Tigers win fifth straight on Wenceel Perez's homer in eighth inning

Detroit – Wenceel Perez, inserted into the game in the top of the inning, led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to right field, sending the Tigers to their fifth straight win, 2-1 over the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park Wednesday night.

He had been 0 for 10 in the young season, but he launched a 1-1 changeup from reliever Eli Morgan 360 feet into the right-field seats.

Kenley Jansen, as he did Tuesday night, pitched a scoreless ninth to earn save No. 4 on the season, 480 for his career.

It was a 1-1 game through six innings.

Tigers starter Jack Flaherty limited the Royals to a run and two hits before departing. He was spotting a lively four-seam fastball (93.7 mph) and keeping the hitters off balance with a clever mixing of sliders and knuckle-curves.

He ended up with seven strikeouts, getting 10 whiffs on 33 swings (seven on 16 with the knuckle-curve and slider) and 20 called strikes (11 with the four-seamer).

He created his own mess with back-to-back walks in the fifth inning. Kyle Isbel cashed in one of them with a two-out single.

It was the sixth straight game a Tigers’ starting pitcher went at least 5.2 innings and allowed one run or less. The last time a Tigers’ staff did that was early in 2006.

The third inning was eventful.

After Flaherty stranded Royals right-fielder Jac Caglianone at third base in the top of the inning after he’d led off with a triple, the Tigers countered with four hits in the bottom of the third but only one run.

Zach McKinstry, who led off the inning with a single, was thrown out at home trying to score on a double by Javier Baez. Caglianone and second baseman Michael Massey made a strong relay but McKinstry was originally called safe by home plate umpire Jansen Visconti.

The call was reversed after video showed catcher Salvador Perez caught McKinstry with a sweep tag.

Baez alertly scampered to third on the throw home and he scored on sacrifice fly to right by Jake Rogers. Again, Caglianone threw a seed to home plate and the ball beat Baez, who was initially called out.

That call was overturned by video review, as well. Baez made an acrobatic slide, going in feet first but somehow rolled, avoided Perez’s tag and tapped the plate.

That was the only dent they put in Royals’ starter Seth Lugo, who allowed only one other hit in his 6.2 innings of work. He retired 12 straight before leaving with two outs in the seventh.

He befuddled the Tigers’ hitters with an eight-pitch mix, leaning hard on his 91-92 mph four-seamer and sinker to set up an array of spin (3,200-rpm curveballs, 2,800-rpm sweepers, 2,600-rpm sliders) and sprinkling in cutters and changeups, as well.

McKinstry had a rough night physically. He got tangled up with Caglianone at third base and wrenched his shoulder in the third. He stayed in the game but in the seventh, Caglianone, who was running to third, tripped McKinstry while he was charging a ground ball.

McKinstry hobbled off the field, favoring his ankle and was replaced by Perez for the eighth inning. Fortuitous.

This story will be updated.

Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com

@cmccosky

Apr 15, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park