Kansas City Royals drop series to Tribe with 4-1 loss

Jul 6, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher

(41) delivers in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Another Central Division foe, another loss for the Kansas City Royals, as the Cleveland Indians prevailed in the rubber match Sunday in a 4-1 loss for the Boys in Blue. The Royals continue to tread water with a 17-19 record against division opponents.

The Royals didn’t put up much of a stink over this one, sliding slowly away as starter Danny Duffy (5-8, 2.86) gave up three in the second. Carlos Santana led off the inning with his thirteenth home run on the season. Ryan Raburn followed with a single and one out later came home on a long ball by Yan Gomes, his tenth of the year.

Mike Moustakas hit a solo shot, his tenth home run of the year, in the fifth to get the Royals on the board. But the Tribe scored a single run in the bottom of the frame to regain their margin.

Not much happening off Corey Kluber (8-6, 2.86). Kluber, who now owns a 3-1 record and 3.77 earned run average in his career against the Royals, had no difficulty sawing his way through the Royals’ bats today, allowing only four hits and striking out 10. Duffy, meanwhile, displayed his version of “struggling,” as you will, giving up four runs in six innings on 10 hits.

Just when he needed an extra run or two, the Royals did their hide-and-seek act, leaving their sticks in the batting cage.

NOTABLES: Billy Butler got the day off. Aside from having only a .115 career average (4-for-21) against Kluber, his average has dropped 10 points in his last 10 games to .267, going 8-for-41 with no extra base hits and only two RBIs.

Alex Gordon, Greg Holland and Salvador Perez were voted to the Mid-Summer Classic for the second year in a row. Gordon was voted in by his peers.

Gordon had the day off today, too. His average has dropped 21 points in his last 10 games to .263, going 3-for-36 with two extra base hits and two RBIs.

NEXT: A battle of reverse identities, as each pitcher faces its former team and one of the players for which each was traded. James Shields (8-4, 3.93) vs. Jake Odorizzi (4-7, 4.18), at Tropicana Field, as the Royals take on the Tampa Rays in a 6:10 p.m. start.