Hochevar (3-2) gave up just four hits and three walks, while fanning five, for the Royals, who have won all five meetings with Detroit so far this season. Joakim Soria earned his 10th save of the season and kept his earned run average at 0.00, as he has not allowed an earned run in 16 1/3 innings this year.

Alex Gordon went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, while Mark Teahen added a pair of hits and Tony Pena doubled for Kansas City.

Justin Verlander (1-7) lost his fourth start in a row, but only gave up two runs on six hits in six-plus innings for Detroit, which has lost nine of 11.

Miguel Cabrera had two hits for the Tigers, whose six hits were all singles.

"It's tough to win that way. When we score, we don't pitch. When we pitch, we don't hit," Verlander said. "It's a tough combination."

The Royals got the only runs they would need in the second inning. Billy Butler and Teahen led off with singles, putting runners on the corners. John Buck then hit to third baseman Carlos Guillen, who threw out Butler at the plate.

But after a Pena walk loaded the bases, Gathright delivered by lofting a liner to left to give the Royals a 2-0 advantage.

"(Verlander) made some pitches. I missed a few early in the count and he threw a slider down and in. I think he tried to bury it," Gathright said. "But it was up and I stayed inside of it and got a hit."

Hochevar got into trouble in the third, when a Curtis Granderson single put runners on first and second with one out. But he got Placido Polanco to ground out and Guillen to pop out to end the threat.

The Kansas City starter allowed one baserunner in the fourth and fifth, and two in the sixth, but none of them got past second. Ron Mahay threw a perfect seventh, and after he gave up a single to start the eighth, Leo Nunez came in and kept the Tigers off the board for the rest of the frame.

Soria got two strikeouts and a ground out from Edgar Renteria to end the game in the ninth.

Game Notes

The Royals have won three in a row overall, and outscored opponents 9-2 in the span...The Tigers will try to avoid the sweep in the series finale on Thursday, sending Kenny Rogers (3-3) to the mound to face Kansas City's Gil Meche (2-5).