KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Royals starter Brad Keller had the Tigers’ offense in a vice grip Friday night, allowing just one single over the first six innings. He took a 1-0 lead into the seventh.
When he went back to the dugout three outs later, he was down by a run and the Tigers were on their way to a 2-1 win at Kauffman Stadium.
Miguel Cabrera lashed a one-out double to right center in the seventh inning to start the rally. It was the 2,995th career hit and 599th double of his career. He is looking to become the seventh player ever to produce 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
And, just for kicks, when he gets to 600 doubles, he will join Albert Pujols and Hank Aaron as the only players to collect at least 3,000 hits, 500 homers and 600 doubles.
The extra-base hit was No. 1,118 in Cabrera’s career, pushing him past a pair of black-and-white photos — Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx — for 18th all-time.
Back to the game.
With two outs in the seventh, rookie Spencer Torkelson, who had the first hit off Keller, shellacked an 0-1 sinker, belting it 432 feet over the Tigers’ bullpen and into the small section of seats in left field. The ball left his bat with an exit velocity of 111.5 mph.
He turned to the Tigers’ dugout immediately after contact and yelled, “Come on, baby!”
It was his second homer of the young season.
Tigers lefty starter Tarik Skubal, uncharacteristically passive in his first start of the season, brought the fire right from the jump Friday night. With his four-seam hitting 97 mph in the first inning, and his slider, a pitch he barely used five days ago, biting at 89-90 mph, he put down the first 11 Royals hitters, striking out six of them.
Salvador Perez ripped a ground ball single just past shortstop Harold Castro with one out in the fourth to break the streak and then Castro booted a ground ball by Andrew Benintendi. Carlos Santana made the Tigers pay for that, slicing an RBI single to right.
A strong play by third baseman Jeimer Candelario got Skubal out of the fourth. With two runners on, he made a clean pick of a ball behind the bag and threw a one-hopper to first to get Hunter Dozier.
Skubal gave up a double to Perez in the sixth and came out after 5 2/3 innings and 90 pitches. He allowed four hits, struck out seven and the unearned run.
Right-hander Jacob Barnes retired all four batters he faced and right-hander Joe Jimenez pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out both Bobby Witt, Jr. and Perez. He froze Perez with a slider.
With closer Gregory Soto unavailable (he pitched in three of the last four days), Michael Fulmer was summoned to close it out, which he did, getting Andrew Benitendi, Santana and Dozier for his first save of the season.
