TIGERS TRAVAILS CONTINUE AS 'L' STREAK REACHES 19
Harvey Homers, Drives in 5 for Royals

DETROIT, July 26 (AP) - Ken Harvey had three hits, including a home run, and drove in five runs as the Kansas City Royals raced out to a large lead and then held on for an 8-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.  The loss was the 19th straight for the hapless Tigers, easily the longest of the major league season.

The Royals took the lead for good in the top of the very first inning.  Desi Relaford drew a one-out walk and, after Carlos Beltran flied out, Harvey belted a Jeremy Bonderman offering into the left field seats for a two-run homer.

Kansas City added a single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.  Beltran's 20th home run of the year led off the fourth and Harvey's two-out single drove home Aaron Guiel in the fifth.  The Tigers finally got on the board against Kyle Snyder (3-5) when Eric Munson led off the bottom of the fifth with his 12th home run of the season.

The score was still 4-1 in favor of the Royals in the top of the eighth.  Angel Berroa doubled off the base of the left field wall with one out and Chris Spurling relieved Steve Sparks on the mound for Detroit.  Brent Mayne greeted Spurling with a single though the middle, scoring Berroa without a throw for a 5-1 advantage.  Dee Brown's base hit to center advanced Mayne to second and pinch hitter Raul Ibanez made it 6-1 with a single to left-center that scored Mayne.  Guiel rolled into a double play to end the inning.

The Royals extended their lead in the ninth.  Relaford led off with a single and Beltran doubled him to third.  Harvey grounded a single into center field scoring both runners to put Kansas City on top, 8-1.

The extra runs seemed superfluous but they ended up being crucial.  Mike MacDougal came on to get some work for the Royals and immediately surrendered a home run to Kevin Witt.  Carlos Pena struck out but Munson walked and pinch hitter Ben Petrick singled him to third.  Ramon Santiago then grounded a potential double play ball to Harvey at first but his throw to second was wild, allowing Munson to score and leaving runners at first and second with the lead now 8-3.  Alex Sanchez walked to load the bases and MacDougal also walked Warren Morris, forcing in a run.  Suddenly it was 8-4, there was still only one out and the tying run was standing at the plate.  D.J. Carrasco replaced MacDougal and promptly walked Bobby Higgginson, forcing in another run and bringing the potential winning run to the plate in the form of Dmitri Young, Detroit's best hitter.  The count ran to 3-2 and Young chopped a ball toward third.  Relaford fired home for the force and Mayne's relay to first was in time to complete the double play and end the game.

7/26/2003, KC03-Det03, Comerica Park
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Royals            2  0  0  1  1  0  0  2  2     8 14  1     9  2
2003 Tigers            0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  4     5  9  1     8  3
 
Royals               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Tigers               AB  R  H BI   AVG
Guiel             rf  4  1  1  0  .341    Sanchez,A         cf  4  0  1  0  .251
Relaford          3b  3  2  1  0  .290    Morris,W          2b  4  0  1  1  .290
Beltran           cf  4  2  2  1  .304    Higginson         rf  4  0  1  1  .249
Harvey            1b  5  1  3  5  .283    Young,D           lf  5  0  0  0  .317
Tucker,M          lf  4  0  2  0  .239    Witt              dh  4  1  3  1  .319
Berroa            ss  4  1  2  0  .270    Pena,C            1b  4  0  0  0  .192
Mayne             c   4  1  1  1  .279    Munson            3b  2  2  2  1  .225
Brown,D           dh  5  0  1  0  .218    Walbeck           c   3  0  0  0  .175
Febles            2b  2  0  0  0  .259     Petrick          ph  1  1  1  0  .294
 Ibanez           ph  1  0  1  1  .317    Santiago,R        ss  4  1  0  1  .258
 Dawkins          2b  0  0  0  0  .250                         35  5  9  5
                     36  8 14  8
 
Royals                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Snyder           W 3-5           6.0  5  1  1  1  2  91  60  5.79
Leskanic         H 8             1.0  1  0  0  0  0  10   6  3.31
Grimsley                         1.0  1  0  0  0  1  13  10  4.47
MacDougal                        0.1  2  4  3  3  1  41  20  4.39
Carrasco,D       S 3             0.2  0  0  0  1  0  11   4  5.46
                                 9.0  9  5  4  5  4 166 100
 
Tigers                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Bonderman        L 4-11          4.2  5  4  3  3  1  81  48  4.84
Eckenstahler                     0.2  0  0  0  2  1  16   7  0.00
Sparks                           2.0  2  1  1  1  0  30  17  6.50
Spurling                         1.0  7  3  3  0  0  32  23  4.44
Patterson,D                      0.2  0  0  0  0  0   9   5 10.13
                                 9.0 14  8  7  6  2 168 100
 
KC : Ibanez batted for Febles in the 8th
     Dawkins inserted at 2b in the 8th
Det: Petrick batted for Walbeck in the 9th
 
E-Harvey, Sanchez,A. 2B-Beltran(6), Tucker,M(21), Berroa(24), Higginson(10).
3B-Morris,W(2). HR-Beltran(20), Harvey(8), Witt(7), Munson(12).
RBI-Beltran(62), Harvey 5(53), Mayne(30), Ibanez(70), Morris,W(17),
Higginson(27), Witt(31), Munson(35), Santiago,R(31). CS-Tucker,M. K-Berroa,
Febles, Young,D, Witt, Pena,C 2. BB-Guiel, Relaford, Beltran, Tucker,M,
Berroa, Mayne, Sanchez,A, Morris,W, Higginson, Munson 2. SH-Relaford.
HBP-Febles. HB-Bonderman. WP-Snyder, Bonderman.
GWRBI: Harvey
Temperature: 90, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 12 MPH.
Attendance: 20,036
Game Time: 3:23