KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Justin Upton hit a two-run homer with two out in the eighth inning, sending the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Upton also doubled in J.D. Martinez in the second. He has seven homers and 18 RBIs in his past 14 games.
Miguel Cabrera was on first after a leadoff single when Upton drove a fastball from Joakim Soria over the wall in center for his 20th homer, giving Detroit a 6-5 lead. Soria (4-7) blew his fourth save in five opportunities.
Shane Greene (3-3) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win. Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth for his 38th save in 42 opportunities.
The Royals batted around in a four-run seventh, highlighted by Jarrod Dyson's two-run triple with two out. Paulo Orlando doubled home Dyson, but the lead was short-lived.
Alcides Escobar opened the Kansas City ninth with a double and advanced on a groundout. But he was stranded at third when Alex Gordon bounced to second and Paulo Orlando grounded out to third.
Martinez also homered for the Tigers. He is hitting .397 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 3.
Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris was charged with three runs and four hits in six-plus innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Escobar homered in the third, tying it at 1 and hiking his hitting streak to 12 games.
Royals starter Edinson Volquez gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.
BOYD'S RETURNING
Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd will be recalled Tuesday to start at the White Sox. Boyd went 5-2 with a 4.23 ERA in 16 games, including 14 starts, for Detroit before being optioned to Triple-A Toledo, where he was 2-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 11 starts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin has been out since Monday with a bruised left thumb. . RHP Mike Pelfrey (lower back strain) gave up nine hits in 3 1/3 innings in a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Toledo at Columbus. "I guess four of them were infield hits; they didn't get to the dirt," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "His velocity was good. He looked healthy. We've got to figure out if we want to try to find another rehab start for him or whether to activate him."
Royals: Gordon, who left in the ninth inning Saturday with a sore right ankle, was not in the starting lineup Sunday, but was intentionally walked as a pinch hitter in the seventh and then stayed in the game. "It was more precautionary, more than anything else," manager Ned Yost. "He was fighting me to play." ... LF Lorenzo Cain has not played since Tuesday because of left wrist inflammation.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander, who was selected the AL pitcher of the month for August after going 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA, and White Sox LHP Chris Sale are scheduled to start on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy, who went 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA in August, will start Monday at Minnesota in the opener of a six-game trip. The Twins are recalling RHP Jose Berrios from Triple-A Rochester to start.
