MLB Recap · June 21, 2023

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers: Final Score & Recap

KC4
Final
DET9

Line Score

Team123456789RHE
KC0200000114111
DET03101004-9110

The Story

The Detroit Tigers handled the Kansas City Royals 9-4 at Comerica Park on June 21, 2023, a result the DiamondIQ model largely anticipated, setting the Tigers' pre-game home win probability at 71% before watching it climb to 100% by game's end. Detroit seized control early, scoring three runs in the second inning and never relinquishing the lead, while Kansas City managed just four runs across a game that saw both clubs finish with 11 hits.

The decisive stretch came in the bottom of the second, where the Tigers' half-inning did the most damage against Brady Singer. Eric Haase's double was the single biggest swing of the night, adding 11.4% to Detroit's win probability, and Zack Short followed with a single worth another 8.6%. Short continued to torment Singer in the fifth, connecting on a home run that added 8.1% to Detroit's probability, and a Javier Báez single in the third added another 7.8%. On the Kansas City side, Nick Pratto's strikeout in the top of the second — limiting the Royals' early threat — actually registered as a positive 8.6% swing for Detroit's win probability from the batting-team perspective, a sign of how thoroughly Singer struggled to generate offense in that critical frame.

Zack Short was the game's standout performer by the DiamondIQ model's metrics, finishing with a cumulative WPA of plus 16.9% and a RE24 of plus 2.9, driving the Tigers' offense with his multi-hit, multi-RBI contribution. Eric Haase complemented him at plus 10.0% WPA and plus 1.9 RE24, while Will Vest led the pitching staff with a WPA of plus 5.0%, helping Detroit close out a wire-to-wire win.

Analysis generated by DiamondIQ's model.

Win Probability

755025KC bats firstFinalDET win %KC win %
DiamondIQ model home win probability across the game (pre-game 71.2% → final 100%).

Biggest Plays by Win-Probability Added

Eric Haase Double
Bot 2nd · off Brady Singer
+11.4%
Nick Pratto Strikeout
Top 2nd · off Matthew Boyd
+8.6%
Zack Short Single
Bot 2nd · off Brady Singer
+8.6%
Zack Short Home Run
Bot 5th · off Brady Singer
+8.1%
Javier Báez Single
Bot 3rd · off Brady Singer
+7.8%

Top Batters by WPA

Zack Short+16.9%+2.9 RE24
Nick Pratto+13.4%+0.0 RE24
Eric Haase+10.0%+1.9 RE24

Top Pitchers by WPA

Full box score, pitch data, and the play-by-play timeline
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