Miguel Cabrera had two hits, including a homer, and Justin Verlander pitched into the eighth inning as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Saturday night.

Cabrera's 17th home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning, gave the Tigers a lead they wouldn't relinquish as they won on the road for just the second time in seven tries. Carlos Guillen added two hits and a pair of RBIs, while Brandon Inge contributed a run-scoring single.

Verlander (6-4) held the Royals scoreless over the first seven innings before running into trouble in the eighth when Kansas City scored a pair of runs to trim the lead. He allowed just five hits while walking three and striking out four.

Jose Valverde recorded the final five outs for his 12th save. The Detroit closer has allowed just one run in 21 2/3 innings this season.

Luke Hochevar (5-4) took the loss despite pitching one of his strongest games of the season. The former first-overall pick allowed one run on six hits over seven innings, striking out a season-high 10.