DETROIT -- Jim Leyland is making all the right moves with the Detroit Tigers, and the result is a convincing four-game winning streak.

Jeremy Bonderman threw eight shutout innings and the Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Monday night. Magglio Ordonez and Craig Monroe homered for the Tigers, who have outscored their opponents 36-3 in winning the first four games of an eight-game homestand.

Detroit improved to 3-0 against the Royals under Leyland, who is in his first year managing the Tigers.

"We believe we're a good team, and a lot of that is due to our manager," Monroe said. "He's always prepared, and when the head is prepared, it is much easier for the body to be prepared."

Matt Stairs and Mark Teahen had RBI singles in the ninth to get Kansas City within one, but Todd Jones got Angel Berroa to ground out with runners on first and third to finish up his fourth save in four tries.

"I was happier when it was 3-0," Leyland said. "My pulse was going a little faster by the end of that one."

Kansas City's ninth-inning rally lost some momentum when Leyland's counterpart, Buddy Bell, had to use Tony Graffanino to pinch-hit for Mike Sweeney. Sweeney, who has a history of back problems, said he injured his back again when he grounded out in the seventh.

"I hope I'll be back soon, but I'm not feeling good right now," he said. "When I started running down to first, it felt like a lightning bolt."

Bonderman (3-2) won his second straight start, allowing four hits and one walk. He struck out a season-high nine.

"I didn't have my good sinker, but I was throwing the changeup well, and I was moving the ball around," he said. "I got better as the game went on."

Leyland said he never considered letting Bonderman pitch the ninth, even though he had only thrown 94 pitches.

"There was no way Jeremy was going to see the middle of that batting order again," he said. "That's why we have Todd Jones."

Kansas City starter Runelvys Hernandez (1-1) gave up three runs -- all on the two homers -- and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

"I made two mistakes," Hernandez said. "Two bad pitches."

Hernandez didn't allow a hit for 3 2/3 innings, but Ordonez hit his sixth homer in the fourth to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. Ordonez has a career .311 average against the Royals with 23 homers.

Kansas City had runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but failed to drive them home.

"We just couldn't do anything with Bonderman," said Bell, who managed the Tigers from 1996-98.

Monroe hit a two-run homer to left in the seventh to make it 3-0.

Notes

Royals OF Reggie Sanders' fourth-inning steal was the 300th of his career. He's the eighth active player to reach that level. ... The Royals designated RHP Luke Hudson for assignment before Monday's game, and purchased the contract of RHP Steve Andrade from Triple-A Omaha. Andrade made his major league debut when he replaced Hernandez in the seventh. ... Brandon Inge, hitting .176 in his last 17 games, was replaced by Omar Infante at third base in the starting lineup for Detroit. Inge, in an attempt to break the slump, switched lockers in the Tigers clubhouse, moving back to the stall he occupied last season. ... The crowd of 9,597 was the smallest at Comerica Park since they drew 8,944 on Sept. 29, 2004 against Chicago. The Pistons and Red Wings both played televised playoff games Monday night.