Fillmyer, Royals send Indians to 4th straight loss

8/25/2018

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor throws to first for the double play hit into by Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rookie Heath Fillmyer pitched six strong innings, Lucas Duda homered, and the Kansas City Royals beat Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians 7-1 on Saturday night.

Fillmyer (2-1) limited the AL Central leaders to three hits and two walks, striking out three, as the Indians lost their fourth straight, matching their longest skid of the season.

Kansas City pounded out 14 hits, nine against Kluber (16-7), who went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs with two walks and six strikeouts.

Duda hit his 12th homer this season and the 150th of his career in the sixth, a solo shot to right-center field. Two batters later, Hunter Dozier drove in Jorge Bonifacio with a single to put the Royals ahead 5-1 and drive Kluber from the game.

Duda had three hits and scored twice, while Ryan O’Hearn drove in three runs. Prior to 2018, Duda was 3 for 36 in his career against the Indians, but he has eight extra-base hits in 11 games against Cleveland this year, batting .275 (11 for 40).

Cleveland scored its only run in the second when Fillmyer balked to bring in Yonder Alonso, who had moved to third on the first of Melky Cabrera’s two doubles. Three relievers completed the five-hitter.

In the third, Adalberto Mondesi singled, stole second without a throw and scored on Whit Merrifield’s hit to right. The stolen base was the first against Kluber in 250 1/3 innings.

O’Hearn’s double scored Salvador Perez and Duda to give the Royals a 3-1 lead in the fourth.

Merrifield doubled to bring Mondesi in the seventh, and O’Hearn’s eighth-inning single brought in Duda, who had doubled to lead off the inning.

Kluber had his five-game win streak against the Royals snapped, and Kansas City’s five runs were its most against him since June 15, 2016, when the Royals last beat the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: RHP Neil Ramirez (lower back spasms) is travelling with the team and throwing. “He’s out there playing catch,” manager Terry Francona said. “We’re trying to make these things go away.” ... RHP Cody Anderson (right elbow) was slated to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona League. It would mark his first regular-season time on the mound since the end of 2016 as he recovers from surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament.

UP NEXT

Seeking their first series sweep in more than a month, the last-place Royals send Jorge Lopez (0-2, 3.99 ERA) to the mound for his third start since being acquired in the trade that sent Mike Moustakas to the Brewers. Shane Bieber (7-2, 4.36) starts for Cleveland.