"After that happened, I got a big boost of energy," Greinke said. "It happens. That's baseball, aggressive base running and aggressive fielding. I got out of some jams (in previous starts) I shouldn't have and then they score on a play that maybe they shouldn't have."

Greinke struck out 10 and walked one. After Gerald Laird, who scored the only Detroit run, led off the fifth with a double, Greinke retired the final 15 batters he faced, striking out seven.

"The last four innings everything was working real good," Greinke said. "A lot of credit goes to the pitching coach (Bob McClure) and (catcher Miguel) Olivo, who helped me with pitch selection. I tried to fight him for a while, but I realized he still hadn't been wrong with everything he's ever told me. When he does say something, he's always right."

Greinke is 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing just 19 hits and one unearned run in 29 innings. He leads the majors with 36 strikeouts, including 29 in 23 innings in his past three starts.

"It's fun to watch Zack on the mound," Royals third baseman Mark Teahen said. "He looked unhittable. Zack didn't let the streak ending shake him up."

ROYALS 6, TIGERS 1: Zack Greinke allowed just one unearned run and three hits in a complete-game victory over the Tigers. He struck out 10 and walked one. Mark Teahen and Alberto Callaspo homered. Coco Crisp had two hits, two RBIs and scored a run.