Royals fall 5-4 in series opener against Detroit

Daniel Lynch cruised through four shutout innings, but gave up four runs in the fifth as the Royals ultimately fell to the Tigers 5-4 in Detroit on Friday night. Lynch struck out four and walked three in five innings of work, and it was his third outing in a row he has gone just five innings or less.

The Royals got on the board first against Tigers starter Drew Hutchinson with a pair of runs in the second inning. With two outs, Michael Massey reached on a bunt single against the shift and Hunter Dozier followed up with a hit of his own. Kyle Isbel laced a single to center that allowed Massey to score, and when centerfielder Riley Greene kicked it, Dozier made it home as well to make it 2-0 Royals.

But it was the fifth inning that doomed the Royals. Willi Castro hit a one-out solo home run to put Detroit on the board. Lynch walked the next two hitters, then balked to advance them one base. A Victor Reyes sacrifice fly tied the game, but it was Javier Baez with the big blow, a two-run home run to make it 4-2 Tigers.

The Royals got a scare in the sixth when Salvador Perez was struck on the hand with a pitch that caused him to exit the game. After the game, manager Mike Matheny said x-rays were negative and Salvy had a right hand contusion and is day-to-day. With pinch-runner Sebastian Rivero at first base, Michael A. Taylor laced a two-run home run, his ninth of the year, to tie the game.

Amir Garrett gave the Royals a clean sheet in the sixth, but Carlos Hernández had trouble in the seventh. Number nine hitter Ryan Kreidler led off with a walk, which have been known to haunt. Victor Reyes singled him to second, and a single by pinch-hitter Harold Castro scored him for what would be the winning run.

Royals hitters managed just seven singles aside from Taylor’s home run, and drew just one walk all night. They fall to 53-80 and will take on the Tigers again tomorrow at 5:10 CT with Jonathan Heasley scheduled to face Michael Pineda.