BASEBALL: Gage Workman's clutch HR in Tigers debut sinks Royals

Gage Workman hit his first major league home run in memorable fashion, delivering a tiebreaking, pinch-hit, two-run blast in his Tigers debut as visiting Detroit snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday night.

Workman, a rookie infielder who appeared in 12 major league games in 2025, was called up from Triple-A Toledo on Sunday after Kerry Carpenter was placed on the injured list with a left shoulder sprain.

Matt Vierling drove in two runs for Detroit, while Hao-Yu Lee and Wenceel Perez each added an RBI. Riley Greene reached base four times and scored a run to help pace the offense.

On the mound, Enmanuel De Jesus earned the win (2-0) after tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. Kenley Jansen closed out the game, recording the final three outs for his seventh save of the season.

For Kansas City, Maikel Garcia led the offense with three hits, a run scored, and an RBI. Vinnie Pasquantino added two hits and an RBI, while Bobby Witt Jr. collected two hits and scored once.

Detroit struck first in the second inning when Greene singled to lead off and Perez reached on a fielder’s choice. After Spencer Torkelson struck out, Lee delivered an opposite-field triple that brought in Perez. Zack Short then walked before Vierling ripped a double off the left-center-field wall, clearing the bases to give the Tigers an early lead.

The Tigers threatened again in the third with two runners on and no outs, but Noah Cameron escaped the jam by retiring the next three hitters. Kansas City responded in the bottom half of the inning to begin its comeback.

Garcia doubled to right and Witt reached on an infield single. Pasquantino followed with an RBI single, and Carter Jensen added a sacrifice fly to bring Witt home, trimming the deficit.

The Royals tied the game in the fourth inning. Jac Caglianone doubled to open the frame, and after two quick strikeouts, Garcia singled to center to drive him in and make it a 3-3 contest.

Detroit left runners on base again in the fifth but broke through in the sixth. Torkelson singled off Nick Mears (2-2), and one out later, Workman stepped in as a pinch hitter for Short. He crushed a slider over the right-field wall to put the Tigers ahead 5-3.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the seventh. Greene doubled with one out and later scored on Perez’s single to center, extending the lead to 6-3.

Detroit’s bullpen held firm the rest of the way to secure the win and end its losing skid. -Field Level Media/Reuters