Royals blank Tribe for 3rd time at home

9/14/2009

CLEVELAND - Once the calendar turns to September, Kyle Davies turns into an ace.

The right-hander carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and won his fourth straight start, pitching the Kansas City Royals to a 7-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians Sunday.

Davies (8-9) held the Indians hitless until Shin-Soo Choo's leadoff single to center in the sixth. He walked six and struck out three over six innings.

"He had a very good changeup," Choo said.

Davies is 3-0 in September. A year ago, he went 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA after Sept. 1. But he struggled early this season and was sent back to the minors after going 1-6 in seven starts between May 16 and June 19 that dropped his record to 3-7.

Davies improved to 4-3 with a 2.66 ERA on the road. He is 4-6 with an 8.92 ERA in 11 home starts.

The 26-year-old thought it could be a special day after first baseman Billy Butler made two fine plays on sharp grounders by Cleveland's first two batters.

"That second one hit the bag and went straight left, but he got it with his bare hand," Davies said. "I don't know how. He made another good play the next inning, then caught a popup in the sun."

Matt LaPorta lined a two-out single off reliever Carlos Rosa in the ninth for Cleveland's other hit.

Three of the Royals' eight shutouts this season have been at Progressive Field. The last time the Indians were blanked three times at home by the same team in a season was by the 1971 Baltimore Orioles.

John Buck and Butler each had two RBIs in the Royals' sixth win in seven games. Kansas City took two of three from the Indians, losers of 10 of 13, for only its second road series win since May.

Buck put the Royals ahead 1-0 in the third with his sixth homer, an opposite-field shot to right off Carlos Carrasco (0-2).

Two errors helped make it 3-0 in the fourth. Willie Bloomquist hit a leadoff double. Carrasco, who had picked Bloomquist off first base following a first-inning single, this time threw the ball into center field on a pickoff try, sending the runner to third. Bloomquist scored on a groundout by Butler.

Mike Jacobs then grounded to second baseman Luis Valbuena, but was safe when first baseman Andy Marte mishandled the throw. Jacobs moved up on a groundout and scored from second on a single to center by Mitch Maier.