KANSAS CITY -- Six days ago, in his first start of the season, Detroit Tigers pitcher Shane Greene was hamstrung early by nerves and excitement. His emotions resulted in a 35-pitch first inning, which included a leadoff single and back-to-back walks.

Luckily for the Tigers, who ended up winning that game 7-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he settled in and steadied himself as the game went on.

They were not so fortunate Tuesday night.

The 27-year-old, whose 2015 was cut early by season-ending surgery to repair a pseudoaneurysm in his shoulder, lasted only 4 1/3 innings in the club’s 8-6 loss to the reigning World Series champion Kansas City Royals, finishing with an unsightly line.

Greene, who did not speak to reporters after the game, gave up six hits and seven runs while matching a career high with four walks, two of which set up a critical second inning in which the Royals built a 3-0 lead.

“I think the walks hurt,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “His pitch count got up. It’s kind of been a theme the last three or four games -- our starter’s pitch counts get up early and there are some walks mixed in and it cost us some runs.”

This road trip has been an uncanny one in that sense. Even the positive pitching performances have been noteworthy not because they have been unblemished but because they have required Tigers starters to have a short memory and shake off some early hiccups.

Greene did not persist, however, as Ausmus replaced him with reliever Blaine Hardy in the fifth inning despite not wanting to dip into his bullpen early without another day off in the near future.

“We go over scouting reports and we know what type of team they are so we don’t want to give in and throw too many pitches over the middle of the plate. So we might have nitpicked a little bit, trying to hit the corners perfectly and try to make that perfect pitch,” catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia admitted. “A guy like him with his stuff, you really don’t have to. You can throw all five pitches and have a great game, so I think maybe, for him, he was a little bit stuck on that.”

Saltalamacchia was culpable during that second inning as well, failing to corral a throw home that could have saved a run (or three, considering the Royals went on to tack on another pair). The throw to home hit the dirt and went over his head, though he said he still should have been able to make the play.

"Obviously, you want to make that play, and nine times out of 10 you probably do," Saltalamacchia said. "I'm frustrated I wasn't able to grab onto it."

The veteran catcher made up for it in the seventh with a three-run shot that gave the team some life, but ultimately, the comeback fell short.

The Royals delivered with clutch hitting -- seven of their eight runs came with two outs -- while the Tigers did not, failing to capitalize on bases-loaded situations in three different innings.

The Tigers finished 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners stranded. Perhaps Miguel Cabrera’s first pair of at-bats of the night was an ominous sign of how the night might unfold against their division rivals. Royals starter Yordano Ventura struck him out swinging twice with changeups.

“When you swing at balls, you make a good pitch,” Cabrera said when asked about that particular pitch of Ventura’s.

Cabrera would strike out twice more before the night was done, matching his career high. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he has struck out four times on three previous occasions -- in 2003 (Brewers), 2010 (White Sox) and 2014 (White Sox).

Ausmus said he wasn’t particularly worried about Cabrera’s lack of production as of late. He doesn’t feel like it’s becoming a source for concern, but rather an early-season symptom that will be resolved with more at-bats.

“I don’t think it’s a trend,” Ausmus said. “I think it’s just an off night.”