Tigers 3, Royals 2: Max Scherzer pitched seven strong innings to win his 17th game and pinch-hitter Tyler Collins delivered a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the seventh as visiting Detroit extended its lead in the American League Central to 2 1/2 games over Kansas City.

Torii Hunter homered while recording his sixth straight two-hit game and Rajai Davis added an RBI single for the Tigers, who are 13-5 against the Royals this season. Scherzer (17-5) improved to 11-5 against Kansas City after yielding one run and seven hits as Detroit improved to 48-16 in Scherzer starts since 2013.

Alcides Escobar matched a career high with four hits and drove in a run for the Royals, who remained a half-game ahead of Seattle for the second wild-card spot. James Shields (14-8) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings as Kansas City has lost eight of nine against the Tigers at home in 2014.

The Royals advanced a runner to third with one out in the first and third innings following sacrifice bunts by Norichika Aoki before Scherzer got out of trouble each time by retiring Josh Willingham and Alex Gordon with three strikeouts and a foul pop fly. Hunter belted a 1-2 changeup off the back wall of the Kansas City bullpen in left to lead off the fourth before the Royals got even in the fifth when Jarrod Dyson doubled and scored on Escobar's ground-ball single up the middle.

The Royals appeared to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Salvador Perez scored after shortstop Eugenio Suarez failed to catch Ian Kinsler's throw on a double-play bid following Omar Infante's lineout, but after a lengthy review, it was determined Perez did not re-touch third base and was called out. Detroit capitalized in the seventh as Collins singled following a wild pitch that moved runners up to second and third and Davis' bloop base hit chased Shields.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Detroit's Joba Chamberlain yielded Eric Hosmer's RBI single in the eighth before Joe Nathan retired pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez on a groundout with runners on second and third in the ninth to earn his 33rd save in 40 opportunities. ... Detroit C Alex Avila missed his fifth straight game because of concussion-like symptoms. ... Hunter's blast snapped a string of 32 1/3 homerless innings by Shields.