Jordy Mercer's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth gave the Tigers a 10-8 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday, a game which saw eight total home runs.

Mercer's home run just cleared the glove of Royals right fielder Bubba Starling.

Joe Jimenez (3-6) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win for Detroit.

Richard Lovelady (0-2) gave up a leadoff walk to Travis Demeritte, then Mercer's home run after Jake Rogers sacrificed Demeritte to second. Royals pitchers walked a total of nine batters.

Both starters were gone before the third inning was completed.

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead with one out in the first when Hunter Dozier hit a two-run home run to right field.

But the Tigers gently chased Kansas City starter Jorge Lopez with five runs (four earned) in the second inning. After throwing a 1-2-3 first inning, Lopez allowed the five runs - but on just two hits. An error, three walks and a hit batter accounted for a majority of the baserunners. Harold Castro's three-run home run gave the Tigers the lead, then three walks and a hit batter in the span of five batters spelled the end for Lopez.

Detroit's Matthew Boyd quickly let the lead disappear. He gave up a leadoff home run to Dozier in the third. Cheslor Cuthbert then tied the score with a two-run home run two batters later. After Nick Dini, who became the 900th different Royals player to appear in a game, walked with two outs, Boyd's night was done.

Detroit retook the lead in the bottom of the third. After Kansas City's third pitcher, Kyle Zimmer, walked the bases loaded with no outs, the Tigers got just one run, on an RBI fielder's choice by Victor Reyes.

Miguel Cabrera's eighth home run in the fourth put the Tigers up 7-5. It was Cabrera's 473rd home run of his career, tied for 33rd all-time with Carlos Delgado. It was also his 2,781st base hit, tying him with Ken Griffey Jr.

Alex Gordon snapped a 2-for-35 skid with a 454-foot, three-run home run in the top of the sixth to give Kansas City the lead.

Demeritte then tied the game with his first career home run in the bottom of the seventh.

--Field Level Media