KC 3-0 after sweep
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
DETROIT | Ready to dream a little? If not now, when?
The Royals got another suffocating pitching performance Thursday afternoon, this time from Zack Greinke, and completed a three-game sweep against Detroit’s much-touted but surprisingly toothless Tigers with a 4-1 victory at Comerica Park.
“It’s a good start, a real good start, against a good team,” said center fielder Joey Gathright, who set the tone with a terrific running catch in the first inning.
“We just need to keep rolling. We know we can play.”
Alex Gordon and Mark Teahen backed Greinke’s gem with homers as the Royals took sole possession of first place in the American League Central Division.
Roll that thought around your head for a moment.
Sure, it’s only April 3, but the Royals haven’t been alone at the top this early in the season since 2003.
“We could get used to it,” Gordon said with a smile. “We all know (the Tigers) are going to be good. They have a lot of talent. But we’re going to celebrate the sweep and then move on to Minnesota.
“Hopefully, we can do the same there.”
The Royals are 3-0 for only the fifth time in their 40-year history, and this was only the second time that they have opened the season by sweeping a road series. The other time was 1977 in Detroit.
That was so long ago that George Brett batted leadoff in all three games.
Greinke, 1-0, nearly matched Brian Bannister’s seven shutout innings in Wednesday’s 4-0 victory. Greinke carried a shutout in the seventh before yielding a one-out homer to Brandon Inge.
That was about the only blemish on Greinke’s 99-pitch performance. He gave up just six hits while striking out three and walking two.
“In the past he was hyper,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “He’s had some of the better stuff in the league and hadn’t channeled it yet. Now it looks like they’ve got him under control.”
Ramon Ramirez worked around two hits in pitching a scoreless eighth before Joakim Soria closed out the victory for his second save.
The Tigers entered the season with enormous expectations after boosting their payroll to $138 million through several high-priced additions in the offseason. Yet, they managed just five runs in 29 innings in the three losses.
It’s worth noting their vaunted lineup took another hit Thursday when third baseman Miguel Cabrera, the $152 million man, was scratched because of a sore left quadriceps. The Tigers were already missing their catalyst, center fielder Curtis Granderson, who is sidelined by a broken finger.
Even so, Leyland offered a withering critique afterward.
“We stunk,” he said. “We look like we’re just going up there and giving at-bats away without any purpose. The manager’s responsible for the preparation and the performance of the club, and right now, we don’t look very prepared.
“We just look dead.”
The Royals broke a scoreless tie after Mark Grudzielanek opened the fourth inning with a single to right against Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman. Gordon followed by rocketing a two-run homer to the left side of dead center. It reached the seats behind the Royals’ bullpen, a distance estimated at 410 feet.
“We knew he was working on his change-up,” Gordon said. “So I was looking for that. He left the change-up up and away, and I was able to get it into that wind and drive it out.”
The Royals then extended their lead to 3-0 in the sixth on Teahen’s two-out homer, a 383-foot blast down the right-field line on a 1-1 pitch. They got their final run after chasing Bonderman, 0-1, in the seventh.
José Guillen had a two-out RBI single against Aquilino Lopez.
The Tigers finally scored when Inge pulled a one-out homer to left against Greinke in the seventh. It broke an 18-inning scoreless streak that dated to the eighth inning of Monday’s game.
Nothing more, though.
“I’ve been talking for two years about getting off to a good start,” Grudzielanek said. “That’s what you need with young kids. Now, we’ve got so many guys with a year under their belt that I think we’re going to be all right.
“We’re going to surprise some people. I know that and not just because of this little start. No matter what, we’re going to surprise some people. We’re definitely a better team.”
To reach Bob Dutton, Royals reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4352 or send e-mail to bdutton@kcstar.com
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