NEW YORK, 18 July 2006 — Joey Gathright drove in four runs and Scott Elarton pitched six strong innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers for the first time in 12 attempts on Sunday.
Emil Brown added a pair of RBI to the 14-hit Royals attack as Kansas City won 9-6 after losing 11 straight games to the Tigers this season, including the first three of this series.
The Royals staked Elarton to a 7-1 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth inning and the Royals starter and three relievers held on despite a Detroit fightback.
“I didn’t know until a while ago that we hadn’t beaten them all year,” Elarton told reporters. “I think a win is a win, and it doesn’t matter who it comes against right now.”
Elarton (4-9) allowed three runs on three hits over six innings, striking out two and walking three. Mike MacDougal got the last three outs in the ninth and picked up his first save.
Gathright’s two-run single in the third keyed a four-run inning and he added a two-run triple in the fifth to give the Royals a cushion they would later need.
David DeJesus had four hits and scored a run for the Royals, while Esteban German added three hits, scored a pair of runs and drove in another.
“It’s never easy here,” Kansas City manager Buddy Bell told reporters. “We got through it.” Detroit starter Zach Miner (6-2) allowed five runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out one and walking two, to take the loss.
Marcus Thames hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs for the Tigers, who still have the best record in baseball this season at 62-30.
Carlos Guillen also homered for Detroit and Vance Wilson added a pair of hits.
In New York, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer and Mariano Rivera recorded his 400th career save as the Yankees completed a series sweep with a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Derek Jeter homered for the Yankees, who pulled to within a 1/2 game of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East after Boston lost 8-1 at home to Oakland.
Jaret Wright (6-5) allowed three runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win, striking out one and walking two.
Four relievers finished up including Rivera, who allowed one hit over two scoreless innings for his 21st save of the season.
Rivera is the fourth major league pitcher to reach the 400 save milestone.
Freddy Garcia (10-6) allowed six runs on nine hits over seven innings to take the loss, striking out three and walking one.
Tadahito Iguchi had four hits for the White Sox and A.J. Pierzynski added a solo homer.
