Red-Hot Hosmer Carries Royals Past Indians 2-1

Eric Hosmer picked up the Royals offense for the second straight night, driving in both Royals runs, including a go-ahead home run in the 9th, as Kansas City won the 2nd game of a three game set 2-1.

The Indians threatened quickly, however, with three of their first four hitters reaching base off of Royals starter Chris Young.

Jason Kipnis started the inning with a single to right, but was later gunned down by Salvador Perez trying to take second.

After a Francisco Lindor strikeout, Michael Brantley singled and stole second base before Carlos Santana walked to put runners on first and second with two outs.

After Santana and Brantley double stole second and third, Young struck out Brandon Moss looking to escape the first unscathed.

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Indians starter Trevor Bauer was in command through 3 2/3 before Lorenzo Cain tripled and was driven in by a red-hot Eric Hosmer to give the Royals a 1-0 lead through 3 1/2 innings.

After laboring through two, Young found a bit of a grove, not allowing a base runner in the 3rd or 4th before Michael Bourn lead off the 5th with a single.

After stealing second, Bourn then stole third and scored on a throwing error by Perez, tying the game at 1-1.

Following a Kipnis single and a Lindor fly out, Brantley walked to chase Young in favor of left-hander Franklin Morales.

Morales faced Santana, who has hit all 11 of his home runs as a left-handed batter, but reached base on a swinging bunt down the third base line to load the bases for Moss.

Moss, who already stranded two runners in the 1st, popped out to Moustakas to end the inning, while stranding his fifth runner of the game.

After a scoreless 6th from Ryan Madson, the Indians threatened again in the 7th when Kipnis doubled to left with one out, but stranded their 11th runner as Madson struck out Lindor and got Brantley to ground out to Eric Hosmer.

After giving up a run in the 4th, Bauer retired 11 of 12 Royals before Omar Infante tripled with one out in the 8th.

Jarrod Dyson followed with a walk before Alcides Escobar grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Following a scoreless inning from Wade Davis, Eric Hosmer took a 3-2 curveball from Bauer over the right field fence to give the Royals a 2-1 lead.

The home run was Hosmer’s second in as many games and his sixth RBI of the series, with another game still remaining.

The Indians looked like they were in business in the bottom half of the 9th when Roberto Perez hit a hard ground ball up the middle, but Infante stabbed it going into center field, flipped it straight from his glove to Escobar who threw out Perez at first.

After a Bourn walk, Mike Aviles grounded into a 4-3 double play to give the Royals a 2-1 win, and putting them at 23-games above .500.

The win also put the Royals nine games ahead of the Twins in the Central following Minnesota’s 8-7 loss to the Pirates.

Notables:

Johnny Cueto joined the Royals in Cleveland earlier this afternoon, going through his workout before speaking to the media. Cueto is slated to start his first game as a Royals this Friday in Toronto.
The Royals made news again this afternoon, trading Aaron Brooks and Sean Manaea to the Oakland A’s for ultra-utility man Ben Zobrist. Zobrist has a .801 OPS in 67 games and has made starts at every defensive position outside of the battery. He will join the Royals in Toronto on Thursday and bat sixth, manager Ned Yost has said.
Onto the game. Chris Young got through the first inning without giving up a run, but through 29 pitches. Young hasn’t been all to sharp as of late, but he has really labored through his July starts, averaging about 16 pitches per inning. He threw 96 pitches in just 4 2/3 innings of work tonight.
The Indians stole six bases, one shy of the single major league hight of seven, accomplished by the Diamondbacks on May 20 against the Marlins. As Lee Judge will probably tell us tomorrow, those bases were stolen off of Chris Young, not Salvador Perez.
Eric Hosmer stayed hot, going 3-4 with two RBI, the last of which coming on a go-ahead home run in the ninth. Since the beginning of July, Hosmer is slashing .364/.411/.534 with nine extra-base hits in 95 plate appearances.

Next: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Indians, 11:10 AM CT, Progressive Field; RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-6, 5.35 ERA) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (5-11, 3.59 ERA)

Next: Zobrist Acquisition Finishes Championship Makeover

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