{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Major League Baseball
Kansas City 16, Detroit 5
When: 8:15 PM ET, Saturday, June 18, 2016
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Temperature: 86°
Umpires: Home - Ted Barrett, 1B - Gabe Morales, 2B - Angel Hernandez, 3B - Will Little
Attendance: 38480

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kendrys Morales and Whit Merrifield combined to drive in nine runs as the Kansas City Royals toppled the Detroit Tigers 16-5 on Saturday night.

Merrifield had three hits and drove in four runs.

Morales had four hits and drove in five runs. Morales' two-run double in the seventh scored Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez, who was walked intentionally.

Tigers utility player Andrew Romine pitched in the eighth when the Royals scored five runs, getting the final two outs.

Right-hander Edinson Volquez (7-6) picked up the victory, allowing five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Volquez yielded three runs in the seventh as the Tigers pulled within 8-5. Justin Upton hit a two-run homer. Steven Moya's double finished Volquez. Moya scored on Jose Iglesias's single off Luke Hochevar.

Matt Boyd (0-2) took the loss after yielding seven runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Volquez labored through a 25-pitch first inning, giving up two Tigers' runs.

Ian Kinsler and Cameron Maybin opened the inning with singles and Miguel Cabrera's sacrifice fly to left fielder Brett Eibner scored Kinsler with the first run. Maybin, who was welcomed back into the Tigers lineup after missing the previous two games with a troublesome left quad, stole second, advanced to third on Perez's throwing error and scored on Upton's single.

After the shaky start, Volquez retired 13 in a row and needed just 39 pitches to complete the next four innings.

The Royals sent eight men to the plate in a four-run second, forcing Boyd to throw 31 pitches in the inning. Lorenzo Cain led it off with a double down the left-field line, stopped at third on Perez's single to shallow right off Moya's glove and scored on Morales' single. Perez extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

The inning also included Paulo Orlando's bunt single and when Boyd's throw struck Orlando for an error, Perez scored. Merrifield capped off the inning with a two-run double.

The Royals added three more runs in the fourth and chased Boyd, padding their lead to 7-2. Morales led off the inning with his 200th career double and scored on Eibner's double. Merrifield's two-out single scored Eibner for his first career three-RBI game.

Merrifield stole second and Alcides Escobar got him home with a single off Anibal Sanchez, who replaced Boyd. Merrifield has a hit and scored a run in 12 straight home games.

Boyd faced 19 batters and seven of them scored on eight hits, including four doubles.

Morales' streak of reaching base in eight consecutive plate appearances ended in the fifth with a groundout.

NOTES: Royals RHP Yordano Ventura had his suspension reduced one game to eight games and began serving it on Saturday. Ventura was suspended from a June 7 incident at Baltimore after hitting Manny Machado with a pitch, prompting Machado to charge the mound. With two off days next week, the Royals will be able to get by with a four-man rotation until Ventura can return on June 28. ... The Tigers purchased the contract of INF Casey McGehee from Triple-A Toledo, where he hit .323 in 66 games. Detroit optioned RHP Buck Farmer to the Mud Hens. To make roster space for McGehee, the Tigers designated for assignment OF Wynton Bernard. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Gordon is on the disabled list because of a fractured right wrist. ... Tigers CF Cameron Maybin, who has been nursing a tender left quad and sat out the first two games of the series, started Saturday. ... Tigers RHP Jordan Zimmerman will be seeking his 10th victory in the series finale Sunday. RHP Chris Young will start for the Royals.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Detroit   Kansas City
Matt Boyd Player Edinson Volquez
Loss W/L Win
3.2 IP 6.1
1 Strikeouts 6
8 Hits 8
17.18 ERA 7.11
Hitting
Detroit   Kansas City
Justin Upton Player Kendrys Morales
2 Hits 4
3 RBI 5
1 HR 0
5 TB 6
.667 Avg .800
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Detroit 10 1 15 .294 10 8 5 1 1 1
Kansas City 21 0 28 .488 20 3 15 4 2 1