KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jordan Zimmermann threw just about every pitch against Kansas City for a strike Monday night.
Except the one that plunked Alcides Escobar.
The Tigers' veteran starter pounded the zone in a dominant performance against the Royals, and backed by long home runs from Nicholas Castellanos and Mikie Mahtook, he helped Detroit to a 10-2 rout to open a four-game series between AL Central rivals.
"These guys scored a ton of runs early, so I was able to pound the zone," said Zimmermann, who gave up one run and threw 79 of 97 pitches for strikes over 6 2/3 innings. "They're a pretty aggressive team. Obviously I was throwing strikes, too."
The dominance was partly a result of first-pitch strikes to 24 of the 28 batters he faced, which helped Zimmermann (6-7) snap a personal three-game skid with his first win since June 3.
"He's been around long enough to know when you have a lead to throw strikes," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I think the lopsided score played into it."
As for Escobar, the Royals shortstop was hit in the left wrist in the seventh inning and remained crumpled on the ground for several minutes. But he escaped with a bruise and could play Tuesday night.
"Deadened it, numbed it. He's OK," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He's feeling much better."
Eric Hosmer homered in the eighth for Kansas City. Whit Merrifield also drove in a run.
Things went awry for Vargas from the first pitch, which Kinsler swatted to the fence for a double. Vargas proceeded to match a season high with four walks, Kinsler added a pair of triples off him, and the homers by Castellanos and Mahtook combined to go nearly 900 feet.
"He just wasn't sharp. He struggled with his command," Yost said. "His pitches were kind of flat. It's just one of those nights for him."
The dismal performance came after Vargas was battered for six runs -- including three homers -- on eight hits and a walk in five innings at Seattle in his final start before the All-Star break.
Vargas did toss a shutout inning during last week's Midsummer Classic.
"It's all about being able to get into a rhythm," he said. "I just wasn't able to do that apparently. Because of that I left some pitches up and definitely I got punished for them."
It was Zimmermann who looked like an All-Star on Monday night, though -- not someone who had allowed at least four runs each of his last three starts, and was 0-4 with a 6.99 ERA on the road.
Zimmermann breezed through a perfect first, bounced back from back-to-back singles to escape trouble in the second, then began pounding the strike zone. By the time he hit the 50-pitch mark, Zimmermann threw 44 of them for strikes, and he wound up with only four two-ball counts in the game.
"I was just trying to throw strike one, strike two and put them away," said Zimmermann, who is now 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA against Kansas City. "It was a pretty fun night."
TRADE TALK
Rumors have suggested that Detroit could trade slugger J.D. Martinez and closer Justin Wilson before the July 31 deadline, though both said they weren't focused on where they might end up. "Once you're traded once, it's not a big deal," said Wilson, who has been traded from the Pirates and Yankees during his six-year career. "Like I've said from the get-go, this is a business."
ROSTER MOVES
The Royals reinstated RHP Neftali Feliz from the paternity list and recalled OF Billy Burns from Triple-A Omaha. OF Jorge Soler and RHP Miguel Almonte were optioned to the Storm Chasers.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers LHP Daniel Norris (left groin strain) is making a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday night. ... Martinez was removed in the seventh as a precautionary measure with lower back tightness.
Royals INF Cheslor Cuthbert (left wrist sprain) went to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. Cuthbert was hitting .196 in 33 games when he went on the DL retroactive to June 26.
UP NEXT
The Tigers are recalling LHP Matt Boyd from Toledo to start Tuesday night, while the Royals will send LHP Travis Wood for his second start of the season. Boyd's last start with Detroit came May 31 in Kansas City, when he allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.
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Except the one that plunked Alcides Escobar.
The Tigers' veteran starter pounded the zone in a dominant performance against the Royals, and backed by long home runs from Nicholas Castellanos and Mikie Mahtook, he helped Detroit to a 10-2 rout to open a four-game series between AL Central rivals.
