Stewart's hitting leads Tigers to sweep of Royals

Christin Stewart drove in two runs and scored another as the streaking Detroit Tigers won their fifth straight by sweeping a three-game series from the visiting Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Stewart, who hit a grand slam on Saturday, had two hits. Nicholas Castellanos and Jeimer Candelario scored the other runs for Detroit.

Tyson Ross (1-1) recorded his first win with the Tigers, tossing seven strong innings. He allowed one run on five hits while walking one and striking out eight. Shane Greene struck out two in the ninth while recording his seventh save. Brad Keller (1-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out three in six innings. Whit Merrifield had three hits and scored the lone run for Kansas City, which has lost six straight.

The Royals scored in the first inning when Merrifield doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Alex Gordon's grounder. Detroit took a 2-1 lead in the second. Candelario walked and scored on Stewart's triple to deep right. After a walk to John Hicks, Stewart scored when Gordon Beckham grounded into a double play.

The Royals had runners at the corners in the third, but Ross wiggled out of the jam by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout and flyout. The Tigers made it 3-1 against Keller in the sixth. Castellanos doubled to right and moved to third on a Miguel Cabrera single. The runners remained put as Keller retired the next two batters, but Stewart then singled to center, driving in Castellanos.

Hicks snuffed out a Royals threat in the eighth. With one out and Joe Jimenez pitching, Billy Hamilton and Merrifield ripped singles to put runners on the corners. Merrifield tried to steal second with Adalberto Mondesi batting, but Hicks' on-the-money throw from behind the plate removed Merrifield from the base paths. Mondesi then grounded out. Center fielder Niko Goodrum made a diving catch on Hunter Dozier's fly ball with one on in the ninth, ending the game.

--Field Level Media

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