Vinnie Pasquantino of the Royals reacts next to umpire Dan Iassogna after a wild pitch thrown by Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton during the sixth inning of Sunday afternoon's game in Detroit. (Associated Press)
DETROIT -- Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia homered Sunday afternoon to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-8.
The Royals improved to 28-14 in series finales this season. They are 9-4 when they are in danger of being swept.
John Schreiber (3-2) pitched 1⅓ innings for the win, and Carlos Estévez handled the ninth for his 34th save.
Riley Greene hit his 31st homer for the Tigers, who had won five straight and nine-of-10. Jack Flaherty (7-13) was tagged for eight runs in five-plus innings.
The Royals scored six runs in the third inning after Flaherty retired the first two batters.
Luke Maile singled and scored on Mike Yastrzemski's double. Bobby Witt Jr. made it 2-1 with an RBI single, and Pasquantino followed with a two-run homer. Garcia singled, Salvador Perez drove in Kansas City's fifth run and Adam Frazier made it seven straight hits with an RBI double.
All nine Royals starters had at least one hit and scored at least one run in the game.
Jahmai Jones hit a three-run double for Detroit in the fourth, and the Tigers added three more runs in the fifth. Wenceel Pérez homered, and Zach McKinstry's two-out RBI single made it 7-6 Detroit.
Flaherty departed after the Royals started the sixth with a pair of hits, and Tyler Holton allowed a two-run single to Kyle Isbel. Holton's wild pitch allowed Isbel to score Kansas City's ninth run.
Garcia homered in the seventh to make it 10-7, but Spencer Torkelson answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
McKinstry had a chance for a tying two-run homer in the seventh, but Frazier made the catch against the right-field wall.
Royals LHP Noah Cameron (7-5, 2.53 ERA) starts tonight in the opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox. RHP Shane Smith (3-7, 4.12 ERA) goes for Chicago. The American League Central-leading Tigers begin a three-game set tonight at the Athletics.