Bannister combines on three-hit shutout of Tigers

And here begins the Brian Bannister saga: can a pitcher with, at best, average stuff use knowledge of sabermetrics to beat the system? Was holding down one of the most dangerous offenses in the American League a fluke?

If Brian Bannister were a lefty, people would call him crafty. Instead, he’ll have to settle for effective.

Bannister stymied the Detroit Tigers’ heralded offense Wednesday, allowing two singles in seven innings as the Kansas City Royals won 4-0.

“That’s a very good lineup, and they are going to score a lot of runs, but I also know that they have a lot more expectations than we do,” Bannister said. “That’s why I wanted to put them under pressure early.”

Bannister doesn’t try for a lot of strikeouts, preferring to induce grounders and fly balls.

“I get criticized for the way I pitch, but I believe in it, and it’s working,” said Bannister, who went 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA as a rookie last season.