Matt LaPorta’s three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning gave Cleveland its 12th home win its last at bat Saturday, 5-2 over the Kansas City Royals.

LaPorta connected off Royals closer Joakim Soria (5-4) on a 1-1 pitch. It was Soria’s sixth blown save in 25 changes.

Tony Sipp (6-2) pitched the top of the ninth.

Soria hit Asdrubal Cabrera in the right foot with a pitch and Travis Hafner bounced into a forceout and was replaced by pinch runner Orlando Cabrera at first base. Carlos Santana then doubled down the third-base line to put runners on second and third.

Kosuke Fukudome, acquired for two minor-leaguers on Thursday from the Chicago Cubs, hit a sacrifice fly to tie it at 2 before Lonnie Chisenhall walked and LaPorta delivered his 10th homer, a line shot just over the wall in left.

Chris Getz singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth for Kansas City.

Masterson left after yielding a leadoff single to Jeff Francoeur in the ninth after the Indians tied the score in the eighth.

Francoeur stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Moustakas and one out later scored on Getz’s single off reliever Tony Sipp that fell safely in right center.

Cleveland, hitless into the fifth, scored in the eighth to tie it at 1. Chisenhall drew a 12-pitch walk from Tim Collins, moved up on a passed ball and scored on Michael Brantley’s two-out ground single to right off Aaron Crow on a full count. Chisenhall slid in ahead of the tag by catcher Brayan Pena, who entered in the sixth when Matt Treanor left with a concussion after tagging out Matt LaPorta trying to score.

The Indians had not scored since getting an unearned run in the first inning Wednesday, when they were no-hit by Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels.

Royals starter Felipe Paulino held Cleveland to four hits over six innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out four, including the side in the first inning on 15 pitches.

Kansas City took a quick 1-0 lead against Masterson. Alex Gordon opened the game with a walk, went to third on a double by Melky Cabrera and scored on a one-out groundout to second by Eric Hosmer.

Treanor was hurt keeping it scoreless in the sixth. LaPorta doubled and took third on a sharp single to center by No. 9 hitter Ezequiel Carrera.

LaPorta was thrown out trying to score on a fly ball to left by Brantley. Alex Gordon’s throw home was in time and LaPorta bowled over Treanor at the plate. He hung on to the ball, but laid motionless, face down in the dirt. He was taken to a hospital for a CT scan and will be placed on the seven-day concussion list.

The Indians, no-hit by the Angels’ Ervin Santana on Wednesday and beaten by the Royals 12-0 Friday, were hitless again until Carlos Santana doubled. He was stranded as Paulino quickly got the next two batters.

It was yet another tough-luck outing for Masterson, 3-6 since May 12. The right-hander fell has allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 starts since June 8.

He didn’t get much offense, but rookie second baseman Jason Kipnis made a fine play to start a nifty double play in the sixth. Kipnis snagged Moustakas’ sharp grounder with a dive toward first base. He spun and threw to shortstop Cabrera, who came across the bag and threw to first to complete the inning-ending gem.

— Associated Press —

The Kansas City Royals today acquired infielder Yamaico Navarro and minor league right-handed pitcher Kendal Volz from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for infielder Mike Aviles.

Navarro, 23, opened the season with Pawtucket (AAA) and was promoted to the big league club on June 30, hitting .216 (8-for-37) in 16 games.  The Royals got a first hand look at Navarro this week when he participated in all four games during KC’s just completed trip to Fenway Park, going 4-for-12 (.333) with a double, walk, two runs scored and RBI.  The native of San Pedro de Macoris, DR, who will report to the Royals in Cleveland, hit .258 (33-for-128) in 34 games for Pawtucket with a .362 on-base pct.  He was originally signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Red Sox in 2005.

Volz, 23, has worked exclusively in relief for Salem (A) this season, going 2-3 with two saves and a 3.33 ERA in 31 appearances.  He has struck out 56 batters in 51.1 innings and held the opposition to a composite .222 batting average, and has been assigned to Wilmington (A). The Bulverde, TX, native was Boston’s ninth-round choice in the 2009 draft out of Baylor University.  His professional career began last year with Greenville in the South Atlantic League, working mainly as a starter, appearing in 26 games (24 starts), going 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA, fanning 94 in 116.1 innings.  He played for Team USA in 2008.

Aviles hit .222 in 53 games for the Royals this year with five home runs and 31 RBI.  He had two stints with the big league club, also spending a little over a month at Omaha (AAA).  The 30-year old infielder was Kansas City’s seventh-round pick in the 2003 draft and made his first appearance in the majors in 2008, hitting .325 in 102 games.  He missed virtually all of the 2009 campaign and a portion of 2010 due to Tommy John surgery on May 24, 2009.

— Royals Media Relations —

Melky Cabrera and the Kansas City Royals got off to a fast start, then kept piling on after Carlos Carrasco drew their ire with a dangerous pitch.

Cabrera hit a grand slam, Jeff Francis pitched eight sharp innings and the Royals pounded the Cleveland Indians 12-0 on Friday night in a testy game between regular AL Central foes.

Billy Butler went deep twice and Alex Gordon also connected for Kansas City, which has won seven of 10. Butler hit a two-run shot in the first and a solo drive in the eighth, giving him five long balls in a four-game homer streak.

“We’re swinging the bats pretty good right now,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Francis threw the ball great.”

Butler came to the plate right after Cabrera’s grand slam in the fourth, and Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco promptly threw one at his head on the first pitch. Players from both dugouts and bullpens came on the field, and Carrasco was ejected.

“That’s not professional,” Butler said. “I understand the game. You don’t go above the shoulders. I knew there was the possibility that I would get hit, but that’s too high. You’re never supposed to throw at somebody’s head.”

Several Royals players gestured and yelled at Carrasco as he was walking to Cleveland’s dugout. Carrasco shouted back before leaving the field.

Right fielder Jeff Francoeur, who was hit in the face while playing in the minors, was the most demonstrative Royals player.

“I was yelling to hit him in the leg or hit him in the side,” Francoeur said. “You don’t throw at someone’s head. You could really hurt somebody. That’s just wrong. That’s why I like the National League because that stuff doesn’t happen. You have to take a bat up there.”

Indians manager Manny Acta also was unhappy with Carrasco.

“We don’t condone throwing at people’s heads,” Acta said. “He was talked to by (pitching coach Tim Belcher). That’s a dangerous situation.”

Carrasco admitted he was upset that Cabrera stood at home plate and admired his 13th homer, but denied the pitch to Butler was intentional.

“I didn’t throw at anybody, the baseball just ran away,” he said. “I know it looked bad after a home run, but there is nothing I can do right there.”

Carrasco was replaced by Chad Durbin, who threw a high-and-inside pitch to Cabrera with the bases loaded in the fifth. Cabrera hit the dirt and glared at Durbin, but didn’t make a move toward the mound.

Francis (4-11) won for the first time since June 10. He allowed four hits, struck out six and walked one.

“It was the offense’s night, for sure” Francis said. “It’s a different game when you get a big lead in the fourth. They didn’t get good wood on the mistakes I did make.”

The Indians, who were no-hit by Angels right-hander Ervin Santana on Thursday, have lost seven of eight, managing just 13 runs during the slide. Right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, acquired from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, went 0 for 4 in his Indians debut.

Carrasco (8-9) lost his fifth straight start and has allowed seven home runs in his losing streak. The right-hander lost for the sixth time in his last seven decisions overall.

— Associated Press —