DETROIT (AP) — When the Kansas City Royals acquired Brad Keller during last winter’s Rule 5 draft
http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-alex-wilson-jersey , they committed themselves to keep him on the roster all season.As it turned out,
that hasn’t been a problem.Keller pitched seven strong innings as the Royals
held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Sunday.Keller (9-6) allowed one run on
three hits, walking three and striking out two. He improved to 5-1 with a 2.25
ERA in his last eight starts.“The first three or four innings, he was dead-on
mechanically and just banging in strike after strike,” Royals manager Ned Yost
said. “After that, he was still fighting it a bit, but he hung in there and gave
us seven more strong innings.”Keller has only allowed more than two earned runs
once since August 7.“I was attacking them with my fastball, mostly,” he said.
“They were sitting on my slider a little, so I went after them with the
heater.”The teams split the four-game series that finished Detroit’s home
season. The Royals won the season series 11-8.The Tigers finished 38-43 at home,
four games better than 2017, but drew 1.86 million fans — the fewest since they
had 1.37 million while losing 119 games in 2003.“We wanted to win this one for
our fans,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We’ve got 90-some losses, but
they were still standing and cheering until the last pitch.”The Royals led 3-1
in the ninth. Niko Goodrum led off the inning with a bunt single off Wily
Peralta. Ronny Rodriguez added a one-out base hit, and Grayson Greiner walked to
load the bases.Victor Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to pull the Tigers within 3-2
before Peralta struck out Jim Adduci to earn his 13th save.“Wily makes it a
tightrope walk, but he’s 13-for-13,” Yost said. “They got a perfect bunt and a
big walk
Ryan Carpenter Jersey , but he didn’t panic. He just kept making pitches.”Daniel Norris needed 98 pitches to complete five innings, allowing one
run on six hits and two walks. He struck out three.“I didn’t have any kind of
command, so I was in three-ball counts on almost every hitter,” he said. “The
only thing I could count on was my slider, so I just kept trying to spin that in
there to get out of trouble.”The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on
Adalberto Mondesi’s 12th home run and could have added to the margin in the
third. Kansas City loaded the bases with one out, but Hunter Dozier grounded
into an inning-ending double play.Kansas City stranded two more batters in the
fourth but had pushed Norris’ pitch count to 84.“That’s the thing with Daniel —
he might get into trouble, but he’s always going to give everything he’s got to
get out of it,” Greiner said. “We were trying to find pitches that would
work.”Jeimer Candelario led off the fourth with a single — Detroit’s first hit —
and Christin Stewart moved him to third with a hit-and-run single before
Nicholas Castellanos tied the game with a sacrifice fly.The Royals regained the
lead with two runs in the sixth off Drew VerHagen (3-3). With two out, Alcides
Escobar and Rosell Herrera singled before Herrera stole second. Cam Gallagher
blooped a ball to shallow left, and Stewart couldn’t make a sliding catch.“When
(Keller) is dominating like that, you just want to get him some runs,” Gallagher
said. “I hit that ball pretty weakly, but it got down in front of the
outfielders. That’s how this works.”GET IN THEREHarold Castro made his major
league debut, entering as a pinch-runner for Greiner in the ninth.TRAINER’S
ROOMTigers: CF JaCoby Jones missed the game after aggravating a shoulder injury
while attempting a diving catch on Saturday.UP NEXTRoyals: Start a two-game
series in Cincinnati on Tuesday. Eric Skoglund (1-5, 5.60 ERA) starts the opener
against Matt Harvey (7-9, 4.92).Tigers: Begin a three-game series in Minnesota
on Tuesday, with Spencer Turnbull (0-1
Jeimer Candelario Jersey , 10.80) taking the mound. SAN DIEGO (AP) — A.J. Pollock is regaining his form right when his team needs him most.Pollock homered
in the ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 4-3
on Sunday to stay on top of the NL West.Pollock, who missed nearly two months
with a thumb injury, drove a 1-2 pitch from Kirby Yates (4-2) over the wall in
left for his 16th homer, sending Arizona to its fourth win in five games.
Arizona had tied it at 3 on Daniel Descalso’s solo homer off rookie Trey
Wingenter in the eighth.“He threw me a fastball earlier in the count that was
right there and I just missed it,” Pollock said. “I fouled a couple of pitches
and he threw the fastball right there and I was able to do some damage.”After
getting two hits and driving in two on Saturday night, Pollock is hitting his
stride at an opportune time.“He’s an elite player when healthy,” Diamondbacks
manager Torey Lovullo said. “We can’t do it with just one or two guys, we need
everyone and we need A.J. to be A.J.”Archie Bradley (4-4) pitched a scoreless
eighth for the win, and Brad Boxberger retired the side in the ninth for his
28th save. The Diamondbacks remained a half-game ahead of second-place Colorado,
which won 4-2 at Atlanta.“We know what the stakes are, we know exactly what’s
going on in the standings,” Lovullo said. “To separate that out and still
execute and come out on top is pretty impressive.”David Peralta homered in the
third against San Diego starter Brett Kennedy. Peralta missed Friday’s game due
to illness and was limited to pinch-hitting on Saturday, but he collected two
hits in the finale of the four-game set.“It was huge, and these are the types of
games you have to find a way to win,” Lovullo said. “To get a solo homer in the
eighth and a solo homer in the ninth to win it, it was an exceptional win.
“Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt set a club record by reaching base in 10
straight plate appearances when he was intentionally walked in the first. But he
struck out on a foul tip in the third.Hunter Renfroe homered and drove in three
runs for San Diego
http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-dixon-machado-jersey , which has lost seven of its last eight against Arizona at Petco Park.“A.J.
Pollock is a really good hitter, and when you miss your spot to a really good
hitter, sometimes you pay the price,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “I’m sure
he’d like to have that one back.”Renfroe hit a two-run shot in the first against
Zack Greinke that travelled into the visiting bullpen in left-center and bounced
near the newly erected statue of Padres great Trevor Hoffman. Renfroe was later
hit on the right forearm by a pitch from Bradley and exited the game in the
ninth.Greinke allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out
seven and walked one.“A lot of it was pretty good, but I got behind in some
counts in the first inning,” Greinke said. “Maybe not too great to start that
first inning, but after that it was a lot better.”Kennedy pitched five innings
in his third career start, allowing two runs and six hits.TRAINER’S
ROOMDiamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller, on the 60-day DL with right elbow
inflammation, threw from 60 feet on Saturday and felt no discomfort in his arm.
It was the first time Miller has thrown since being shut down in July after
making just four starts following his return from Tommy John surgery.UP
NEXTDiamondbacks: After an off day on Monday, Arizona returns home to face the
Los Angeles Angels. LHP Patrick Corbin (10-8, 3.18 ERA) takes the mound for the
Diamondbacks, facing the Angels for the first time in his career.Padres: Are off
Monday before beginning a three-game series at Colorado. The club has not named
a starter for Tuesday’s game against LHP Tyler Anderson (6-5, 4.39 ERA) and the
Rockies.
