Tarik Skubal, Tigers cruise to series win over Royals

Tarik Skubal pitched seven strong innings, Wenceel Perez blasted his first career home run and the host Detroit Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Skubal (4-0) limited the Royals to one run, four hits and one walk while striking out six. Shelby Miller tossed a scoreless inning before Jason Foley escaped a jam for his ninth save.

Perez was playing in his 13th game after being called up from Triple-A Toledo.

Jake Rogers had two hits, including a solo homer, and scored two runs for the Tigers. Detroit won two of three games during the weekend series.

Royals starters Michael Wacha (1-3) gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the only run for the Royals.

Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the first. Leadoff man Maikel Garcia hit a bouncer that got by third baseman Matt Vierling. Garcia was credited with a double. Witt then singled to center to bring home Garcia.

Detroit gained a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the inning. Mark Canha smacked a one-out double to right before Perez hit a 1-0 Wacha changeup over the right field wall.

The Tigers tacked on a run in the second. Rogers hit a one-out single and moved to third on Parker Meadows' double, then scored on Riley Greene's sacrifice fly.

Skubal didn't give up another hit until Garrett Hampson's two-out single in the fifth.

Detroit extended its lead to 4-1 in the sixth. Zach McKinstry had a one-out single before Rogers' two-out homer, his second of the season. He smashed a 1-2 sinker from Wacha over the right-center field wall.

The Royals had two baserunners with two outs in the seventh, but Skubal retired Hampson on a fly ball.

In the ninth, Foley issued a walk to Salvador Perez before Michael Massey singled. Following a groundout that moved Perez to third, Foley struck out MJ Melendez and Dairon Blanco to end the game.