"These guys scored a ton of runs early, so I was able to pound the zone," said Zimmermann, who gave up one run and threw 79 of 97 pitches for strikes over 6 2/3 innings. "They're a pretty aggressive team. Obviously I was throwing strikes, too."
The dominance was partly a result of first-pitch strikes to 24 of the 28 batters he faced, which helped Zimmermann (6-7) snap a personal three-game skid with his first win since June 3.
"He's been around long enough to know when you have a lead to throw strikes," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I think the lopsided score played into it."
As for Escobar, the Royals shortstop was hit in the left wrist in the seventh inning and remained crumpled on the ground for several minutes. But he escaped with a bruise and could play Tuesday night.
"Deadened it, numbed it. He's OK," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He's feeling much better."
Eric Hosmer homered in the eighth for Kansas City. Whit Merrifield also drove in a run.
Things went awry for Vargas from the first pitch, which Kinsler swatted to the fence for a double. Vargas proceeded to match a season high with four walks, Kinsler added a pair of triples off him, and the homers by Castellanos and Mahtook combined to go nearly 900 feet.
"He just wasn't sharp. He struggled with his command," Yost said. "His pitches were kind of flat. It's just one of those nights for him."
The dismal performance came after Vargas was battered for six runs -- including three homers -- on eight hits and a walk in five innings at Seattle in his final start before the All-Star break.
Vargas did toss a shutout inning during last week's Midsummer Classic.
"It's all about being able to get into a rhythm," he said. "I just wasn't able to do that apparently. Because of that I left some pitches up and definitely I got punished for them."
It was Zimmermann who looked like an All-Star on Monday night, though -- not someone who had allowed at least four runs each of his last three starts, and was 0-4 with a 6.99 ERA on the road.
Zimmermann breezed through a perfect first, bounced back from back-to-back singles to escape trouble in the second, then began pounding the strike zone. By the time he hit the 50-pitch mark, Zimmermann threw 44 of them for strikes, and he wound up with only four two-ball counts in the game.
"I was just trying to throw strike one, strike two and put them away," said Zimmermann, who is now 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA against Kansas City. "It was a pretty fun night."
TRADE TALK
Rumors have suggested that Detroit could trade slugger J.D. Martinez and closer Justin Wilson before the July 31 deadline, though both said they weren't focused on where they might end up. "Once you're traded once, it's not a big deal," said Wilson, who has been traded from the Pirates and Yankees during his six-year career. "Like I've said from the get-go, this is a business."
ROSTER MOVES
The Royals reinstated RHP Neftali Feliz from the paternity list and recalled OF Billy Burns from Triple-A Omaha. OF Jorge Soler and RHP Miguel Almonte were optioned to the Storm Chasers.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers LHP Daniel Norris (left groin strain) is making a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday night. ... Martinez was removed in the seventh as a precautionary measure with lower back tightness.
Royals INF Cheslor Cuthbert (left wrist sprain) went to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. Cuthbert was hitting .196 in 33 games when he went on the DL retroactive to June 26.
