With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Royals were poised to get out of a first and third, one out jam. Instead, a hustling play by Detroit’s Andy Dirks pushed across the eventual winning run in the Royals 5-4 loss to the Tigers. Dirks’ hard slide broke up a potential inning-ending double play in the eighth, which helped push Detroit to the top of the AL Central standings.
“Peralta was slow getting out of the box, so that’s an easy double play,” Moustakas said. “I’m always going to go to second on that play, but Dirks did a heck of a job to break it up.”
Delmon Young hit an infield single with one out in the eighth off Kelvin Herrera (4-3) and was replaced by Kelly, who stole second base and took third on Dirks’ single.
Miguel Cabrera started the day with the AL lead in batting average and RBIs and was one homer behind Texas’ Josh Hamilton for MLB’s Triple Crown, something baseball hasn’t seen since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera would have tied Hamilton for homers, but Alex Gordon grabbed what would have been Cabrera’s 43rd homer.
“It was hit so high that I had plenty of time to find the fence and get ready,” Gordon said. “I thought I might have to climb the wall or at least jump, but at the end, I just had to put my glove up.”