KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ervin Santana allowed two singles in 7 1-3 innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 1-0 on Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
Santana, who can be a free agent after the season and has been widely speculated to be traded before the July 31 deadline without a player clearing waivers, did not allow a runner to reach second base. He walked one and struck out six.
Santana (6-6), who was coming off his worst outing of the season, when he allowed eight runs on 10 hits in a July 11 loss at Cleveland, retired the first 10 Tigers before Torii Hunter's one-out single in the fourth.
Kelvin Herrera, who was just recalled from Triple-A Omaha, replaced Santana in the eighth after he walked Jhonny Peralta with one out. Herrera retired Andy Dirks on a grounder and struck out Alex Avila looking.
Greg Holland worked a flawless ninth for his 23rd save in 25 opportunities, striking out one.
Alex Gordon led off the Royals' first with a single to right, stole second with one out and scored on Billy Butler's ground-ball single to center.
That was the only run Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez (7-7) would allow in six innings, but that was one too many.
Sanchez, who was making his third start since coming off the disabled list with a shoulder strain, left after 101 pitches, allowing four singles, walking five and striking out three.
