Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Match Player Stats On Apr 23, 2021

Andrew Benintendi and Ryan O'Hearn each hit their first homers of the season, Jorge Soler had a two-run double, and the Kansas City Royals topped the host Detroit Tigers 6-2 on Friday.

Benintendi had two hits and scored twice, while O'Hearn -- making his season debut -- reached base three times. Whit Merrifield had two hits, a run scored and an RBI.

Mike Minor (2-1) struck out nine batters in 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on four hits. A quartet of relievers finished out the game.

Detroit starter Casey Mize (1-2) surrendered six runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Reliever Tyler Anderson tossed 2 1/3 hitless innings.

Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer to account for the Tigers' runs. Detroit has lost seven of its last eight games.

Mize induced Hunter Dozier to hit into a double play in the second inning, but the Royals still put a run on the board. Benintendi pounded a fastball to the opposite field and it barely cleared the left-field fence.

Benintendi also made a diving catch in the bottom of the inning to rob Wilson Ramos of an extra-base hit.

There was a case of deja vu in the top of the fourth. Soler hit into a double play, but O'Hearn jumped on a Mize splitter and hit it over the right-field wall to make it 2-0.

In the bottom of the inning, Minor walked the leadoff hitter, Niko Goodrum. He stole second but was thrown out at third a few pitches later by catcher Salvador Perez when Minor bounced a breaking pitch.

Kansas City broke the game open with four runs off Mize in the fifth.

Benintendi and Michael A. Taylor started off the inning with singles. Nicky Lopez's groundout brought in Benintendi and Merrifield's single scored Taylor. Carlos Santana drew his second walk of the game. Perez popped out, but Soler's two-run double to left ended Mize's night.

Grossman put the Tigers on the board with his one-out, two-run shot to left in the bottom of the fifth. Jeimer Candelario led off the inning with a double.

--Field Level Media