Tigers 9, Royals 5: Victor Martinez and Torii Hunter each collected three hits and an RBI as host Detroit rode a six-run third inning to win the opener of a three-game showdown.

Nick Castellanos had two hits and drove in a pair while Miguel Cabrera added two hits and an RBI as the Tigers pulled within one game of first-place Kansas City in the American League Central. Justin Verlander (13-12) earned his 150th career victory, allowing four runs on six hits over seven innings to keep Detroit a half-game behind Seattle for the second wild card and close within 1 1/2 games of wild card leader Oakland.

Jeremy Guthrie (10-11) was shelled by the Tigers for eight runs (six earned) for the second time in two months, lasting only 2 2/3 innings and surrendering 10 hits as the Royals fell to 4-10 against Detroit this season. Lorenzo Cain had an inside-the-park homer and Nori Aoki delivered a two-run single for the Royals.

Some shoddy defense on a pair of infield hits and a failed double-play conversion paved the way for the six-run eruption by the Tigers, who received three straight RBI doubles from Don Kelly, Castellanos (driving in two) and Alex Avila to make it 7-2 before Hunter's RBI single chased Guthrie. Detroit opened the scoring in the second when first baseman Eric Hosmer bungled a bases-loaded two-out grounder to bring in two runs.

Kansas City tied it in its next at-bat on Aoki's bloop single to center that plated two runs and added two more in the seventh, the last coming when Cain circled the bases after Hunter and Kelly collided in right-center. Hosmer (3-for-4) added a two-out RBI single off Joba Chamberlain in the eighth cut the deficit to 8-5 but Cabrera singled home an insurance run in the bottom of the inning.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Detroit became the fourth AL franchise (New York, Boston, Cleveland) to reach 9,000 wins. ... Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to nine games and has reached safely in 27 straight for the Tigers, who had their first eight-hit inning since July 10 - which also came with Guthrie on the mound. ... Royals LHP Danny Duffy, who throw only one pitch before exiting Saturday's start, underwent an MRI exam that revealed rotator cuff inflammation. He will miss his next turn and be re-evaluated later in the week. ... Hunter initially caught Cain's lazy fly ball but Kelly knocked it from his glove and Hunter fell hard to the turf, banging the back of his head, but he stayed in the game.