Junis and Soler Lead Royals Comeback Win

Jorge Soler had the tying RBI double in the eighth inning and Cheslor Cuthbert followed with the go-ahead run-scoring single to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.

Adalberto Mondesi started the rally with his third hit of the game, a double with one out off Daniel Stumpf, and scored on Soler’s ensuing hit off Victor Alcantara (2-1). Terrance Gore ran for Soler and stole third. He then scored on Cuthbert’s single between three fielders in right field to put the Royals ahead.

Scott Barlow (2-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get the win, and Ian Kennedy got the last three outs for his fifth save.

The Tigers’ bullpen wasted a brilliant effort from Spencer Turnbull. He scattered four hits and two walks with five strikeouts over six innings. It was only the third time in 14 starts that Turnbull had not allowed a run.

Jakob Junis had a quality start for Kansas City, allowing two runs and five hits with five strikeouts in seven innings.

The Tigers got to Junis in the first on a 427-foot home run by Nicholas Castellanos to left-center. It was Castellanos’ 100th career homer, all with the Tigers.

Junis gave up a run in the first inning for the ninth time in 14 starts. His ERA in those first innings is 8.36, compared to 4.71 in the other innings.

Brandon Dixon hit a 447-foot homer in the fourth, into the fountains 20 feet beyond where Castellanos’ homer traveled, to put the Tigers up 2-0.

Following Turnbull’s departure, Ryan O’Hearn led off the seventh with his sixth home run of the season. He broke an 0-for-15 slump with his 439-foot blast to right.