DETROIT _ One can be fun, but two is just a blast. And the two big, young right-handed power hitters in the middle of the Royals' lineup certainly had a blast in the final game of their series in Detroit.
The Royals' No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Hunter Dozier and Jorge Soler, smashed two home runs apiece and went back-to-back in the eighth inning as the Royals hammered the Detroit Tigers into submission in the late innings of a 10-2 win in front of an announced 19,790 at Comerica Park Sunday afternoon.
The Royals (43-76) salvaged a split of the four-game series after having lost the first two games. The win also meant the Royals went 3-6 on the 10-game road trip, with one suspended game in extra innings against the Boston Red Sox still unfinished.
Soler moved to within three of tying Mike Moustakas' single-season franchise record for home runs (38, set in 2017), and he hit seven during the three-city road trip. Dozier clubbed six homers during the 10 games away from Kauffman Stadium. Dozier now has 22 homers this season.
Soler collected five RBIs to bring his team-leading total to 87, while Dozier now has 66.
Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis (8-10) turned in his 11th quality start of the season and moved within one of his win total from last season. He allowed two runs on six hits and didn't walk a batter in six innings.
Coming on the heels of Mike Montgomery's seven-inning scoreless outing on Sunday, the Royals had back-to-back starters pitch at least six innings without a walk for the first time since Eric Skoglund and Heath Fillmyer did it on Sept. 18-19.
The Royals will have Monday off before they start a five-game homestand with two games against the St. Louis Cardinals.
