MJ Melendez hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Down 2-0 going into the ninth inning, Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Fermin got on base with singles, and Adam Frazier nearly hit a pinch-hit homer but the ball went foul, and he then flew out to center field.
Melendez then hit a 362-foot home run, his 13th of the season, giving the Royals the lead.
“I like to be in those situations — it is do or die and that’s a lot of fun,” Melendez said. “I’m going to be ready late in games, whether they need me to hit or play defense. I have to stay as locked in as possible, just like I’m in the game.”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch used lefty Shelby Miller in the ninth inning, knowing the Royals would send up their left-handed hitters.
“I think Shelby had given up eight hits against lefties all year going into that inning,” Hinch said. “They got two, two-strike hits from Renfroe and Fermin, and then a bad splitter to a guy who can hit the ball out of the park.”
Chris Stratton (4-3) earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning. Hunter Harvey, who had a tough outing the previous day, closed the game for his first save.
“We acquired (Harvey) to pitch in high-leverage situations, and that was high leverage,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There’s a reason we gave up good players to get him, so we’re not going to run away from one bad outing.”
The Royals have won six of their last seven games.
“We talked a lot about how they got one from us yesterday late, and then we turned around and did that today,” Quatraro said. “That’s why you can’t get too high or too low, because the same thing will happen to you.”
The Tigers finished a nine-game homestand against Minnesota, Cleveland, and Kansas City with a 2-7 record.
