DETROIT (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the ninth, Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Fermin reached on singles with one out. Adam Frazier nearly hit a pinch-hit homer, but the ball curled foul and he flew out to center field.
Melendez then hit a 362-foot blast, his 13th of the season, to give Kansas City the lead.
Chris Stratton (4-3) got the win with a scoreless eighth. The Royals’ Hunter Harvey, who squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning of a 6-5, 11-inning loss on Saturday, pitched the ninth for his first save.
The Royals have won six of their last seven sames. The Tigers went 2-7 on a nine-game homestand against Minnesota, Cleveland and Kansas City.
The Tigers have two healthy starting pitchers after trading Jack Flaherty, so manager A.J. Hinch has relied heavily on his bullpen. On Sunday, he got four scoreless innings from Alex Faedo and Brenan Hanifee before turning the ball over to Brant Hurter for his major league debut.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead when Zach McKinstry tripled and scored on Gio Urshela’s two-out single in the second inning. Matt Vierling made it 2-0 in the fifth, driving in Javier Baez with a sacrifice fly.
Hurter struck out Salvador Perez and Paul DeJong to get out of a jam in the sixth inning, and allowed two hits before leaving after the seventh. Will Vest pitched the eighth, but Shelby Miller couldn’t get through the ninth.
Miller (5-7) worked two-thirds of an inning and took the loss.
UP NEXT
Royals: Open a three-game home series against the Red Sox on Monday. RHP Brady Singer (8-6, 2.88) is scheduled to start against Boston LHP James Paxton (8-3, 4.52).
Tigers: After an off day Monday, take on the Mariners for three games in Seattle. Detroit’s RHP Keider Montero (1-5, 6.18) is scheduled to start Tuesday. Seattle has not named a starter.
