Indians end offensive slump; Bucs win 4th in a row

Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez homered to provide the offensive punch.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez homered, and Aaron Laffey won his third big league start as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Saturday night.

The Indians batted around in a five-run first against Kyle Davies before Sizemore led off the second with his 22nd home run. Martinez, who also had three hits, delivered his 19th with two outs to make it 7-0.

The Indians, who began the day leading the Detroit Tigers by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central, had been struggling offensively, scoring three runs or less in 18 of their previous 29 games while hitting just .238.

Laffey, just recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, was the benefactor of the Indians’ offensive splurge. Laffey (2-1) held the Royals to two runs and eight hits — all singles — to win his second straight start. He beat the Chicago White Sox 7-5 on Aug. 9.

Davies (1-2) got roughed up again in his fifth start since the Royals acquired him in a July 31 trade with Atlanta, lasting just two innings. Davies gave up seven runs and eight hits with a walk. He has a 7.48 ERA since joining the Royals.

Sizemore led off the game with a double and scored on Asdrubal Caberera’s single. Martinez doubled home Travis Hafner, who had walked, and Jhonny Peralta’s single scored Martinez. After Kenny Lofton singled, his career 2,400th career hit, Franklin Gutierrez had a two-run double.

Lofton doubled in the fifth and scored on Casey Blake’s single. It was Lofton’s sixth multihit game in 24 games since being traded on July 27 to the Indians.

Esteban German and Mark Grudzielanek, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, had RBI singles in the fifth for the Royals’ only runs.

Pirates 4, Astros 1

HOUSTON — Jose Bautista homered twice and Matt Morris won his first game for the Pirates to lead Pittsburgh to its fourth straight win.
Morris (8-8), who came over in a trade from the San Francisco Giants July 31, went six innings and allowed one run and four hits. He struck out two and walked two. Morris was 0-1 in his first four starts for Pittsburgh.

After allowing a single to Hunter Pence in the first inning, Morris sat down 14 of the next 15 batters, including 12 in a row.

John Grabow and Franquelis Osoria combined to pitch two scoreless innings of relief, and Matt Capps got three outs for his 13th save in 15 chances.

Troy Patton (0-1) was making his first major league start after being called up from Triple-A Round Rock late Friday night. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up three runs and six hits as the Astros lost their third straight and sixth in their last seven.