By AP
KANSAS CITY, MO – Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in four runs and Dontrelle Willis turned in six solid innings in his first regular-season start in almost 10 months, leading the Detroit
Tigers to a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
The Royals bullpen blew three saves in the season-opening three-game series against the Tigers.
Willis, plagued with chronic wildness during his shortened 2009 season, walked the first batter he faced on four pitches. But the former two-time National League All-Star issued only one more base on balls and had four strikeouts, giving up two runs on seven hits.
It was his first start since issuing a career-high eight walks last June 14 and then going on the disabled list for the rest of the season with social anxiety.