It was Otis' only hit in the game, and it couldn't have come at a better time for his team.
The Royals put runners on first and second with one out in the 12th off Ray Bare, the Tigers' fourth pitcher of the night.
Otis lofted a soft liner into left field, and Wohlford easily beat Danny Meyer's throw to the plate.
The Tigers (20-29) have lost two straight after a five-game winning streak.
"It was a slider that didn't do much," Bare said of the losing pitch.
The Tigers tied the game in the sixth on a two-run double by Willie Horton, who had three hits, lifting his team-leading BA to .322.
Otis scored the second of two Royals runs in the fourth after reaching on an error by SS Tom Veryzer. Fran Healy's single scored Otis after Hal McRae's single scored George Brett, who walked.
Otis was the Royal hero in the 12th inning
Tom Walker, so effective from the bullpen in recent games, started for the Tigers, as the team has run into the need for a fifth starter in the midst of having no days off recently and with a twi-night doubleheader coming up this week against California.
Walker pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two unearned runs. He struck out three and walked two.
"Very pleased with Walker," manager Ralph Houk said. "But as usual we didn't help our pitchers much with the bats."
Despite winning five of their past seven games, the Tigers have scored more than three runs in just one of those games.
Royals starter Al Fitzmorris pitched the first nine innings before giving way to Lindy McDaniel (two innings) and winning pitcher Nelson Briles (one inning).
Houk seemed at a loss to explain why runs have come so difficult for his team to muster. The Tigers have scored 172 times in 49 games for an average of just 3.5 per game.
"If I had an answer, I wouldn't be doing this. I'd be writing a book and letting everyone know the secret," Houk said.
The Tigers conclude their eight-game road trip tomorrow before heading back to Detroit for the DH with the Angels on Wednesday and a single game on Thursday.
Notes: Aurelio Rodriguez made his first start at 3B in six games, his left heel injury having healed. He went 1-for-5...Wohlford had three hits...Rookie 1B Jack Pierce got his first hit as a Tiger, a double in the second inning...The Tigers fell back to under .500 on the road (12-13).
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Tigers record: 20-29 (actual 23-26)
Home: 8-16
Away: 12-13
Last 10: 6-4
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