DETROIT ? New manager. Same result.

Steve Sparks pitched a two-hitter and Damian Jackson drove in four runs as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals, 9-3, Tuesday night, spoiling John Mizerock’s managerial debut.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of managing involved, it was the same story as the first 20 games,” Mizerock said. “We didn’t hit much and the pitching was mediocre.”

Mizerock was promoted from bullpen coach to interim manager by the Royals, whose firing of Tony Muser raised baseball’s total to a record four in the season’s first month.

The 41-year-old became the youngest manager in the majors, and replaced the losingest manager in Kansas City history.

The move didn’t translate into momentum for the Royals.

“The only difference was that we have a new manager,” Kansas City’s Carlos Febles said. “If you don’t have a really good team and you don’t play really hard, it doesn’t matter who your manager is. It’s not the managers’ fault that we’re not winning.”

Sparks (2-2) retired 13 of the first 15 batters and didn’t allow a hit until A.J. Hinch’s triple in the fifth. He then retired 13 straight until Carlos Beltran homered with two outs in the ninth.

Sparks walked two and struck out three in his first complete game of the year and the 14th of his career. The knuckleballer led the majors last year with eight complete games.

“I had the lead, so I was able to make guys hit my pitches,” Sparks said. “I didn’t have to go after them and throw pitches that they wanted.”

Jose Macias was 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs. Brandon Inge was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in his first game as a designated hitter.

The Tigers are 8-6 since beginning the season 0-11, the fifth-worst start since 1900.

“We’re playing better, but I’m glad April is almost over,” Detroit manager Luis Pujols said.

Pujols lost his first five games this season after succeeding Phil Garner, who was fired after just six games. He and Mizerock played together briefly in 1983 while both were backup catchers in Houston.

“He’s a really nice guy,” Pujols said. “But I lost my first game in the big leagues, so I’m not going to feel sorry for him.

Chris George (0-2) allowed four runs, eight hits and two walks in five innings.

Bobby Higginson’s RBI single gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the first.

The Royals tied the game on Raul Ibanez’s sacrifice fly in the second. Detroit went back ahead, 2-1, in the home half on Macias’ single.

Shane Halter and Michael Rivera led off the fourth with singles and scored on Jackson’s double to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead in the fourth.

Sparks didn’t allow a hit until Hinch tripled with one out in the fifth, which scored Neifi Perez and cut the Royals’ deficit to 4-2. It was Hinch’s first hit in 17 at-bats this season.

The Tigers added a run in the sixth when Blake Stein walked four straight, after retiring the first two batters he faced. Jackson’s RBI double and Macias’ RBI single in the seventh put Detroit ahead 7-2.

Notes: Detroit 1B Randall Simon, who has team-highs in homers (7) and RBIs (20), strained his right quadriceps during the third inning, left the game and is day-to-day. … Kansas City C Brent Mayne was a late scratch because of back spasms. … The Tigers haven’t had a winning season since 1993 while the Royals’ last winning season came in 1994, the strike-shortened season. … Beltran stole a base in the second and has stolen 20 straight bases dating back to last season, and has stolen 53 of 54 bases since Sept. 28, 1999. … Detroit closer Matt Anderson will have his stiff right shoulder evaluated today by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. … Kansas City promoted Brian Poldberg to bullpen coach from minor league catching instructor.