Tigers 'stay locked in' with 3 in 9th to walk off KC for 6th straight win

DETROIT -- Salvador Perez’s go-ahead three-run home run brought the rain. The storm clouds were looming behind the home-plate stands at Comerica Park, and the tarp practically followed Perez around the bases as he celebrated his 30th career homer against the Tigers.

The 46-minute rain delay -- one of two weather-related stoppages in the series finale -- that followed could’ve been a reset for a Detroit team that had just lost a five-run lead. But the way the Tigers played this homestand, it merely felt like an extended seventh-inning stretch.

“Drink some caffeine and stay locked in,” said Riley Greene, whose game-tying two-run double in the ninth brought the Tigers from down to their last strike to the brink of a sixth straight win.

And as Colt Keith’s ensuing line drive landed in right-center field for a walk-off single and a 10-9 victory over the Royals, the feeling of despair that welcomed Detroit home six days earlier had flipped. Not only did the Tigers complete their first perfect homestand of six-plus games in five years, and build their longest winning streak since their September charge two years ago, they swept a three-game series from their division rival. All three wins came on go-ahead hits in their final at-bats.

Detroit (10-9) left the Motor City on Thursday night just a game behind the Twins, whose four-game sweep at Target Field (April 6-9) suddenly feels like another season.

“Two series sweeps in a row, that’s huge, especially after getting swept in Minnesota,” said Keith, whose jersey was ripped off during the celebration over his first career walk-off hit. “Feels like it kind of makes up for it in a way. But we’re playing good baseball right now. We just have to keep doing that.”

Asked what impressed most about this homestand, manager A.J. Hinch didn’t hesitate.

“Just our fight,” he said. “Part of our DNA is our willingness to do anything, but the other part that comes with that is we’re going to play until the end. And we’ve had to do that.

“These are really kind of funky wins. The eighth inning has been magical here this homestand, or the ninth inning today. ... But our guys play our 27 outs. We care about results a ton. We need to stack these wins when we have an opportunity. But the way we fought with these two series, with this homestand, coming off of a really tough road trip, I think is a telling reminder that this team will play the whole game.”

It’s the confidence of a team that has been through enough comebacks to know what’s possible. But it’s also the experience of a club that rode the ups and downs of two vastly different seasons into playoff berths the past two years. The kids are growing up.

“It doesn’t feel like a roller coaster, especially not now,” said catcher Dillon Dingler, whose two-run homer helped build a 6-1 lead after five innings that vanished in the Royals’ six-run seventh. “We’re playing good baseball right now, so we’re just going to keep on running with it. ...

“You know you’re going to respond when you’re not playing your best baseball. Coming into this homestand and being able to respond is huge. You look forward to that throughout the year. You try to do that throughout the year, especially make the lulls as short as possible.”

Thursday’s lull barely lasted through the second rain delay. Kevin McGonigle’s triple leading off the bottom of the seventh set up Kerry Carpenter’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly to bring the Tigers within 8-7. Vinnie Pasquantino’s ninth-inning solo homer provided an insurance run, but Gleyber Torres’ leadoff single and McGonigle’s ABS-assisted walk put the tying run on base with none out for the middle of the order against Royals closer Lucas Erceg.

“I was in the dugout feeling like it was kind of adding up that it was going to be me or Riley,” Keith said. “One of us was going to do it.”

It took them both. Erceg struck out Carpenter, then Jonathan India snared Dingler’s line drive. Greene was 2-for-3 for his career off Erceg, but he had to battle with two strikes. Greene always sits fastball, but after three straight heaters, Erceg had him set up for the changeup.

Erceg left the changeup over the plate enough for Greene to tuck it inside first base and down the right-field line.

“Just trying to stay to the big part of the field as best I can,” Greene said.

Keith, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, saw two changeups from Erceg – the first out of the zone, the second one in.

“They were throwing me down and away all series,” Keith said. “Just trying to get something close to me that I could drive.”