Indians’ Salazar again tames Royals

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

Danny Salazar has no idea why he seems to handle the Kansas City Royals so easily.

Perhaps it’s because he’s such an aggressive pitcher and they have such an aggressive lineup.

The Indians’ right-hander went right after the Royals in his third outing against them this season, shutting them down into the seventh inning in leading Cleveland to a 7-3 victory.

“They like to swing a lot,” said Salazar (11-3), who tossed 72/3 shutout innings against Kansas City in a 7-1 victory in early May, and allowed one run over eight innings in a 6-1 win last month.

“You really have to mix your pitches.”

He did that nicely, striking out seven and walking one over 62/3 innings.

“He did a really good job of keeping them off the scoreboard, for the most part,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “We really needed that bounce-back win.”

Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer in the first off Brian Flynn (1-1), and Carlos Santana drove in two runs off long reliever Dillon Gee, as the Indians snapped a five-game skid at Kauffman Stadium.

Francisco Lindor added a solo shot in the ninth for Cleveland.

“You’re facing an All-Star pitcher in Salazar,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, who skippered the winning club last week. “He’s not an All-Star for nothing. He’s tough.”

The Flynn-Gee combo got the call for the Royals in place of ineffective fifth starter Chris Young. Flynn lasted 22/3 innings in his first start since August 2014, while Gee went the next 51/3 innings.

Then again, Cy Young would have had a tough time matching Salazar on another hot, humid night.

He didn’t allow a runner past first base through the first five innings, striking out Alex Gordon twice along the way. He seemed to falter in the oppressive weather in the sixth, when Salvador Perez drove in a run and Kendrys Morales scored on a wild pitch, but managed to escape the inning.

He gave up a sacrifice fly in the seventh before Kyle Crockett finished the inning.

Salazar pitched with the lead the entire way after Napoli’s homer in the first inning, his 21st of the year just skirting inside the left-field foul pole. But the rest of the Indians’ offense came from the same kind of small ball that carried the AL Central-rival Royals to the World Series title last season.