Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| DET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 6 | 8 | 1 |
The Story
The Detroit Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on June 19, 2023, at Comerica Park, rallying from a three-run deficit with a decisive five-run seventh inning to claim the win. The DiamondIQ model entered the game favoring Detroit with a 72% home win probability, and that estimate climbed to 100% by the final out.
Kansas City appeared to seize control in the top of the fourth, when Maikel Garcia launched a home run off Reese Olson that shifted win probability by 19.6 percentage points, followed shortly by a Bobby Witt Jr. home run off the same pitcher for an additional 11.3-point swing. Those two blasts staked the Royals to a 3-0 lead that held through the sixth inning. The Tigers answered with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, but the game's true turning point came in the bottom of the seventh, when Detroit erupted for five runs against Taylor Clarke and Jordan Lyles. Kerry Carpenter's home run off Clarke was the single most impactful play of the game, adding 43.9 percentage points of win probability. Jonathan Schoop's double off Lyles contributed another 15.6-point swing, and a Jake Rogers single off Clarke added 12.9 points as Detroit methodically dismantled the Royals' lead.
Kerry Carpenter finished as the game's top performer by WPA at plus-38.6% with a RE24 of plus-2.3, his seventh-inning home run serving as the decisive blow. Bobby Witt Jr. led all Royals hitters with a plus-22.9% WPA and a RE24 of plus-2.0, while Maikel Garcia added plus-18.8% WPA despite being on the losing side. On the mound, Tyler Alexander paced Detroit's pitching staff with a plus-10.2% WPA contribution, followed by Jordan Lyles at plus-8.1% and Alex Lange at plus-6.3% as the Tigers' bullpen ultimately secured the victory.