DETROIT — Ten games and counting.
The Tigers' offensive futility continued Sunday, losing for the third straight day to the Central Division-leading Kansas City Royals, 4-0 at Comerica Park.
Lefty starter Danny Duffy shut out the Tigers over five innings and the bullpen took it the rest of the way, with three relievers allowing one single over the final four innings.
In losing nine of their last 10 games, the Tigers have scored exactly 18 runs and been shutout three times. With (13) more Sunday, they have struck out 102 times in that span.
Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-4 and struck out three times in his return. He’d missed 11 games with a left biceps strain.
The game turned when the Tigers put together three singles and came up dry in the bottom of the fourth and the Royals pushed across a run with just two singles in the top of the fifth.
Niko Goodrum led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and was thrown out by catcher Salvador Perez trying to steal second.
Jeimer Candelario singled with two outs and Wilson Ramos lined a bullet off the left field fence that looked like it might bring Candelario home.
But Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi must’ve had a flashback from his years playing for the Red Sox in front of the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Because he fielded the carom off the fence expertly, not only holding Candelario at third, but holding Ramos to a long single, as well.
Willi Castro struck out to end the inning.
The Royals then broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth, cashing in on two singles and a key stolen base. And in the process, they gave rookie lefty Tarik Skubal a lesson in run-game management.
Michael A. Taylor led off with a bloop single and Nicky Lopez sacrificed him to second. Royals manager Mike Matheny no doubt picked up on a pitch pattern Skubal had fallen into. He’d thrown first-pitch off-speed pitches (either a slider or knuckle-curve) to three of the last four hitters.
So when Skubal started Whit Merrifield off with a knuckle-curve, Taylor stole third base easily. He scored when Merrifield blooped one over the Tigers’ drawn-in infield.
For good measure, Merrifield stole second off Skubal without a throw from Ramos. Skubal had thrown over to first three times, too, to hold Merrifield. Skubal buckled down and got Carlos Santana and Perez to end the inning.
Skubal, who worked 2.2 innings in tandem with Michael Fulmer who pitched three scoreless innings on three days of rest, didn’t get out of the sixth inning. Hunter Dozier hit a two-out home run to left and Benintendi singled to end his day.
The Royals tacked on two more off reliever Buck Farmer in the ninth on a two-run single by Carlos Santana. Lopez reached on a shift-busting single and Merrifield on an infield single.
Merrifield stole second to set the table for Santana. The Royals stole four bases and advanced on two wild pitches.
The Tigers, now 7-15, managed only five singles. The Royals used Kyle Zimmer, Jake Brentz and 35-year-old Wade Davis to finish the game.
