FinalFinal lineupsAL Central

Kansas City Royals 3, Detroit Tigers 4

Final Score and Game Recap

Final score, pitching lines and standings context.

6:40 PM ET · Comerica ParkGame-day snapshot Jul 23, 3:30 PM ETFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 20, 5:00 AM ET
T-Score26
69–93 · 5th AL Central · T-Score 26
3
3–4
FINAL
76–86 · 4th AL Central · T-Score 45
4
T-Score45
FINAL

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherTigersMelton owns the stronger overall starter profile, with the higher P-Score and better strikeout and baserunner rates.
LineupTigersDetroit's official lineup includes 6 left-handed bats against the opposing starter.
BullpenTigersDetroit owns a 3.68 bullpen ERA this season, compared with Kansas's 4.73.
Recent formTigersDetroit has been the better recent team, at 6–4 over the last 10.
Team strengthTigersDetroit leads 45–26 in T-Score, driven by recent team form.

Starting pitchers

2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
1.93
52nd
WHIP
1.50
157th
K/9
4.50
212th
BB/9
5.14
114th
P-Score53i
FIP
–
HR/9
1.29
37th
OPS/R
–
IP
14.0
Last 5 starts
ERA
1.93
QUALITY
START %
0%
(0 of 3)
DAYS
REST
5
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
1.80
18th
WHIP
0.87
43rd
K/9
8.18
145th
BB/9
2.45
93rd
P-Score59i
FIP
–
HR/9
1.15
82nd
OPS/R
–
IP
55.0
Last 5 starts
ERA
0.92
QUALITY
START %
60%
(3 of 5)
DAYS
REST
6
How the starters differ
·Melton strikes out 3.7 more batters per nine innings.
·Melton allows fewer baserunners, with a 0.87 WHIP compared with 1.50.
·Melton has produced a quality start in 60% of outings versus 0%.
·Recent form favors Melton, who has allowed fewer runs across the last five starts.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Dobnak arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker39%91.5
Sweeper25%82.4
Changeup22%84.7
Four-seam10%92.2
Slider5%83.7
Melton arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam33%96.4
Cutter22%92.2
Slider17%87.0
Changeup10%89.4
Sinker9%95.7
Curveball8%79.5
Splitter1%88.4

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

13th
in MLB
0.727OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
14th
in MLB
0.723OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Final lineupsOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Kansas City RoyalsOfficial lineupvs RHP Troy Melton
Detroit TigersOfficial lineupvs RHP Randy Dobnak

Team comparison

OffenseKCKC·DETDET
AVG.248 8th.241 20th
OPS.718 16th.720 14th
Home runs170 21st181 18th
Runs690 22nd723 14th
OBP.316 18th.320 10th
SLG.402 14th.400 18th
PitchingKCKC·DETDET
1stMLB rank30th
ERA4.77vs3.67
KCDET
WHIP1.41vs1.22
KCDET
K/97.4vs8.2
KCDET
HR Allowed210vs167
KCDET
BullpenKCKC·DETDET
1stMLB rank30th
Bullpen ERA4.73vs3.68
no league rank
Saves38vs32
KCDET
ResultsKCKC·DETDET
+26126th
Run differential
+3977th
69–93 Record76–86
5–5 Last 106–4
Last 10 games
W
W
W
L
W
W
L
L
L
L
W
L
W
L
W
W
L
L
W
W
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
4—9
13 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Royals?+
Randy Dobnak (1.93 ERA, 0–0) is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Tigers?+
Troy Melton (1.80 ERA, 5–1) is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
6:40 PM ET at Comerica Park.
Where is the game being played?+
Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not as official league cards. The orders shown are the current projected or last-posted lineups.
How have the Royals and Tigers performed head-to-head?+
Season series: Tigers 9–4 this season.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Randy Dobnak is at 53; Troy Melton is at 59. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.