Field Level Media
May 21, 2021
Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs, including his sixth career grand slam, as the Detroit Tigers defeated the host Kansas City Royals 7-5 Friday night.
Cabrera finished the night 3-for-5.
Jose Urena (2-4) earned the win despite allowing five runs on 10 hits in six innings. He struck out one and walked none.
Michael Fulmer pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his fourth save in as many chances.
The Royals, leading 5-3, looked as if they would get out of a bases-loaded, no-outs situation in the seventh before Cabrera connected with two outs.
The first out was recorded when JaCoby Jones was retired at home when a pitch got away from catcher Salvador Perez, but Perez got it to pitcher Tyler Zuber (0-1) in time to nab the runner.
Zuber walked the next batter before getting a strikeout. Greg Holland relieved Zuber and gave up Cabrera's second homer of the night, his fourth of the season, 491st of his career and the 34th of his career against the Royals.
Cabrera led off the second with a homer. Both of his long balls went to left-center field.
The Royals came back with two runs in the third. Kelvin Gutierrez led off with a single, but he was still standing on first with two outs. Whit Merrifield singled Gutierrez to third, a passed ball moved Merrifield to second, and a two-run, opposite-field roller against the shift by Carlos Santana gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead.
The Tigers got two runs on four hits to retake the lead in the fourth. Jeimer Candelario led off with a double. With one out, Eric Haase, Niko Goodrum and Wilson Ramos each singled, with Goodrum and Ramos driving in runs.
The Royals scored three runs in the sixth. Perez led off with a double. Ryan O'Hearn's one-out single tied the score, and then Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run home run on the 10th pitch of his at-bat, giving Kansas City a 5-3 lead.
Cabrera's slam put the Tigers on top for good.
--Field Level Media