Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer and had a career-high five RBIs, Yordano Ventura twice escaped bases-loaded jams and the Kansas City Royals held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-6 on Tuesday night.

The Tigers cut a six-run deficit in half when Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered for the third straight game in the seventh inning. Then they loaded the bases with one out against Joakim Soria in the eighth, but Kelvin Herrera retired Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez around a hit batter to limit the damage.

Wade Davis breezed through the ninth inning for his sixth save.

Perez hit a two-out, two-run double in the third before his two-out shot in the fifth gave Kansas City an 8-2 lead.

Ventura (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits in five innings.

Cabrera had a pair of RBIs for Detroit, but he also struck out in his other four at-bats. Shane Greene (1-1) was tagged for seven runs in 4 1-3 innings.