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Kluber’s strong start isn’t enough to slow Royals
- Updated: July 19, 2016
KANSAS CITY — The Royals couldn’t chase Indians right-hander Corey Kluber. Only the steamy Kansas City weather could.
Kluber was masterful through seven shutout innings in the 90-degree heat (99 heat index) before a cramp in his lower right leg forced his exit as he warmed up for the eighth inning with a two-run lead. That’s when the Royals struck, scoring seven runs off Indians relievers Bryan Shaw and Jeff Manship for a stunning 7-3 win on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
“I definitely let the whole team down,” Manship said. “I let Corey down. I let Bryan down. I gave up his runs. That stinks, for sure. Definitely. I feel sick to my stomach about how that went. I was fully ready down there. I just didn’t execute the whole outing. It was pathetic, really. Plain and simple.”
The Royals pulled within seven games of the American League Central-leading Indians.
Pinch-hitting for Kendrys Morales, who fouled a ball off his right foot (X-rays negative) earlier in the game, Christian Colon delivered a two-run double off Shaw to tie it. Later, Paulo Orlando delivered a go-ahead RBI single, and Jarrod Dyson topped off the scoring with his first career grand slam.
“My first career [homer] in the Minor Leagues was a grand slam,” Dyson said. “I’m not even a home-run hitter. I’m just a lucky guy right now … it was an accident. I don’t do that on the regular.”
Colon had been thrown out trying for a triple, but the Royals simply restarted the rally.
“Paulo’s hit was huge to give us the lead,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “It looked like we were going to have to settle for the tie, but they kept battling and we kept getting guys on base, and Paulo with a great piece of hitting and great piece of clutch hitting.”
In all, Kluber gave up five hits, walked three and struck out eight.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez was almost as good for the Royals. He went seven innings and gave up four hits and two runs. He walked three and struck out six, giving the club its fourth straight decent outing since the break.
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDFrancisco Lindor’s laser: The two-out solo jack by Lindor in the first inning sailed down the right-field line, stayed inside the pole and landed deep into the seats. The homer off Volquez had an exit velocity of 108 mph and traveled 435 feet, per Statcast™, that marked both the hardest-hit and farthest homer by Lindor in his MLB career.
“I thought …
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