Former Tigers pitcher Kyle Gibson was drafted by the Minnesota Twins as their top pick in 2009. Gibson made his debut against the Royals on Saturday night and went six innings for his first major league win, a 6-2 final.
Gibson (1-0) allowed two runs and eight hits, and he struck out five. He allowed two runs in the third inning on RBI singles by Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez, and he hit Escobar in the fifth. But he worked out of several jams and recorded his first 1-2-3 inning in the sixth and final innings.
The Twins did all of their damage early against Royals starter Wade Davis, scoring five in the first. He was pulled after giving up another run in the second. Minnesota scored five in the first inning.
The Royals have lost seven of 10.