Royals 2 - 4 Tigers
Final
  for this game

Royals, Tigers jockey for position in Detroit

Sep 9, 2014 - 2:54 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - While the Detroit Tigers have had a ton of success against the rival Kansas City Royals this season, starter Max Scherzer was hit hard the last time he faced the club.

Scherzer looks to put that outing behind him on Tuesday night and pitch the Tigers into a first-place tie with the Royals in the second contest of a big three-game set at Comerica Park.

Scherzer makes a third attempt at his 16th victory of the season tonight, but does so against a Royals club that touched him for 10 runs over four innings of a loss at home on June 17. He gave up seven of those runs in the second inning, including two-run homers to Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas.

That was a big difference from his first start of the year against the Royals, an April 2 outing in Detroit in which Scherzer hurled eight scoreless innings of four-hit ball, and he is 9-5 in his career versus the Royals with a 3.88 earned run average.

Scherzer has lost only two times since that setback to the Royals, including on Aug. 30 versus the Chicago White Sox, who got to the right-hander for five earned runs and two homers over 6 2/3 innings despite Scherzer striking out 11.

He then faced Cleveland on Thursday and did not factor into an 11-4 win. Scherzer was charged with three runs -- two earned -- on four hits and three walks over six innings, striking out six. However, the Indians battled back in the game and tied it up before the Tigers plated seven runs in the 11th.

"He pitched well," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of Scherzer, who is 15-5 with a 3.25 ERA this year. "I think the defense in the outfield failed him. We could have gotten a little more help out of the defense."

The Tigers got plenty of help from their offense to win Monday's opener 9-5, plating six runs in the third inning to pull out in front. Nick Castellanos had a two-run double in the frame and both Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez had three hits.

The win moved the Tigers to within a game of the Royals for first place in the American League Central.

"This is the biggest series of the year coming in and it's nice to get off to a good start," said winning starter Justin Verlander, who allowed four runs over seven innings.

Jeremy Guthrie surrendered eight runs -- six earned -- on 10 hits and a walk over 2 2/3 frames for the Royals, who had won five of their last six games coming in and lost for the 10th time in 14 meetings with the Tigers this season.

Lorenzo Cain hit an inside-the-park homer in defeat.

"Big deficit to come back from. We tried to chip away, just didn't battle back enough," Kansas City's Eric Hosmer said.

Jason Vargas takes the hill for the Royals on Tuesday coming off an excellent outing last time out that snapped a personal two-start slide.

Vargas had been tagged for six earned runs, 21 hits and four walks in back-to- back losses before beating Texas 4-1 on Wednesday. The left-hander hurled 6 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering six hits and not walking a batter while striking out five.

"He was sharp tonight, had his good command," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "Just pitched a great game."

Vargas improved to 11-7 on the year with a 3.14 ERA and is 3-2 against the Tigers over is career with a 4.66 ERA in eight starts.






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