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Meche, Royals complete sweep of slumping Tigers

May 15, 2008 - 11:20 PM By Marc Bowman PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Gil Meche won his first home game of the season as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-4, Thursday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep.

Meche (3-5) had struggled through his first four outings at Kauffman Stadium, going 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA and had won just one of his previous four starts overall.

But the 29-year-old righthander pitched seven effective innings, allowing three runs and six hits, walking two and striking out six.

"Run support changes everything," Meche said. "It was a good day to go with my fastball.

"If we're in a tighter game, my mindset might have been different even though it should have been the same. I know if I give up a run, I still have a five- or six-run lead."

Royals manager Trey Hillman was also pleased with Meche's start.

"It's just a matter of him getting in a groove where he can not only locate his pitches, but let all of his pitches go," Hillman said. "I think he's searching a little bit. But at the end of the day, a guy that is searching a bit that only gives up three runs and six hits to that lineup - that's a pretty good day."

The Royals now have a season-best four-game winning streak after their second sweep of the year - both of which came against the Tigers.

Detroit has scored just 11 runs in its six losses against Kansas City.

"I think the confidence level has a lot to do with (the sweeps)," Hillman said. "It has a lot to do with the fact that we went into their place to open the season and nobody expected us to do much of anything, except maybe score one out of maybe the three wins, but we swept that series.

"I don't deny I think there is some confidence that rubs off that to this series."

Billy Butler gave Meche an early cushion with a two-run double in the first. Butler later scored on the first of two doubles by Miguel Olivo to build a 3-0 first-inning advantage.

After the Tigers got their first run on Matt Joyce's second-inning sacrifice fly, the Royals added two more in the second on Joey Gathright's single and Jose Guillen's bases-loaded walk.

Guillen's fourth home run of the year and Mark Teahen's RBI single pushed Kansas City's lead to 7-1 in the fourth inning, driving Detroit starter Kenny Rogers from the game.

"I don't want to get out of the lineup the way I've been swinging the bat," Guillen said. "But I've got to do whatever is best for me and this team, too. I don't like sitting on the bench, but unfortunately this type of injury happened and I just have to deal with it."

Rogers (3-4) pitched four innings, allowing seven runs and 11 hits, walking three and striking out one. Each Royals starter had at least one hit off the 43-year-old lefthander, snapping his personal three-game winning streak.

"He wasn't at his best, and they hit a few balls on the line," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "But they nickle-and-dimed him at the same time. There were some weird plays."

The Tigers closed the gap to 7-4 with Joyce's third homer to lead off the seventh and Magglio Ordonez's RBI double in the eighth, but Guillen added one more for the Royals in the eighth with an RBI single to cap the scoring.

Detroit has lost four straight, its third streak of at least four losses this year, and 10 of its last 12 contests overall.

"I'm very, very disappointed in our results so far," Leyland said. "Not in our efforts, because I think some guys might be trying too hard, but I'm very disappointed in our offense. I thought the offense was supposed to be very, very good.

"You have to credit the opposition when they pitch well, but you can't keep crediting the opposition night after night after night."