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Detroit hangs on to defeat Kansas City

Jul 9, 2011 - 5:57 AM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Magglio Ordonez belted a two-run home run and Andy Dirks went 3-for-5 with a run batted in as the Detroit Tigers held on for a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals in the second installment of a four- game series.

Brennan Boesch, Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta also drove in runs for Detroit, which has won three in a row.

Rick Porcello (8-6) allowed three runs -- one earned -- on six hits over 5 1/3 innings to get the win. He also struck out five while walking one.

Melky Cabrera went 3-for-4, scored twice and had an RBI for the Royals, who have dropped three of their last five.

Alex Gordon also had three hits and an RBI in the loss, while Kyle Davies (1-8) was touched for five runs on nine hits over six innings in defeat.

The Tigers wasted no time getting after Davies. Dirks drilled the first pitch of the game for a double. After Boesch grounded out, Ordonez lifted a two-run shot over the fence in left field.

But the homer was negated with two runs on the home team's first turn at the plate. Leadoff man Chris Getz reached first on Brandon Inge's error and raced to third on Cabrera's single before coming home on Gordon's single. Later in the inning, Jeff Francoeur's sacrifice fly plated Cabrera for a 2-2 tie.

Detroit had the bases loaded with no outs in the second, but got one run when Dirks grounded into a force out and pushed across Peralta.

But the Tigers plated a pair of runs in the third after a couple of doubles. Ordonez walked and came home on a double from Victor Martinez, who touched home on Peralta's two-bagger.

Kansas City got a run back during the bottom of the third when Cabrera singled, moved to second on Gordon's base hit and came home on Billy Butler's grounder through the left side.

It was cut to a 5-4 game in the seventh when Cabrera doubled in Wilson Betemit.

Boesch, who returned to the lineup after fouling a ball off his right knee on Tuesday, grounded into a force out to score Ryan Raburn for an insurance run in the ninth.

Jose Valverde entered the bottom half to make the game interesting.

"He'll make it interesting sometimes, but he gets the job done," Porcello said of his teammate. "There's nobody else I'd rather have out there. He's doing a great job."

He surrendered a leadoff single to Brayan Pena, before getting Alcides Escobar to ground out and fanning Betemit. The closer then walked Cabrera and Gordon to load the bases and put the winning run on first.

However, Valverde induced Butler's flair out to right to end the game and record his 23rd save of the season.

"Closers have their antics and what they go by ... We got into a good position and just couldn't get it done," Butler said.

Game Notes

During the game, Peralta was named to the American League All-Star team, replacing the Yankees' Derek Jeter...Porcello improved to 5-2 on the road this season...Detroit is 5-2 against the Royals this season and has won 10 of the last 15 matchups between the two clubs.