Mike Napoli hit the first home run of the day in the fourth. Corey Kluber (5-6) allowed two hits and was pulled after six innings when the game was delayed by inclement weather for 3 hours, 10 minutes.
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Lindor, Carlos Santana and rookie Tyler Naquin homered in the fifth. Mike Napoli and Francisco Lindor offered commendable efforts, as well, but neither player could match Naquin. The goal has to be to win the Central, and the Indians have managed to flex their muscles against their division foes. Cleveland has won five straight overall and six of seven against Kansas City this season.
“The first two series of the homestand, we weren’t able to win those series”, Kluber said. “It feels like we let that one get away and that never feels good”.
Indians: RHP Danny Salazar will make his 11th career start against the Royals. Heavy rain began to fall at 2:41 p.m. and lasted about an hour. No matter what happens over the final two games in Cleveland, their streak of series victories will end at six.
Salazar retired nine straight batters after the homer, while Cleveland’s offense scored four times over the first six innings against KC starter Endison Volquez.
Ronnie Dawson singled in the tying run two batters earlier for the Buckeyes (44-18) before scoring the game-winner as Washington drove a bases-loaded, two-out pitch deep to center field and just over the glove of Zach Weatherford. “I’m not trying to get innings any quicker because the weather is coming up”.
CUBS 7, DODGERS 2 Kyle Hendricks was in control for eight innings and the Chicago Cubs backed him with four home runs, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 Thursday for their eighth victory in nine games. Salazar (6-3) held Kansas City to three hits and was in command, other than giving up Drew Butera’s leadoff homer in the third.
Perez has been out since last Saturday with a quad contusion, but manager Ned Yost suggested Perez could see the field at some point this weekend. “We were playing great defense behind me”. It was just a really good play.
Carlos Santana led off the Cleveland ninth with a single and made it to second on right fielder Paulo Orlando’s fielding error.
Manager Terry Francona may not have uncovered a gem just yet, but the Indians are surging behind a semi-hot bat in Naquin, who hopefully retrieved his first home run ball tonight. Outfielder Marlon Byrd was suspended 162 games Wednesday for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
The four-game sweep of the Royals salvaged the Indians’ 10-game homestand. “Good for him”, Francona said. Perez was injured on April 30 and is on the 60-day DL.
Third baseman Mike Moustakas will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to fix a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and left fielder Alex Gordon is on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right wrist.
The Royals continue their road trip with three in Baltimore starting on Monday.
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Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (3-2) is winless in five career appearances against Seattle, where Cleveland opens a four-game series.
