The streak is snapped. Facing a 10-game losing streak, which would have been the Detroit Tigers? longest since 2003, they beat the Royals, 4-1, on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Daniel Norris threw five scoreless innings to pick up his first victory in more than three months as the Detroit Tigers snapped a season-high nine-game losing streak by beating the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Thursday night.
Norris, who was banished to the bullpen at the beginning of the month, allowed two hits and needed only 54 pitches to get through five innings.
For Norris, it was his first win since June 16. The Tigers had lost eight straight games that he appeared in.
Norris (5-8) gave up two hits in five innings. He was 0-4 in four starts and four relief appearances since a June 16 triumph over Tampa Bay.
?I think it definitely showed me something for sure,? he said. ?You don?t always have to throw 95 (m.p.h.) to get outs. It wasn?t comfortable but I guess it got the job done tonight.?
It was the first time this season he walked no batters in a start. He struck out one. Norris threw 54 pitches over five innings and wanted to keep pitching, but the Tigers wisely ended his season on a high note there.
Norris finished the season with a 5.31 ERA in 22 games ? 18 starts. It was a season in which he was primed for a breakout that didn?t come ? thanks to consistency issues and fighting the groin issue ? but a season that he learned a lot. After all, he found his way back into the starting rotation to end the season and figures to be a key cog in that rotation going forward.
Daniel Stumpf and Drew VerHagen, both of whom were tagged for a combined three runs on Wednesday, earned some redemption.
Relievers Daniel Stump, Drew VerHagen and Shane Greene held the Royals scoreless over the final three innings. The bullpen?s only blemish was righty Warwick Saupold allowing a solo home run to Paulo Orlando in the sixth inning.
Greene picked up his eighth save in 12 opportunities, but not before giving up a single and a walk.
The Tigers had been outscored 68-39 in their losing streak, which was their longest since dropping nine straight Sept. 1-9, 2005.
Nicholas Castellanos' fifth-inning double with the bases loaded scored Alex Presley, JaCoby Jones and Dixon Machado. Jones singled home Andrew Romine with the first run of the inning.
In the third inning, center fielder JaCoby Jones stole an RBI single from Whit Merrifield. With Paulo Orlando (double) on third with two outs, Merrifield hit a sinking line drive. Jones charged in hard and caught the ball at his knees.
Jones covered a lot of earth in the game. He made six putouts, ranging from gap to gap.
He also ignited the Tigers? four-run fifth inning with an RBI single off Danny Duffy. Andrew Romine (walk) and Alex Presley (single) set the table.
Then, after Jones singled, Dixon Machado walked to load the bases. Nick Castellanos cleared them with a line-drive double off the fence in left field.
Castellanos, after fouling off a 3-2 fastball from Duffy, stayed back on an 83-mph off-speed pitch and whacked it over Alex Gordon?s head. The three RBIs put Castellanos at 99 for the season.
Race for the No. 1 pick: With the win, the Tigers hurt their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in next year?s MLB Draft. Both the Phillies and Giants ? their prime competition for the spot ? were idle on Thursday.
https://www.mlb.com/tigers/video/castellanos-clears-the-bases/c-1854528183?tid=8877502
Webvideo Highlights of the Tigers win over the royals.
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/tigers-...nal,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=492477
Boxscore.
ROARS:
Nicholas Castellanos: After his bases clearing double, Castellanos now has 99 RBI on the season.
Daniel Norris: Norris only notched one strikeout in five innings, but did not walk a batter and was otherwise very efficient in a solid outing.
The bullpen: Hey, we don?t get to say this one often.
HISSES:
Nah.
STATS AND INFO:
The White Sox also won on Thursday, leaving them three games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central standings with three games to play. If the Tigers lose one more game, they are guaranteed a top-3 pick in next year?s MLB draft.
The Phillies were off on Thursday. They are 64-95 on the year, one game better than Detroit. As of Friday morning, the Tigers would have the No. 2 pick in next year?s MLB draft. The San Francisco Giants are one game clear of Detroit at 62-97. They host the San Diego Padres over the weekend.