Friday, May 25, 2007
Jason Michaels and Casey Blake had three-run hits in the 10-3 victory.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Michaels capped a five-run first inning with a three-run homer, and the Cleveland Indians avoided a sweep by beating the Kansas City Royals 10-3 Thursday night.
Casey Blake added a three-run triple and also doubled for the Indians, who have the majors’ best home record at 17-4 but are still two games under .500 (11-13) on the road. Ryan Garko had three hits for Cleveland, including a two-run single in the first.
Starter Jeremy Sowers (1-4) earned his first victory since beating Toronto 7-2 on Sept. 5, 2006. Sowers went seven innings, giving up one run and six hits with one strikeout and one walk before Roberto Hernandez relieved him to start the eighth.
Hernandez gave up Shane Costa’s RBI single and left after walking Alex Gordon to load the bases with two out. Aaron Fultz walked Ryan Shealy, forcing in a run that got Kansas City within 10-3.
Effective relief
Mike Koplove relieved Fultz and ended the threat when he got John Buck, who had already homered twice in the series, to line out to left field.
The Indians, who also denied Kansas City its first series sweep of the year, took advantage of early control problems by starter Jorge De La Rosa (4-4) as the Royals lost for just the third time in their last 11 games.
De La Rosa allowed a career-high seven walks — one intentional — and hit a batter in 41⁄3 innings. He gave up nine runs and six hits with two strikeouts, and his ERA went up from 3.59 to 4.65.
Joel Peralta relieved him with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. Peralta got Andy Marte to pop out in foul territory, but then walked Grady Sizemore to force in a run that put Cleveland up 7-1.
Nine-run edge
Blake followed with a bases-clearing triple down the line in right field, making it 10-1.
Three of De La Rosa’s walks came in the Indians’ five-run first. All the runs scored with two out.
Travis Hafner walked, and Victor Martinez’s single and a walk to Jhonny Peralta loaded the bases. Garko’s single to left scored Hafner and Martinez, and Michaels followed with his homer to left field for a 5-0 lead.
Hafner walked again in the second, increasing his league-leading total to 42, and Martinez’s RBI single later in the inning put the Indians up 6-0.
Esteban German matched a career high with four hits for the Royals. Three were infield singles.