Indians need extra innings to top K.C.

Photo by: Charlie Riedel

AP

Photo

Kansas City Royals first baseman Kila Ka'aihue (30) attempts to field the baseball on an infield hit by Cleveland Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo (17) during the first inning of a major league baseball game Monday, April 18, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo.

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

Pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan’s RBI double sparked a four-run 10th inning and the surprising Cleveland Indians widened their AL Central lead Monday night with a 7-3 victory over the second-place Kansas City Royals.

Rookie left-hander Tim Collins (1-1) walked Carlos Santana leading off the 10th and Duncan hooked a two-base hit barely fair into the left-field corner. Grady Sizemore, in his second game back from knee surgery, added an RBI single and was 3 for 5 after going 2 for 4 on Sunday in his first game since May 16, 2010.

Joe Smith (1-0) got the victory with 11/3 innings of hitless relief as the surging Indians won their fourth in a row.

Expected by most observers to remain also-rans in the AL Central this year, the Indians and Royals had not been first and second this late in the season in any order since May 31, 1999, when Cleveland led the Royals and White Sox by 10 games en route to a fifth straight division title. That also was the last time the Indians started a season as they’ve started this one, winning 12 of their first 16.

One out after Duncan’s double, Michael Brantley walked. Matt LaPorta grounded into a fielder’s choice and pinch-runner Adam Everett scored on shortstop Alcides Escobar’s throwing error. Jack Hannahan followed with an RBI double and Sizemore made it 7-3 with his third hit.

Collins, in one inning, gave four hits and four runs.

The Royals scored twice to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth on Melky Cabrera’s RBI double and an RBI single by Alex Gordon, who tied his career high with a 12-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this year.

Billy Butler’s single made it four straight hits off starter Carlos Carrasco and put runners at first and second. But the right-hander escaped further damage by retiring Kila Ka’aihue on a foul pop and coaxing a double-play grounder out of Jeff Francoeur.

Royals starter Kyle Davies was charged with two runs and seven hits in six innings.