Homers by Santana and Perez propel Kansas City Royals comeback win over the Tigers

The numbers lined up too perfectly for it not to happen. The Kansas City Royals were going for their fourth straight win on the day they honored franchise legend Alex Gordon with his jersey No. 4 flashing all around the stadium during the pregame ceremony.

Of course, the Royals put the cosmically-inevitable outcome in doubt for the first four and a half innings. Then again, the best part of Gordon’s tenure with the franchise included some of the most dramatic you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it rallies in club history. So in a way, it was fitting.

The Royals rallied from a six-run deficit in the fifth inning and turned it into a three-run lead by the end of the seventh on their way to a 9-8 win over the Detroit Tigers in front of an announced 24,616 at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday night.

The Royals (41-55) secured their fourth straight win and clinched a series victory against the Tigers on Alex Gordon Day. They’ve come from behind in 25 of their wins, the third-most in the American League behind Boston (31) and Tampa Bay (30).

“It’s cool when we’ve got this kind of atmosphere with our fans,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “They were loud. That was loud today! They responded, and our guys responded to them. … These are memories. Throughout anybody’s career, no matter how long or short it is, to be part of games like we just were is just special.”

Salvador Perez’s three-run home run with two outs played a big part in igniting the offense as part of a four-run fifth inning, and Carlos Santana delivered a game-changing three-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Royals their first lead of the night.

Perez went 2 for 5 with two runs scored, while Nicky Lopez went 3 for 3 with a walk and a double. Hanser Alberto’s pinch-hit two-run triple to the center field wall pushed the Royals total to nine runs and ultimately provided the margin of victory.

“This game is crazy,” Perez said. “... We just need to compete to the last out and see what happens. Nobody put their head down. There was a lot of energy in the dugout.”

The Royals’ string of three consecutive quality starts snapped as right-hander Carlos Hernández gave up five runs (four earned) on two hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings. His four walks were as many as in his previous four appearances (10 2/3 innings) combined.

The Royals trailed 6-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning after the Tigers pushed across five (four earned) against Hernandez in the first three innings and tacked on one in the top of the fifth against left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady.

Singles by Hunter Dozier, Michael A. Taylor and Lopez jump-started the Royals’ offense in the fifth. Lopez’s single to center scored Dozier for the Royals’ first run of the day against Tigers starter Casey Mize.

After Mize struck out Whit Merrifield and Santana’s deep drive to left field came to rest in Akil Baddoo’s glove, Mize was one hit away from limiting the Royals to one run and stranding a pair of men on base.

Unfortunately for Mize, Perez had different plans, and he executed those plans on a 1-1 sinker that stayed over the heart of the plate and about mid-thigh high. Perez smashed the pitch 452 feet for a three-run homer that pulled the Royals within two runs, 6-4.

“He’s pretty good,” Perez said of Mize. “I don’t think he wanted to leave a fastball right in the middle of home plate against me, but nobody’s perfect. He made a mistake. ... The stuff he has, he’s going to be one of the best pitchers in the American League. But nobody’s perfect. Sometimes you’re going to make a mistake. Sometimes you’re going to pay for that.”

That marked the end of Mize’s outing.

The Royals flipped the score with one out in the seventh inning when Lopez and Merrifield hit back-to-back singles off reliever Kyle Funkhouser to set up Santana’s blast. Santana hit a 3-2 sinking fastball into the bullpen behind the right field fence for his 17th home run of the season and put the Royals ahead 7-6.

“I felt great,” Santana said of the emotions surrounding the homer. “Especially (honoring) the great memories of Alex Gordon. Everybody knows Gordon played for a long time here, and (they had) a great ceremony. I think that game is for him.”

Perez singled and Andrew Benintendi walked to put two more men on with one out. Jorge Soler flew out to center field for the second out, and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch turned to left-handed reliever Ian Krol with Royals left-handed hitting slugger Ryan O’Hearn due up.

Matheny countered by pinch hitting Alberto, who batted .394 against left-handed pitching the previous two seasons. Alberto smoked a ball to the wall in center field for a two-run triple. The Royals held onto that 9-6 lead going into the ninth inning.

Royals veteran reliever Greg Holland struggled in the ninth. He gave up a two-run homer to make it a one-run game, 9-8, and then walked back-to-back batters with two outs to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

Matheny turned to veteran reliever Wade Davis, who entered the night with a 7.73 ERA in 23 appearances this season.

With fans on their feet cheering and clapping, Davis struck out Jeimer Candelario swinging to end the game.

“I feel like it has been a long time,” Davis said of being called upon in a tight spot. “I think getting in those situations is fun. It’s, obviously, more fun when you’re doing well.

“But anytime you get out there and you get that little boost — feel the adrenaline in a one-run and you’ve got runners on -- you just get a little extra electric spark and you just have a lot more run getting out there and getting the job done doing that.”