Jason Hammel wrapped up his first season in Kansas City, Paulo Orlando clubbed his first home run, and the Royals pieced together a 7-4 victory on a Wednesday night that had the chill of October but none of the stakes.
In his final outing of the season, Hammel yielded three runs in six innings, his ERA settling at 5.29 after 32 starts. His performance kept his team in the game before Orlando delivered a redemptive strike in the bottom of the seventh inning and the offense dug in late.
His team trailing 3-2 in the seventh, his season marred by a demotion in April and a fractured shin that sidelined him for months, Orlando unloaded on a 2-0 curveball from Detroit reliever Drew VerHagen.