UP NEXT
The Tigers are recalling LHP Matt Boyd from Toledo to start Tuesday night, while the Royals will send LHP Travis Wood for his second start of the season. Boyd's last start with Detroit came May 31 in Kansas City, when he allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Detroit - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Vargas pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Kinsler doubled to deep center. | 0 | 0 |
| Castellanos singled to left, Kinsler to third. | 0 | 0 |
| Upton grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, Kinsler out at home, Castellanos to third, Upton to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Cabrera flied out to left. | 0 | 0 |
| Martinez intentionally walked. | 0 | 0 |
| Martínez walked, Castellanos scored, Upton to third, Martinez to second. | 1 | 0 |
| Mahtook struck out looking. | 1 | 0 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Merrifield flied out to center. | 1 | 0 |
| Bonifacio lined out to center. | 1 | 0 |
| Cain flied out to right. | 1 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Jason Vargas pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Avila walked. | 1 | 0 |
| Iglesias struck out swinging. | 1 | 0 |
| Kinsler tripled to deep left center, Avila scored. | 2 | 0 |
| Castellanos homered to center (432 feet), Kinsler scored. | 4 | 0 |
| Upton struck out swinging. | 4 | 0 |
| Cabrera walked. | 4 | 0 |
| Cabrera to second on balk by Vargas. | 4 | 0 |
| Martinez grounded out to pitcher. | 4 | 0 |
| 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Hosmer singled to left center. | 4 | 0 |
| Pérez singled to left, Hosmer to second. | 4 | 0 |
| Moustakas popped out to third. | 4 | 0 |
| Escobar struck out looking. | 4 | 0 |
| Moss struck out swinging. | 4 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Jason Vargas pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Martínez singled to center. | 4 | 0 |
| Mahtook homered to left center (445 feet), Martínez scored. | 6 | 0 |
| Avila struck out looking. | 6 | 0 |
| Iglesias grounded out to third. | 6 | 0 |
| Kinsler tripled to deep left center. | 6 | 0 |
| Alexander relieved Vargas. | 6 | 0 |
| Castellanos struck out swinging. | 6 | 0 |
| 2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Gordon singled to center. | 6 | 0 |
| Merrifield struck out swinging. | 6 | 0 |
| Bonifacio fouled out to second. | 6 | 0 |
| Cain singled to center, Gordon to third. | 6 | 0 |
| Hosmer struck out swinging. | 6 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Scott Alexander pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Upton walked. | 6 | 0 |
| Cabrera grounded out to third, Upton to second. | 6 | 0 |
| Martinez struck out swinging. | 6 | 0 |
| Martínez singled to left, Upton scored. | 7 | 0 |
| Mahtook grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Martínez out at second. | 7 | 0 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Pérez lined out to center. | 7 | 0 |
| Moustakas struck out swinging. | 7 | 0 |
| Escobar singled to center. | 7 | 0 |
| Moss flied out to left. | 7 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Scott Alexander pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Avila walked. | 7 | 0 |
| Iglesias grounded into fielder's choice to first, Avila out at second. | 7 | 0 |
| Kinsler grounded into double play, second to first, Iglesias out at second. | 7 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Gordon flied out to left. | 7 | 0 |
| Merrifield grounded out to shortstop. | 7 | 0 |
| Bonifacio reached on infield single to third. | 7 | 0 |
| Cain flied out to center. | 7 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Kevin McCarthy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| McCarthy relieved Alexander. | 7 | 0 |
| Castellanos grounded out to shortstop. | 7 | 0 |
| Upton popped out to shortstop. | 7 | 0 |
| Cabrera grounded out to second. | 7 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Presley in right field. | 7 | 0 |
| Hosmer struck out looking. | 7 | 0 |
| Pérez lined out to center. | 7 | 0 |
| Moustakas grounded out to first. | 7 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Kevin McCarthy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Presley singled to right center. | 7 | 0 |
| Martínez flied out to center. | 7 | 0 |
| Mahtook reached on infield single to third, Presley to second. | 7 | 0 |
| Avila reached on infield single to first, Presley to third, Mahtook to second. | 7 | 0 |
