Santana’s arm tames Tribe bats

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

Ervin Santana pitched seven scoreless innings, Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals held on to beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2 Saturday night.

Santana (3-1), who was acquired in an Oct. 31 trade with Anaheim for minor-league pitcher Brandon Sisk, allowed six singles, struck out five and walked none.

Greg Holland, who logged his sixth save in seven opportunities, gave up two unearned runs in the ninth on a Michael Brantley two-out triple, which scored Mark Reynolds, who had an infield single, and Lonnie Chisenhall, who reached on Eric Hosmer’s error. Holland struck out Jason Kipnis to end the game.

The Indians have scored three runs or less in eight of their past 10 games and 13 times this season, going 3-10 in those games.

Scott Kazmir (0-1), who was making his second big league start in two years, was charged the loss. He gave up two runs on five hits, while striking out four and walking two. In his previous start, the Indians scored 19 runs and were ahead 14-0 going into the bottom of the second at Houston, but Kazmir failed to get out of the fourth inning, giving up six runs on eight hits, including two homers.

Kazmir, a two-time American League All-Star selection while with Tampa Bay, pitched last season with the Sugar Land Skeeters in the independent Atlantic League and signed a minor league contact with the Indians in January. He won a slot in the Cleveland rotation after a strong spring training.

Perez homered just inside the right-field foul pole in the second inning on an 0-1 pitch from Kazmir after he walked Jeff Francoeur.

The Indians had five base runners in the second and third innings, but failed to score.

Drew Stubbs, Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera singled in the third, loading the bases with one out. Nick Swisher grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Swisher led off the second with a single and Carlos Santana reached on a Miguel Tejada error. Ervin Santana struck out Reynolds and Chisenhall to end the threat.

The Indians used five relief pitchers in the seventh when the Royals added a run. Alex Gordon’s two-out single was the only hit.