DETROIT -- Jeremy Guthrie and Anibal Sanchez matched up for the second time in a week. The rematch led to a role reversal, with Guthrie in control and Sanchez getting knocked around.

Guthrie limited the Detroit Tigers to two runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 6-2 win on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park. Guthrie (2-2), who allowed six runs on 11 hits to the Tigers in a loss last Sunday, won for the first time since his first start on April 11.

Sanchez (2-4), who held the Royals to three runs in 7 1/3 innings on Sunday, allowed five earned runs on nine hits in six innings in this game. He was 6-2 with a 1.40 ERA against the Royals entering the game.

"It's just funny how baseball is," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "Just one start ago, Guthrie matched up against Sanchez and we couldn't do anything off Sanchez and they rapped Guthrie around. Today, they can't do much off of Guthrie and we got some hits off Sanchez."

Yost felt Guthrie had his best stuff of the year, but the right-hander did not feel he pitched that much better than he had in his previous start.

"I was able to keep the ball down a lot more consistently and we made some big plays," Guthrie said. "It really wasn't a whole bunch different. They hit some balls hard, just like they did last game. It just kind of happened that there weren't people on base for the most part."

Shortstop Alcides Escobar and first baseman Eric Hosmer drove in two runs apiece to back his strong pitching performance.

Escobar smacked a leadoff homer and added an RBI single for the Royals (19-11), who moved a half-game ahead of the Tigers atop the American League Central. Hosmer also drove in runs during the first two innings.

Escobar has four hits in two games since coming off the seven-day concussion disabled list. He was hit in the head by a pitch at Cleveland on April 29.

"He's as tough as they come in this game," Yost said. "When a guy gets hit in the head to the point where he's got a concussion and he's got to sit out seven days, there's a little trepidation in there when they get back in the box. Esky stuck his nose right back in the fire the first pitch (Friday). He got a couple of hits last night and had a great day today."

His first-pitch homer seemed to affect Sanchez.

"He was a little up early and in the first few innings," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He was better later. They hit some balls hard and they hit some balls not so hard that found places to go. That certainly helped extend their lead."

Third baseman Nick Castellanos drove in both runs for Detroit (19-12).

Escobar's blast over the left-field wall was his first home run of the season. Hosmer's RBI double made it 2-0.

The Royals scored twice more in the second on run-scoring singles by Escobar and Hosmer.

Detroit scored in the bottom of the inning on Castellanos' sacrifice fly. Catcher Drew Butera's bases-loaded groundout in the third brought home Kansas City's fifth run.

Second baseman Omar Infante, who had three hits, made it 6-1 with his fourth-inning RBI single.

"A solo home run in the first inning is not that big of a deal," Ausmus said. "When you go down five or six runs in the first few innings, then it gets tough."

Castellanos knocked in the Tigers' final run with an RBI triple in the sixth.

NOTES: Detroit C Alex Avila was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday, retroactive to Thursday, with a loose body in his left knee. Avila, who is hitting .200 with two home runs and eight RBIs, had an MRI on Friday and will likely require arthroscopic surgery. C Bryan Holaday was recalled from Triple-A Toledo. Holaday, who played 62 games with the Tigers last season, was batting .230 with one home run and nine RBIs in 18 games with the Mud Hens. ... Tigers LHP David Price has a mild right hamstring strain and it's uncertain if he will miss a start. Price, who was injured stepping on a bat while trying to back up home plate on Friday, underwent an MRI on Saturday morning. ... Royals RHP Chris Young will start Sunday night's nationally televised game, according to manager Ned Yost. The 6-foot-10 veteran held the Tigers hitless while striking out nine on May 1 in his only start this season. ... The leadoff home run by Royals SS Alcides Escobar was the team's first leadoff homer since Lorenzo Cain hit one against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 25, 2014.