KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Detroit Tigers awarded Jordan Zimmermann megabucks to anchor their rotation, and he has richly rewarded them.

Zimmermann kept putting up zeros, and Victor Martinez collected his 1,000th career RBI as the Tigers staved off the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Wednesday night.

Zimmermann, whom the Tigers signed to a five-year, $110 million free-agent contract on Nov. 30, pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to extend his shutout streak to 19 1/3 innings while winning his first three Detroit starts. That's the longest scoreless-inning streak by a Tigers starter to begin the season since at least 1913, bettering Hal White's 19 innings to start the 1942 season.

Zimmermann allowed seven hits, six of them singles, walked one and struck out eight.

"Just keep pounding the zone," Zimmermann said. "I had good fastball command for the first time all year. I got two strikes on a lot of guys and was able to put them away."

He was removed in the seventh after a Salvador Perez double and an Omar Infante infield hit. Mark Lowe replaced Zimmermann and retired Jarrod Dyson and Alcides Escobar on ground balls to end the threat.

"He keeps the ball down," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Zimmermann. "He pitches up when he wants to. When he pitches up, it's not a mistake. Coming in I figured it was going to be a pitcher's duel and it ended up being one."

Martinez's two-out, sixth-inning single scored Ian Kinsler, who was hit by a pitch. Martinez became the fifth Venezuelan-born player with 1,000 RBIs in the majors.

"The most important part of tonight is we were able to win," Martinez said.

Royals starter Ian Kennedy (2-1) pitched well, but he could not match Zimmermann. Kennedy surrendered two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out seven, throwing 61 strikes in 97 pitches.

"I meant to bounce it," Kennedy said of the breaking ball Martinez hit in the sixth. "It was just a bad pitch. I threw him one before that and I wanted to make sure it was a little bit better and it wasn't. That's why I was a little upset with myself. It was 2-2. He's a good hitter. He hits those mistake breaking balls, especially with two strikes. I feel like he gets even better. That's why I was upset with myself."

Kennedy exited with the bases loaded in the seventh, but Luke Hochevar bailed him out. Hochevar struck out Kinsler and got Justin Upton to fly out to right to strand the runners.

Kinsler's run-producing single in the ninth made it 3-0 and gave him his major-league-leading eighth multi-hit game of the season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who led off the inning with a double off Chien-Ming Wang, scored on Kinsler's hit.

Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth to log his 390th save, tying Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for sixth on the all-time saves list, but not before giving up back-to-back home runs to Alex Gordon and Perez.

Rodriguez walked Dyson and Escobar with two outs before striking out Mike Moustakas to end the game.

"Even though I still got the job done, it's quite embarrassing, simple as that," said Rodriguez, who labored with 29 pitches, only 13 strikes. "It's just giving way too much credit to hitters. Walking the tying and go-ahead runs is something you as closer cannot let happen. I have to pitch a lot better now, just get first-pitch strikes and put hitters away, stop messing around."

Kennedy walked Saltalamacchia to lead off the third. With one out, Jose Iglesias singled to right, advancing Saltalamacchia to third. Iglesias, however, was thrown out by right fielder Dyson while attempting to stretch his hit to a double. Kinsler's two-out double to center scored Saltalamacchia, his sixth hit in nine at-bats against Kennedy.

It could have been a bigger inning, but shortstop Escobar made an amazing running, over-the-shoulder, leaping catch of Justin Upton's fly to shallow left to rob him of an RBI hit.

NOTES: The Tigers recalled OF Cameron Maybin from his rehab assignment, but it's a procede move as he remains on the disabled list. Maybin, who is sidelined with a left wrist fracture, was hit by a pitch Sunday. He likely will restart his rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Toledo when the wrist should not be so sore. ... The Royals sent Triple-A 1B Cody Decker to the Rockies for cash considerations. He was impressive in spring training, slugging .523 with three home runs and three doubles. ... RHP Logan Kensing, designated for assignment by the Tigers on Tuesday, cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Toledo. ... Tigers RHP Mike Pelfrey and Royals RHP Edinson Volquez are the probables for the Thursday series finale.