DeRosa’s three hits propel Indians to 6-5 win in KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mark DeRosa had three hits and drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth, Kerry Wood atoned for his horrid outing the night before and Cleveland held on for a 6-5 comeback victory over Kansas City on Wednesday night.

Wood, rocked for four runs in the ninth inning Tuesday in a disheartening 6-5 loss to the Royals, walked the bases full with one out in the ninth. But he struck out Mark Teahen and David DeJesus for his sixth save in eight opportunities — his first since May 1.

DeRosa’s RBI double off Sidney Ponson (1-5) scored pinch-runner Matt LaPorta in the eighth, and Ben Francisco followed with an RBI single for a 6-4 lead.

DeJesus’ RBI single made it 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth, but Rafael Betancourt relieved Aaron Laffey and struck out Mike Aviles and Coco Crisp to end the inning.

Victor Martinez was 2 for 5 and kept his major league-leading average at .400 for the Indians, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Laffey (3-0), who beat the Royals here as a starter on April 14, went 11‚Ñ3 innings in relief of Fausto Carmona. Ponson was charged with two hits and two runs in 11‚Ñ3 innings.

Billy Butler’s RBI single put the Royals on top 1-0 in the third, then Jose Guillen, after the Indians failed to turn what could have been an inning-ending double play, hit a two-run double.

The Royals got their fourth run in the fourth when Aviles moved to third and then came home on Carmona’s two wild pitches.

Shin-Soo Choo followed Martinez’s one-out double with an RBI single in the Cleveland fourth and came home on Jhonny Peralta’s RBI single to make it 4-2, which was where it stood when Jamey Wright relieved starter Gil Meche starting the seventh.

The Indians loaded the bases with one out when Wright hit Jamey Carroll after giving up singles to DeRosa and Francisco.

Cabrera then walked on four pitches, forcing in a run and bringing Ponson out of the bullpen. The slumping Grady Sizemore hit a line smash but second baseman Alberto Callaspo stopped the ball and tossed to second for the force while Francisco scored to tie it at 4.

Meche gave up six hits and two runs in six innings, with two strikeouts and a walk.

Carmona went six innings and allowed four runs, with three strikeouts and six hits. He walked four, pushing his league-leading total to 40.

Notes

All-Star closer Joakim Soria did some long-toss off flat ground and felt good. KC manager Trey Hillman said everything continues to look encouraging for the right-hander who went on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 8 with a right rotator cuff strain. ... Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said Sizemore, the three-time All-Star center fielder, has a sore left elbow, which may help explain his slumping bat.