| SEASON | CAREER |
| W12 | 119 |
| L7 | 64 |
| G26 | 225 |
| IP190.2 | 1506.0 |
| BB47 | 457 |
| SO192 | 1407 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W7 | 13 |
| L9 | 18 |
| G23 | 61 |
| IP124.2 | 223.0 |
| BB49 | 87 |
| SO73 | 123 |
Justin Verlander was roughed up in his last start in Kansas City and it didn't bother him at all.
The Detroit Tigers ace would probably have a much different reaction if that happened during the heat of a pennant race.
Making his first start at Kauffman Stadium since last month's All-Star game, Verlander goes for a sixth consecutive winning decision against the Royals in Tuesday night's series opener.
Given the start by AL manager Ron Washington , Verlander was tagged for five first-inning runs in an 8-0 loss to the NL on July 10. The reigning MVP and Cy Young Award winner's decision to hit triple digits on the radar gun instead of treating it like the first inning of a normal start didn't produce good results.
"I was able to laugh at it right away," Verlander said. "Obviously, you don't want to go out like that, but I had fun. That's why I don't try to throw 100 (mph) in the first inning, but this is for the fans. It doesn't usually work out too well for me."
Whatever Verlander (12-7, 2.50 ERA) has done against the Royals has worked out well considering he's 14-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 21 starts in the series.
The right-hander, who has won four straight starts at Kansas City, had won five in a row overall in this AL Central matchup before yielding two runs in eight innings of Detroit's 3-2 home loss May 2. That's the Tigers' lone defeat in eight meetings with the Royals (56-71) this season.
The Tigers (69-58) have a favorable schedule down the stretch with 10 more games against Kansas City and six apiece against Minnesota and Cleveland as they try to chase down Central-leading Chicago.
Detroit hosts the White Sox following this three-game set.
"We have to try to figure out some way to play better than the White Sox," manager Jim Leyland said. "They've been answering every bell so far."
Miguel Cabrera , among the AL's best with 32 homers and 106 RBIs, didn't answer the bell for the first time this season in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels . A sore right ankle kept him out, but the Tigers slugger is expected back at third base during this series. He was the designated hitter Friday and Saturday.
"I think this (break) did wonders for him," Leyland told the Tigers' official website. "It has nothing to do with the fact that we won the game."
Back from a 2-5 trip, the Royals - who were swept in the Tigers' last visit April 16-18 - open a 10-game homestand with Luis Mendoza (7-9, 4.26) on the mound. The right-hander had won back-to-back starts before walking four in his last outing, Wednesday's 5-3 loss at Tampa Bay.
"I struggled with my command," Mendoza said. "... In baseball, the base on balls hurt you."
Mendoza has won three straight home starts and the Royals have won six of seven at Kauffman Stadium.
Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder has walked five times - three intentionally - against Kansas City this season while also driving in nine runs. He's never faced Mendoza.
Royals DH Billy Butler , one homer shy of 100 for his career, is a .387 hitter (12 for 31) against Detroit in 2012. He's 16 for 46 (.348) with two home runs and four doubles versus Verlander.
Left fielder Alex Gordon 's chances of recording a fifth consecutive two-hit game don't look good as he's 7 for 39 (.179) with 15 strikeouts against the Tigers ace.
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AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPSERAQSSOBBSVBSBAAWHIPE
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Alex Avila | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .667 | .667 | .000 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 5 | .400 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1.500 | 1.000 |
| Andy Dirks | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | 1.000 | .667 |
| Austin Jackson | 5 | .600 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .667 | 1.667 | 1.000 |
| Don Kelly | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .400 | .200 |
| Gerald Laird | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jhonny Peralta | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ryan Raburn | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .500 | 2.000 | 1.500 |
| Ramon Santiago | 5 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Danny Worth | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Delmon Young | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | 28 | .250 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .276 | .669 | .393 |
| Billy Butler | 46 | .348 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | .400 | .965 | .565 |
| Jarrod Dyson | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .500 | .833 | .333 |
| Alcides Escobar | 14 | .143 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | .464 | .214 |
| Jeff Francoeur | 20 | .250 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | .250 | .700 | .450 |
| Chris Getz | 22 | .273 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .304 | .668 | .364 |
| Alex Gordon | 39 | .179 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 15 | .256 | .564 | .308 |
| Eric Hosmer | 15 | .133 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | .235 | .435 | .200 |
| Mitch Maier | 11 | .273 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .333 | .606 | .273 |
| Mike Moustakas | 12 | .083 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .154 | .237 | .083 |
| Brayan Pena | 9 | .111 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .111 | .333 | .222 |
| Humberto Quintero | 4 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
 Detroit Tigers |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 23, 2012 | Doug Fister | Day-to-Day | Tightness in right groin |
| August 23, 2012 | Miguel Cabrera | Day-to-Day | Left game - Right ankle soreness |
| August 01, 2012 | Ryan Raburn | 15-Day DL | Sprained right thumb |
| July 07, 2012 | Drew Smyly | 15-Day DL | Right intercostal strain |
| July 07, 2012 | Drew Smyly | 15-Day DL | Right intercostal strain |
| July 02, 2012 | Max Scherzer | Day-to-Day | Left hamstring soreness |
 Kansas City Royals |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 18, 2012 | Chris Getz | 15-Day DL | Broken left thumb |
| August 17, 2012 | Chris Getz | Day-to-Day | Left game - fractured left thumb |
| July 28, 2012 | Mike Moustakas | Day-to-Day | Left game - sprained right knee |
| July 05, 2012 | Luke Hochevar | Day-to-Day | Sprained right ankle |
| June 18, 2012 | Chris Getz | 15-Day DL | Lateral strain in lower left leg |
| June 18, 2012 | Chris Getz | 15-Day DL | Lateral strain in lower left leg |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Mike Moustakas had a difficult road trip, then had to face Justin Verlander when the Kansas City Royals kicked off a 10-game homestand on Tuesday night.
