DETROIT -- Max Scherzer began the follow-up effort to his American League Cy Young Award season in much the same fashion that his award-winning 2013 campaign started. This time, however, he didn't get the win, though the Tigers eventually did.After Scherzer's eight scoreless innings on Wednesday against the Royals had him picking up where he left off from a 2013 season in which seemingly everything went right, something went wrong. Joe Nathan suffered his first blown save in 20 chances at Comerica Park, sending the game into extra innings before Ian Kinsler's 10th-inning single off Tim Collins earned the Tigers their second straight walk-off victory, 2-1. 
Kinsler, whose fourth-inning home run was his first hit as a Tiger and the game's lone run until the ninth, hit a gapper to left-center with two outs, scoring Austin Jackson. It was the only hit allowed by Collins, whose walks to Jackson and Nick Castellanos kept the inning going for the batting order to come back around.Nathan was 19-for-19 in career save chances against the Tigers at Comerica Park before joining Detroit on a two-year contract this past offseason. He entered the ninth with a 1-0 lead and the top of the Royals order due up, retiring leadoff man Nori Aoki, then loading the bases on an Omar Infante single and back-to-back walks.Nathan retired Alex Gordon, but his fly ball to left was deep enough to easily score pinch-runner Pedro Ciriaco. Al Alburquerque earned the win with a scoreless 10th, helped by a replay challenge that turned what was originally an Aoki infield single into the third out.For Scherzer, owner of Major League Baseball's highest run support by a wide margin last season, it was the first time in his Major League career that he didn't earn a win for seven or more shutout innings. Considering the Tigers ended up with a second straight win against a Kansas City club seen as potentially Detroit's biggest obstacle to a fourth consecutive AL Central crown, Scherzer isn't likely to mind.The Tigers and Scherzer broke off contract talks a week and a half ago, with both sides claiming that the other turned down their offer. Scherzer and team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski met a few days later to clear the air and make sure it wouldn't be a distraction."I'm here to pitch and win," Scherzer said on Sunday. "I'm here to help get the team to the postseason. That's the only thing on my plate right now. All the off-field stuff takes care of itself off the field, but everything on the field stays the same."Scherzer had to take care of mechanical issues from the outset, seemingly out of sync as he walked Aoki and gave up an Infante single. With runners at the corners and one out, Scherzer fell behind on a 3-0 count to Billy Butler, forcing him to either throw strikes of risk facing Gordon, 11-for-28 with two home runs lifetime against him.Butler not only swung at the 3-0 pitch, he hit a ground ball straight at Alex Gonzalez for an inning-ending double play. That bought Scherzer the time he needed to adjust and settle in, scattering three singles over the next six innings.Scherzer allowed four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Royals starter Jason Vargas nearly matched him, allowing five hits over his seven innings with a walk and six strikeouts. That extra hit, however, was a killer.Kinsler talked during Spring Training about looking to hit line drives into the gaps for doubles and triples at Comerica Park after hitting for power over much of his Texas tenure. His first hit as a Tiger, though, was a drive over the fence in left-center field off a hanging curveball.It was the first hit and the only run Vargas allowed in his first start after signing a four-year, $32 million contract in the offseason to bolster Kansas City's rotation.Jason Beck / MLB.com
Kinsler, whose fourth-inning home run was his first hit as a Tiger and the game's lone run until the ninth, hit a gapper to left-center with two outs, scoring Austin Jackson. It was the only hit allowed by Collins, whose walks to Jackson and Nick Castellanos kept the inning going for the batting order to come back around.Nathan was 19-for-19 in career save chances against the Tigers at Comerica Park before joining Detroit on a two-year contract this past offseason. He entered the ninth with a 1-0 lead and the top of the Royals order due up, retiring leadoff man Nori Aoki, then loading the bases on an Omar Infante single and back-to-back walks.Nathan retired Alex Gordon, but his fly ball to left was deep enough to easily score pinch-runner Pedro Ciriaco. Al Alburquerque earned the win with a scoreless 10th, helped by a replay challenge that turned what was originally an Aoki infield single into the third out.For Scherzer, owner of Major League Baseball's highest run support by a wide margin last season, it was the first time in his Major League career that he didn't earn a win for seven or more shutout innings. Considering the Tigers ended up with a second straight win against a Kansas City club seen as potentially Detroit's biggest obstacle to a fourth consecutive AL Central crown, Scherzer isn't likely to mind.The Tigers and Scherzer broke off contract talks a week and a half ago, with both sides claiming that the other turned down their offer. Scherzer and team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski met a few days later to clear the air and make sure it wouldn't be a distraction."I'm here to pitch and win," Scherzer said on Sunday. "I'm here to help get the team to the postseason. That's the only thing on my plate right now. All the off-field stuff takes care of itself off the field, but everything on the field stays the same."Scherzer had to take care of mechanical issues from the outset, seemingly out of sync as he walked Aoki and gave up an Infante single. With runners at the corners and one out, Scherzer fell behind on a 3-0 count to Billy Butler, forcing him to either throw strikes of risk facing Gordon, 11-for-28 with two home runs lifetime against him.Butler not only swung at the 3-0 pitch, he hit a ground ball straight at Alex Gonzalez for an inning-ending double play. That bought Scherzer the time he needed to adjust and settle in, scattering three singles over the next six innings.Scherzer allowed four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Royals starter Jason Vargas nearly matched him, allowing five hits over his seven innings with a walk and six strikeouts. That extra hit, however, was a killer.Kinsler talked during Spring Training about looking to hit line drives into the gaps for doubles and triples at Comerica Park after hitting for power over much of his Texas tenure. His first hit as a Tiger, though, was a drive over the fence in left-center field off a hanging curveball.It was the first hit and the only run Vargas allowed in his first start after signing a four-year, $32 million contract in the offseason to bolster Kansas City's rotation.Jason Beck / MLB.com
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