The Kansas City Royals topped the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night, giving them sole possession of first place in the American League Central.

Detroit is out of first for the first time all season.

"What's the date?" Ned Yost said. "It's nice, but we've got a lot of games to play. We don't get all geeked up. We're on a nice run right now, we'll just keep it going. It's better than the alternative, trust me."

Kansas City has won nine straight games, matching a streak from last summer. At that point in 2013, they were already out of the playoff picture in the AL.

Tuesday marked the Royals' 70th game. The last time they had sole possession of first place at 70 games or beyond was on Aug. 29, 2003, after the 124th game.

"It's fleeting. It can leave tomorrow," Yost said. "You've got to stay on top of your game."