Not exactly a recipe for a big performance, but the young slugger sure delivered.
Moustakas had three hits and three RBIs and the Royals roughed up Verlander in a 9-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers .
Verlander, the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, was charged with eight earned runs, matching his career high, in 5 2-3 innings. It was the third time in Verlander's career he had surrendered eight earned runs and first since April 6, 2009, at Toronto.
"Clearly, I wasn't good enough," Verlander said. "I missed on location a little bit, but not necessarily up. Most of the hard-hit balls they hit were in that first inning because I missed on location. I felt from there forward I made some pretty good pitches and let them put the ball in play in the right spots."
Jhonny Peralta hit a tying solo homer for Detroit in the eighth, but the Royals responded in the bottom half.
Billy Butler hit a one-out single for his third hit of the game and was replaced by Lorenzo Cain , who swiped second. Salvador Perez then fouled out against Brayan Villarreal (3-4) and Phil Coke came in to face Moustakas, who doubled down the right-field line to give the Royals a 9-8 lead.
"I got a hanging slider and hooked it down the line," said Moustakas, who was 1 for 23 on the Royals' just concluded trip. "I was able to stay on it and sneak it past Prince (Fielder).
"Me and Seitz (hitting coach Kevin Seitzer ) were in the cage a lot today to get myself in a good position to hit and it paid off today. I felt a lot more relaxed at the plate and a lot more confident because I was able to see the ball, see it and not just swing."
Aaron Crow (3-1) got the win despite allowing Peralta's 10th homer and Greg Holland worked out of a jam to earn his eighth save in 10 opportunities.
Austin Jackson led off the Detroit ninth with a walk and advanced to third on a groundout and wild pitch. After Miguel Cabrera struck out and Fielder was walked intentionally, Delmon Young hit Holland's next pitch just outside the right-field pole. Tigers manager Jim Leyland wanted it reviewed and after looking at replays, it was ruled a foul ball. Young lined out to left on the next pitch.
"I was just going to take my chances with Young," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I no more got in the dugout and turned to Dave (pitching coach Dave Eiland ) and said, `I hope this works.' Then boom. As soon as it was hit, I couldn't tell if it wasn't fair or foul. I went in and I watched the replay and I could see that it was definitely foul."
Jackson went 3 for 3 and scored three times for the Tigers, who stayed two games back of the AL Central-leading White Sox. Fielder and Young each had two RBIs.
After striking out his first two hitters, Verlander allowed seven runs on 10 hits to the next 13 batters, throwing 56 pitches in the first two innings. The Royals batted around in a four-run second.
"We did a great job against him," Yost said. "We had a good approach against him. Justin is probably saying he wasn't real sharp tonight, but you take advantage when you can. We put seven runs up and that's a great job against a pitcher of his caliber.
"It was one of those starts where we put together a good first inning and a good second inning and kind of held on from there."
Alex Gordon doubled and scored in the first, then doubled home two runs in the second. It was his fifth consecutive multihit game and gave him a major league-leading 44 doubles.
Perez's second double in the sixth scored Jarrod Dyson and chased Verlander after the right-hander yielded 12 hits, one shy of his career high set Aug. 11, 2006, against the Chicago White Sox in his rookie season.
The Royals' 2-through-6 hitters - Alcides Escobar , Gordon, Butler, Perez and Moustakas - combined for 12 hits and nine RBIs.
Verlander entered with a 9-2 record and a 1.83 ERA in 13 career starts at Kauffman Stadium and a 14-2 overall record against the Royals.
Detroit scored three times in the first. Andy Dirks doubled in Jackson and scored on Young's two-out homer off Luis Mendoza .
The Royals responded with three runs in the bottom half, capped by Moustakas' two-run single.
Mendoza gave up six runs and seven hits in five innings.
NOTES: Royals LHP Bruce Chen will start Wednesday against the Tigers. Chen received treatment after rolling his right ankle when he stepped on a ball in the outfield Monday at Boston in pregame drills. ... Royals minor league 1B Mark Donato, a 26th-round pick in June, received a 50-game suspension from the commissioner's office after testing positive for an amphetamine. Donato was hitting .253 with three home runs in 38 games for Surprise in the rookie Arizona League.
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Detroit Tigers
