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Royals score four in seventh, earn split with Tigers

Sep 1, 2011 - 10:43 PM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run homer and doubled in a run during the seventh inning, helping the Royals come back to beat the Tigers, 11-8, in the finale of a four-game series.

Eric Hosmer also homered and Johnny Giavotella went 3-for-5 with two RBI for Kansas City, which managed a split of the set. The Royals trailed by two entering the seventh, but scored four runs in the inning to take the lead for good.

Reliever Phil Coke (2-9) was responsible for three of those runs and took the loss.

Magglio Ordonez and Austin Jackson hit two-run homers for the AL Central- leading Tigers, who now embark on a critical stretch against division rivals. They start a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday before heading to Cleveland for three games. Both the White Sox and Indians are 5 1/2 games back.

The homers by Ordonez and Jackson helped Detroit establish an 8-6 lead by the end of the sixth.

But the Royals came back in the next inning, starting the rally with Melky Cabrera's leadoff double against Ryan Perry. Coke replaced Perry with one out, but didn't retire any of the three batters he faced.

Hosmer walked to set up Francoeur's run-scoring double and Mike Moustakas' RBI single.

"I'm not happy with the outcome," Coke said. "Nobody's going to be more irritated about the outcome than I am."

After Luis Marte came in to pitch, Giavotella lined a tie-breaking, two-run single to left for a 10-8 edge. Hosmer's blast against David Pauley in the eighth pushed Kansas City's lead to three, and the Royals' bullpen held the lead.

Greg Holland worked a perfect bottom half before Joakim Soria pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 25th save.

Francoeur's homer off Detroit's Jacob Turner, who was making his second major league start, put the Royals on top in the second inning. It was also the 1,000th hit of Francoeur's career.

"I just got a text message from my mom," Francoeur said after the game. "She was laughing because my first hit in the big leagues was a home run, and now my 1,000th hit. So that was kind of neat. I'm definitely happy. Of course, it's a lot more enjoyable when you win a game like this."

But the teams swapped the lead several times in the following innings.

Detroit moved in front, 3-2, in the third thanks to RBI doubles from Ordonez and Delmon Young, and a run-scoring hit by Miguel Cabrera.

The Royals grabbed the lead again in the fifth, when Alcides Escobar and Cabrera hit RBI singles. Cabrera's chased Turner for Perry, who immediately gave up a two-run double to Billy Butler, making it a 6-3 game.

But the Tigers erased that deficit. Ordonez homered in the fifth off Royals starter Danny Duffy, and in the sixth, Alex Avila scored on an error to tie the game. Jackson ripped a go-ahead two run shot off Aaron Crow (4-4) later in the inning to put Detroit in front.

Game Notes

Turner allowed six runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings Thursday. He allowed two runs in 5 1/3 frames in his first start, July 30 against the Angels...Duffy gave up five runs on six hits and three walks in five innings...Hosmer hit two homers in Wednesday's contest...Detroit recalled second baseman Carlos Guillen from his injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Toledo and reinstated him from the 15-day disabled list Thursday. He had been sidelined since August 13 with a sore left wrist. The Tigers also recalled Turner, second baseman Will Rhymes and outfielder Andy Dirks from Toledo, and purchased Marte's contract from Double-A Erie.