Johnny Cueto is now 2-4 with the Royals (photo/MLB)

Johnny Cueto is now 2-4 with the Royals (photo/MLB)

Ian Kinsler homered and drove in three runs as the last place Detroit Tigers held off the Royals 6-5 Tuesday night.  The Royals were catching the Tigers at the right time.  They had  nine of ten to drop into last place in the AL Central, but snapped a four-game losing streak behind another quality start from Justin Verlander.

Verlander has dominated the Royals in the past.  It wasn’t a shutdown performance, but it was enough as he limited the Royals to seven hits and four runs, two unearned, over 6.2 innings. Verlander has a 0.76 ERA in his past five starts and the Tigers’ only two wins since Aug. 19.

It was another sub-par performance for Johnny Cueto, who beat Detroit in early August.  He allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings. Cueto has given up 38 hits in his past four starts, the most hits he has allowed in his career over a four-start span. He has allowed 17 runs in 17 innings in losing his last three starts to fall to 2-4 with the Royals.

Kendrys Morales homered in the fourth off Verlander. Alex Gordon, who missed 48 games with a groin injury, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second.Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar had RBI in the seventh. The Royals cut the lead to one run in the eighth on a Salvador Perez single.