DETROIT — The Kansas City Royals were supposed to provide a perfect launching pad for the Detroit Tigers' highly touted offense.

The Royals pitchers did not cooperate, and the Tigers failed to launch.

Zack Greinke had another outstanding pitching performance for Kansas City, allowing one run in seven innings as the Royals finished off a season-opening sweep with a 4-1 win yesterday.

The Tigers and their $138.7 million payroll managed five runs in the series, including just one in the final 21 innings.

"We stunk," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We look like we're just going up there and giving at-bats away without any purpose. The manager's responsible for the preparation and the performance of the club, and right now, we don't look very prepared.

"We just look like dead."

Detroit is hitting .206 with 24 strikeouts in three games.

"That's not going to happen too many times to that team," Greinke said. "They might not have another stretch like that all year."

Kansas City is 3-0 for the first time since winning its first nine games in 2003. Last year, the Royals didn't win a series until their sixth try, when they took two of three against Minnesota from April 20-22.

"Obviously, we're very pleased by this — especially with our pitching," rookie manager Trey Hillman said. "It's nice to come in here and play this well against a team like that."

Alex Gordon and Mark Teahen homered for Kansas City. Gordon's two-run shot, a 410-foot liner over the bullpen in left-center, put the Royals ahead in the fourth. It was his second of the year.

"We know that Detroit's going to be very good, so we're going to celebrate this sweep," Gordon said. "Hopefully, we can go to Minnesota and do the same thing."

ANGELS 5, TWINS 4

MINNEAPOLIS — In the final game of an emotional return to the Metrodome, Torii Hunter, who signed a $90 million, five-year deal in the offseason, homered leading off the seventh inning, and Los Angeles also got homers from Mike Napoli and Gary Matthews Jr. to beat Minnesota.

WHITE SOX 2, INDIANS 1

CLEVELAND — John Danks didn't allow a hit until Casey Blake singled leading off the sixth inning and Joe Crede hit a tiebreaking home run in the top of the eighth inning as Chicago defeated Cleveland to avoid a three-game sweep.

YANKEES 3, BLUE JAYS 2

NEW YORK — Bobby Abreu's one-out bloop single scored Melky Cabrera from third base to snap a 2-all tie in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping New York take two of three from Toronto.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

REDS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2

CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto (1-0) allowed nothing more than Justin Upton's solo homer in seven innings, striking out 10, and Jeff Keppinger hit a solo homer in the second inning for a 3-0 lead as Cincinnati beat Arizona and left-hander Doug Davis (0-1), who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last week and is to have surgery on April 10.

PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 7

PHILADELPHIA — Jesus Colome (0-1) walked Jayson Werth to force in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as NL East champion Philadelphia overcame a 5-0, first-inning deficit to avoid a three-game sweep and hand Washington its first loss.

PADRES 3, ASTROS 2

SAN DIEGO — Trevor Hoffman (0-1) pitched a perfect ninth less than 24 hours after blowing the save and taking the loss by giving up four runs in the ninth inning as San Diego beat Houston to extend the closer's big league record to 526 career saves.

CUBS 6, BREWERS 3

CHICAGO — Former closer Ryan Dempster (1-0) made his first start since May 4, 2005, Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his first career save, Aramis Ramirez homered and Alfonso Soriano had two RBIs as Chicago averted a three-game sweep by Milwaukee.

CARDINALS 3, ROCKIES 0

ST. LOUIS — Brad Thompson (1-0) scattered six hits, had a career-high six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings and drove in a run, and Rick Ankiel and Troy Glaus had RBI singles in a two-run second as St. Louis took two of three from defending NL champion Colorado, which scored five runs in the series.

PIRATES 4, BRAVES 3

ATLANTA — Xavier Nady singled home Nyjer Morgan from third base with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, helping Pittsburgh beat Atlanta.

NOTES

Braves: Atlanta pitcher Mike Hampton is headed back to the disabled list after hurting himself in pregame warmups last night, preventing him from making his first start since Aug. 19, 2005.

Hampton strained his left pectoral muscle while warming up in the bullpen before the game against Pittsburgh.

Pirates: Pittsburgh shortstop Jack Wilson strained his left calf while running out an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning and had to leave last night's game against Atlanta.

Wilson will be examined today and was listed as day to day.

Tigers: Designated hitter Gary Sheffield tore a tendon in his left ring finger while trying unsuccessfully to stretch a single into a double in the eighth inning of Detroit's 4-1 loss to Kansas City yesterday.

Sheffield said he would try to play through the injury, but he wouldn't know his status until the swelling subsided.

Twins: Minnesota right-hander Kevin Slowey left his start against the Los Angeles Angels yesterday in the fourth inning with a strained right biceps.

Slowey faced two batters in the fourth inning before leaving the game and was replaced by rookie Brian Bass.