DETROIT _ The Detroit Tigers were a strike away from extending their winning streak to six games.
But closer Francisco Rodriguez surrendered five runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Tigers went on to lose, 7-4, to the Kansas City Royals Saturday at Comerica Park.
Paulo Orlando hit a game-tying two-run double to center off Rodriguez. Rodriguez later surrendered a three-run home run to Eric Hosmer.
The Tigers scored three runs on 10 hits off of Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura in four-plus innings. Ventura allowed two walks and struck out six batters. He left the game with lower back tightness/spasms after giving up a double to Justin Upton in the top of the fifth.
Lefty Daniel Norris allowed two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers. He walked two and struck out six.
Kendrys Morales became the first player to reach 30 home runs for the Royals since Jermaine Dye hit 33 in 2000. Morales hit a solo home run off Norris in the top of the sixth, cutting the Tigers' lead to 3-2.
The Tigers fell behind 1-0 in the top of the second on a sac fly to left by Alcides Escobar that scored Morales.
Ian Kinsler went 3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, and Cameron Maybin went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored for the Tigers.
The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Kinsler led off with a single and went to third on a two-base throwing error by Ventura. Kinsler scored on a single on a ground ball to center by Maybin. With two on and one out, J.D. Martinez hit an RBI single to left.
Maybin added an RBI single to center to score Jose Iglesias in the fourth, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
The Tigers had the bases loaded with one out after the Royals intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera, but Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez each struck out.
J.D. Martinez hit a two-out RBI single to left to score Maybin in the sixth to put the Tigers ahead, 4-2.
That wasn't a big enough lead, though.
Rodriguez gave up a leadoff single to Alex Gordon, then a one-out single to Hunter Dozier in the ninth. Daniel Nava pinch-hit for Raul Mondesi and struck out swinging. But Orlando delivered the game-tying hit.
