Kinsler keeps on bunching hits together

ST. LOUIS -- Ian Kinsler did it again.

Kinsler's 2-for-3 performance was one of the lone bright spots for the Tigers in a 2-1 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday night. Throw in a walk, and Kinsler reached base three times, consisting of one-third of the entire team's baserunners during the game.

More notably, it was the 18th multi-hit game of the season for Kinsler, who moved into a second-place tie with Miami's Dee Gordon for the most multi-hit games in all of baseball and is just one game shy of the top spot held by the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter, who also had a pair of hits Sunday.

Kinsler has been a sparkplug.

"He's a huge part of the offense at the top of the order in the two-hole," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's a smart baseball guy."

Kinsler went 5-for-11 in the three-game series against the Cardinals, with three runs scored. He also had another multi-hit game Saturday, going 3-for-5.

Kinsler has hit safely in six of his past seven games and has four multi-hit games during that span.