GORDON’S 3 HRS RETURN ROYALS TO 1^ST PLACE

Tigers Blow Early 5-Run Lead

DETROIT, Sept. 9 (AP) – Just one day after Angels centerfielder Mike Trout became the fourth major leaguer this season to hit three home runs in a game, Alex Gordon of the Royals became the fifth. Kansas City overcame an early 6-1 deficit and rallied to defeat the Detroit Tigers 11-8. The win catapults the Royals back in front of the Tigers by ½ game in the topsy turvy American League Central Division.

Detroit pounded Jason Vargas in the game’s first two innings. After Gordon’s two-out solo homer off Max Scherzer gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Tigers scored four times off Vargas in the bottom half of the frame. Ian Kinsler led off with a base hit and Torii Hunter walked, putting runners on first and second. Miguel Cabrera’s infield single off Vargas’ glove loaded the bases and Victor Martinez grounded a single through the box, scoring two and leaving runners on first and second. J.D. Martinez rolled to second, but the runners advanced to second and third on the play and when Eric Hosmer booted Nick Castellanos’ grounder, Cabrera scored the third run of the inning. Alex Avila grounded out to second, scoring Victor Martinez, and the Tigers led 4-1. Andrew Romine followed with yet another base hit but Lorenzo Cain gunned Castellanos down at the plate to finally end the inning.

The Tigers made it 6-1 in the second. Rajai Davis led off with a single and was forced at second by Kinsler. Hunter flied to left for the second out but Cabrera drilled a 1-1 offering into the left field seats, putting Detroit on top by five. Victor and J.D. Martinez followed with consecutive singles but Vargas ended the inning by striking out Castellanos.

It appeared that the game might be a laugher for the Tigers but the Royals had other ideas, as they chipped away through the middle innings. In the top of the third, Cain led off with a base hit and stole second, then scored on Alcides Escobar’s single to cut the deficit to 6-2. In the fourth, Gordon led off with his second home run of the game, chopping the Detroit lead to three. Then, in the fifth, the Royals pulled within a run. Mike Moustakas led off with a double and, one out later, scored when Escobar rapped out a two-bagger of his own. Omar Infante’s two-out base hit plated Escobar to cut the Tigers advantage to 6-5.

That’s how things stood when the game moved to the seventh. Phil Coke replaced Scherzer on the mound and appeared to retire Moustakas leading off, but Victor Martinez booted his roller for an error. Cain followed with an infield single, putting runners on first and second. Escobar laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, advancing Moustakas and Cain to third and second respectively with one out. Norichika Aoki drew a free pass, filling the bases. Al Alburquerque replaced Coke on the mound to face Infante and promptly walked the Royals second baseman to force in the tying run, leaving the bases loaded. A wild pitch brought home Cain to give the Royals a 7-6 lead and, after Gordon fanned, Salvador Perez drilled a double to the gap in left-center, scoring Aoki and Infante to put Kansas City ahead 9-6.

In the ninth, Jarrod Dyson drew a one-out walk from Ken Ryan, then stole second. Infante’s roller to second moved Dyson to third and then Ryan was called for a balk, allowing Dyson to score. A noticeably frustrated Ryan then grooved a fastball to Gordon who deposited it in the right field bleachers for his third home run of the game and an 11-6 Kansas City lead.

Andrew Romine hit a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Aaron Crow, but it was too little, too late for Detroit and Crow fanned Davis to end the game.

9/9/2014, KC14-Det14, Comerica Park

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

2014 Royals 1 0 1 1 2 0 4 0 2 11 10 1 2 0

2014 Tigers 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 14 1 9 1

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

Aoki rf 3 1 0 0 .284 Kinsler 2b 4 2 2 0 .307

Dyson,J cf 0 1 0 0 .236 Hunter,Tor rf 3 1 0 0 .258

Infante 2b 4 1 1 2 .252 Carrera ph 1 0 0 0 .255

Gordon,A lf 5 3 3 3 .253 Cabrera,Mi dh 5 2 2 2 .312

Perez,S c 5 0 1 2 .275 Martinez,V 1b 4 1 2 2 .329

Hosmer 1b 4 0 0 0 .239 Martinez,J lf 5 0 1 0 .346

Willingham dh 3 0 0 0 .186 Castellanos 3b 4 0 0 0 .248

Butler,B ph 1 0 0 0 .239 Suarez ph 1 1 1 0 .307

Moustakas 3b 4 2 1 0 .202 Avila c 5 1 2 3 .203

Nix 3b 0 0 0 0 .120 Romine,An ss 5 0 3 0 .263

Cain,L cf 4 2 2 0 .291 Davis,R cf 4 0 1 0 .288

Escobar,A ss 3 1 2 2 .270 41 8 14 7

36 11 10 9

Royals INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA

Vargas,J 5.0 10 6 4 2 5 98 64 2.94

Frasor W 3-1 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 14 9 2.82

Herrera,K H 26 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 17 10 2.56

Davis,W H 27 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 17 12 0.67

Crow 1.0 2 2 2 0 1 21 12 5.60

9.0 14 8 6 2 8 167 107

Tigers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA

Scherzer 6.0 7 5 5 0 8 92 65 3.84

Coke H 11, L 3-2 0.1 1 3 1 1 0 12 5 3.83

Alburquerque BS 2 1.0 1 1 1 1 2 26 15 3.40

Ryan,K 1.2 1 2 2 1 0 26 14 9.82

9.0 10 11 9 3 10 156 99

KC : Dyson,J inserted at cf in the 7th

Cain,L moved to rf in the 7th

Butler,B batted for Willingham in the 8th

Nix inserted at 3b in the 9th

Det: Carrera batted for Hunter,Tor in the 8th

Carrera moved to cf in the 9th

Martinez,J moved to rf in the 9th

Davis,R moved to lf in the 9th

Suarez batted for Castellanos in the 9th

E-Hosmer, Martinez,V. 2B-Perez,S(36), Moustakas(14), Escobar,A(35),

Avila(22). HR-Gordon,A 3(21), Cabrera,Mi(26), Avila(12). RBI-Infante 2(43),

Gordon,A 3(64), Perez,S 2(69), Escobar,A 2(48), Cabrera,Mi 2(102),

Martinez,V 2(91), Avila 3(45). SB-Cain,L(24), Dyson,J(31), Romine,An(9).

K-Aoki, Gordon,A 2, Perez,S 2, Hosmer, Willingham 3, Cain,L, Hunter,Tor,

Cabrera,Mi 3, Martinez,J, Castellanos 2, Romine,An. BB-Aoki, Infante,

Dyson,J, Hunter,Tor, Martinez,V. SH-Escobar,A. HBP-Kinsler. HB-Frasor.

WP-Alburquerque. BALK-Ryan,K.

Temperature: 61, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: out to right at 8 MPH.

Attendance: 41,157

Game Time: 3:16