INDIANS Durbin shuts down Royals

An eight-run inning helped Chad Durbin win his first game since his recall.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Chad Durbin finally got back at the Kansas City Royals and showed the Cleveland Indians that he might be better as a starter.
Durbin pitched a six-hitter against his former team, losing a bid for his first career shutout in the ninth inning as the Indians beat the Royals 10-2 in a day-night doubleheader opener Saturday.
Ronnie Belliard had three RBIs for the Indians, who scored eight runs in the second inning off Chris George (1-2).
Pitching against the team that drafted him in 1996 and released him six years later, Durbin (4-4) was three outs from a shutout when David DeJesus reached on third baseman Casey Blake's error and Tony Graffanino hit a two-run homer.
"But a complete game," said Durbin, making just his third start this season. "I can't complain about that."
Durbin, who struck out three and walked none, got his first win as a starter since Oct. 4, 2001, for Kansas City against Cleveland. It was also his third career complete game, the first since Aug. 19, 2001.
A lot of fun
"It was a lot of fun out there today," said Durbin, who gave up three game-ending home runs while pitching in relief earlier this season. "Especially against the Royals, I know those guys, and they know me."
In four previous outings against the Royals, Durbin had been 0-1 with a 15.43 ERA.
Jody Gerut added two RBIs for the Indians, who improved to 19-3 in home games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Kansas City has lost six of eight, falling to an AL-worst 35-60. A year ago after 95 games, the Royals were 53-42 and leading the AL Central by 61/2 games.
Cleveland pounded George, recalled from the minors just to make the spot start and immediately sent back to Triple-A Omaha. But before heading to the airport, George had to take one for the team, losing for the first time in six career starts against Cleveland.
He allowed 10 runs and 11 hits in just three innings. He entered 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA against the Indians.
"You never want this to happen, but under these circumstances, it's even more magnified," George said. "It looks like a Triple-A pitcher got called up and just got lit up. I don't think that's the case. I think I can pitch up here and get people out."
George had trouble doing that in the second against Cleveland, which was shut out in consecutive games this week by the White Sox and had scored just three runs in its previous three games.
However, the Indians nearly tripled that total in the second, scoring eight runs on eight hits -- a few of them soft singles.
Failed plan
"The plan was for him to go five innings, so we would not have to go to the bullpen that early," Royals manager Tony Pena said. "He got hit around. The first inning was good, but in the second inning he left everything up."
Durbin appreciated the run support as did manager Eric Wedge. With his bullpen desperate for some rest, Wedge needed Durbin to pitch deep into the game. He couldn't have gone any deeper.
"He went beyond the call of duty," Wedge said.
Cleveland's eight-run second was a season-high for the Indians, who had only scored six runs in their previous 27 2-3 innings against George.
Victor Martinez led off with the first of five straight singles that gave the Indians a 3-0 lead. After Coco Crisp's fielder's choice scored another run, Belliard's two-out, two-run double made it 6-0.
Martinez got an RBI single his second time up in the inning, and Lou Merloni capped the outburst with a run-scoring single.
The Indians made it 10-0 in the third on Omar Vizquel's RBI double and Belliard's run-scoring single.
Kansas City's best scoring chance came after Mike Sweeney doubled with one out in the fourth, but Durbin got Matt Stairs to fly out and popped up Ken Harvey.
Notes
Shawn Camp saved Kansas City's bullpen, pitching five shutout innings in relief of George. ... Sweeney is batting .431 (25-for-58) in his last 13 games. ... The opener was a makeup of an April 21 rainout. ... Kansas City OF Juan Gonzalez has resumed his rehab assignment in the Arizona Rookie League. Gonzalez, who hasn't played since May 21 because of back spasms, could return to the Royals as early as Tuesday. ... Indians OF Matt Lawton didn't start after straining his right hamstring on Friday. He was available to pinch hit. ... Between games, the Royals activated 3B Joe Randa, who had been sidelined since arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on June 29. Randa was in the starting lineup for the night game.
KANSAS CITYCLEVELAND
abrhbiabrhbi
DJesus cf4100Crisp lf5211
Grffnno 2b4112Vizquel ss3111
MiSwy dh4030JMcDld ss2010
Stairs rf2000Blliard 2b5123
RMateo rf2010VMrtnz dh5231
Harvey 1b4000Blake 3b4110
DBrwn lf4010Merloni 1b4121
Berroa ss2000Gerut rf4112
JBtista 3b1000Laker c4111
Rlaford 3b3000Szmore cf3010
ACstillo c3000
Totals33262Totals39101410
Kansas City000000002--2
Cleveland08200000x--10
E--Berroa (17), Blake (15). DP--Cleveland 1. LOB--Kansas City 4, Cleveland 7. 2B--MiSweeney 2 (17), Crisp (16), Vizquel (17), Belliard (29), Sizemore (2). HR--Graffanino (3). SB--MiSweeney (3).
IPHRERBBSO
Kansas City
George L,1-2311101021
Camp530005
Cleveland
Durbin W,4-4962103
WP--Durbin. Umpires--Home, Derryl Cousins; First, James Hoye; Second, Fieldin Culbreth; Third, Jim Wolf. T--2:07. A--18,873.