Ibáñez hits tiebreaking homer to back rookie pitcher Jobe and lead Tigers to a 7-3 win over Royals

DETROIT (AP) — Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking home run in the second inning to back rookie Jackson Jobe and lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-3 victory over Kansas City on Friday night that extended the Royals’ losing streak to five.

Spencer Torkelson delivered a two-run double in the seventh for his AL-leading 13th extra-base hit for the Tigers.

Kansas City dropped to 1-7 on a 10-game trip. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino’s double for a 1-0 lead.

Tomás Nido, who had three hits, hit a tying single in the second and Ibáñez’s drive leading off the fourth put Detroit ahead for good.

Jobe (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in five inning.

Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney had RBI singles in a three-run fifth to chase Cole Ragans (1-1), whose team record-tying streak of three straight starts with 10 or more strikeouts ended. Ragans gave up five runs and six hits in four innings, striking out eight for a major league-best 39.

Witt singled and scored on Pasquantino’s single in the ninth off Kenta Maeda. Tommy Kahnle got two outs for his fourth save.

The Royals sent the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Kahnle struck out Cavan Biggio before Drew Waters lined out.

The Royals began the day averaging 2.95 runs — ahead of only Colorado. They have scored four runs or less in 19 of 21 games and haven’t scored more than four since April 4 against Baltimore.

RHP Seth Lugo (1-2, 3.86 ERA) starts for the Royals, who have dropped the first two in the four-game series. The Tigers counter with RHP Casey Mize (2-1, 2.60).

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Detroit Tigers' Andy Ibáñez celebrates his home run as he rounds third base against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers' Andy Ibáñez hits a home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino advances to third base against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Cole Ragans throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers' Tomás Nido reacts to his one-run single against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers' Tomás Nido hits a one-run single against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning during a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can, after Putin opted to skip peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters as he wrapped a four-day visit to the Middle East.

Trump later told reporters after boarding Air Force One to begin the journey back to Washington that he may call Putin soon.

“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not,” Trump said. “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”

Trump reiterated that he wasn’t surprised that Putin skipped out on the talks set for Friday in Turkey. Putin didn’t want to go because he’s not there, Trump said.

The Republican president added that he would hold a meeting with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”

“I would actually leave here and go,” said Trump, who noted his daughter Tiffany just gave birth to her first child. “I do want to see my beautiful grandson.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to take part in the talks as Trump pressed for the leaders to find a solution to the war, ongoing since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But Putin spurned the call to meet face-to-face with Zelenskyy.

Trump has pressed both sides to quickly come to a war-ending agreement. Zelenskyy has agreed to an American plan for an initial 30-day halt to hostilities, but Russia has not signed on and has continued to strike at targets inside Ukraine.

Still, Russia and Ukraine were holding their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for negotiations. Officials and observers expect them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than 3-year-old war.

“He didn’t go, and I understand that,” Trump said. “We’re going to get it done. We got to get it done. Five thousand young people are being killed every single week on average, and we’re going to get it done.”

Trump on Thursday told reporters that a meeting between himself and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.

“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,” Trump said. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press statement with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Promsvyazbank CEO Pyotr Fradkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Alexander Kryazhev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump tours the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque at the Abrahamic Family House, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump talks before signing guest book at the Abrahamic Family House, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump attends a business meeting and roundtable at Qasr Al Watan, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)