Tarik Skubal pitched seven strong innings, Wenceel Perez blasted his first career home run and the host Detroit Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Skubal (4-0) limited the Royals to one run, four hits and one walk while striking out six. Shelby Miller tossed a scoreless inning before Jason Foley escaped a jam for his ninth save.

Perez was playing in his 13th game after being called up from Triple-A Toledo.

Jake Rogers had two hits, including a solo homer, and scored two runs for the Tigers. Detroit won two of three games during the weekend series.

Royals starters Michael Wacha (1-3) gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the only run for the Royals.

Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the first. Leadoff man Maikel Garcia hit a bouncer that got by third baseman Matt Vierling. Garcia was credited with a double. Witt then singled to center to bring home Garcia.

Detroit gained a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the inning. Mark Canha smacked a one-out double to right before Perez hit a 1-0 Wacha changeup over the right field wall.

The Tigers tacked on a run in the second. Rogers hit a one-out single and moved to third on Parker Meadows’ double, then scored on Riley Greene’s sacrifice fly.

Skubal didn’t give up another hit until Garrett Hampson’s two-out single in the fifth.

Detroit extended its lead to 4-1 in the sixth. Zach McKinstry had a one-out single before Rogers’ two-out homer, his second of the season. He smashed a 1-2 sinker from Wacha over the right-center field wall.

The Royals had two baserunners with two outs in the seventh, but Skubal retired Hampson on a fly ball.

In the ninth, Foley issued a walk to Salvador Perez before Michael Massey singled. Following a groundout that moved Perez to third, Foley struck out MJ Melendez and Dairon Blanco to end the game.

–Field Level Media