Jacobs’ HR in 9th lifts Royals to 4-3 win

DETROIT — Mike Jacobs hit a go-ahead solo homer in the ninth and closer Joakim Soria held on, giving the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

Willie Bloomquist drove in three runs for the Royals, connecting on a home run in the sixth inning and a two-run triple in the eighth.

Detroit’s Ryan Raburn homered in the sixth and had an RBI double in the eighth, making it 3-all.

Jacobs broke the tie with a shot to right off Fernando Rodney (0-2), who entered in the ninth after Joel Zumaya allowed Bloomquist to put Kansas City ahead.

Roman Colon (1-0) earned his first win since 2006, when he was pitching for Detroit, and Soria saved his 13th game in 15 chances.

The AL Central-leading Tigers went ahead three times in the first eight innings, fell behind once and the game was tied twice.

They had another opportunity to take the lead in the ninth when Gerald Laird hit a one-out single, but Soria struck out pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago and All-Star Curtis Granderson.

The Tigers, who opened a homestand after losing two straight at Minnesota, had won eight straight at Comerica Park. They began the night 23-11 in Detroit for the team’s best 34-game start at home since 1984.

Kansas City has three straight victories for the first time since winning four in a row in mid-June.

Both teams got solid results from their starting pitchers.

Detroit’s Armando Galarraga allowed a run on five hits and struck out seven over seven innings. The slumping Zumaya, though, followed and gave up two runs on two hits in only one inning.

Gil Meche allowed two runs over 5 2-3 innings, and Juan Cruz followed with 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief.

NOTES: Kansas City acquired utilityman Ryan Freel from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named, and he’s expected to join the Royals on Tuesday in Detroit. … Rookie RHP Rick Porcello will have his next turn in the rotation skipped. … Tigers OF Carlos Guillen is moving closer to playing after being on the DL since May 5 with a shoulder injury.