Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a tie-breaking two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 win against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
After reliever Tyler Holton (5-4) walked pinch-hitter Tyler Tolbert, Witt mashed a fastball over the wall to straight-away center to put Kansas City ahead 3-1.
Kansas City starting pitcher Stephen Kolek, called up from Triple-A Omaha on Friday, gave up one run on four hits with three strikeouts in six innings in his first appearance for the Royals. The 28-year-old right-hander was acquired from San Diego before the trade deadline on July 31.
Reliever Lucas Erceg (6-3) got Detroit out in order in the eighth to earn the win for Kansas City, which has won four of its past six games.
Starter Jack Flaherty allowed one run on four hits and struck out four in 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers, who have lost five of six.
Detroit threatened in the top of the seventh. Wenceel Perez singled and went to third when Dillon Dingler followed with a fly-ball single to center. Dingler advanced to second on the throw to third.
But that’s as far as they would go. After Trey Sweeney flied out, Schreiber gave way to Angel Zerpa, who got Zach McKinstry to ground out to end the frame.
The Tigers opened the scoring in the top of the third. Sweeney knocked a single to left field, moved to second when Andy Ibanez reached on a fielder’s choice, and advanced to third when Colt Keith flied out. Gleyber Torres then put a ground-ball single to left past a diving Witt that brought in Sweeney for a 1-0 lead.
Maikel Garcia tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, crushing a solo shot 428 feet into the seats above the Tigers’ bullpen in left field.
Witt connected for a single in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest active streak in the majors.
