Tigers defeat Royals 7-3 as Jobe shines on the mound

DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers secured a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, thanks to strong performances from Tomás Nido, Andy Ibáñez, and rookie pitcher Jackson Jobe. Jobe pitched five solid innings, allowing only one run on five hits, improving his record to 2-0.

Nido led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, hitting his first homer with the Tigers in the second inning to tie the game. Andy Ibáñez followed with a solo homer in the fourth to give the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish.

Spencer Torkelson contributed with a two-run double in the seventh inning, marking his 13th extra-base hit this season, the highest in the American League. The Tigers added more insurance in the fifth with three runs, including RBI singles from Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney.

Defensively, the Royals struggled as Cole Ragans, their starter, gave up five runs on six hits in just four innings, marking an end to his strong streak of three consecutive starts with ten or more strikeouts. He struck out eight batters in this game, leading all major league pitchers with 39 strikeouts this season.

The Royals managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Tigers’ reliever Tommy Kahnle struck out Cavan Biggio and retired Drew Waters to seal the win. Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 11 games, scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino‘s double in the first inning.

Despite the effort, the Royals have now lost five straight games and fell to 1-7 on their current 10-game road trip. RHP Seth Lugo is set to start for the Royals in the next game of the four-game series, while the Tigers will counter with RHP Casey Mize.