Tigers’ 10-Run First Leads to Easy Win

Curtis Granderson homered, tripled and drove in three runs in a 10-run first inning to help the Detroit Tigers rout the Kansas City Royals, 15-4, on Saturday night.

The Tigers reduced their magic number to one for clinching their first playoff berth since 1987. Detroit, which lost an American League-record 119 games in 2003, maintained its 1 1/2 -game lead in the AL Central over Minnesota.

Left-hander Kenny Rogers (17-6) held the Royals to five hits and one run over eight innings. Rogers struck out three and walked one.

Granderson led off the game with a home run for the fifth time this season. His triple to right scored Placido Polanco and Chris Shelton.

Polanco, playing for the first time since Aug. 15, when he suffered a separated left shoulder, contributed a two-run double. Every Tigers starter reached base in the inning except for Craig Monroe, who grounded out twice.

Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, Chris Shelton and Marcus Thames all had run-scoring singles in the first inning. Ivan Rodriguez walked twice in the inning, the second time with the bases loaded. The 10 runs and nine hits in the inning were season highs for the Tigers, who sent 16 men to the plate.

Royals left-hander Mark Redman (10-10) retired only one of the 10 batters he faced, giving up nine runs, before being replaced by Scott Dohmann. Kansas City gave up 11 runs to Cleveland in the first inning on Aug. 13.