 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers and left with a 3-2 lead. He gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two.
The Tigers bumped their lead to 3-1 in the fourth on consecutive singles by Jose Iglesias, Kinsler and Cameron Maybin.
Kinsler started a two-run rally for Detroit in the third with a leadoff topped single that Ventura could not pick up on his way to first. Ventura's wild pickoff throw let Kinsler take third and he scored when Maybin bounced a single up the middle against a drawn-in infield.
Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez followed with singles to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Maybin and Kinsler each had three singles in the game.
Alcides Escobar hit a one-out sacrifice fly in the second inning to get Kansas City off to a 1-0 lead. Morales walked leading off and went to third on a ground single to center by Salvador Perez.
NOTES: SS Jose Iglesias was back at shortstop for Detroit on Saturday after taking a wild throw off his right hand running out a ground ball to short in the sixth inning Friday night. ... C Salvador Perez returned behind the plate after getting a night off to rest a sore knee. Manager Ned Yost had indicated the injury was nothing serious. ... Tigers 3B Nick Castellanos (hand) was scheduled to take part in an Instructional League game Monday but it's looking increasingly unlikely he'll be able to return to the majors as the regular season winds down.