DETROIT _ Detroit continued to be a house of horrors for the Royals, and even their young ace pitcher Brad Keller wasn't immune to the club's Motor City malaise.
The Royals lost, 5-2, against the Tigers in the second game of their series in front of an announced 21,475 at Comerica Park on Friday night.
Not including the suspended game, the Royals have lost nine of their last 10. They have dropped the first two games of this series, and they've lost seven of eight games in Detroit.
Both Royals runs on Friday came via solo home runs, one that didn't leave the park.
Royals leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield smoked a 2-2 pitch to center field for an inside-the-park home run in the first at-bat of the game.
Merrifield, who also hit an inside-the-park homer against the White Sox on July 16, became the first Royals player with multiple inside-the-park home runs in a season since Mark Teahen in 2008. Merrifield is also the first right-handed since Frank White in 1975 to do it twice in a season for the Royals.
Jorge Soler's ninth-inning solo homer provided the only other run for the Royals (41-76).
Tigers starter Edwin Jackson (2-5) made his 2019 debut with the Tigers (35-78), but he first pitched in the majors in 2003. He's played for 13 major league teams in his career. Jackson faced the Royals for the 11th time in his career.
Jackson, who pitched for their club's Triple-A affiliate last week, held the Royals to one run on four hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four.
Keller (7-12) finished the night having allowed five runs on 10 hits, three walks and two wild pitches in 6 innings. He also struck out six.
