CLEVELAND (AP) — Jorge Bonifacio couldn’t stop smiling after leading the Kansas Royals to a comeback victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

Not only did his two-run double in the eighth inning give the Royals a 6-4 victory, the clutch hit came off relief ace Andrew Miller. It doesn’t get much better for a rookie in his second month as a big leaguer.

“It feels amazing,” Bonifacio said. “To have the game-winning hit against one of the best relievers in the game right now, that’s great for us.”

The Royals entered the game with the lowest winning percentage in the AL, but rallied from an early 4-0 deficit. Brandon Moss hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Mike Moustakas’ solo home run in the fifth tied the game.

“It was a great comeback win, down four and the guys kept fighting back,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Bonny’s double was key and was a great at-bat. We’re down 4-0, then Mossy did a nice job on his home run.”

Shortstop Francisco Lindor’s fielding error placed runners on first and third before Bonifacio’s clutch hit.

“It’s on me, man,” Lindor said. “Today’s loss is on me. I messed up. I know it’s not my first time and it won’t be my last, but stuff like that can’t happen.”

Lorenzo Cain started the winning rally with a single off Bryan Shaw (1-1). Miller got Eric Hosmer to hit a ground ball, but Lindor booted a backhand attempt for his fourth error of the season.

“It ends up being a really big play obviously,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of the 23-year-old shortstop. “Sometimes because he’s been so good we forget he’s so young.”

Miller retired Salvador Perez on a foul out, but Bonifacio’s double to left-center on an 0-2 pitch scored both runners.

“The first pitch, I was looking for his fastball,” Bonifacio said. “After that, I was looking breaking ball all the way.”

Mike Minor (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings. Joakim Soria struck out Edwin Encarnacion with runners on second and third to end the eighth. Kelvin Herrera allowed a two-out single in the ninth, but struck out pinch-hitter Austin Jackson for his 10th save.

Jose Ramirez hit a two-out homer in the second. Lindor, Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana had RBI in Cleveland’s three-run third, but starter Mike Clevinger couldn’t hold the lead.

Both homers came off Clevinger, who is replacing injured staff ace Corey Kluber in the rotation.

Both teams were rained out Thursday — the Indians at home against Cincinnati and the Royals in New York. Clevinger and Royals starter Ian Kennedy had their starts moved back a day.

Clevinger allowed four runs in five-plus innings and a change could be coming soon in Cleveland’s rotation. Kluber made his first minor league rebab start Friday, throwing five scoreless innings for Double-A Akron.

Kennedy allowed four runs in five innings and remained winless since Sept. 11.

For the second time this month, a squirrel ran on the field but play was not interrupted. The squirrel scurried around the outfield during the bottom of the sixth before being shooed through a doorway in the center field wall by ballpark workers after the inning.

TOUGH OUTING

Being unable to hold the lead was the most disappointing part of the night for Clevinger.

“It feels like you’re letting down your family in there (the clubhouse),” he said. “They had something going and I slowed it down. Not just slowed it down but gave up the lead.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP Scott Alexander (strained right hamstring) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha. The reliever has been on the 10-day DL since May 9.

Indians: Jackson (strained left toe) was activated from the 10-day DL on Friday. He was out since May 2.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas makes his 10th start of the season, his most since 2014.

Indians: RHP Danny Salazar will pitch on five days’ rest as a result of Thursday’s rainout.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK — The scheduled game between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees has been postponed by rain.

The announcement was made on a wet Thursday morning in New York City about five hours before the teams were supposed to play the finale of a four-game series. The local forecast called for inclement weather much of the day.

Instead, the game will be made up Sept. 25 at Yankee Stadium at the start of New York’s final regular-season homestand. The Royals will go from a weekend series against the White Sox in Chicago to New York for the make-up game, then to Kansas City for the start of its regular-season-ending homestand.

Right-hander Miguel Almonte had been slated to get his first major league start for the Royals. He made nine relief appearances two years ago.

Struggling ace Masahiro Tanaka had been lined up to start for New York.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — Helped by a great first-inning catch that forced center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury from the game with a concussion and sprained neck, Luis Severino won for the first time in a month and led the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 3-0 on Wednesday night.

On the first pitch of the game, Ellsbury sprinted 107 feet and raised his glove above his head to catch Alcides Escobar’s fly. Ellsbury’s head jarred into the wall as the ball landed in his glove, and he crumpled to the field.

Ellsbury was checked by manager Joe Girardi and head athletic trainer Steve Donohue and remained in the game, then was replaced by Aaron Hicks starting the second. Girardi said Ellsbury will go on the seven-day concussion disabled list.

Didi Gregorius homered against Jason Hammel (1-6) leading off the third inning, Gregorius’ seventh hit in a span of 12 at-bats. New York tacked on runs with Matt Holliday’s sacrifice fly in the sixth and Brett Gardner’s RBI single over a drawn-in infield in the seventh.

His fastball reaching 99 mph, Severino (3-2) allowed four hits over eight innings, struck out seven, walked one and threw a career-high 114 pitches. Severino, who lowered his ERA to 3.11, had been 0-1 in four outings since beating Boston on April 26.

This year has been quite a turnaround for the 23-year-old right-hander, who lasted only seven starts last season before going to the disabled list and then the minors with an 0-6 record and 7.46 ERA.

Dellin Betances struck out the side in a perfect ninth for his fourth save as the Royals were shut out for a major league-high fifth time.

Hammel, working entirely from the stretch for his fourth straight start, gave up three runs, six hits and two walks in six-plus innings. Hammel, whose 1.69 WHIP is second-worst to Baltimore’s Kevin Gausman among qualified starters, had not pitched since allowing five runs over six innings in a 7-1 loss to the Yankees on May 16. He started with a nine-pitch first innings — all strikes.

FAN HURT

A boy about seven rows behind the third-base dugout was hit on the head by part of Chris Carter’s bat, which shattered on a seventh-inning grounder. Medical personnel carried out the boy, who appeared to have a leg that was in a brace. Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said the fan got first aid at the ballpark and was receiving medical attention elsewhere, but did not disclose where.

RARITY

Gary Sanchez singled leading off the sixth and scored on Holliday’s fly after stealing second and advancing on a wild throw by Salvador Perez, the All-Star catcher’s first error since Aug. 25 against Miami.

HE’S BACK

Royals LF Alex Gordon went 1 for 3 with two strikeouts after missing three games for the birth of daughter Joey Lynn.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Nate Karns was put on the 10-day DL because of nerve irritation in his pitching arm, a move retroactive to Sunday.

Yankees: LHP Aroldis Chapman (shoulder) hopes to start throwing Saturday.

UP NEXT

RHP Masahiro Tanaka (5-3), who has allowed 14 runs and seven homers over 4 2/3 innings in his last two starts, starts for New York in Thursday’s series finale. RHP Miguel Almonte makes his first big league start for the Royals following nine relief appearances two years ago.

— Associated Press —