|
 First baseman Hosmer drove in four runs and left-hander Jason Vargas
won his second straight start as the Kansas City Royals topped the
Indians 5-3 Tuesday night.
Hosmer hit a three-run homer to left in the first inning and his
triple in the eighth scored left-fielder Alex Gordon, who
interjected two singles and a walk.
"I don't know if there's a left-hander alive that can hit a ball as
far as he did in this ballpark," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Vargas (3-1) has beaten the Indians in back-to-back starts. He
limited them to two hits and two runs over six innings, his best
start of the season.
"That was big to keep them there, give the offense a chance to
bounce back," Hosmer said.
Danny Salazar (3-1) took the loss, surrendering four runs on five
hits, while striking out nine and walking none in seven innings,
throwing 115 pitches.
The Indians scored their runs on home runs and fell to 2-9 when the
opponent starts a left-hander.
Cleveland drew to within one run in the eighth, which third baseman
Lonnie Chisenhall led off with a home run to right on right-hander
Kelvin Herrera's first pitch. It was the first home run off Herrera
since July 26, 2013, covering 105 1/3 innings, which is a Royals
record for a reliever.
"I'll just start a new one," Herrera said of his streak snapped.
Wade Davis worked the ninth, logging his sixth save in as many
opportunities. Davis has been filling in for injured closer Greg
Holland.
Vargas made 24 pitches in the first inning when he gave up two runs,
but threw only 49 pitches the next four innings.
Vargas walked first baseman Carlos Santana, who leads the American
League with 24 free passes, and yielded a home run to center fielder
Michael Brantley with one out in the first.
"Brantley just hit a great pitch," Yost said.
The Indians went 0-for-14 with a walk after Brantley's home run the
next four innings, which ended when second baseman Jason Kipnis
doubled to lead off the sixth. Vargas retired eight in a row during
one stretch.
"He's always got that changeup," Indians manager Terry Francona
said. "And it's almost like you have to be disciplined enough to
take one side of the plate or the other because he can get you
in-between so well. He can add and subtract, get you out on your
front foot and kind of takes the sting out of the bat. We hit some
balls real well, but their outfield catches everything almost."
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The Royals quickly answered Brantley's home run in the bottom of the
first. After Gordon led off with a single and designated hitter
Kendrys Morales was hit by pitch, first baseman Hosmer drove a 2-0
offering out the opposite way for a three-run homer, his fourth.
The Royals made it 4-2 in the fifth, which center fielder Jarrod
Dyson began with a double down the right-field line. Gordon's second
single brought Dyson home.
Salazar, who won his first three starts, retired nine in a row
during one span, including striking out four straight.
"I think I could have done a better job in the first three innings,"
Salazar said. "It was very tough, very hard. After the first inning,
I would go down and in between do exercises. My fastball wasn't
there."
"In the first inning, I was throwing the ball and that's not me. I
figured it out after the first inning. The velocity was there, but
the location wasn't there."
NOTES: Indians DH Nick Swisher, who has been out since last August
due to surgeries on both knees, was activated and batted sixth
Tuesday. He went 0-for-4. The Indians optioned OF Terry Holt to
Triple-A Columbus. ... The Royals activated Holland, who was on the
disabled list with a right pectoral strain, after the game. They
optioned RHP Yohan Pina to Triple-A Omaha. ... Santana was moved to
the second slot after hitting cleanup in the first 24 games. ... CF
Michael Bourn, who is hitting .189 against left-handed pitchers, was
not in the Indians' lineup. ... CF Lorenzo Cain will return to the
Royals' lineup Wednesday after completing his two-game suspension.
... Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco, who went 0-2 with a 2.38 ERA
against the Royals last year, will start Wednesday. The Royals will
counter with LHP Danny Duffy.
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