Kansas City, Mo. ? Jeremy Bonderman was reluctant to commend his outstanding pitching performance. His teammates did it for him.

Bonderman rebounded from a rough start last week to shut down the Kansas City Royals for eight innings and help the Detroit Tigers snap a five-game losing streak with a 7-1 victory Saturday.

“We played great defense,” Bonderman said. “It was a team effort. I just tried to go out and do my job, and I was able to do it.”

Dmitri Young knew the credit belonged to Bonderman, who allowed just one run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

“Bonderman is not going to toot his own horn, but I got my saxophone,” Young said. “I have nothing but great praise for Jeremy Bonderman.”

Bonderman (2-1) was making his first start since giving up six runs on five hits in the first inning of a loss to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

“That was last week, this is a new week,” Bonderman said. “I just went right after hitters. One of my goals was to go right after their guys, make them put the ball in play and get as deep as I could in the game.”

The 22-year-old right-hander defeated the Royals for the second time this season. He held them to one run and six hits over seven innings in the Tigers’ 10-1 season-opening victory. In two starts against the Royals, Bonderman has given up two runs and 12 hits in 15 innings, while striking 12 and walking two.

The Tigers won their first road game in five attempts this season, while the Royals dropped to 1-4 at home.

“A sigh of relief,” Tigers manager Alan Trammell said of snapping the losing streak. “That’s twice now Bondy has just been outstanding. He turned the page on Sunday. This is exactly what we needed. He kept his fastball down very well. No walks; that to me is a good sign.”

Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Guillen each had three hits, including a pair of doubles for the Tigers. Brian Anderson (1-1) held the Tigers to seven hits over 7 2/3 innings, while walking one and striking out three.

“It’s tough ’cause we wanted today after last night’s drama,” Anderson said of the Royals’ coming back from a five-run deficit to win, 6-5, Friday. “We knew it was going to be tough because Bonderman was coming off an outing that was not very typical for him. A pitcher of his caliber … you know when they come off those type of outings they’re for the most part going to be really good the next one.

“I felt good warming up, which doesn’t always mean a whole lot. But I felt like I was hitting my spots, and I was really happy with the way I threw the ball. He just threw a heck of a game. I didn’t have much margin for error.”

Pena was happy with Anderson’s performance.

“He has been great,” Pena said. “We did not have much offense today but he did a great job of keeping us in the ballgame. They did not take good swings off him.”

Guillen, who was just 1-for-11 on this trip entering Saturday, led off the Tigers’ third with a double down the left-field line and advanced to second on Rodriguez’s bunt single. Young’s ground single to left scored Guillen. Rondell White’s sacrifice fly scored Rodriguez to make it 2-0.

Guillen also led off the Tigers’ sixth with a double, but was stranded at third base. He finished 3-for-5.

Craig Monroe led off the seventh with a double and scored on Omar Infante’s two-out single to make it 3-1.

“Omar got a big base hit,” Trammell said. “A two-out base hit to make it 3-1. That was probably the biggest hit of the day.”

Brandon Inge’s two-run triple highlighted the Tigers’ four-run ninth inning off Royals relievers Shawn Camp and Nate Field.

“Both those guys (Camp, Field) need to understand they are our horses out of the pen,” Pena said. “We’re going to give the ball to them. Right now I am not satisfied with the way they are throwing the ball. It’s something we’ve talked about. We expect them to do a better job. They are not performing well.”

Mike Sweeney led off the Royals’ sixth with his first home run, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.

Bonderman allowed just two other Royals baserunners beyond first base. Ruben Gotay singled in the first and went to second on Bonderman’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Matt Stairs doubled in the fourth, but was stranded at third base.

Notes: The Royals placed LHP Jeremy Affeldt on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin. …Tiger reliever RHP Kyle Farnsworth was unavailable to pitch Saturday because of a biceps strained. …The Tigers have won four games this season, three against Kansas City.