Tigers 3 - 4 Royals
Final
  for this game

Giavotella helps Royals avoid sweep

Aug 7, 2011 - 10:55 PM

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Johnny Giavotella hit his first major league homer and scored twice, and the Kansas City Royals survived a weather delay and a Tigers rally for a 4-3 win Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Giavotella also doubled in his third game since being called up, while Mitch Maier added an RBI triple for the Royals.

Kansas City starter Bruce Chen (6-5) was pulled after a 46-minute rain delay in the sixth inning but earned his first win in five starts. He was charged with three runs on five hits in five-plus innings, striking out five and walking none.

Max Scherzer (11-7) also came out after the delay and took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in five innings.

The Royals avoided the sweep with a 4-3 win after losing the previous two games by the same score.

The Tigers were rallying when the game was stopped with no outs in the top of the sixth inning because of a strong storm.

Alex Avila singled and Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson hit back-to-back doubles in a strong wind that blew dust and trash all over the field, pulling the Tigers within 4-2.

"It was windy for sure," said Chen. "It was a little tough, but I'm very glad that we were able to win the game and pitch through it."

After the 46-minute delay, Louis Coleman replaced Chen and got two outs before Miguel Cabrera doubled home Jackson to get Detroit within 4-3.

But Coleman, Greg Holland and Joakim Soria combined for four shutout innings to preserve the win for Chen. Soria worked around a Jhonny Peralta single in the ninth for his 21st save.

Earlier, both teams stranded runners at second base in the second inning. Carlos Guillen singled for Detroit in the top of the inning and then stole second, while Jeff Francoeur doubled for the Royals.

Cabrera tried to stretch a single into a double in the fourth for the Tigers, but was gunned at second on a sharp relay.

Royals left fielder Alex Gordon set a single-season franchise record with his 18th outfield assist on the play after chasing the ball down at the warning track. Gordon, who led the majors by six entering the game, passed Jermaine Dye (1999) and Mark Teahen (2007) for the KC record.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in bottom of the fourth, sparked by Giavotella's leadoff double. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Billy Butler's ground out. Eric Hosmer singled and scored when Maier tripled off Jackson's glove in deep centerfield, and Maier came home on Brayan Pena's single.

Giavotella, who was called up Friday and went 2-for-3 in his major league debut that night, homered into the Royals bullpen in left field in the fifth to make it 4-0.

"It was just one of those outings that kind of got away from me," Scherzer said. "I fell behind on a few counts where I made a mistake and they made me pay for it. There were other times where I located the ball and they were able hit the balls."

Game Notes

Gordon and Royals manager Ned Yost were both ejected by home plate umpire Rob Drake in the eighth inning for arguing a called third strike. Gordon tossed his bat, then threw his helmet down after being rung up on the low pitch...The Tigers are still 8-4 versus the Royals this season...Scherzer is winless (0-2) in his last three starts.






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