The Royals mounted a comeback attempt, but it was too little, too late against the Detroit Tigers Friday night. Tigers’ starter Justin Verlander shutdown the Kansas City bats, allowing just two runs on seven hits in Detroit’s 6-3 win at the K.
Unlike his counterpart, Royals’ pitcher Brian Bannister struggled out of the gate, giving up two runs in the top of the first on Carlos Guillen’s two-run double. Bannister left the hill in the top of the fifth with his team trailing 3-0, but Kansas City relievers failed to give their teammate any help, letting three more runs cross the plate and watching the Tigers’ lead grow to 6-0.
Verlander was unstoppable through seven, but he allowed the first two runners to reach in the bottom of the eighth. Detroit skipper Jim Leyland had seen enough and promptly made the move to his ‘pen, at which point the next two Tiger pitchers allowed three runs to score. But Fernando Rodney retired rookie Alex Gordon to end the threat, and the Royals were finished for the evening.
AUDIO: Justin Verlander — Sean Casey — Billy Butler — Tony Pena Jr. (MP3 1:08)
