DETROIT -- Patience is something that Kansas City Royals hitters rarely display. They rank last in the American League in walks but when Detroit Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey got off to a sluggish start, they took a wait-and-see approach.

The Royals scored five early runs with the aid of four free passes and cruised to an 8-4 win over the Tigers on Saturday night at Comerica Park.

"It looked like Pelfrey was having trouble finding the strike zone, so we put in some good at-bats in the first inning," said Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, who drew one of those walks. "We toned down the aggressiveness a little bit. We wanted to see some pitches and ended up getting some walks there and it turned into some runs for us."

Winning pitcher Danny Duffy didn't have those issues. He struck out seven and walked just one while winning his fourth straight decision.

Duffy (5-1) became the third pitcher in Royals history with at least seven strikeouts in five consecutive starts. Kevin Appier (1996) and Zack Greinke (2009) were the other Kansas City pitchers to accomplish the feat.

Duffy, who has won three of his last four starts, gave up four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"I didn't have my best stuff but it was good enough," said Duffy, who has two walks and 30 strikeouts over his last four starts. "I couldn't throw my fastball straight for the life of me, which is a good thing. A couple of times I tried to elevate, where you make the ball jump out of your hand, and it was just running. It was running in on the righties and running away from the lefties."

Christian Colon drove in two runs, while Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Cheslor Cuthbert and Jarrod Dyson each scored and drove in a run for the Royals.

Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer and scored twice for Detroit. Pelfrey (2-9) lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs and four hits along with the four walks.

"I was pretty bad," Pelfrey said. "I was all over the place. I wasn't very good in the 'pen, either. I threw a ball that Mac (catcher James McCann) didn't even get a glove on."

Pelfrey felt the All-Star break was partly responsible for his poor performance.

"Getting back on a routine and I'll be better," he said. "I just couldn't get into it. Usually I'm able to find something and I wasn't able to find anything. KC is usually a pretty aggressive team and I couldn't get them to swing."

The Royals batted around in the first inning against Pelfrey and grabbed a 4-0 lead.

Kansas City loaded the bases with one out on a double and two walks. Gordon's sharp single brought home the first run. Paula Orlando was hit by a pitch to make it 2-0. The other runs scored on Cuthbert's single and Colon's groundout.

"We took some walks and found some holes," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.

Detroit got one run back in the bottom of the inning on Kinsler's leadoff double and Cameron Maybin's single.

Pelfrey departed with two outs in the second after walking Gordon to load the bases. Reliever Dustin Molleken's wild pitch allowed Alcides Escobar to score for a 5-1 Royals advantage.

Kinsler's two-run homer, his 18th home run of the season, cut Detroit's deficit to 5-3 in the third.

Run-scoring singles by Colon, Dyson and Hosmer extended the Royals' lead to 8-3 in the fifth.

NOTES: The Royals activated RHP Wade Davis (right forearm strain) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned RHP Brooks Pounders to Triple-A Omaha. Davis had 19 saves prior to the injury. Pounders allowed six runs in four innings over three relief appearances before his demotion. ... Detroit RHP Jordan Zimmermann (right neck strain) threw out to 140 feet on Saturday and is expected to throw a bullpen session on Monday. Zimmermann will likely make one rehab start before he's activated from the disabled list. ... Tigers RF J.D. Martinez (fractured right elbow) said the results of a CT scan were encouraging but there's still no timetable for a rehab stint or return to action. "That's the million dollar question," he said. Martinez was placed on the disabled list June 17. ... Royals CF Lorenzo Cain (left hamstring strain) could play right field initially when he comes off the disabled list, according to manager Ned Yost.