SCHERZER DAZZLES ROYALS

Kinsler, Avila Longballs Account for Tigers Runs

DETROIT, June 17 (AP) - Max Scherzer tossed a complete game one-hit shutout, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park.  It was Detroit's fourth consecutive win, tying the club's longest such streak of the season to date.  It was the second time this year that a pitcher has thrown a complete game one-hitter in the major leagues; Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds accomplished the feat on May 15 against San Diego at Great American Ballpark.

Royals starter Yordano Ventura matched scoreless frames with Scherzer until the bottom of the sixth when, with one out, Ian Kinsler cracked his 14th home run of the season to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.  Louis Coleman replaced Ventura in the bottom of the seventh and surrendered a lead-off base on balls to Austin Jackson before giving up a two-run homer to Alex Avila to put Detroit on top 3-0.  That accounted for all of the scoring in the contest.

Scherzer retired the first 11 batters he faced before finally walking Eric Hosmer with two outs in the fourth.  Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning but yielded a lead-off double to Alcides Escobar.  Jarrod Dyson sacrificed Escobar to third but Norichika Aoki grounded to a drawn-in Kinsler at second and Omar Infante rolled back to the mound to end the threat.  It was the only time in the entire game that Kansas City advanced a runner past first base.

Scherzer ended the game much as he started it, retiring the final 12 hitters he faced.  He struck out a total of eight batters in the contest, bouncing back from his worst start of the season.  On June 12 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Scherzer was yanked after 3 2/3 innings and was ultimately charged with eight runs, seven of them earned in a loss to the White Sox.  It was the only time in 15 starts thus far this season that he's failed to work at least five innings.  The debacle on Chicago's South Side followed a three-start stint that had Scherzer allowing one run in 22 innings

6/17/2014, KC14-Det14, Comerica Park

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Royals            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  1  0     2  1

2014 Tigers            0  0  0  0  0  1  2  0  x     3  7  0     6  0

Royals               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Tigers               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Aoki              rf  4  0  0  0  .267    Davis,R           lf  4  0  0  0  .284

Infante           2b  4  0  0  0  .281    Kinsler           2b  4  1  3  1  .289

Hosmer            1b  2  0  0  0  .223    Cabrera,Mi        1b  4  0  0  0  .307

Butler,B          dh  3  0  0  0  .212    Martinez,V        dh  4  0  1  0  .337

Gordon,A          lf  3  0  0  0  .221    Martinez,J        rf  3  0  1  0  .330

Perez,S           c   3  0  0  0  .283    Castellanos       3b  4  0  1  0  .222

Moustakas         3b  3  0  0  0  .181     Kelly,D          3b  0  0  0  0  .278

Escobar,A         ss  3  0  1  0  .305    Jackson,A         cf  2  1  0  0  .267

Dyson,J           cf  2  0  0  0  .233    Avila             c   2  1  1  2  .186

                     27  0  1  0          Suarez            ss  3  0  0  0  .276

                                                               30  3  7  3

Royals                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Ventura          L 4-4           6.0  6  1  1  1  4  94  61  2.99

Coleman,L                        1.0  1  2  2  1  0  18  11  7.01

Davis,W                          1.0  0  0  0  0  0  12   8  0.00

                                 8.0  7  3  3  2  4 124  80

Tigers                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Scherzer         W 7-4           9.0  1  0  0  1  8 106  73  2.82

                                 9.0  1  0  0  1  8 106  73

Det: Kelly,D inserted at 3b in the 9th

2B-Escobar,A(16). HR-Kinsler(14), Avila(2). RBI-Kinsler(48), Avila 2(16).

K-Aoki, Hosmer, Butler,B 2, Gordon,A, Perez,S, Moustakas, Dyson,J,

Cabrera,Mi, Castellanos, Jackson,A, Suarez. BB-Hosmer, Jackson,A, Avila.

SH-Dyson,J. HBP-Martinez,J. HB-Davis,W.

GWRBI: Kinsler

Temperature: 63, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 9 MPH.

Attendance: 36,680

Game Time: 2:14