DETROIT (AP) — Eric Hosmer matched his career high with five hits, including his first major league grand slam, and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to a season-high eight games with a 16-2 rout of the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

Hosmer entered with 117 homers but had not hit one with the bases loaded until he connected off Warwick Saupold in a nine-run seventh inning. Hosmer had six RBIs and scored four runs.

Bruce Rondon was ejected with one out in the ninth after hitting Mike Moustakas on the back with a pitch, which caused both benches to empty. Utilityman Andrew Romine entered in his third big league pitching appearance and faced five batters, allowing a walk, RBI single, sacrifice fly, hit batter and flyout.

DETROIT (AP) — Whit Merrifield homered on the first pitch of the game and the Kansas City Royals led the rest of the way, beating the Detroit Tigers 3-1 on Tuesday night for their seventh consecutive victory.

Danny Duffy (7-6) pitched into the seventh inning for the Royals, who added two runs in the fourth to keep the pressure on in the AL Central race. Kansas City came into the night 1 ½ games behind first-place Cleveland.

Merrifield homered to left-center off Michael Fulmer (10-8) to open the scoring. Fulmer struck out the next four hitters he faced, and the All-Star right-hander ended up allowing three runs and eight hits in eight sharp innings. He struck out six without a walk.

Duffy allowed a run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Three relievers finished, with Kelvin Herrera pitching a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 24 chances.

DETROIT (AP) — The contending Kansas City Royals have acquired three pitchers from the San Diego Padres, getting starter Trevor Cahill, closer Brandon Maurer and reliever Ryan Buchter.

The Royals sent pitchers Matt Strahm and Travis Wood, minor league infielder Esteury Ruiz and cash to San Diego on Monday. The deal came one week before the nonwaiver trade deadline.

Kansas City began the day tied with Tampa Bay for the second AL wild-card spot and 1 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland. The Royals had been looking to bolster their rotation and bullpen, and did it with one swap.

Cahill was 4-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 starts for the Padres. The 29-year-old right-hander was an All-Star with Oakland in 2010.

Maurer is 20-for-23 on save tries, and 1-4 with a 5.72 ERA. The 27-year-old righty began his big league career with Seattle in 2013 as a starter.

Buchter is 3-3 with one save and a 3.05 ERA in 42 games. The 30-year-old lefty pitched 67 times for the Padres last year.

DETROIT (AP) — Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas hit consecutive homers in the 12th inning, and the Kansas City Royals won their sixth straight game, 5-3 over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

Hours after the Royals helped their pitching staff by acquiring Trevor Cahill and two relievers in a trade with San Diego, Kansas City outlasted the Tigers to stay 1 ½ games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central. Jorge Bonifacio also homered for the Royals, who won despite squandering a 3-0 lead in the sixth.

Jakob Junis (3-2), one of seven relievers used by Kansas City, pitched a hitless 11th for the win. Kelvin Herrera finished for his 20th save in 23 chances.

Drew VerHagen (0-1) took the loss, allowing the homers to Perez and Moustakas in his third inning of work.

The top seed, the Charleston, Missouri Flying Squirrels, captured the championship of the Babe Ruth Midwest Regional Tournament for 16-18 year olds at Rathert Field in Junction City on Monday.

The Flying Squirrels defeated the Buckley Bombers from Colorado 7-0 in the championship game.

In the semifinals on Monday Buckley defeated Cottonwood Valley League from Kansas 4-0 and Charleston defeated Wayne County, Missouri 11-1.

The Junction City Reds competed in the eight-team tournament. They went 0-3.

The Junction City Brigade fell to the Topeka Golden Giants 9-0 in a rain shortened game Saturday night in the final game of the Cowdin Cup championship series.

The Golden Giants jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed. The win clinched the series and the Cowdin Cup title for the Golden Giants.

Heavy rain brought a halt to play in the middle of the fifth inning, and after a rain delay wait the game was eventually called.

Junction City finished the season at 21-15.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brandon Moss hit a game-ending double off Tyler Clippard that lifted the Kansas City Royals over the White Sox 5-4 Sunday, extending Chicago’s longest losing streak in four years to nine games.

Whit Merrifield, Jorge Bonifacio and Eric Hosmer hit consecutive home runs off Derek Holland in the fourth inning for a 3-0 lead, and Merrifield hit another solo shot in the eighth off Dan Jennings to tie the score at 4.

Mike Moustakas singled off Gregory Infante (0-1) leading off the ninth and pinch-runner Lorenzo Cain advanced on a wild pitch. Clippard relieved in his second appearance since he was acquired from the New York Yankees, and Moss doubled.

Kelvin Herrera (3-2) struck out two in a perfect ninth, extending the scoreless streak by the Royals bullpen to 18 innings over five games. Kansas City has won five straight following a skid of seven losses in eight games and went 6-4 on a homestand that included four walkoff wins.