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Scherzer helps Tigers secure sweep of Royals

Jul 8, 2012 - 10:59 PM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Max Scherzer tossed seven outstanding innings on Sunday and the Detroit Tigers wrapped up the first half of the 2012 season with a 7-1 win over the Kansas City Royals to finish off a three-game sweep at Comerica Park.

Scherzer (8-5) allowed one run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts to notch the win. Phil Coke tossed a flawless eighth and Octavio Dotel closed it out in the ninth.

"I was throwing all my pitches today, did a lot of things well, and obviously our offense came to play," Scherzer said. "It was good team baseball. We're pitching well and we're hitting well."

Prince Fielder smoked a three-run home run, Jhonny Peralta went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored and Delmon Young added a solo shot for the Tigers, who have won five straight games.

Salvador Perez accounted for the lone run with a home run for the Royals, who have dropped eight of their last 10 contests.

Everett Teaford (1-2) was tagged for the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 frames.

Detroit struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning. With two down in the frame, Brennan Boesch laced a single into right and Peralta followed by launching a ball deep to left that just snuck past the right side of the foul pole to make it 2-0 Tigers.

Kansas City pulled within one when Perez led off the third by crushing a fastball over the wall in right for his fourth long ball of the season.

The Tigers extended their lead to 3-1 in the fourth when Young waited back on a changeup from Teaford and laced it over the wall in center field and they used the long ball again in the fifth to widen the lead even further.

Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry began the frame with back-to-back singles. After Miguel Cabrera fanned, Tim Collins entered the game for the Royals and was greeted rudely as Fielder got a hold of a middle-in heater and crushed it way back into the seats in right to make it 6-1.

Young began the Detroit eighth with a base hit up the middle and Boesch followed with a single before Peralta drove home Young with a two-bagger down the left field line to widen the lead to 7-1.

"We came into the road trip in great shape, four games under .500," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I don't know where we're at now, but it's definitely not where we want to be."

Game Notes

Jackson extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games...Detroit has won 17 of its last 23 games against the Royals and is 69-47 against KC since Jim Leyland took over as manager in 2006...Cabrera (1-for-4) is a career .333 hitter against the Royals...Detroit will be represented at the All-Star Game in Kansas City by Fielder, Cabrera and pitcher Justin Verlander...Designated hitter Billy Butler will represent the Royals at the All-Star festivities.