Brady Singer helps Royals blank Tigers 4-0

Kansas City right-hander Brady Singer extended his dominance over the Detroit Tigers with seven shutout innings Sunday as the host Kansas City Royals averted a three-game sweep with a 4-0 victory.

Singer (8-4) scattered four hits, struck out six and walked one in running his career record against the Tigers to 6-0 in 10 starts, while dropping his ERA against them to 2.44. Singer induced 13 groundouts vs. one flyout and over his last seven starts, he is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA.

Kansas City rookie Drew Waters doubled in two runs in the second inning and Michael Massey launched a solo home run in the fourth. Nick Pratto also had an RBI for the Royals (57-84).

Detroit left-hander Tyler Alexander (3-10) was making his first-career start against Kansas City after nine relief appearances. He gave up four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

The Tigers' best chance to get on the board came in the seventh inning when Spencer Torkelson doubled to left field with one out and took third on a wild pitch. But Singer struck out Kerry Carpenter and got Jonathan Schoop to ground out.

The Tigers (54-86) had only two batters reach base after the second inning.

The Royals scored in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez hit singles with one out. Witt scored on Pratto's sacrifice fly. Witt finished with two of Kansas City's seven hits.

Kansas City tacked on two more in the second, aided by Alexander's wildness. He gave up a leadoff walk to Michael A. Taylor, and appeared to have a path out of trouble with two groundouts, the first that pushed Taylor second.

But Alexander hit Nate Eaton with a pitch, and Waters made the Tigers pay with a double to right to bring in both runners. It was Waters' first hit in 12 at-bats against the Tigers this season.

Massey's homer to lead off the fourth was his second of the season.

Dylan Coleman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with one strikeout for the Royals, and in a non-save situation, closer Scott Barlow retired all three batters he faced in the ninth to complete the shutout.