Tigers’ Galarraga is perfect for six

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Armando Galarraga carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs and the Detroit Tigers beat the Royals, 7-1, to complete a sweep.

Galarraga retired the first 18 batters before David DeJesus led off the seventh with a single to right on a full count. To that point, the 26-year-old rookie right-hander had given up only two fly balls to the outfield and struck out six.

Galarraga wasn’t happy about giving up DeJesus’ hit. “It was a fastball inside,” he said. “I can make a better pitch at that moment.”

DeJesus said he was looking inside.

“I was 2-0 and then he got it to 2-2 and then he just kept coming in and I fouled a couple down the line,” DeJesus said, “and then I was able to stay inside and hit it to right.”

Galarraga said a chance to pitch a no-hitter never crossed his mind.

“If it was the eighth or ninth, yes, but six innings is too early to think about it,” he said.

He gave up a run in the seventh on three singles and a walk. Galarraga (8-4) was replaced by Casey Fossum in the eighth, after lowering his earned-run average to 3.27 and striking out a career-high seven against one walk.