DETROIT (AP) — Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s drive to right field sailed toward the wall, and the Detroit catcher immediately raised his right arm in celebration.
Saltalamacchia hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Tigers a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Those were the only two RBIs of the day for Detroit, which scored its first two runs of the game on a balk and a wild pitch.
“It felt really good, because I was starting to get a little gassed,” Saltalamacchia said. “It’s been seven or eight days since I’ve played, so I was ready to get out of there.”
After Tyler Collins hit a leadoff single, Saltalamacchia won it with a homer off Joakim Soria (3-4) that easily cleared the wall in right. Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) pitched a perfect top of the ninth for the win.
Detroit hasn’t gotten much offense from its catchers lately. Saltalamacchia is batting .206 even after his big hit Sunday, and James McCann is even lower at .199. Saltalamacchia does have nine homers, though, and his power handed the Royals a tough loss the day before the start of their big series with AL Central-leading Cleveland.
“That was an inside fastball, right where I wanted it, but he’s a professional baseball player, too, and he hit it hard,” Soria said. “You don’t want to lose, but I made the pitch I wanted and he hit it. Nothing you can do about that.”
Detroit rookie Michael Fulmer allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings. Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings.
The Royals led 2-0 when Detroit began chipping away in the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Ventura struck out Miguel Cabrera, but with Victor Martinez up, the Kansas City right-hander was called for a balk, allowing a run to score.
Ventura struck out Martinez to end the inning, but with two outs in the sixth, he gave up a drive to the gap in right-center by Nick Castellanos that became a triple when the Royals had issues getting the ball back in. Castellanos came home on a wild pitch.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the second on an RBI double by Cheslor Cuthbert, and Eric Hosmer added a run-scoring single in the third.
STREAK SNAPPED
Fulmer allowed more than one earned run for the first time in 10 starts, but he was able to pitch deep into the game after the Tigers used several relievers the previous night. Mike Pelfrey, their starter Saturday, didn’t make it out of the second inning.
“The bullpen was taxed yesterday,” Fulmer said. “My goal was seven innings, and to run back out for the eighth was pretty cool.”
SHAKEN UP
Plate umpire D.J. Reyburn was hit around the neck when a third strike eluded Saltalamacchia in the eighth. The Tigers caught a break when the ball didn’t go to the backstop — after it hit Reyburn, Saltalamacchia was able to pick it up and throw to first to retire Hosmer.
Reyburn stayed in the game after a brief delay.
“I feel terrible. His kids were in the stands watching,” Saltalamacchia said. “Yanked changeup. I probably should have done a better job getting to it, but thankfully he’s OK.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: RHP Warwick Saupold (right groin strain) made a rehab start Saturday night for Class A Lakeland. He allowed four unearned runs and three hits with three walks in 2 2/3 innings.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (8-8) starts against Cleveland’s Corey Kluber (9-8) on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Indians.
Tigers: Detroit starts a three-game set against Minnesota with LHP Matt Boyd (0-2) on the mound against Ricky Nolasco (4-7).
