DETROIT (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections and featured multiple lead changes, the Detroit Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun the Kansas City Royals 10-9 on Thursday evening at Comerica Park.

The victory, sealed by Riley Greene’s game-tying two-run double and Colt Keith’s subsequent walk-off single, completed a three-game sweep of the Royals and propelled the Tigers above .500 for the season at 10-9. The Royals fell to 7-12, their losing streak extended to three games in heartbreaking fashion before a crowd of 15,034.

The contest, which lasted 3 hours, 6 minutes, stood in stark contrast to the first two games of the series, both 2-1 Detroit victories, and wildly exceeded statistical expectations. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 4-2 Tigers win, and the total of 19 runs sailed over an over/under line set at 8.

For seven innings, the narrative was one of a Royals comeback. Detroit starter Keider Montero delivered a solid outing, allowing four earned runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out five. He left with a 6-2 lead, built largely on a four-run Detroit fifth inning highlighted by a two-run homer from catcher Dillon Dingler.

Kansas City, however, erupted in the seventh. Trailing 6-3, they sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs to seize a 9-6 advantage. The inning was capped by a towering three-run home run from designated hitter Salvador Perez off reliever Enmanuel De Jesus, Perez’s third of the year, which plated Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr.

The most important sequence of the game, however, unfolded in the bottom of the ninth against Royals reliever Lucas Erceg. With Kansas City clinging to a 9-7 lead after a solo homer from Vinnie Pasquantino in the top half, Erceg quickly allowed a single to Gleyber Torres and a walk to Kevin McGonigle after a successful challenge overturned a call on the field.

After a strikeout, Dingler, the Tigers’ top star, lined out sharply for the second out. The Royals were one out from victory. Greene then stepped in and lashed a ground-ball double down the right-field line, scoring both Torres and McGonigle to tie the game at 9-9. Keith followed by drilling the first pitch he saw from Erceg into right field, scoring Greene from second and triggering a celebration at home plate.

Connor Seabold, who pitched the top of the ninth for Detroit and allowed Pasquantino’s homer, was credited with the win, moving to 1-0. Erceg took the loss, falling to 0-1.

The offensive outburst was a departure for both teams, especially Kansas City, which had managed just two total runs in the series’ first two games. The Royals collected 13 hits, led by Witt Jr., who went 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored, and Perez, whose 2-for-4, four-RBI day was central to their comeback effort.

Detroit’s 14-hit attack was more balanced. Greene finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, including the critical double. Dingler went 2-for-5 with his two-run homer, continuing a strong stretch. Torres added two hits and an RBI.

The game featured several momentum swings. Detroit took an early 1-0 lead in the second on a Spencer Torkelson RBI double. Kansas City tied it in the fourth on an RBI single from Carter Jensen. The Tigers responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 2-1 on an RBI single from Matt Vierling.

Their four-run fifth, featuring an RBI double from Torres, an RBI single from Jahmai Jones, and Dingler’s two-run shot, appeared to give them commanding control at 6-1. The Royals chipped away with a run in the sixth on a Perez sacrifice fly before their explosive seventh.

Both bullpens had moments of effectiveness. Alex Lange and Daniel Lynch IV each threw a scoreless inning for Kansas City. For Detroit, De Jesus navigated a scoreless eighth despite two hits allowed.

The result marked a devastating end to the Royals’ visit to Detroit, where they lost three games by a total of four runs. They now head to New York to face the Yankees. The Tigers, riding a four-game winning streak, travel to Boston to open a four-game set with the Red Sox.