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DETROIT -- The Kansas City Royals didn't need another big hit to keep their winning streak going. They instead relied on their glovework. Right fielder Jorge Bonifacio and first baseman Eric Hosmer collaborated on a crucial eighth-inning double play, preserving the Royals' 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.
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Danny Duffy picked up his second victory over Detroit in a week as Kansas City stretched its winning streak to seven games.
The Royals had four walk-off wins with clutch hits before the road series, then pulled out a 12-inning victory over Detroit on Monday behind back-to-back homers. This time, the defense stepped to the fore.
With runners at the corners and one out, Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez ripped a drive toward the right field corner. Bonifacio, who was positioned toward the line by first base coach Rusty Kuntz, tracked it down and then fired the ball to first. The throw was far from perfect, but Hosmer stretched out and snared it to double off the retreating runner, Mikie Mahtook.
"What a play Boni and Hos made to get us out of that inning," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "Boni got a great jump on the ball, but it was a great defensive (move) by Rusty to begin with, to have him over that way."
Hosmer, a three-time Gold Glover, finished off the play.
"People want to talk about his range all the time, but where he's so spectacular and better than anybody in baseball is around that bag," Yost said. "That was another example of it. I don't know how many first basemen make that play with that stretch."
Duffy (7-6) was the winning pitcher in the second victory of the streak, a 16-4 pummeling of the Tigers on Thursday in Kansas City. On Tuesday, Duffy limited the Tigers to one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
"He threw the ball extremely well. I mean really, really well," Yost said. "He had a good breaking ball, good changeup, and spotted his fastball. That's a good offensive team over there and he did a great job of getting us through that game only giving up one run."
Whit Merrifield led off the game with a homer, his 11th of the season. Hosmer added an RBI single and Mike Moustakas had a sacrifice fly for the Royals (52-47). Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 21st save.
The Tigers' Michael Fulmer (10-8) bounced back from the shortest outing but still lost to the Royals for the second consecutive start. He pitched eight innings, allowing three runs and eight hits while striking out six.
"That's probably the most swings and misses I've had all year," Fulmer said. "I feel like my stuff was late and I finally had all three pitches working together in the same game.
"I left a couple of sliders hanging late in the game, but other than that I thought my stuff was the best it's best all year."
Mahtook extended his career-best hitting streak to 10 games with a fourth-inning triple and scored Detroit's only run. But Mahtook's overaggressive baserunning in the eighth proved costly.
"Victor barreled the ball down the line and it's usually a base hit, usually a double," Fulmer said. "It just so happened (Bonifacio) was playing that way. (Mahtook) has been a tremendous help to this team and one mistake is not going to change my opinion."
Merrifield hit the first pitch of the game over the left field wall, his second leadoff homer this season. He got around on an inside fastball from Fulmer, who then struck out the side.
The Royals' lead grew to 3-0 in the fourth. Hosmer knocked in Bonifacio, who singled to lead off the inning, with a one-out base hit. Hosmer advanced on Salvador Perez's single and scored on Moustakas' fly to left.
Mahtook's two-out triple in the bottom of the inning led to Detroit's first run. Duffy then issued his first walk in four starts to Martinez. James McCann followed with an RBI single.
The Tigers (45-54) left the bases loaded in the seventh.
NOTES: Royals C Salvador Perez left the game in the fifth inning due to right side rib tightness. ... Royals LHP Ryan Buchter and RHP Brandon Maurer were in uniform Tuesday, one day after being acquired from the San Diego Padres in a six-player trade. ... Kansas City RHP Jakob Junis, who won Monday's game with one inning of scoreless relief, was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. ... Detroit LHP Daniel Norris had a second MRI to determine the extent of his right quad and left groin injuries. The results were not immediately released. Norris was placed on the 10-day disabled list July 6. ... Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera's second-inning single was his 2,600th career hit.
