DETROIT — — Zach McKinstry had three hits, including a homer, and scored twice as the Detroit Tigers rallied for a 7-5 win against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
The Tigers have won eight of nine while the Royals lost for just the third time in 11 games.
McKinstry homered in the third inning, tripled in the fifth and singled in the seventh. He flied out in the eighth, finishing a double shy of becoming the first Tigers player to hit for the cycle.
Vinnie Pasquantino homered in the ninth inning, tying the franchise record of five straight games with a home run. Mike Sweeney set the record in 2002 and Salvador Perez matched it in 2021.
The Tigers trailed 3-1 going into the sixth inning, but Riley Greene‘s 30th homer tied it, and Detroit scored four in the seventh.
McKinstry started the seventh with an infield single off the arm of Royals reliever Bailey Falter (7-7). McKinstry took third on Javier Báez’s single and scored when Randal Grichuk‘s throw bounced away from third baseman Maikel Garcia.
Andy Ibáñez made it 5-3 with an RBI single and scored on Gleyber Torres‘ double.
Kyle Finnegan (3-4) picked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
Bobby Witt Jr. put the Royals ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the third inning and Perez added a two-run double later in the inning.
McKinstry hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1.
With two out and a runner on first in the sixth, Royals manager Matt Quartaro brought in Ángel Zerpa. Greene hit a 1-2 slider deep into the right-center field stands for his 30th homer.
After the Tigers tied the score in the sixth, reliever Drew Sommers walked pinch hitters Nick Loftin and Randal Grichuk to start the seventh. A.J. Hinch brought in Finnegan, and he escaped the inning when Witt hit into his second double play of the game and Pasquantino flew out.
Witt grounded into two double plays in the same game for the third time in his career.
Tigers RHP Chris Paddack (4-11, 5.10 ERA) goes against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (8-9, 3.34) on Saturday.
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AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB
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