MLB
  Scores
  Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries: AL | NL
  Players
  Weekly Lineup
  Message Board
  Minor Leagues
  MLB Stat Search

Clubhouses

Sport Sections
  Thursday, Jul. 20 7:05pm ET
Royals rock pitcher-depleted Indians
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jeff Suppan pitched 7 1/3 innings for his first road win this season as six Royals drove in runs Thursday night in Kansas City's 10-6 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Suppan (4-6), making his 12th start away from Kauffman Stadium, gave up four runs and nine hits in getting his second straight victory, just his second since May 24.

Meanwhile, the Indians set a club record by using their 27th pitcher this season when Cameron Cairncross made his major league debut in the ninth.

Jim Brower (2-3) was the latest Indians starter to falter, giving up five runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings. He gave up all five runs in the third as the Indians fell behind 6-1 after 3 1/2 innings and never recovered.

Johnny Damon had four hits and two RBIs for the Royals, who used a five-run third off rookie Jim Brower (2-3) and 15 singles to sweep the two-game series.

Manny Ramirez, perhaps playing his final home game, homered twice and drove in three runs for the Indians. Ricky Ledee had a two-run homer in the ninth for Cleveland.

Ramirez is eligible to become a free agent after this season, but could be gone long before that if Cleveland decides to deal him before the July 31 trade deadline. There might have been a few Indians packing their travel bags for good as the Indians left on an 11-game, 14-day road trip that ends Aug. 3.

Ramirez twice has enjoyed two-homer games this week, and since returning from the disabled list is 12-for-29 (.414) with five homers and 12 RBIs.

Cleveland played without All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar, expected to miss 3-to-5 days with a sore left ankle.

Ramirez's second homer, his 18th, was a two-run shot in the sixth that pulled the Indians to 8-4. Travis Fryman followed with a double and with none out it looked like the Indians would finally get to Suppan.

But the right-hander struck out the side and pitched a perfect seventh. He was replaced after wait 3-1 and left the bases loaded, and one out later, Mark Quinn squibbed a broken-bat RBI grounder through the middle as the Royals opened a 4-1 lead. Todd Dunwoody's sacrifice fly to center capped the inning.

Jim Thome's RBI single in the first inning gave the Indians a 1-0 lead.

Game notes
Kansas City has scored five runs or more in each of its last 11 wins. ... For the second straight game, the grounds crew relined the batter's and catcher's boxes around home plate at crew chief Gerry Davis' request. Normally, the inside lines are not chalked at Jacobs Field but the commissioner's office reminded all umpires last week to apply the rule uniformly to all teams. ... Ramirez's 216th career homers moved him into a tie for fourth place on Cleveland's career list with Hal Trosky. His 741 RBIs pushed him into 10th place on the club's career list, one ahead of Lou Boudreau. ... Suppan has given up an AL-leading 27 homers.

 


ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard

Kansas City Clubhouse

Cleveland Clubhouse


Indians lose Roberto Alomar for at least three games with sore ankle


RECAPS
Detroit 5
NY Yankees 3

Minnesota 5
Chi. White Sox 1

Boston 11
Baltimore 7

Baltimore 9
Boston 4

(2nd game)

Oakland 5
Seattle 4

Kansas City 10
Cleveland 6

Toronto 6
Tampa Bay 5

Anaheim 6
Texas 1

Montreal 4
NY Mets 1

Pittsburgh 9
Milwaukee 2

Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 2

Atlanta 5
Florida 3

Florida 6
Atlanta 1

(2nd game)

Arizona 3
St. Louis 2

San Francisco 7
San Diego 3

Houston 6
Cincinnati 2

Los Angeles 6
Colorado 3