KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Talk about limping to the finish line.
The Tigers won the baseball game Saturday night, stopping their five-game losing skid with a 4-3 win over the Royals, but in the process lost not one but two Castros early in the game.
They preserved the skinny lead with a makeshift infield that featured catcher Austin Romine at first base and utility man Brandon Dixon at second.
Shortstop Willi Castro strained his right shoulder on a pair of swings-and-misses in the second inning. He finished the at-bat _ poking an RBI single up the middle _ but was lifted for a pinch-runner.
Harold Castro, who started at first base, also hurt himself swinging, in the fourth inning. Initial report from the Tigers was lower back tightness.
Thus, the Tigers lost the first two hitters in their lineup by the fourth inning. Niko Goodrum moved from second base to shortstop and Dixon was inserted at second. Romine, who has played 20 games at first but none since 2017, was pretty much the only option to play first _ other than DH Miguel Cabrera or former first baseman now reliever Nick Ramirez.
With first baseman Jeimer Candelario already on the injured list, the Tigers had no other infielder on the bench. Sergio Alcantara, who is with the team but on the taxi squad, will likely be activated for the game Sunday.
Before the Castros departed, the Tigers built an early lead, scoring three times in the first. With two outs, Goodrum singled home Harold Castro and Romine doubled in Cabrera and Goodrum.
After a walk to Isaac Paredes, rookie Derek Hill slapped a single to left _ his first big league hit. Romine tried to make it Hill's first big-league RBI, too. Unfortunately, he tried to score from second against the arm of Royals left fielder Alex Gordon.
It ended up being a retirement gift for Gordon _ who threw out Romine by a lot. It was the 102nd outfield assist for Gordon, who will play the final game of his career Sunday.
Willi Castro's hit in the second inning plated the fourth run and provided a nice cushion for lefty Matthew Boyd. And in his final start of a mostly-rocky 2020 season, he pitched a gritty and quality six innings.
Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi continued to be a pain in the Tigers backside, though. He homered off Boyd in the first inning, doubled in a run and scored another in the third. After Boyd walked him in the fifth, Mondesi had tied a Royals record by reaching base 11 straight times.
The streak ended in the seventh, finally, when Joe Jimenez struck him out.
Still, Boyd held the lead. He fed the Royals a steady diet of breaking balls and off-speed pitches _ 22 change-ups, 12 sliders, 11 curveballs. The average exit velocity on the 20 balls put in play against him was a soft 75 mph.
He turned a 4-3 lead over to the bullpen.
Jimenez got through the seventh, pitching around a one-out double by Whit Merrifield, who had three hits for the Royals. Jose Cisnero worked a clean eighth.
That left it up to closer Bryan Garcia, who upped the anxiety level by walking Alex Gordon to start the ninth. Speedy Nick Heath pinch-ran and took off for second base on the second pitch.
Catcher Eric Haase, who came into the game when Romine moved to first, threw a one-hop seed to second and Goodrum made a deft pick and tag. It was just the ninth runner the Tigers have nabbed trying to steal this season.
He got Merrifield on a ground out to end the game and notch his fourth save.
The Tigers still don't know if the game Sunday will be their last for 2020. The St. Louis Cardinals still haven't clinched a postseason spot. They were shutout by the Brewers Saturday night.
If the Cardinals win Sunday (they start at 3:05 p.m.), the make-up doubleheader at Comerica Park Monday won't be played. If they lose, it's game on.
