Alex Gordon had three hits and scored two runs, Bubba Starling delivered a two-run double, and the visiting Kansas City Royals downed the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Thursday.

Adalberto Mondesi and Jorge Soler each had three hits and scored a run for the Royals, who split the four-game series.

Greg Holland (1-0) tossed a scoreless inning of relief and struck out two to pick up the victory. Trevor Rosenthal pitched a shutout ninth for his first save this season.

Miguel Cabrera hit a pair of solo homers for the Tigers, and Jonathan Schoop homered for the third straight night. Jose Cisnero (1-1) gave up one run in an inning of relief and was tagged with the loss.

Making his second major league start, Royals right-hander Brady Singer gave up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three in five innings. Detroit starter Ivan Nova lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.

The Royals scored a run in the first on Soler's double and Ryan O'Hearn's two-out single. The Tigers tied it in the bottom of the inning on Cabrera's second homer of the season, an opposite-field shot that snuck inside the foul pole.

Kansas City regained the advantage in the second on Gordon's leadoff double and Franchy Cordero's RBI single.

Schoop tied it in the fourth with his solo shot over the left field wall.

Kansas City left runners at the corners in the sixth but moved in front with a run in the seventh. Whit Merrifield was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on another Soler double and scored on Salvador Perez's fielder's choice grounder.

Gordon's third hit of the game sparked the Royals' two-run eighth. Mondesi followed with a single, and both runners scored on Starling's double to left to make it 5-2.

Cabrera's second homer of the game, in the eighth, cut the Royals' lead to two runs.

Cameron Maybin singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth but Rosenthal settled in and retired the next three batters.

--Field Level Media