DETROIT— Catcher Salvador Perez launched a two-run homer off Justin Verlander and drove in three, leading the Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.

Kansas City tagged Verlander for five runs on 10 hits, highlighted by Perez’s blast in the fourth inning on an elevated fastball. The Royals added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth, the latter of which came when Alex Rios’ shallow fly ball dropped into left-center for a double.

“Not as sharp as the last couple,” Verlander said of his outing, “but also not as bad as it looked.”

The five-run cushion was plenty for Royals starter Danny Duffy, who allowed only one run on five hits over seven innings. The lefty escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth and stranded a leadoff triple in the seventh to complete his fifth quality outing over his last six appearances.

“The first five innings, I thought he had all three pitches working and commanded them all greatly,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I thought it was the best slider he’s had probably all year long.”

Victor Martinez drove in Detroit’s lone run with a single in the sixth.