When the 2011 regular season schedule was released this past winter, very few people expected the mid-April Indians-Royals series to have any meaningful implications. However, entering play on Monday night, Cleveland and Kansas City were in 1st and 2nd place, respectively, in the American League Central. And although it required 10 innings, the Tribe managed to maintain the division's top spot by winning a thriller at Kauffman Stadium.
The Indians used a little 2-out lightning in the top of the 1st to score an early run. Shin-Soo Choo hit a 60-foot single and scored on Carlos Santana's double.
The 2 clubs then traded sacrifice flies, and the Tribe held a slim 2-1 advantage after 5 1/2 innings.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Royals strung together 4 consecutive base-hits, and Alex Gordon's RBI single gave the home team a 3-2 lead.
Cleveland, though, was not behind for very long because Jeremy Jeffress struggled mightily in the 7th. Jeffress issued a lead-off walk to Michael Brantley before uncorking an errant pickoff throw that enabled Brantley to scamper to 3rd base. The next batter, Matt LaPorta, bounced a game-tying single through the left side of the infield. The Indians should have plated more than 1 tally, but they wasted a bases loaded, 1 out opportunity.
Following Carlos Carrasco's exit in the bottom of the 7th, the contest was placed in the dependable hands of the Tribe bullpen. The bullpen was able to pitch 3 2/3 scoreless frames, but it was far from smooth. In the 8th, Kansas City had men on 1st and 2nd with only 1 out but failed to score due to a very weird play. Kila Ka'aihue rolled a potential double play grounder to LaPorta at 1st base. LaPorta fired the ball to 2nd, and it appeared as if the base runner, Billy Butler, was out. The throw back to 1st was late, and Butler began to walk toward his dugout. Asdrubal Cabrera, realizing Butler had actually been ruled safe, gestured for the baseball, and, upon making the catch, he tagged out the bewildered Butler. That play loomed large after the Royals botched a bases loaded scoring chance later in the inning.
The Indians finally broke the deadlock in the top of the 10th. Shelley Duncan smashed a RBI double into the left field corner, LaPorta drove in a run courtesy of a fielder's choice, Jack Hannahan crushed a RBI double to left-center, and Grady Sizemore bounced a run-scoring single off the 2nd base bag.
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| Duncan's clutch double helped lift the Indians to yet another victory |
The Tribe has now won 12 of its last 14 games and shares baseball's best record with Colorado.
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