Brian Bannister and the Kansas City Royals are off to a quick start. Bannister allowed two singles in seven innings, combining on a three-hitter Wednesday in a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Kansas City is 2-0 for the second time in 28 years. The Royals won their first nine games in 2003 en route to their only winning season since 1993.

Detroit's heralded offense has scored four runs in 20 innings. The Tigers moved one runner into scoring position Wednesday and are hitting .191 with 19 strikeouts through two games. Edgar Renteria had Detroit's only hits, all singles.

Bannister (1-0) gave up leadoff singles to Renteria in the first and fourth innings, didn't walk a batter and struck out four. Leo Nunez and Joakim Soria each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

Kenny Rogers (0-1) dropped to 0-5 in nine starts since he beat Cleveland on July 4. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.

Rogers matched Bannister for the first five innings, allowing only a pair of singles, but got into trouble in the sixth.

Mark Grudzielanek doubled with one out, improving to 12-for-20 (.600) against Rogers. Jose Guillen doubled with two outs and Billy Butler doubled for a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City added two runs in the eighth. Zach Miner struck out Alex Gordon and Guillen with runners on the corners, but Butler and Mark Teahen followed with RBI singles.