Justin Upton seemingly threw Shane Greene a lifeline with his second-inning throw from left field. With one hop, it became an anchor.
In the scorebook, it goes down as an RBI single from Royals ninth hitter Jarrod Dyson, who advanced to second on the non-errant throw. Yet it was a play that effectively turned the game in an eventual 8-6 Tigers loss to open a three-game divisional clash at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals, never shy about testing defenses with their baserunning, made it clear from the outset they would test Upton, whose nine assists last season were a career high.