The Tigers heard Kansas City was making a late pitching change about an hour before the first pitch, and what could have caused a bit of anxiety for a bunch of hitters turned out to be a just fine.
Jeimer Candelario hit a bases-clearing double and Gordon Beckham added a two-run homer during a seven-run third inning, and Detroit pounded Brian Flynn and the Royals 12-8 on Sunday.
Harold Castro had a pair of hits during the marathon fame, when the Tigers trotted 11 batters to the plate against Flynn, the fill-in starter. The first six reached base safely, and Brandon Dixon and Niko Goodrum also drove in runs before reliever Jorge Lopez finally ended the inning.
Our mindset is its the same, said Castro, who had his first career four-hit game. Were ready for every pitching. You have to be ready for everything.
Flynn (2-1), who got the start when Homer Bailey was traded to Oakland before the first pitch, was yanked six batters into the third without recording an out. He allowed seven runs on eight hits.
Jordan Zimmermann wasnt much better for Detroit. He allowed seven runs on eight hits before he was pulled after facing four batters in the fifth inning. He still hasnt won since last Sept. 5.
Nick Ramirez (4-3) earned the win for Detroit after allowing one run over three innings.
These guys come out and put up runs like that, you have to get outs, said Zimmermann, who blamed the spin on his go-to slider for most of the damage. You dont have to be perfect, you just have to get outs. Its embarrassing.
The Tigers jumped ahead on Christian Stewarts RBI single in the first, but it was their big third inning that cracked the game open. Castro and Stewart joined Nick Castellanos on base before Dixon was hit by a pitch to plate a run. Candelario followed with his three-run double.
Goodrum also drove in a run before Beckhams two-out homer gave the Tigers an 8-3 lead.
The seven-run frame was the Tigers highest-scoring inning of the season by a full two runs, and the six hits matched a season-high for an inning set July 4 against the White Sox.
The teams swapped runs in the fourth, and Kansas City plated three in the fifth and another in the sixth to claw within 10-8. But the Royals left a pair aboard to end the inning, and the Tigers answered with two more in the seventh to cap their highest-scoring game this season.
Jorge Soler homered and had three RBIs for the Royals, and the teams combined for 29 hits while stranding 12 runners on base in an offensive slugfest on a hot, sunny day.
We didnt pitch real well today, Royals manager Ned Yost said. There are days when the offense has to cover the pitchers and the pitching has to cover the offense, and we didnt cover it today.
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