Indians 6, Royals 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Right fielder Brandon Moss homered and right-hander Trevor Bauer threw his fifth straight quality start as the Cleveland Indians topped the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Thursday night.
The game was shortened by rain in the bottom of the eighth and called after a 44-minute delay.
The Indians took two of three at Kauffman Stadium to complete a 5-2 trip. They have won 12 of 16. The Royals have dropped seven of nine, scoring no more than two runs in any of the losses.
Moss continues to torment the Royals with four of his 10 homers off Kansas City hurlers. His fifth inning two-run shot upped his RBI total to 10 in nine games this season against the Royals.
Bauer (5-2) curbed the Royals on four hits and two runs for 6 2/3 innings, but his pitch count rose to 102 with four walks and five strikeouts.
With right-handers batting only .134 off Royals right-hander Chris Young, Indians manager Terry Francona stacked his lineup with six left-handed swingers and one switch hitter.
The strategy paid off in a four-run third. Left fielder David Murphy hit a two-run double to straightaway center, and second baseman Jason Kipnis and designated hitter Michael Brantley added run-scoring singles. All of the RBIs came from left-handed hitters.
The Royals cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning when center fielder Lorenzo Cain hit a two-run homer. Cain crushed a Bauer 95 mph fastball on a 1-1 count, propelling it an estimated 422 feet out to center.
After Cain's blast, first baseman Eric Hosmer walked and designated hitter Kendrys Morales singled, but Bauer prevented further damage by retiring left fielder Alex Gordon on a grounder.
The Indians hiked their lead to 6-2 in the fifth on Moss' two-run homer. After Brantley walked to lead off the inning, Moss fouled off four consecutive pitches before depositing a Young 86 mph fastball over the right field fence.
Young was removed over 94 pitches and five innings. He gave up six runs on eight hits, including four for extra bases, and his ERA jumped from 1.55 to 2.56. In his past two starts, Young has permitted 10 runs on 15 hits, including three home runs, in 11 innings.
NOTES: Royals LHP Danny Duffy and RHP Kris Medlen, who are on the disabled list, each threw a three inning, 45-pitch simulated game Thursday. Duffy will throw a side session Saturday and if all goes well could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week. Medlen, who did not pitch last year after elbow surgery, will return to Arizona to continue rehabbing. ... Michael Brantley' was back in the Indians lineup after a day off Wednesday and served as designated hitter for the fifth time this season. ... C Salvador Perez returned to the Royals' lineup after not playing Wednesday. He was woozy after being struck in the chin by a foul tip Tuesday. ... The Royals continue their homestand with a weekend series against the Rangers. RHP Edinson Volquez, who is 4-1 with a 2.19 ERA in six Kauffman Stadium starts, pitches Friday against Texas RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez.