The Detroit Tigers knocked off the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday, keeping pace in the MLB playoff race. The win temporarily moves Detroit within a half-game of the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. Chicago's game is in-progress, meaning Detroit could end the night tied for the AL Central lead or one game back.
Justin Verlander picked up the win for the Tigers, striking out eight batters over eight innings while allowing two runs. Monday's win was Verlander's third in his last three starts and fourth in his last five starts. He was spotted an early 2-0 lead when Prince Fielder hit his 28th home run of the game in the second inning and Alex Avila followed with an RBI double later in the inning.
The Royals got one run back in the fourth inning, but Detroit scored two in the fifth and one more in the sixth inning to extend its lead. Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish game. Luke Hochevar took the loss for Kansas City, allowing six runs over 7 ⅓ innings.
The four-game series will continue Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
For more on the Tigers, be sure to visit Bless You Boys. Additional coverage on the Royals can be found at Royals Review, while Baseball Nation is the place to go for news and analysis from around the league.