DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers aren't running out of hits, but they may be running out of time.

The Kansas City Royals slugged four home runs, four doubles and a triple Sunday to highlight a 19-hit attack in a 12-9 win over the Tigers, who fell 1 1/2 games behind Baltimore in the battle for the American League's second wild card.

Detroit hit two home runs, three doubles and a triple in a 17-hit outburst that was not enough to overcome Kansas City's onslaught.

"That game just felt like it was a cat fight," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Kicking, scratching, biting, clawing, eye-gouging -- just one of those games, man, both teams.

"What stands out to me is we scored four in the first. That's always nice to do but you've got to tack on. It's important to tack on. We put a three spot, then a couple of two spots up there."

Salvador Perez, Cheslor Cuthbert, Raul Mondesi and Alex Gordon hit Kansas City's home runs while Kendry Morales had an RBI double and a run-scoring single.

Gordon had an RBI double and Mondesi an RBI single to go with their home runs.

Kansas City hit for the cycle four batters into the game and when Paulo Orlando singled, it drove starter Matt Boyd (6-5) from the game without retiring a batter.

"You don't want to lose late when you're fighting for a playoff spot," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "You feel like every loss at times is insurmountable. But the truth is it's not insurmountable. We still have a week of games left. There's still three or four teams involved."

The Tigers made it interesting as the game wound down, rallying for two runs off Kelvin Herrera in the eighth inning. A sacrifice fly by J.D. Martinez made it 11-8 and the Royals' setup man's wild pitch plated another run before he got Erick Aybar on a groundout to strand a runner at third.

Royals closer Wade Davis notched his 26th save, although he had to strand runners at first and third with one out to do it.

"I thought the fight in the offense was outstanding," Ausmus said. "Nobody wants to lose. You definitely don't want to lose this time of year, but the offense didn't give up.

"But ultimately, 12 runs were just too much to overcome. And really, 12 runs are generally too much to overcome."

Jordan Zimmermann, making just his third appearance since June 30, gave up Mondesi's RBI single in the ninth to expand Kansas City's lead to 12-9.

Victor Martinez hit a grand slam in the third inning, which briefly cut Detroit's deficit to 7-4. Singles by Ian Kinsler and Cameron Maybin plus a Cabrera walk in the third preceded Martinez's 27th home run of the season and fifth career grand slam.

The Royals pounced on the Tigers' fourth pitcher, Shane Greene, for two more runs in the fourth to get the margin back to 9-4. Morales had an RBI single and scored on a two-out double to deep right center by Gordon, who hit his two-run home run in the sixth, his 17th, to make it 11-4 as Kansas City worked over six Detroit pitchers.

Maybin tripled with one out in the fourth for Detroit and scored on a groundout to second by Miguel Cabrera, who now has 95 RBIs, to make it 9-5.

Edinson Volquez got out just two of the nine batters he faced in the third. Peter Moylan relieved and ended the inning with one pitch -- a squeeze try by Andrew Romine that he mistakenly bunted right back to the pitcher for an easy force at home. Ausmus confirmed that Romine bunted on his own.

"I just felt like Eddie was laboring at that point," Yost said. "We had a seven-run lead, next thing we know it's 7-4 and the bases are loaded again. He was struggling to throw strikes and I just didn't want him to end up throwing a pitch that's going to be a gapper and get that game tied."

Dillon Gee (8-9), the third Kansas City pitcher, picked up the win although he allowed two runs on four hits over 2 2/3 innings.

Billy Burns singled, Whit Merrifield tripled, Morales doubled and Perez hit his 22nd home run to give Kansas City the cycle and a 4-0 lead with the game four batters old.

"Everything was up," Boyd said. "At least five pitches were up and every one got hit."

Orlando led off the third with a single and scored on Cuthbert's 11th home run, which came off Anibal Sanchez. Mondesi followed by hitting a cookie for his second home run of the year.

NOTES: Detroit SS Jose Iglesias, a native of Cuba who was distraught over the death of Miami RHP Jose Fernandez, was scratched from the starting lineup by manager Brad Ausmus. He came on as a pinch hitter in the ninth and ripped a double. ... Tigers 3B Casey McGehee, a former teammate of Fernandez's, was also distraught over the pitcher's death. "The tough part for me is having to tell my son (Mack, who has cerebral palsy). Jose had a real feel for him. They had a special bond." ... Kansas City 1B Eric Hosmer, who reached 100 RBIs for the first time in his career Saturday, did not play. "He's had one day off all year long," manager Ned Yost said. "It's a perfect day for it. Got a tough lefty on the mound."