KANSAS CITY, Mo. Marvin Plattenhardt Jersey . -- Torii Hunter insisted the first-place Tigers werent trying to send a message to the second-place Royals as the AL Central rivals began a four-game series leading into the All-Star break. They did it anyway. Everybody who stepped to the plate for Detroit had at least one hit and scored one run, and a season-best offensive onslaught spurred the Tigers to a 16-4 rout of Kansas City on Thursday night. "Its not a big series. Its just another series. It was no statement," said Hunter, who led off the fifth with a homer, added another hit later in the inning and finished with three RBIs. "Its a good win because its in the division, but we werent trying to send a statement." Nevertheless, the Tigers extended their lead to 5 1/2 games over the Royals by capturing their third straight victory and fourth in a row in Kansas City -- winning those four games by a 42-12 margin. The latest offensive binge came just two days after Detroit blitzed the Dodgers 14-5. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus downplayed the outburst. "When you get as many hits and runs like we did today," Ausmus said, "youre usually finding holes." Drew Smyly (5-8) was the beneficiary, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in 6 2-3 innings for Detroit. He had lost six of his previous eight outings. Jeremy Guthrie (5-8) gave up a career-worst eight earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two hit batters. He was mercifully pulled with no outs in the fifth, which means the Royals veteran has allowed 16 earned runs in eight-plus innings covering his last two starts. "We didnt pitch good tonight. Thats the bottom line. Thats why they scored 16 runs," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We didnt pitch good and we fell out of the game early." The Tigers stunned the Royals with three runs in the first, added three in the fourth and put up a season-best eight in the fifth. They ended up with 19 hits for the game. Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez joined Hunter in driving in three runs apiece, while Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez each drove in two. "We didnt come here thinking we have to hold them off," Castellanos said. "Were confident in where were going to be at the end of September." Billy Butler homered in the fourth for KC. Eric Hosmer hit a two-run shot in the seventh. ""Losing is never easy. Anytime, its not fun," Butler said. "Obviously that game took a long time. It felt like they were hitting the whole time." The tone of the game was set in the first inning, when four of the first five Tigers reached base. A series of singles, groundouts and sacrifice flies resulted in a 3-0 lead. "It gives you a little less pep for the game when it starts out like that," Guthrie said. Kansas City scratched out a run in the second, only for Detroit to score three more in the fourth. Cabrera delivered the big blow with a two-out, two-run double. The floodgates finally opened in the fifth, when Hunter began a parade of 12 batters to the plate with his 12th homer of the season. Castellanos also had two hits in the inning, and everybody in the lineup besides Austin Jackson and Don Kelly reached base before the carnage was over. "Its fun," Hunter said. "You get everybody involved, this is what it can look like." Guthrie was pulled after two batters, and recently signed Royals reliever Scott Downs gave up two more runs while retiring one batter. Louis Coleman, recalled from Triple-A Omaha, gave up four more runs to cap the worst pitching performance by the Royals this season. Kansas City had previously allowed 12 runs in a loss to Toronto on May 31. "Well just throw it away and move on," Yost said. "Well just let it go.": NOTES: Coleman took the roster place of LHP Jason Vargas (appendectomy), who was placed on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon (right wrist sprain) will miss the All-Star game. He was replaced on the AL roster by Angels SS Erick Aybar. ... Tigers DH Victor Martinez (back strain) remained out of the lineup. Ausmus declined to say whether he might play in the series. ... Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez faces Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy on Friday night. Thomas Muller Germany Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Kings werent playing their best hockey before the league went on break during the Winter Olympics. Joshua Kimmich Jersey . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Manuel-Neuer-Germany-Jersey/ .com) - Brad Stuart has yet to play a regular-season game for the Colorado Avalanche, but that didnt deter the club from signing the veteran defenseman to a two-year contract extension on Monday.BASEL, Switzerland - Champion League contender Basel has sold two international midfielders to Bundesliga clubs two weeks before playing in the last-16 round.Basel says Geoffroy Serey Die, who is with Ivory Coast preparing for the African Cup of Nations semifinals, has joined Stuttgart.In another sale to Germany, Marcelo Diiaz of Chile has joined Hamburger SV. Antonio Rudiger Jersey. Basel did not reveal financial details of the transfers.The Swiss champion says Serey Dies deal runs through June 2017 and Diaz has a contract through June 2016.Basel hosts Porto in a last-16, first-leg match on Feb. 18. The return is in Portugal on March 10. ' ' '