KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brad Keller threw six scoreless innings, Adalberto Mondesi had three hits and an RBI as the Kansas City Royals held off the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Friday night.
Keller (5-3) gave up four singles and struck out five in six innings. The eighth-round draft pick in 2013 closed out the season allowing one run in 33 innings pitched at home.
“Ending on a high note,” Keller said. “I feel like we are just hitting our stride as a team. I didn’t really notice I was playing that well at home, but I just try to pitch well wherever I am.”
The Royals have won three in a row. The Tigers have lost eight of nine.
"It’s been a weird season,” Tigers manager Lloyd McClendon said. “A lot of guys, this is their first year and some things just take time. It’s a different game than the minors.”
Mondesi was a homer away from hitting for the cycle. In his last three games, he had nine hits, six runs scored and four RBI’s.
“When he hits the ball down the line, we all stand up to watch him run the bases,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He is in such a great place right now and I don’t think he wants to quit playing.”
Spencer Turnbull (4-4) went five innings for the Tigers, allowing three runs, six hits and striking out five.
“He had a couple of incidents there, but for the most part threw the ball pretty well,” McClendon said. “Just waiting on the point where he trusts his stuff because it’s so good. When he’s down in the zone, he’s tough to hit.”
The Tigers bullpen of Daniel Norris, Jose Cisnero and Buck Farmer worked three scoreless innings.
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy was used in relief for the first time since 2016. He gave up two hits, two runs and went 1/3 inning.
Those runs came in the sixth inning, after an RBI by Christin Stewart, who scored Harold Castro, and a sacrifice fly by Eric Haase that plated Niko Goodrum and cut the deficit to 3-2.
Scott Barlow and Jakob Junis went a combined 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Jesse Hahn closed the door in the ninth for his second save of the season.
Our defense was really good tonight,” Matheny said. “We did a lot of things well.”
In the first tinning, Turnbull allowed singles by Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi. He walked two batters, which scored a run.
The next inning, Franchy Cordero hit a double down the left field line, and Mondesi followed with an RBI triple to make it 2-0.
TRAINING ROOM
Tigers: INF Jeimer Candelario (low back strain) was placed on the IL and OF Christian Stewart was recalled.
Royals: RHP Greg Holland (right oblique strain) and OF Jorge Soler (right oblique strain) were placed on the IL, while RHP Ian Kennedy was reinstated from the IL and 1B/OF Ryan McBroom was recalled.
UP NEXT
Detroit will start LHP Matthew Boyd (2-7, 6.96) on Saturday night, and the Royals will counter with RHP Carlos Hernandez (0-0, 3.46). Boyd will look to have a better outing after giving up five runs in five innings against the Indians on Sunday.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
