KC Royals unable to hold lead, lose 6-5 at Tigers in second game of series

The Kansas City Royals were on the receiving end of another bullpen collapse on Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers.

The Royals held a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning. The late frames were set up perfectly with veteran reliever Chris Stratton coming on in a high-leverage role.

Stratton, however, failed to protect the lead. The Tigers scored five runs in the inning and held on for a 6-5 victory over the Royals at Comerica Park.

The loss put an end to the Royals’ four-game winning streak.

Stratton allowed four hits and surrendered a three-run homer to Tigers slugger Matt Vierling. The home run swayed momentum as the Royals fell behind.

KC (17-11) attempted to mount its own comeback in the ninth inning. Maikel Garcia collected an RBI groundout that cut the deficit. Then, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a RBI single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.

However, Tigers reliever Jason Foley retired Vinnie Pasquantino on a long flyout to end the game. Foley picked up his eighth save of the year.

Detroit improved to 15-12 on the season. Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer earned a no decision after pitching five innings and allowing one run.

KC will go for the series victory on Sunday afternoon.

Missed previous games of the series?

Game 1: Adam Frazier shines with HR robbery as Royals win 8-0 over Tigers

Web Gem: Inside Kyle Isbel’s incredible catch against the Toronto Blue Jays

Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:

Brady Singer battles feisty Tigers lineup

Singer kept the Tigers in check in the early going. Still, he was challenged across five innings of work.

The Tigers registered four hits and three walks against Singer. In the second inning, Zach McKinstry hit an RBI triple that scored Colt Keith.

Keith had worked a leadoff walk in the inning. Singer, who threw 59 of 93 pitches for strikes, limited any further trouble. He stranded McKinstry at third base by getting Javier Baez, Jake Rogers, and Riley Greene in order to end the threat.

In the fourth inning, Singer got Greene again. Singer induced a groundout as the Tigers left two more runners on base.

The Tigers were 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position in the game. Per Statcast, Singer generated 35 swings and eight whiffs in his outing.

Royals grab early lead in 1st inning

The Royals didn’t waste time getting on the scoreboard. Maikel Garcia led off the game with a single.

Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a single that advanced Garcia to third base. Next, Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino recorded an RBI groundout as KC took a 1-0 lead.

Later, Royals captain Salvador Perez added another run to the column. Perez drilled an RBI single against Tigers starter Casey Mize. It was Perez’s 838th career RBI as he surpassed Royals Hall of Famer Mike Sweeney for fifth on the all-time franchise list.

What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?

The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Tigers on Sunday.

Michael Wacha will pitch in the series finale against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Wacha owns a 3.81 ERA in five starts this season. He allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his last outing against the Toronto Blue Jays.