Andrew Benintendi was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored as the Kansas City Royals hung on to defeat the visiting Detroit Tigers 7-5 in the middle game of a three-game series.

Brady Singer (2-3) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Matthew Boyd (2-5) had his worst outing of the season, allowing five earned runs in five innings. He allowed eight hits plus three walks.

The Royals jumped on Boyd in the first, the first team to do so this season. Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs. After a popout, Benintendi stroked a single through the hole at short, driving in Whit Merrifield and Carlos Santana. The two runs were the first Boyd has allowed in the first inning all season.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the second with two outs. Akil Baddoo tied the score with an excuse-me single down the left-field line, scoring Miguel Cabrera and Willi Castro.

Back-to-back doubles by Kelvin Gutierrez and Michael A. Taylor helped the Royals regain the lead in the fourth. Taylor has seven RBIs in his past seven games. Taylor then scored on a sacrifice fly by Nicky Lopez.

The Tigers had second and third with no outs in the fifth after Baddoo's opposite-field double, but they scored only one. Harold Castro singled to center, scoring Wilson Ramos.

It was the fourth time in the series that the Royals had scored multiple runs in an inning followed by the Tigers scoring in each subsequent half-inning. This was the first time they scored only one run.

The Royals manufactured a run in the fifth. Santana led off with a single, then tagged and went to second on a flyout by Salvador Perez. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single by Benintendi.

Lopez led off the sixth with a double and scored on a Santana sacrifice fly. Benintendi walked in the seventh, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Gutierrez.

Robbie Grossman hit a two-run home run in the ninth for Detroit.

--Field Level Media