KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Mike Maroth came within one out of a shutout, and the Detroit Tigers beat Kansas City 1-0 Sunday to complete a doubleheader sweep and send the Royals to their franchise-record 15th straight loss.

Kansas City’s losing streak is the longest in the major leagues since Tampa Bay also dropped 15 consecutive games in 2002. The only AL team to have a longer skid in the last 30 years was the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who lost a league-record 21 in a row.

Seldom-used Vance Wilson went 3-for-4 with a homer and scored three times, including the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, to help Detroit win the opener 8-7 despite losing left fielder Rondell White to a dislocated shoulder.

Fernando Rodney saved both games for the Tigers, giving him four saves this season. He replaced Maroth with a runner on in the nightcap and retired Mike Sweeney on a foul popup to end it.

Maroth (10-11) gave up five hits and two walks in 8 2-3 innings, allowing only one runner to reach second base. He was backed by a Tigers defense that turned four double plays.

Dmitri Young led off the Detroit fifth with a double, went to third on Jose Lima’s wild pitch and scored on Brandon Inge’s sacrifice fly to right for the only run.

Lima (4-11) threw his first complete game since Aug. 11, 2001, with Detroit. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out three.

Wilson entered the first game with a .151 batting average in 38 games and 86 at-bats.

“His track record has been pretty good,” Tigers manager Alan Trammell said. “Given a chance, he’s been able to contribute. The hard part is it is so few and far between at-bats, and like anybody else, he starts pressing.”

Pinch-hitter Omar Infante doubled home Wilson with the go-ahead run with two outs in the ninth. Infante, batting for John McDonald, doubled to the right-center gap off Ambiorix Burgos (1-5).

“He’s got some big hits for us,” Trammell said.

White hit a three-run homer, and Wilson and Craig Monroe added solo shots for Detroit.

David DeJesus hit an inside-the-park homer for the Royals, and White was injured on the play.

Craig Dingman (1-1) earned the victory. Rodney worked the ninth for the save.

Monroe’s home run with two outs in the sixth snapped a 5-all tie. In 42 career games against the Royals, Monroe has 12 home runs and 37 RBIs.

Wilson led off the seventh with a home run, pushing the Tigers’ lead to 7-5.

The Royals tied it in the seventh when Matt Stairs’ single scored Denny Hocking. Sweeney, who had singled and stopped at third on Stairs’ hit, scored the tying run on Emil Brown’s sacrifice fly.

White, who is hitting .444 on the road trip and .392 with three home runs, 13 RBIs and 12 runs in his past 19 road games, hit Mike Wood’s 1-0 pitch off the left-field foul pole with Magglio Ordonez and Chris Shelton aboard in the first. Ordonez singled home Placido Polanco with the first run.

White, who played for the Royals in 2003, left in the third inning after injuring his left shoulder diving for DeJesus’ shot to left field. With White in pain on the Kauffman Stadium grass, DeJesus circled the bases for his first career inside-the-park homer.

Stairs had a two-out double in the first. DeJesus reached base four times, including two singles.

The Royals tied it at 5 in the fourth when Mark Teahen tripled home two runs and scored on Angel Berroa’s single.

Wood, who was making his second start after beginning the season in the bullpen, gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings. He allowed five runs in the first two innings.

“I was just leaving the ball up,” Wood said. “I had to make adjustments in the second and third innings. I just got off to a bad start and then I settled down. I wish I could take back that inning.”

Tigers starter Jason Johnson allowed six runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. He left with the Tigers up 7-5.

“I wouldn’t say it was one of his greatest performances, but he pitched well enough to win, but we couldn’t hold it,” Trammell said. “He battled.”

Plate umpire Bill Hohn warned both dugouts after Johnson hit DeJesus with a pitch in the fifth. The teams had a bench-clearing melee on July 17 in Detroit when Royals right-hander Runelvys Hernandez beaned Carlos Guillen. Hernandez is appealing his 10-game suspension.

Notes: The doubleheader was scheduled after rainouts on Friday and Saturday. … Stairs returned to the Royals’ lineup for the first time since Monday. He had been out with a strained right calf. … Detroit C Ivan Rodriguez played the second game after returning from a four-game suspension. Rodriguez was suspended for inappropriate actions and comments during a July 30 game in Oakland. … Maroth’s only career shutout came on July 15, 2004, against the Yankees.

AP-ES-08-14-05 2010EDT

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