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Tigers ride late rally to win over Royals

May 6, 2007 - 6:33 AM KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- The Detroit Tigers were not going to let their winning streak end just quite yet.

Magglio Ordonez homered and Craig Monroe drove in the go-ahead run as the Tigers downed the Kansas City Royals, 7-5, on Saturday to win the middle game of a three-game weekend series.

It was the sixth straight win for the defending American League champion Tigers, who rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to take the lead.

"Nine hard innings," Tigers closer Todd Jones said. "That's our motto. We've stolen a few wins by doing that and tonight was an example of that, of not giving away at-bats and grinding, grinding, grinding. In the bullpen, we've got to be ready and aware because these guys can come back at any time."

Brandon Duckworth (0-2) opened the door for the Tigers, yielding a walk, a wild pitch and a single to place runners on the corners. With the Tigers down, 5-4, Ordonez keyed the rally when he doubled off righthander Joakim Soria to deep left, plating Placido Polanco with the tying run.

"The walk to (Marcus) Thames was the biggest at-bat of the inning," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "If we get Thames, then we're in a two-out situation. We still have to deal with Ordonez and Guillen but that's a lot easier to do with two outs."

"We swung the bats better tonight than we have all season," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "As a group, we hit the ball hard all night. We had some bad luck early, but we hung in there and continued to take good at-bats and it paid off."

Two batters later, Monroe hit a two-run single to center to give the Tigers a 7-5 advantage.

"This was definitely a game we should have won," Royals first baseman Mike Sweeney said. "We let the Tigers back in it and they capitalized."

"Right now, our offense is going right," Polanco said. "You have to give credit to the guys hitting behind you. When you have a good lineup they don't know who to pitch to, and they've got to pitch to somebody."

Trailing, 4-2, in the sixth, Detroit began their first comeback to tie the game at 4-4. Ordonez's 425-foot solo blast to left followed an RBI double from Marcus Thames, who was thrown out trying to advance to third.

"Magglio is going through a stretch that is as good as I've seen," Leyland said.

"Polanco has been consistent and so has Ordonez," Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon said. "They kind of carried us until we got our bats going. Tonight, we had 16 hard outs. It's been our approach to knowing what the pitcher is going to try to do pitching to you. Guys are going deeper into counts and we have had a focus on our two-strike approach and hitting with runners in scoring position."

Jose Mesa (1-1), who retired the lone batter he faced to end the seventh, recorded the win. Jones pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances for the Tigers, who extended their longest winning streak of the season.

Royals starter Odalis Perez had a no-hitter into the fourth inning before allowing a two-out single to Carlos Guillen. Perez pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and four runs.

"Perez had good command early," Bell said. "His velocity was up and he had life on his fastball but he couldn't get the ball down consistently and that's something he has to do."

Sweeney, Esteban German and Jason LaRue all hit home runs for Kansas City, which hit the fewest homers in the majors last season and the second-fewest in 2005.

Detroit reliever Joel Zumaya left while warming up in the bullpen late in the game, holding his right hand to his side. Zumaya was sent to a Kansas City area hospital for further examination.

"Our expectations are to have a pitcher here tomorrow if we have to bring somebody up," Leyland said. "I'm assuming he (Zumaya) is going to be out for a while, but I just don't know right now."