Game 50: Tigers Overcome Royals, Finish 6-2 Trip

Kansas City, MO (June 10) - When the Tigers left Detroit, they were 15-27 and the wheels looked to be falling off, based on a 1-10 streak.

They return home having put their house back together again, at least for the time being.

The Tigers completed a 6-2 road trip with a 5-2 win over the Royals tonight.

Leon Roberts had two hits, including a solo homer, and drove in two runs. Ron LeFlore had three singles, and the Tigers banged out 11 hits in overcoming a 2-1 deficit midway through the game.

Starter Vern Ruhle (4-6) won his third straight start, posting a 2.14 ERA in that time.

Even light-hitting backup catcher Terry Humphrey got into the act with a couple hits, an RBI and a run scored.

"It'll be a much happier flight back home than the one leaving Detroit," manager Ralph Houk said.

Indeed.

The Tigers are 8-16 at home and left Detroit having lost 10 of 11 and looking completely out of sorts.

But they reeled off five wins to start the trip and won tonight, breaking a modest two-game losing streak.

"I think we played more relaxed on this trip," Roberts observed. "Maybe getting out of Detroit was good for us."


Roberts was 2-for-3 with two RBI

Now, Houk can only hope returning to Detroit brings the same "relaxed" play.

"We have twelve straight home games coming up," Houk said. "It's time to put up or shut up now."

If the Tigers can right the ship at home, the 12-game home stand provides a great chance to get back into the division race---a thought not lost on LeFlore.

"Just think. If we start winning at home like good teams should do, we could be right in the thick of things before too long," the speedster said.

The Tigers are currently in a virtual tie for last with Baltimore, seven games behind Boston.

But, as LeFlore said and Houk hopes, things can turn around quickly with some wins at home.

Tonight, the Tigers trailed 2-1 in the fifth before scoring twice on three singles and an error.

They added to their lead with Roberts' solo homer in the sixth. A Humphrey single in the seventh brought home the fifth run.

Ruhle went eight innings of six-hit ball.

Notes: Newly-acquired RHP Bob Reynolds made his Tigers debut in the ninth, pitching a stress-free inning for the save. The Tigers traded RHP Fred Holdsworth to Baltimore on May 29 for Reynolds, a 28-year-old veteran now with his fifth big league team...Between Nate Colbert (.128) and rookie Jack Pierce (1-for-21), the Tigers have, by far, the worst production at first base in the majors...Houk said he inserted Reynolds in the ninth because he wanted to give normal fireman John Hiller the night off, despite it being a save situation.

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Tigers record: 21-29 (actual 23-27)
Home: 8-16
Away: 13-13
Last 10: 6-4