Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Jason Kipnis knocked in three runs and the
Cleveland Indians gave new manager Sandy Alomar Jr. a win in his debut in an
8-5 triumph over the Kansas City Royals.
Alomar took over for Manny Acta, who was dismissed on Wednesday. Alomar is
serving as skipper on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.
Shin-Soo Choo went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Cleveland left-
hander David Huff (3-0) pitched well enough to earn the win in just his third
start of the year. He pitched six innings of three-run ball. Huff allowed
eight hits, but struck out five and walked none.
Cleveland's bats got rolling in the second, scoring at least a run in four
consecutive innings to give Huff a commanding seven-run lead with which to
work.
Lonnie Chisenhall went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Brent
Lillibridge added two hits and scored twice.
Cord Phelps and Ezequiel Carrera each had an RBI for the Indians, who have won
three in a row.
Royals starter Will Smith (6-9) lasted three-plus innings, giving up six
runs on nine hits, while striking out two and walking a pair. He was yanked in
the fourth with no outs and a runner on second after giving up a single and an
RBI double to the first two batters of the inning.
Billy Butler hit a two-run homer in the sixth and Salvador Perez knocked in
two for the Royals, losers of their last six.
Kansas City took an early lead by scoring a run in the second. After Perez and
Mike Moustakas both hit singles, Adam Moore stroked an RBI double to left
field.
The Tribe offense came to life in bottom of the frame, racking up five
consecutive hits off Smith. After Chisenhall and Lillibridge hit consecutive
singles to put runners at the corners, Carrera hit another single to bring
home Chisenhall.
Choo followed with an RBI double off the wall in left, and then Phelps another
single to knock in Carrera, making the score 3-1.
Cleveland tacked on another run in the third, when Chisenhall hit a two-out
double to right to bring home Russ Canzler, who had reached base on a
single.
In the fourth, the Indians went up 6-1 on another RBI double from Choo that
scored Carrera, with Choo eventually scoring on a fielder's choice grounder
from Kipnis.
Cleveland took a commanding seven-run lead in the fifth batting against
reliever Everett Teaford. With two outs and the bases loaded, Kipnis hit a
single to left field to score Lillibridge and Carrera.
After Butler's blast got two back for the Royals in the sixth, Kansas City
climbed closer in the eighth on a two-RBI single from Perez that brought home
Alex Gordon and Butler.
Cleveland's bullpen buckled down with Chris Perez tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning
to earn his 39th save of the year.
Game Notes
The 2012 season will mark just the fifth time in the 19-year history
of Progressive Field (1994-2012) for the Indians (35-41) to finish with a
sub-.500 home record ... Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar and first
baseman Eric Hosmer are both nursing right shoulder injuries suffered in
Thursday night's 5-4 loss to Detroit and were held out of lineup.
The Sports Network