Kluber loses again as Royals top Tribe

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner will end April without a victory.

Corey Kluber surrendered six runs on 10 hits in 61/3 innings Monday night as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2.

It was Kluber’s fifth start of the year, all of which have ended in a Cleveland loss. The Indians have the worst record in the AL at 6-12 and have dropped seven of their last 10.

After going 18-9 last year, Kluber (0-3) is winless with a 4.24 ERA.

“Sure, the way things are going is frustrating, but we can’t let it snowball,” Kluber said. “I don’t focus as much on me, individually, as I do on the team as a whole. I know that you can’t make up for what we’ve done in the first month in a couple of days, though.”

Alex Gordon doubled home Eric Hosmer with one out in the sixth to put Kansas City ahead for good at 3-2.

Gordon drove in two runs, Mike Moustakas got four hits and Jarrod Dyson stole three bases.

Moustakas is 11 for 25 (.440) in his career against Kluber, who struck out five and walked a pair. The ace recorded his 500th strikeout in his 80th game, becoming the second-fastest Cleveland pitcher to do behind Herb Score’s 68.

“There is never a question about Corey’s effort, and I’ll take him any day of the week,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “Frustration is there with everybody right now, but I know he’ll stay after it. He’s trying to get on a roll, and once he does, he’ll feel a lot better.”

Two of the Royals’ runs were unearned as the Indians committed a season-high three errors, all by infielders on groundballs.

Kluber became the third reigning Cy Young winner to have his team lose his first five starts, joining Frank Viola in 1989 and David Price in 2011, according to information by the Indians from the Elias Sports Bureau.

Mike Aviles hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Jason Vargas (2-1).

Cleveland only totaled four hits off five Royals pitchers.