Indians get past Royals

9/2/2011
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera, right, is congratulated by teammate Carlos Santana (41) after a two-run home run during the third inning.
The Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera, right, is congratulated by teammate Carlos Santana (41) after a two-run home run during the third inning.

KANSAS CITY —Justin Masterson worked seven strong innings, and Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Donald both homered to lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Masterson (11-8) allowed seven hits and four runs as the Indians (69-66) equaled last year’s win total and remained 5½ games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central.

Royals starter Bruce Chen (10-6) gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings and Chris Perez worked the ninth for his 31st save.

When Masterson and Chen matched up in Cleveland last Sunday, it was Chen who had the upper hand in a 2-1 Kansas City victory.

Not this time.

The Indians went to work in the first, producing two runs on threehits. Carlos Santana’s run-scoring double and an RBI single by Jim Thome put the Royals in a hole that would get much deeper.

Cleveland struck again in the third against Chen, who had gone 5-1 in six August starts . A leadoff single by Kosuke Fukudome and Cabrera’s two-run homer that barely eluded the outstretched glove of a leaping Alex Gordon in left staked Masterson to a 4-0 lead.

Donald homered in the fourth before the Royals made a bid to climb out of a five-run hole. Kansas City used a run-scoring single by Alcides Escobar in the fifth and a sacrifice fly by Eric Hosmer in the sixth to close to 5-2.

The Royals applied more pressure in the seventh when Alex Gordon launched a two-run homer to straightaway center.

NOTES: Indians manager Manny Acta said the club is still weighing options regarding right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who has been on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation. In response to a Venezuelan newspaper report in which Indians minor leaguer Hector Rondon said his countryman Carrasco might need Tommy John surgery, Acta said: “As far as I know, we’re still gathering information and different opinions on Carrasco. We haven’t made the decision just yet.” ... Royals C Salvador Perez was back in the lineup after missing one game with a sprained pinkie finger on his right (throwing) hand. Perez hurt the finger on a play at the plate Wednesday against the Tigers. ... The Indians recalled RHP Josh Judy from Triple-A Columbus. In three previous stints with the Indians this year, Judy had a 2.25 ERA over four combined innings. ... David Huff (2-2) takes the mound for Cleveland on Saturday against Kansas City’s Luke Hochevar (9-10).