KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jordan Zimmermann made his third straight scoreless start, Victor Martinez drove in the 1,000th run of his career and the Detroit Tigers held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Francisco Rodriguez served up back-to-back homers to Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez in the ninth before striking out Mike Moustakas to leave runners on first and second. It was K-Rod's fourth save of the season and 390th overall, matching Dennis Eckersley for sixth-most on baseball's career list.
Zimmermann (3-0) scattered seven hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight, in another sharp performance. He has yet to allow a run over 19 1/3 innings, a stretch that is beginning to make the $110 million, five-year contract he signed in November look like a bargain.
Ian Kinsler drove the other two runs for Detroit, which did just enough against Ian Kennedy (2-1) and the Kansas City bullpen to even the series. Kennedy allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven in his third straight solid start.
The Tigers beat the Royals with their own formula: timely hitting and solid defense.
One night after watching Kansas City score all of its runs with two outs in an 8-6 defeat, Kinsler drove in the first run of Wednesday night's game with a two-out double in the third inning.
Martinez added his run-scoring single with two outs in the sixth. He joined teammate Miguel Cabrera, Andres Galarraga, Bobby Abreu and Magglio Ordonez as the only Venezuelan-born players with 1,000 RBIs.
The few base runners that Zimmermann allowed were squandered by Kansas City.
Moustakas was caught wandering too far off first and got nabbed in a run-down to end the third inning. Then in the fifth, after putting runners on first and second with nobody out, Omar Infante failed to get down a bunt before striking out and Jarrod Dyson grounded into a double play.
The one big mistake Zimmermann made came in the sixth, when he bobbled a bouncer from Eric Hosmer's bat for an error. He rebounded to retire Kendrys Morales and strand a pair of runners.
FOR THE KIDS
Royals GM Dayton Moore joined Mayor Sly James in breaking ground on the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy on Wednesday. Several members of the Royals have donated money to the $14 million facility, which will feature baseball and softball fields, revamped playgrounds and other amenities.
SORIA'S FLAW
Royals reliever Joakim Soria discovered a mechanical problem in his delivery during a video session with manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Dave Eiland on Wednesday. Soria thinks the flaw is the reason he has struggled after signing a $25 million, three-year deal in the offseason.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers C James McCann is hitting in the cage and was expected to begin throwing Wednesday, though it's still unclear when he will return. He went on the DL on April 12 with a sprained right ankle.
UP NEXT
Royals RHP Edinson Volquez (2-0, 2.04 ERA) tries to remain perfect when he makes his third start of the season in the series finale. Tigers RHP Mike Pelfrey opposes him in the 6:15 p.m. game.
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