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Tigers bat around twice, score 10 times in first inning

Sep 24, 2006 - 2:22 AM KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Detroit Tigers leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson gave Kenny Rogers all the support he needed.

Granderson highlighted a 10-run first inning with a home run and a triple, allowing Rogers to coast as the Tigers continued their total domination of the lowly Kansas City Royals with a 15-4 victory.

Six players had at least two hits for Detroit (93-62), which remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota for the top spot in the American League Central Division. With their 13th win in 14 games against the Royals this season, the Tigers reduced their magic number to clinching their first postseason berth since 1987 to one.

"We're on the verge, but haven't done it yet," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Hopefully we can get it accomplished tomorrow."

"I think we're pretty good about knowing what the job is ahead of us," Rogers said. "We've still got work to do. We all want to win the division."

The lefthanded-hitting Granderson hit the fourth pitch of the game off Mark Redman (10-10) into the center field seats for his fifth leadoff blast and 17th homer of the season. He added a two-run triple later in the Tigers' biggest frame of the season, an inning that lasted 36 minutes and saw 70 pitches.

"It's one of those freak things," Tigers manager Leyland said. "We don't have many (innings) like that, obviously."

"I remember Marcus (Thames) coming in after his at-bat and saying 'We're going to get this guy today,'" Granderson said. "The first time through a lot of guys hit the ball hard and got the ball in play."

Detroit also batted around in the fourth, with Carlos Guillen capping the five-run frame with a two-run single.

Rogers (17-6) did not seem affected by the long rest. The 41-year-old pitched seven scoreless frames before yielding an eighth-inning homer by John Buck. The lefthander exited after eight frames, allowing a run and five hits en route to improving to 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA over his last 11 outings.

"I'm sure when he saw a 10-spot he felt pretty good," Leyland said about Rogers.

"I told them, 'Just keep scoring, I'll stay loose,'" Rogers said. "It was nice to see our guys have a great offensive day. I was the beneficiary of it."

Redman retired just one batter, getting battered for nine runs and seven hits.

"He didn't find a rhythm and everything they hit found a spot to fall," Royals interim manager Bill Doran said.

"I was way too strong out there," Redman said. "When I am strong, the ball stays flat, then you fall into the category of trying to make the pitch work and make it move."

Buck completed his second career multi-homer game with a blast against Mike Maroth in the ninth.