AL CENTRAL K.C. beats Cleveland to end skid
Kansas City snapped an 11-game losing skid with an 11-5 victory.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Royals ended their 11-game losing streak, beating the Cleveland Indians 11-5 Saturday night behind Emil Brown's three RBIs.
Doug Mientkiewicz doubled, tripled and drove in two runs for the Royals (3-13), who won for the first time since a 4-3 victory over the World Series champion Chicago White Sox on April 8. Kansas City was outscored 78-32 during the skid.
The Royals had only two longer losing streaks in franchise history -- 12 games in 1997 and 19 games last season. But they jumped all over right-hander Paul Byrd for seven runs in the first three innings Saturday night. Byrd (2-2), who won 17 games in 2002 for Kansas City, passed up more money from the Royals during the offseason to sign with the Indians.
Wood tough in relief
Mike Wood (2-0) allowed just an unearned run and three hits in 41/3 innings for the win.
Mientkiewicz and Brown each drove in a pair of runs in the Royals' four-run first. Kansas City added two runs in the second on Shane Costa's RBI double and Mike Sweeney's sacrifice fly. Mientkiewicz led off the third with a triple and scored on Brown's sacrifice fly.
Joe Mays, who is 0-7 in 22 career appearances against the Indians, did not allow a hit until the fourth inning but failed to get through five. With his early departure, the Royals still do not have a win from their rotation. Kansas City starters are 0-10.
The Indians batted around in a four-run fifth, which included Ben Broussard's two-run double. After Mays gave up a double to Casey Blake and walked Grady Sizemore on four pitches with two outs, manager Buddy Bell summoned Wood from the bullpen. He gave up an RBI single to Todd Hollandsworth before striking out Jhonny Peralta to end the inning with runners on second and third.
The Royals made it 8-4 in the fifth when Angel Berroa's two-out single scored Reggie Sanders.
Byrd was charged with seven runs on six hits and two walks in three innings. Mays gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in 4 2-3 innings.
Jeremy Guthrie, just promoted from Triple-A Buffalo, replaced Byrd, but he was ejected by plate umpire Jim Wolf after hitting Esteban German with a pitch to start the sixth. Indians manager Eric Wedge came out to argue and also was ejected. Brian Slocum, who made his major league debut, replaced Guthrie.
CLEVELANDKANSAS CITY
abrhbiabrhbi
Szmore cf3021Costa cf4221
Hlndsw lf4011Grdzln 2b5221
JhPlta ss4000MiSwy dh3101
Hafner dh3100RSndrs rf4221
VMrtnz c4110Mntkw 1b4222
Brssrd 1b4122Brown lf2013
Blliard 2b4000Berroa ss4011
RVazqz 3b4001Bako c4000
Blake rf3210EGrmn 3b2210
Totals33575Totals32111110
Cleveland000040100--5
Kansas City42101300x--11
E--JhPeralta (3), Broussard (1), EGerman (1). DP--Cleveland 1, Kansas City 2. LOB--Cleveland 3, Kansas City 6. 2B--VMartinez (7), Broussard (2), Blake (6), Costa (1), RSanders (3), Mientkiewicz (4). 3B--Mientkiewicz (1). SB--EGerman (1). SF--MiSweeney, Brown.
IPHRERBBSO
Cleveland
Byrd L,2-2367720
Guthrie222212
Slocum232222
Sauerbeck100001
Kansas City
Mays4 2-344421
MWood W,2-04 1-331003
Guthrie pitched to 1 batter in the 6th. HBP--by Slocum (Mientkiewicz), by Guthrie (EGerman). WP--MWood. PB--VMartinez. Umpires--Home, Jim Wolf; First, Joe West; Second, Tom Hallion; Third, Tony Randazzo. T--2:54. A--19,645.