Indians 10, Royals 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Right-hander Carlos Carrasco gave the beleaguered Cleveland rotation a quality start Wednesday night as the Indians pounded out a 10-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Carrasco (4-2) limited the Royals to three runs on five hits, while striking out six, including left fielder Alex Gordon four times, to pick up the victory. It was the first time Carrasco beat the Royals since May 17, 2011.
The Indians' starters had a 7.41 ERA with one quality start in the previous 10 games, seven of them losses.
Right fielder Brandon Moss homered, doubled and drove in three runs as the Indians scored nine or more runs for the third time in five games.
Shortstop Mike Aviles reached base four times -- three singles and hit by a pitch -- and scored two runs.
The Royals trimmed the lead to 5-3 in the sixth when center fielder Lorenzo Cain tripled and scored on first baseman Eric Hosmer's double.
The Indians, however, iced this one away with a four -run seventh off left-hander Franklin Morales, the fourth Kansas City hurler. Moss drove in two runs with a double, while left fielder Ryan Raburn contributed a RBI-double and Aviles punched a run-producing single.
Moss homered, his fifth, in the ninth.
Royals starter Danny Duffy (2-1) retired only three of the 10 batters he faced.
The Indians scored a run in the first, but it could have been more if not for the accurate arm of Cain.
Second baseman Jason Kipnis led off the game with a double to right. Third base coach Mike Sarbaugh assertively waved Kipnis home on first baseman Carlos Santana's single to center, but Cain's laser to catcher Salvador Perez beat him to the plate. The inning included Ryan Raburn hit by a pitch and Santana scoring on a wild pitch.
Duffy faced five batters in the second and retired only himself. Duffy gave up four hits and hit shortstop Mike Aviles with a pitch before manager Ned Yost pulled him. Duffy's unattractive line: one inning, plus five batters, four runs, six hits and two hit batters. He threw 45 pitches to get three outs, the briefest outing of his career when not removed for an injury. His ERA jumped from 3.45 to 4.55.
The three-run inning featured third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall's RBI double and run-producing singles by catcher Brett Hayes and Kipnis.
Rookie left-hander Brandon Finnegan replaced Duffy and restored order by striking out Santana looking and inducing center fielder Michael Brantley to ground into a double play.
The Indians increased their lead to 5-0 in the fourth, when Finnegan had difficulty throwing strikes. He gave up a leadoff single to shortstop Mike Aviles and walked three in the inning. Santana's sacrifice fly scored Aviles. Right-hander Chris Young was summoned to get the final out of the inning, striking out Raburn with the bases loaded.
Designated hitter Kendrys Morales homered with Cain aboard in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-2.
NOTES: LHP Bruce Chen will be promoted from Triple-A Columbus and start Saturday for the Indians against the Minnesota Twins. Chen, who made his big league debut in 1998, is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in five International League starts. The Indians will be his 12th big league club. ... Royals backup C Erik Kratz was placed on the disabled list with a torn left plantar fasciitis. The Royals recalled C Francisco Pena, who is the younger brother of former Royals SS Tony Pena, from Triple-A Omaha. ... Royals CF Lorenzo Cain returned to the lineup after being suspended for two games and RHP Greg Holland came off the disabled list after missing 16 games with a right pectoral strain. ... RHP Corey Kluber, the 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner, seeks his first victory Thursday after going 0-4 with a 4.62 ERA in his first six starts. The Royals will counter with RHP Edinson Volquez.