Whit Merrifield drove in two runs, Carlos Hernandez pitched five scoreless innings and the visiting Kansas City Royals snapped the Detroit Tigers' four-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Friday.

Hernandez gave up two hits and survived three walks, striking out one. Domingo Tapia (4-0) was credited with the win despite giving up Detroit's lone run. Scott Barlow pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

Ryan O'Hearn reached base three times, scored a run and drove in another for Kansas City (70-83). Kyle Isbel added two hits and scored a run in the opener of a three-game series.

Robbie Grossman walked three times and scored the only run for Detroit (74-79). Eric Haase drove in the run and Victor Reyes added two hits.

Starter Casey Mize gave up one run on two hits in three innings. Jose Urena tossed two scoreless innings for the Tigers, who used six pitchers.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the first when Jonathan Schoop was hit by a pitch and Grossman and Jeimer Candelario drew walks. Hernandez got out of that jam when Harold Castro lined out to right field.

The Royals scored their first run in the third. O'Hearn reached on a leadoff single and Isbel hit a one-out double to put runners in scoring position. O'Hearn scored on Merrifield's sacrifice fly.

The Tigers tied it in the sixth. Grossman led off with a walk and moved up on Miguel Cabrera's single. Grossman advanced to third on Castro's long flyout and scored on Haase's single to right. Haase was thrown out trying to advance to second.

Kansas City regained the lead the next inning against reliever Alex Lange (0-3). Adalberto Mondesi hit a one-out triple to right center field. He scored on an O'Hearn single.

Detroit had two doubles in the seventh but Niko Goodrum was thrown out trying to stretch his extra-base hit into a triple. Reyes followed with his double but was left stranded when the next two batters struck out.

The Royals made it 3-1 in the eighth when Isbel led off with a triple and scored on another Merrifield sacrifice fly.

--Field Level Media