The Royals dropped to 0-2 on the season after getting blasted 14-3 by the Tigers at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday afternoon. Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez pounded the Kansas City pitching staff by going 5-for-5 with a homer and five RBI’s.
Rodriguez got the Tigers on the board in the top of the first inning with an RBI double to score center fielder Curtis Granderson. That started a three-run rally. Rodriguez ended a three-run rally in the fifth inning with a two-run homer off Royals starter Joe Mays to make it 6-0, Detroit.
After the home run, Mays (0-1) was pulled for reliever Luke Hudson, who faced five batters and didn’t give up a hit.
Rodriguez ended his assault on the Royals with a two-run double in the seventh inning, which gave Detroit a 9-0 lead. They held a 10-0 advantage by the time the inning was over.
Emil Brown’s two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh and Shane Costa’s solo blast in the bottom of the ninth gave the Royals their only runs of the game.
In two losses, the Royals have recorded just 10 hits.