The Royals walked in having won seven straight games, a run that started well before this series and carried all the way through it. Detroit, meanwhile, dropped its fourth in a row and had already lost the first two games of this set -- context that made Sunday feel like a formality even before the first pitch.
Nick Loftin was the story early, launching a two-run homer in the second inning and finishing 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Detroit's Kolston McGonigle punched back with a two-run shot of his own in the fifth, part of a 3-RBI day, but Kansas City answered right back with a JJ Rave two-run blast that same inning to keep the Tigers at arm's length.
The final line: Royals 11, Tigers 7, with Kansas City piling up 12 hits and Detroit not far behind at 10. It was the kind of slugfest that made the pitching matchup almost beside the point -- both bullpens took a beating, and the offense that could turn one bad inning into a rally won the day.
With the win, Kansas City completed the sweep and pushed its winning streak into unlikely territory for a team still south of .500 on the season. Detroit heads home having dropped five straight, its rotation and outfield injuries piling up at the worst possible time, with no easy schedule turn in sight.