Successful starting pitching had been an important piece to the Tigers’ recent seven-game win streak. As a unit, Detroit’s starters combined to post a 2.05 ERA in 66 innings during that stretch.
But in Friday night’s series opener against the Royals, Wily Peralta‘s recent run of success hit a roadblock in the Tigers’ 5-3 loss at Kauffman Stadium.
Peralta came into the game having allowed one run in his previous 26 2/3 innings (0.34 ERA) over five starts. Against the Royals, the right-hander lasted 5 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on five hits and walked three batters before his night and the Tigers’ 7-0 start since the All-Star break was over.
Peralta was tagged for a run in the third inning on a two-out RBI single from Whit Merrifield and his struggles continued from then on. He gave up a three-run homer to Ryan O’Hearn in the fourth inning after giving up a single to Salvador Perez to lead off the inning and walking Jorge Soler with one out. An inning later, Peralta surrendered a two-out solo home run to Carlos Santana on a changeup that he left in the middle of the zone.