Tigers vs. Royals Tonight: Start Time, Lineups, Live Stream & Betting Odds for the AL Central Showdown

DETROIT – Fans searching for the latest on the Tigers vs Royals showdown got fireworks early Friday night at Kauffman Stadium as Detroit leveraged two home runs and crisp situational hitting to take control of the American League Central tilt. Fast start for Detroit • Riley Greene continued his breakout season by sending a first-inning fastball from Kansas City starter Seth Lugo into the right-field seats, scoring Colt Keith and staking the Detroit Tigers to a 2-0 lead. • Rookie catcher Dillon Dingler followed in the second with a two-run blast, his fifth of 2025, stretching the advantage to 4-1. Dingler’s drive traveled 404 feet and silenced a sold-out Royals crowd that came hoping to see Lugo’s first game since returning from a finger injury. Royals refuse to fold Kansas City answered in the bottom of the first when Bobby Witt Jr. launched his sixth homer, and Drew Waters plated two more with a third-inning single, trimming the deficit to 4-3. The rally chased Detroit right-hander Casey Mize after 3⅓ innings, but relievers Brant Hurter and Brenan Hanifee steadied the game with scoreless frames. Torkelson’s timely knock In the fifth, Spencer Torkelson lined a two-out RBI single off Jonathan Bowlan, giving Detroit critical insurance at 5-3. The former No. 1 overall pick has 13 homers and 41 RBIs, reinforcing a Tigers lineup that entered the night averaging 5.1 runs over its past 10 games. Pitching storyline to monitor Detroit manager A.J. Hinch leaned on a bullpen that owns the AL’s second-best ERA since May 1. Meanwhile, Lugo’s pitch count climbed past 70 by the fourth inning as the Kansas City Royals continue to manage his workload carefully following the IL stint. Key numbers • Greene: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs – now slugging .509. • Witt: 1-for-3, HR, extends on-base streak to 18 games. • Tigers: improved to 24-6 when scoring first. • Royals: have dropped 12 of their last 18 despite ranking top-five in MLB stolen bases. What’s next Tonight’s contest opens a three-game weekend set between division rivals separated by seven games in the standings. Saturday’s pitching matchup projects lefty Tarik Skubal (5-2, 2.49 ERA) against Michael Wacha (3-4, 3.21 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. Search-friendly takeaways • Tigers vs Royals score update: Detroit leads 5-3 in the 7th at Kauffman Stadium. • Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler homers boost Tigers; Bobby Witt Jr. answers for Royals. • AL Central standings impact: Tigers seek fifth straight win; Royals aim to halt skid.