KANSAS CITY— Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez continued his mastery of the Royals, and Miguel Cabrera delivered a two-run homer as Detroit salvaged a split in the four-game series with a 6-4 win on Sunday afternoon in front of 38,326 fans at Kauffman Stadium.

That was the Royals’ third straight sellout.

Sanchez, making his 200th career start, came into the game with a 5-2 mark against the Royals with a 1.07 ERA. He lasted 7 1/3 innings and gave up four hits and three runs.

“I know it was really important, especially because we split the series,” said Sanchez, who improved to 6-2 career against the Royals since joining the Tigers in 2012.

“[Sanchez] hit his spots,” Royals second baseman Christian Colon said. “He executed his pitches. But hey, they won two and we won two. They’re a good team, we’re a good team.”

Former Royals closer Joakim Soria recorded the save, his 10th, with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie struggled for Kansas City. He gave up 11 hits and six runs, walked none and struck out one. Guthrie got stung by Alex Avila’s two-run single in the fourth, and then Cabrera’s two-run homer in the fifth.

“Today I thought he threw the ball OK,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “You got to kind of give credit to the opposition. That’s a really good team. Some of those pitches, they just found a way to go down and get the ball to the outfield.”