Playoff-bound Detroit missed a chance to clinch the AL Central when David DeJesus hit a two-run triple in Kansas City's seven-run first inning, leading the Royals to a 9-6 victory over the Tigers on Saturday night.

Detroit would have clinched the division with a win after the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 earlier in the day, cutting the Tigers' magic number to one.

Following a 1{-hour rain delay at the start, Kansas City sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning.

Joey Gathright opened the game with a double and advanced to third when Esteban German singled to cap a 10-pitch at-bat. DeJesus hit the first of his two triples in the game for a 2-0 lead and Mike Sweeney followed with a two-run homer, giving the Royals a cycle with the first four batters.

The boos from the sellout crowd turned to cheers when Tigers manager Jim Leyland pulled Zach Miner (7-6) after he threw 32 pitches. Miner only lasted one-third of an inning, allowing five hits and five runs.

Andrew Miller came on and allowed Paul Phillips to score on a wild pitch, and gave up Gathright's two-run single for the 7-0 lead.

Carlos Guillen had an RBI single in the bottom of the first and Detroit scored three runs in the third to pull to 7-4. Placido Polanco scored when third baseman Esteban German misplayed Guillen's grounder, and Fredericton's Matt Stairs hit a two-run double.

Burgos gave up four runs and six hits over 2 2-3 innings in his first start of the season.

Todd Wellemeyer (1-2) allowed one run in four innings of relief, and Jimmy Gobble got the last three outs for his second save in three chances this season.

DeJesus tripled and scored on Sweeney's sacrifice fly to stretch the Royals' lead to 8-4 in the fourth.

Three Royals players misjudged Brandon Inge's pop up in the bottom of the fourth. No one touched it and it was ruled a base hit. Inge advanced to third on Sean Casey's single then scored on Magglio Ordonez's hit to cut the deficit to 8-5.

Royals second baseman Angel Sanchez made a sliding a stop and throw to get Carlos Guillen out at first to end the threat, leaving two Detroit baserunners stranded in the fourth.

Detroit closed within 8-6 when Polanco singled to drive in Curtis Granderson, whose triple led off the sixth.

Jeff Keppinger added an RBI single in the seventh for the Royals.

Notes: Cleveland was the last team to get a single, double, triple
and homer from the game's first four batters, accomplishing the feat
against the Los Angeles Angels on May 17, 2005. ... Burgos was the
Royals' 17th starting pitcher this season, breaking the old
franchise record of 16 set in 1992. ... Detroit RHP Justin
Verlander, scratched from Saturday's start with arm fatigue, played
catch before the game and said that his arm was fine. ... CF
Gathright had his third three-hit game of the season. ... The crowd
of 40,071 brought Detroit's home attendance to 2,555,782, breaking
the Comerica Park record of 2,533,752 set in 2000, the park's first
season. ... The game featured five wild pitches.

© The Canadian Press, 2007