|
 First baseman Eric Hosmer's three-run home run in the first inning
set the tone as the Royals rolled over the reeling Indians 9-4 at
Progressive Field.
Hosmer had three hits and four RBIs, and designated hitter Kendrys
Morales added three hits and three RBIs as the Royals led from start
to finish against a Cleveland team that is stuck in reverse.
The Indians, who were swept at home in a four-game weekend series
against the Chicago White Sox, lost their fifth game in a row. They
have been outscored 35-9 in those games.
"They were trying to come back from a tough series, so we wanted to
jump on them early, which we were able to do," Hosmer said.
Royals manager Ned Yost said, "Right off the bat, Hoss gets the big
three-run home run, and we just kept adding on. We had a good
offensive attack all night long."
Shortstop Omar Infante also homered, his first of the year for the
Royals, who became the first team in the American League to win 60
games.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez (10-5) pitched six-plus innings, giving
up three runs on six hits and five walks.
"He got us through six innings and his stuff was good," Yost said.
"I thought he pitched well."
Royals right-hander Joe Blanton pitched three innings of one-run
ball to earn the save, his second.
Cleveland rookie right-hander Cody Anderson (2-2) gave up seven runs
on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Royals have outscored their opponents 69-33 in the first inning
this season, and they outscored Cleveland 3-0 in the first inning
Monday.
With one out in the first, third baseman Mike Moustakas lined a
single to left field off Anderson. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain drew
a walk. Hosmer then belted the first pitch he saw from Anderson over
the left-field wall, a 421-foot, opposite-field home run, Hosmer's
10th of the year.
"Cody tried to go away to Hosmer and left it up and over the plate,"
Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We've seen Hosmer do that a
few times. That was some big damage early."
Four of Hosmer's 10 home runs have come against Cleveland. Hosmer is
hitting .390 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 41 at-bats against
the Indians this year.
"I see the ball really well here, and in the summer, the ball really
flies out of here," Hosmer said.
The Royals used the long ball again to add to their lead in the
second inning. With one out, Infante hit a home run over the left
field wall to make it 4-0. The home run was Infante's first since
Aug. 13, 2014. He went 479 at-bats between home runs.
[to top of second column] |
Cleveland got a run back in the bottom of the second inning when
first baseman Carlos Santana led off with a booming home run over
the center field wall, a drive estimated at 433 feet, on a 1-2 pitch
from Volquez.
Kansas City widened its lead with a three-run fifth inning. The big
hits in that rally were an RBI single by Hosmer and a two-run double
by Morales.
The Royals used a three-run fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead, then
added two runs in the seventh.
Cain led off the seventh with a single off left-hander Marc
Rzepczynski. Hosmer ripped a single to right field, moving Cain to
second. Morales followed with a single to center, scoring Cain to
make it 8-1. Catcher Salvador Perez greeted right-hander Jeff
Manship with a sacrifice fly, scoring Hosmer to give Kansas City a
9-1 lead.
Morales lifted his season RBI total to 68, tied for the American
League lead with Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson.
"That's why we got him, to be a run-producer, and he's done a great
job for us in that department, right from day one," Yost said of
Morales.
Volquez was removed from the game after walking the first two
batters in the bottom of the seventh. Blanton relieved Volquez, and
shortstop Francisco Lindor hit Blanton's first pitch into the seats
in right field for a three-run home run, Lindor's fourth of the
season, as Cleveland cut the Royals' lead to 9-4.
NOTES: RHP Johnny Cueto, acquired in a trade with Cincinnati, is
expected to join the Royals on Tuesday. He will make his first start
for the Royals on Friday at Toronto. ... Royals 1B Eric Hosmer came
into Monday hitting .361 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 36
at-bats vs. Cleveland this season. He improved those numbers on
Monday, when he was 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs. ... Rookie
SS Francisco Lindor leads the Indians with 15 hits since the
All-Star break. Lindor is hitting a team-leading .349 since then.
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