Royals beat the Tigers 3-1 as Wacha goes 7 innings and Isbel, Perez homer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kyle Isbel and Salvador Perez hit home runs, Michael Wacha allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 on Saturday night.

Wacha (7-8) has been outstanding against the Tigers this year in his three starts going a combined 21 innings while only allowing three earned runs combined.

He went seven innings in each of those starts and on Saturday he walked one and fanned six.

Alex Lange and Craig Kimbrel pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings respectively with Kimbrel getting his first save since July 7, 2024 when he pitched for Baltimore.

Isbel hit a leadoff homer 400-feet to the right field bullpen in the third inning, his second in as many games, to put the Royals up 1-0.

Perez extended the Royals lead to 2-0 when he hit his 17th homer of the season, a 424-foot shot to straightaway center field, in the fourth inning.

The following inning, Hao-Yu Lee hit a 446-foot home run to left field to cut the deficit to 2-1. It was his seventh homer of the year.

Jac Caglianone doubled and then later scored on a wild pitch by Tanner Rainey in the sixth inning giving the Royals a 3-1 lead.

Tigers starter Drew Anderson (4-5) went five innings allowing three earned runs on five hits, struck out four and walked one.

The Royals have the second longest winning streak in the majors at seven games behind the Phillies and haven’t lost a game since Aug. 15.

Up next

LHP Daniel Lynch IV (4-4, 2.83 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals while the Tigers haven’t announced their starter for Sunday’s series finale.