| Iglesias hit sacrifice fly to center, Presley scored. | 8 | 0 |
| Kinsler grounded into fielder's choice to second, Avila out at second. | 8 | 0 |
| 1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Escobar hit by pitch. | 8 | 0 |
| Torres ran for Escobar. | 8 | 0 |
| Moss struck out swinging. | 8 | 0 |
| Gordon lined out to right. | 8 | 0 |
| Merrifield doubled to deep right, Torres scored. | 8 | 1 |
| Saupold relieved Zimmermann. | 8 | 1 |
| Bonifacio hit by pitch. | 8 | 1 |
| Burns hit for Cain. | 8 | 1 |
| Burns flied out to center. | 8 | 1 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Al Alburquerque pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Burns in center field. | 8 | 1 |
| Butera catching. | 8 | 1 |
| Torres at shortstop. | 8 | 1 |
| Alburquerque relieved McCarthy. | 8 | 1 |
| Castellanos struck out swinging. | 8 | 1 |
| Upton flied out to center. | 8 | 1 |
| Cabrera grounded out to first. | 8 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| Warwick Saupold pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Hosmer homered to right (413 feet). | 8 | 2 |
| Butera walked. | 8 | 2 |
| Stumpf relieved Saupold. | 8 | 2 |
| Moustakas lined out to second. | 8 | 2 |
| Torres grounded out to shortstop, Butera to second. | 8 | 2 |
| Moss walked. | 8 | 2 |
| Gordon flied out to left. | 8 | 2 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Neftali Feliz pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Feliz relieved Alburquerque. | 8 | 2 |
| Presley doubled to deep right. | 8 | 2 |
| Martínez singled to right, Presley scored. | 9 | 2 |
| Mahtook singled to right center, Martínez to second. | 9 | 2 |
| Avila grounded out to first, Martínez to third, Mahtook to second. | 9 | 2 |
| Iglesias singled to shallow center, Martínez scored, Mahtook to third. | 10 | 2 |
| Kinsler grounded into double play, third to second to first, Iglesias out at second. | 10 | 2 |
| 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 9th | SCORE | |
| Chad Bell pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Bell relieved Stumpf. | 10 | 2 |
| Merrifield grounded out to shortstop. | 10 | 2 |
| Bonifacio walked. | 10 | 2 |
| Burns popped out to second. | 10 | 2 |
| Hardy relieved Bell. | 10 | 2 |
| Bonifacio to second on fielder's indifference. | 10 | 2 |
| Hosmer grounded out to second. | 10 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit Tigers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Kinsler 2B | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | .242 | .327 | .399 |
| Castellanos 3B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 23 | .247 | .315 | .441 |
| Upton LF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | .267 | .355 | .489 |
| Cabrera 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | .263 | .356 | .439 |
| Martinez RF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | .305 | .388 | .630 |
Presley RF
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .299 | .365 | .418 |
| Martínez DH | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 19 | .260 | .329 | .366 |
| Mahtook CF | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 23 | .276 | .293 | .434 |
| Avila C | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21 | .297 | .424 | .523 |
| Iglesias SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | .255 | .285 | .349 |
| Totals | 39 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 175 | |||
| BATTING 2B: Kinsler (13, Vargas); Presley (5, Feliz) 3B: Kinsler 2 (3, Vargas 2) HR: Castellanos (12, 2nd inning off Vargas 1 on, 1 Out); Mahtook (5, 3rd inning off Vargas 1 on, 0 Out) RBI: Martínez 3 (36), Kinsler (24), Castellanos 2 (49), Mahtook 2 (19), Iglesias 2 (27) SF: Iglesias 2-out RBI: Martínez 2 GIDP: Kinsler 2 Tigers RISP: 6-15 (Kinsler 0-2, Cabrera 0-1, Martínez 2-2, Avila 1-2, Castellanos 2-3, Martinez 0-2, Iglesias 1-1, Mahtook 0-1, Upton 0-1) Team LOB: 9 | ||||||||||
Game Notes
| SS ESCOBAR (HIT BY PITCH) LEFT GAME BOT 7TH |
| RF J.D. MARTINEZ (LOWER BACK TIGHTNESS) LEFT GAME BOT 6TH |
Game Information
| Stadium | Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO |
| Attendance | 26,359 (69.5% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:29 |
| Weather | 92 degrees, clear |
| Wind | 8 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Tom Hallion, First Base - Phil Cuzzi, Second Base - Vic Carapazza, Third Base - Mark Ripperger |
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