KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Edinson Volquez tossed seven sharp innings, Mike Moustakas went deep and the Kansas City Royals pounded Mike Pelfrey in a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night.
Volquez (3-0) retired the first eight batters and only had to wiggle out of one jam, when Alcides Escobar let a grounder go through his legs in the fourth inning. The Tigers went on to load the bases before Volquez struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia to end it.
Escobar atoned for his gaffe with a sacrifice fly off Pelfrey (0-3) in the bottom half of the fourth. Lorenzo Cain also drove in a run, and Kansas City tacked on another when a double-steal turned into an error on third baseman Nick Castellanos that allowed a run to scamper home.
Volquez scattered five hits and a walk while striking out five, while Pelfrey allowed all four runs — three of them earned — on eight hits and five walks in five innings
Volquez stuck to his track record of this season rather than his history against the Tigers.
The veteran right-hander has only allowed four runs over 24 2/3 innings, and the Royals have won all four games he’s started — though he had been just 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA against the Tigers.
He didn’t have much trouble with them Thursday night.
Volquez’s counterpart had all sorts of issues with the Royals, though. Pelfrey allowed five hits, two walks and two stolen bases to the first 12 batters he faced, though a timely double play and groundout with the bases loaded kept the damage to just one run.
The Royals left seven on base through the first four innings.
Despite the missed opportunities, they still managed to coax across some runs in Royals-like fashion. They slapped singles away from where the Tigers had shifted, laid down bunts to set up scoring chances and even showcased a little power on the homer by Moustakas in the fourth.
RAYS 12, RED SOX 8 Evan Longoria and Curt Casali hit home runs off David Price, and visiting Tampa Bay chased the ex-teammate in the fourth inning to beat Boston. The Rays, who entered the game with the fewest runs scored in the majors.
MARINERS 10, INDIANS 7 (10) Robinson Cano hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning off Cody Allen, lifting Seattle over host Cleveland. Cano had an earlier single and then an RBI double in the sixth before connecting with two outs for his sixth home run this season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
DODGERS 2, BRAVES 1 (10) Yasmani Grandal doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and visiting Los Angeles overcame a not-quite-overpowering performance by Clay ton Kershaw, beating Atlanta. Enrique Hernandez singled with one out against Alexi Ogando (1-1 and came around to score on Grandal’s shot off the center-field wall.
MARLINS 5, NATIONALS 1 Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, scored twice and made two sliding catches in right field for host Miami, which beat Max Scherzer and Washington. Bryce Harper hit his eighth home run for Washington.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, GIANTS 2 Yasmani Tomas hit a go-ahead home run in the fourth, Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs, and Arizona beat host San Francisco for a four-game sweep. Tyler Wagner (1-0) allowed two hits in five relief innings of Shelby Miller as Arizona wrapped up a 7-3 road trip with a fifth consecutive victory.
INTERLEAGUE
TWINS 8, BREWERS 1 Ricky Nolasco struck out 7 and allowed 5 hits over 6-plus innings, and visiting Minnesota Twins snapped a season-open ing, seven-game road losing streak by beating Milwaukee. Miguel Sano hit his second home run of the year and an added an RBI single for the Twins.