Royals finally solve Zimmermann, edge Tigers 5-4
Burch Smith won for the first time in nearly five years, and the Kansas City Royals finally solved Jordan Zimmermann to edge the visiting Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Tuesday.
Smith (1-1) tossed a season-high 6 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on one hit while striking out six. Making his 27th appearance and third start this season,
Smith hadn't gone more than four innings before keeping the Tigers at bay.
His only other career victory came on Sept. 15, 2013, against Atlanta while pitching for San Diego.
Wily Peralta picked up his fifth save despite giving up a ninth-inning run.
Mike Moustakas hit his 20th homer of the season and Salvador Perez had three hits, including his 15th homer, and drove in two runs for Kansas City.
Zimmermann (4-2) came in with a 4-0 record and 1.48 ERA in seven career outings against Kansas City. He allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings.
Victor Martinez led the Tigers' offense with a three-run homer.
Whit Merrifield led off the bottom of the first with a double. One out later, Moustakas ripped a two-run blast over the right field wall.
The Royals made it 3-0 in the third. Rosell Herrera smacked a one-out single, advanced on a groundout and scored on Perez's single to right.
Detroit didn't get a hit until Niko Goodrum led off the fourth with a single. He was erased trying to steal second.
Perez extended the Royals' lead to four runs in the fifth with his two-out solo shot that just cleared the left field wall.
Kansas City pushed across another run in the sixth against Buck Farmer. Jorge Bonifacio led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on shortstop Jose Iglesias' error.
Smith was removed after issuing one-out walks to Nicholas Castellanos and Jeimer Candelario. Martinez then finished off a 10-pitch at-bat against Tim Hill by pulling his fifth homer this season over the left field wall.
Martinez hadn't homered since May 19 at Seattle.
Castellanos tripled and scored on Candelario's groundout in the ninth.
--Field Level Media
