DETROIT — David DeJesus went 4-for-4 and Mike Aviles drove in two runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the reeling Detroit Tigers 6-2 Monday night.

The Tigers were minus suspended slugger Gary Sheffield, then lost star Miguel Cabrera in the third inning because of a tight back. Cabrera was listed as day-to-day.

Detroit has lost 10 of 11, and is only one game ahead of last-place Kansas City in the AL Central. Sheffield was suspended four games earlier in the day for brawling with Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona last week.

Gil Meche (13-11) won for the third time in four starts, allowing two runs and four hits and two walks in six innings. Zach Miner (8-5) took the loss, giving up four runs in six-plus innings.

DeJesus tripled on Miner’s first pitch of the game, and Aviles singled two pitches later.

Jose Guillen followed with another single to put runners on the corners, but Cabrera fielded Ryan Shealy’s hard-hit grounder to first base and threw out Aviles at the plate.

Detroit had a good chance to tie the game in the third when Brandon Inge singled and took third on Meche’s wild pickoff attempt, but Dusty Ryan and Curtis Granderson both grounded out.

Kansas City made it 3-0 in the fourth when Alberto Callaspo and DeJesus started the inning with singles and Aviles followed with his second RBI single of the game. After a hit batter loaded the bases, a run scored when Shealy grounded into a double play.

The Tigers came back with two runs in the sixth. They loaded the bases with two singles and a walk and Magglio Ordonez hit a sacrifice fly. Jeff Larish made it 3-2 with a single, but Meche got out of the inning.

Kansas City got a run off four Tigers pitchers in the seventh when Gary Glover walked Shealy with the bases loaded.

Bobby Seay’s wild pitch allowed Alex Gordon to score in the eighth, and DeJesus gave the Royals a 6-2 lead with an RBI single.

Notes: DeJesus also drew a walk in reaching base five times ... 3B Inge made a running catch of Mark Teahen’s soft liner and doubled Guillen off second in the seventh.