Royals’ pitching halts Tribe, Sabathia, 2-1

Kansas City pitching allowed the Indians just six hits.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zack Greinke and five Kansas City relievers combined on a six-hitter and the Royals beat the Cleveland Indians and C.C. Sabathia 2-1 on Friday night.

Greinke, who replaced the injured Odalis Perez in the rotation and started for the first time since May 6, limited the Indians to one hit in three innings. He walked one and struck out two. Greinke began the season in the rotation, but was sent to the bullpen after compiling a 1-4 record and 5.71 earned run average in seven starts.

Left-hander John Bale (1-1) replaced Greinke and allowed two singles and struck out five in three innings to pick up his first major league victory since Aug. 29, 2003, while with the Cincinnati Reds against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Indians started the night with a 21⁄2 game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.

Sabathia gets no support

Sabathia (14-7) has won only once in his last seven starts despite a 2.13 earned run average. The Indians have scored a total of 18 runs in those Sabathia starts.

Sabathia, who pitched at least eight innings for the eighth time this season, gave up two runs and five hits, who struck out six and walked one in eight innings.

Mark Grudzielanek led off the Royals’ fourth with a walk and stopped at third on Billy Butler’s double to left. Grudzielanek scored on Emil Brown’s groundout to short.

The Royals manufactured a run in the fifth. Tony Pena Jr. was hit by a Sabathia pitch on a 2-2 count to start the inning and took second on a passed ball by Victor Martinez. Joey Gathright’s sacrifice bunt moved Pena to third. Esteban German’s sacrifice fly to center scored Pena.

The Indians cut the lead to 2-1 in the seventh when Ryan Garko’s two-out single scored Grady Sizemore, who led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on Travis Hafner’s hard one-hopper snared by a diving Grudzielanek.

Asdrubal Cabrera tripled with one out in the eight, but David Riske struck out Kenny Lofton and retired Casey Blake on a grounder to Grudzielanek to strand him.

Rookie Joakim Soria worked the ninth for his 14th save in 17 opportunities.

Notes

Royals DH Mike Sweeney, who had arthroscopic surgery July 5 on his right knee, went 1-for-3 Friday in his first rehab game for Triple-A Omaha against Round Rock. ... The Indians are 7-12 on Saturday, their worst record for any day. ...The Royals are 9-2 in their past 12 games at Kauffman Stadium.