The Tigers were down 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning and down to their final two outs. They were 2-39 this season when trailing after seven innings, so it looked bleak. But Victor Martinez walked. Andrew Romine ran for him and stole second base.
Mikie Mahtook, who isn't supposed to be able to hit right-handed pitching, slammed a 1-2 fastball from Herrera 419 feet over the wall in center field ? 3-2 Tigers.
Detroit Tigers closer Justin Wilson blew his first save in more than two months in the bottom of the ninth.
Mahtook crushed a two-run home run to dead center in the ninth inning to give the Tigers what would have been their first ninth-inning comeback victory of the season.
The blast was the Tigers' first homer that turned a deficit into a lead in the ninth inning or later since J.D. Martinez hit a three-run home run while trailing 2-0 in the ninth on Sept. 16, 2014 at Minnesota.
The Tigers are now 0-43 when trailing after eight innings. They also missed a chance to extend their win streak to a season-long five games.
NOTABLE
Newly recalled outfielder Jim Adduci started in right field and hit seventh for the Tigers on Wednesday. He went 0-for-2 before being removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Royals designated hitter Brandon Moss entered the game 6-for-30 with 16 strikeouts against Verlander. But three of those six hits were home runs. Moss hit a solo shot in the third inning to put Kansas City on the board. It was the Royals' only extra-base hit until they took the lead in the seventh inning.
Verlander kept the game tied in the sixth inning with a runner on second and two outs. He made a sudden spin move to pick-off Jorge Bonifacio, who had gotten too careless with his secondary lead.
That pick-off left Salvador Perez holding a bat at home plate. He led off the seventh with a liner to left field. Justin Upton attempted an unsuccessful diving catch, and Perez took third as the ball bounced to the fence.
Perez scored the go-ahead run when Mike Moustakas rapped a 3-0 pitch up the middle.
Verlander remains winless in his past four starts. He retired 14 of the first 16 batters he faced. He allowed the solo home run to Moss and a two-out single to Whit Merrifield in the third.
Verlander allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Picked off: The Royals had something brewing in a 1-1 game off Tigers starter Justin Verlander in the bottom of the sixth. Whit Merrifield singled, and after a fielder's choice by Jorge Bonifacio, Lorenzo Cain walked (his 37th, tying a career-high). But Eric Hosmer lined out to the warning track in left, and then Verlander turned and picked off Bonifacio at second base, ending the threat. It was Verlander's first pickoff this season.
"That's something that Ver puts on with the middle infielders at times," Ausmus said. "He's pretty good at it. He sells it."
Ill-advised dive: The Royals took a 2-1 lead in the seventh when Salvador Perez sent a sinking liner to left field. Tigers left fielder Justin Upton raced in and over, and launched a fully extended dive, but missed. The ball rolled to the fence and Perez chugged into third with his first triple since May 23, 2016. Mike Moustakas then went after a 3-0 fastball from Verlander and singled Perez in.
"I saw a guy trying to make a play on a ball, all-out effort, sacrifice his body," Ausmus said. "Sometimes it happens and it gets by a guy, but he certainly had a shot at catching it."
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/tigers-...511#game_state=final,game_tab=box,game=491511
Boxscore.
http://m.mlb.com/det/video/search?team_id=116&tagName=Detroit Tigers
Webvideo Highlights and lowlights of the Tigers loss to the royals.
ROARS:
Mikie Mahtook: His two-run homer should have been the shining moment of this game, week, and maybe the entire season. It?s not his fault they lost.
Justin Verlander: We haven?t seen many outings like this from Verlander this season. He gave up two runs on six hits in seven innings, and struck out eight to just one walk. He deserved the win.
Bruce Rondon: He gave up a two-out double to Lorenzo Cain, but otherwise looked sharp in his lone inning of work. The scoreless inning turned out to be big for a moment.
HISSES:
The offense, sans Mahtook: Jason Hammel had a career 8.02 ERA in 10 outings against the Tigers heading into this game, but Detroit was only able to manage four hits (all singles) off him in 6 1⁄3 innings. They only had two hits off him after the first inning.
Justin Wilson: That wasn?t the best time to have an off night.