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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Jose Macias was not a likely candidate for
Comerica Park's first curtain call.
Macias hit a grand slam and the Detroit Tigers rallied past the
Kansas City Royals 10-6 Saturday for a split of their day-night
doubleheader.
In the opener, Gregg Zaun drove in three runs as the Royals won
8-5 for their fifth straight victory.
The Tigers trailed twice in the nightcap, including 6-5 after
Johnny Damon hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh. But Detroit scored
five times with two outs in the bottom half.
Rich Becker hit a tying, pinch-hit single off Doug Bochtler
(0-2), then pinch-hitter Brad Ausmus drew a walk off Tim Byrdak
that loaded the bases.
Macias sent a drive into the left-field seats for the Tigers'
second grand slam of the season. He then emerged from the dugout
for a curtain call.
"My teammates said I better get outside and wave to the fans,"
Macias said. "They were happy, and I felt happy, too."
Macias, who backs up Damion Easley at second base, is generously
listed on the roster as 5-foot-10 and 173 pounds. He said this was
the first time he hit a grand slam on any level.
"It feels great," Macias said. "I didn't expect to hit a home
run. I was looking for a base hit. I got a good pitch in a good
spot."
Byrdak said Macias hit a high fastball.
"You can challenge guys with the fastball as long as you get it
in the location you want," Byrdak said. "Obviously I didn't want
to throw it that high. I got the ball up. When you're in a hitter's
count like that, it's a big danger zone when they're sitting dead
red and you're going to challenge them. You better get the ball
down."
The win was the Tigers' first in five tries against the Royals
in Comerica Park. It was also just their second win in six games
after winning 10 of their previous 14.
"This was the biggest win of the year right here," Detroit
manager Phil Garner said. "If we lose it doesn't mean it's over
with, but we've got some hope working here. The first two games (of
the series) threw a little water on that, and this is going to get
it going again."
The Royals were seeking their first six-game winning streak in
four years before Detroit's comeback.
"A four-run fifth and a five-run seventh, you're not going to
win," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "Detroit swung the bats
pretty well."
Nelson Cruz (3-1) worked three innings of one-run ball with five
strikeouts for the win.
Deivi Cruz drove in two runs with three hits.
Backup catcher Hector Ortiz, called up Thursday when Jorge
Fabregas went on the disabled list, scored after each of his first
three major league hits for the Royals. His only previous big
league experience included four games and four hitless at-bats in
1998.
"I was very anxious and a little nervous at the beginning of
the game, but then after the first hit I calmed down and everything
fell into place," Ortiz said. "I just played it like another
game. I wanted to win in my first game behind the plate this year,
but it didn't happen."
The Royals blew a 5-1 lead that started with three unearned runs
in the third.
Ortiz singled for his first career hit and Jeff Reboulet walked
before Tigers starter Steve Sparks threw away Damon's bunt. Ortiz
and Reboulet scored and Damon took third before he came home on a
passed ball.
Deivi Cruz's RBI double got one back for the Tigers in the
fourth.
Ortiz led off the fifth with a double and scored on Reboulet's
single, and Damon's RBI single put Kansas City up 5-1.
Detroit tied it with a four-run fifth that knocked out Royals
starter Chad Durbin and featured Bobby Higginson's two-run single
and RBI hits from Deivi Cruz and Juan Encarnacion.
In the first game, the Royals trailed 3-2 when Joe Randa led off
the sixth with a single, Mark Quinn singled and Todd Dunwoody
walked to load the bases. That finished Tigers starter Dave Mlicki
(4-10).
Zaun greeted Danny Patterson with a double that just eluded
Higginson in left field.
Luis Ordaz drove in two more when he singled through a drawn-in
infield to give the Royals a 6-3 lead.
Jay Witasick (3-8) got through seven innings, giving up six hits
and a season-high six walks. But he allowed only three runs to win
for the first time since June 28.
"He was behind in the count and walked the leadoff hitter three
times," Muser said. "Let's say he was fortunate in the times he
did make quality pitches."
Dean Palmer hit an RBI single in the ninth. Ricky Bottalico
relieved for the last two outs and got his seventh save in 13
chances.
Encarnacion was 3-for-4 and scored twice. Rookie Eric Munson,
making his first career start, had his first RBI with a run-scoring
groundout in the fourth.
Game notes
The Royals haven't won six straight since May 5-10, 1996.
... The Tigers planned to send Munson back to the minors after the
opener to make room for Sparks, who was recalled from Triple-A
Toledo. Instead, Patterson was placed on the 15-day disabled list
with a sore right elbow and Munson stayed. ... The first game
included the Tigers' annual Negro Leagues salute. The Tigers wore
replica uniforms of the Detroit Stars and the Royals dressed as the
Kansas City Monarchs. ... An emergency alarm briefly interrupted
the first game in the bottom of the ninth. A Tigers official said
it was a false alarm and play resumed after about two minutes. It
was the second time this season that the alarm stopped play at
Comerica Park. It also happened May 14 against the New York
Yankees.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Kansas City Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
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Kansas City 8
Detroit 5
Detroit 10
Kansas City 6
(2nd game)
Oakland 10
Anaheim 3
Seattle 13
Texas 5
Baltimore 8
Toronto 2
Tampa Bay 12
NY Yankees 4
Boston 8
Chi. White Sox 6
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Cleveland 6
NY Mets 4
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Houston 10
St. Louis 5
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