Pair of timely homers help Tigers top Royals, win 5th straight

Spencer Torkelson and pinch hitter Andy Ibanez hit solo homers and the host Detroit Tigers extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Jake Rogers had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers, while starter Chris Paddack (5-11) gave up one run on five hits in five innings. Will Vest got the last four outs for his 19th save.
Bobby Witt Jr. led the Royals offense with three hits, including a solo homer. Vinnie Pasquantino’s franchise-tying record of homering in five straight games was snapped, but he did have an RBI double.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (8-10) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Javier Baez smacked a one-out single in the third and Rogers followed with a double that landed just inside the left field line. Baez scored but Rogers got caught in a rundown and was tagged out.
Kansas City tied it in the fourth. Witt led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Pasquantino’s double down the right field line.
Torkelson put Detroit back on top in the bottom of the inning with his 27th homer, blasting a Wacha cutter over the left-center field wall.
The Tigers made it 3-1 in the fifth. Zach McKinstry reached on a single and was on the move with two outs and a full count to Rogers. The Tigers catcher ripped a base hit into left center and McKinstry came all the way around to score.
Troy Melton replaced Paddack and Witt jumped on his first pitch and drove it over the left field wall to cut Detroit’s lead to one.
Detroit had two baserunners with two outs in the sixth. Dillon Dingler had a 15-pitch at-bat against Wacha before being called out on strikes.
After Kansas City put two runners on with one out in the seventh, Tyler Holton replaced Melton and induced Nick Loftin to bounce into a double play.
Ibanez gave Detroit some breathing room when he led off the eighth with his homer against Sam Long over the left-center field wall.