CLEVELAND (AP) — Back in college, Ben Zobrist once kicked Ned Yost out of his apartment.

He’ll now play for Kansas City’s manager.

The Royals made another big addition for the season’s stretch run on Tuesday, acquiring the versatile Zobrist and nearly $2.6 million from the Oakland Athletics for right-hander Aaron Brooks and minor league left-hander Sean Manaea.

The 34-year-old Zobrist, an infielder and outfielder, batted .268 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 67 games for the A’s, who are in last place in the AL West after three straight playoff seasons.

He joins a Royals team that leads the AL in wins and has an eye on winning the World Series after losing in seven games to the San Francisco Giants last October.

Just like that, Zobrist went from a 56-loss team to a title contender. It’s the second big move in three days by the Royals, who acquired ace Johnny Cueto from Cincinnati on Sunday.

”I’m already joining a team that’s already a great team,” Zobrist said. ”And the addition of Johnny Cueto, you got to believe there’s going to be a lot more wins coming over the next couple months. I’m super excited about it.”

During a conference call with reporters, Zobrist recalled an amusing encounter with Yost. In 2003-04, he was college roommates with Ned Yost Jr., and after coming home with his girlfriend, Zobrist found the younger Yost and his father, then manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, sitting on the couch ”watching NASCAR or something.”

Zobrist said he wanted to cook dinner for his soon-to-be wife.

”I kind of booted him out of our apartment,” Zobrist said. ”I kind of joked with him about that a little earlier. We’re a long time from that, but it’s kind of a funny story. I knew him way back when.”

Zobrist missed a month following arthroscopic left knee surgery in late April for a torn meniscus, but he’s fully healed and anxious to help the Royals.

A’s general manager Billy Beane pulled off his second trade in 24 hours and third in six days. Oakland dealt closer Tyler Clippard to the New York Mets on Monday after trading lefty Scott Kazmir to his hometown Houston Astros last Thursday.

Oakland is sending Kansas City $2,598,306 as part of the trade.

A’s manager Bob Melvin held a team meeting before they opened a two-game series at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. Edward Mujica is Oakland’s new closer, and Brooks will start Saturday.

”We have 62 games left, and what I told them was they we still have a lot to play for,” Melvin said. ”We had three guys that aren’t here right now that were important to our team, but that doesn’t mean that we go out there with any less expectations than we had before.”

With Kansas City, Zobrist can fill a void in left field and play some second base. Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon is likely sidelined until at least late September after straining his groin tracking a fly ball just before the All-Star break. Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando were platooning at the position, but Moore sought an upgrade until Gordon’s return.

Having Zobrist available to play so many positions will give Yost an opportunity to rotate players and rest others down the stretch to keep everybody healthy and fresh for what the Royals hope is another World Series run.

”He’s going to be great for us,” Yost said. ”He’s a tremendous switch-hitter. He’s a really good run producer from both sides of the batter’s box. He can play multiple positions. He gives us a lot of versatility. He’s definitely got a winner’s mentality.”

Brooks had a 6.23 ERA over two appearances for the Royals and 4 1-3 innings. He has mostly pitched at Triple-A Omaha, going 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 18 games and 17 starts. Beane envisions him joining the A’s soon to help fill voids because of injuries.

Manaea, a top prospect, has pitched in rookie ball, Class-A and Double-A so far this season. The A’s have been reloading their farm system ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.

Beane would much rather be building his big league roster for an October run, but he’s in a different position in late July with a losing club.

”We’d rather be on the other end of it, that’s for sure,” he said. ”You also have to be somewhat pragmatic when evaluating the situation and the organization’s situation going forward. This season I think we had higher hopes.

”We wanted to address the lack of pitching depth in the organization and we think this helps,” Beane added. ”Kansas City’s got a good club and they’re being aggressive, and it worked out for us.”

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND (AP) — Eric Hosmer drove in four runs, Kendrys Morales added three RBI and the Kansas City Royals opened a 10-game road trip with a 9-4 victory over the spiraling Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Hosmer connected for a three-run homer in the first inning off rookie Cody Anderson (2-2) as the Royals rolled to their AL-leading 60th win and improved to 15-5 in their last 20 games.

Edinson Volquez (10-5) worked into the seventh inning for Kansas City, which will welcome newly acquired ace Johnny Cueto on Tuesday.

Rookie Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer and Carlos Santana had a solo shot for the Indians, who have dropped five straight.

Before landing Cueto in a trade from Cincinnati, Volquez was as close as the Royals had to a top-tier starter. The right-hander is 8-2 in his last 14 starts and 19-6 since June 20 of last season. He allowed three runs and six hits, getting pulled after allowing two walks to open the seventh.

Joe Blanton gave up Lindor’s homer, but worked three innings for his second save.

The Indians have lost seven in a row at home, and haven’t had the lead while being outscored 35-9 during this current seven-game homestand.

After being swept in four straight by the White Sox and falling into last in the Central, Indians manager Terry Francona held a lengthy closed-door meeting Sunday during which players aired their frustrations about a season slipping away. All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis said the one of the team’s problems was a lack of accountability.

On Monday, Kipnis clarified he was not referring to his manager.

“That comment had nothing with Tito,” Kipnis said. “Tito is our manager — he’s not a baby sitter.”

Riding the momentum of their deal for Cueto, the Royals wasted no time getting to Anderson, who was coming off his shortest outing this season.

Mike Moustakas singled with one out in the first, Lorenzo Cain walked and Hosmer, who is batting .390 (16 of 41) with four homers and 17 RBI against Cleveland this season, followed with a 421-foot homer to left-center to make it 3-0 — hardly the start the Indians wanted after their embarrassing weekend.

Kansas City made it 4-0 in the second when Omar Infante connected for his first homer in 336 at-bats this season.

Anderson responded by hitting Jarrod Dyson in the leg with his next pitch, prompting plate umpire Lance Barksdale to issue a warning to both dugouts. Several Royals players standing on the step hollered in Anderson’s direction.

Santana got a run back in the second with his 11th homer, a 433-foot blast to center that cleared a row of shrubs.

But the Royals added three runs in the fifth on Hosmer’s RBI single and a two-run double by Morales, who has 11 RBI against Cleveland in 2015.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: DH/RF Nick Swisher played right field and went 0 for 3 for Double-A Akron as he nears a return after being sidelined with knee inflammation. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Chris Young lasted just three innings in a start last week in a makeup game at St. Louis. Young has held opponents to a .187 average on the road, second-best in the AL. He’s 2-1 with a 3.71 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland.

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer tries to correct his confounding problems at Progressive Field. He’s just 3-4 with a 6.16 ERA at home, compared to 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA on the road.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This was one nice day for Kansas City’s rotation.

The Royals traded for Johnny Cueto, and then used Yordano Ventura’s seven sharp innings to beat Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros 5-1 on Sunday.

“I wanted to see the old Ventura out there and we saw it,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “That’s good for us and bad for everybody else.”

Ventura (5-7) allowed one run and six hits in just his second win in his last seven starts. The right-hander, who won 14 games last year, was demoted to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday and then recalled the next day after the Royals learned left-hander Jason Vargas would miss the rest of the year with an elbow injury.

“My confidence is a lot better after today,” Ventura said through a translator. “I feel I pitched similar to last year. I was getting in a rhythm.”

The Royals announced during the game they had acquired Cueto from Cincinnati for minor league left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed, drawing a big cheer at Kauffman Stadium.

Cueto was one of the top starters on the market. He won 20 games last season and is 7-6 with a 2.62 ERA in 19 starts this year.

“I’m excited about my next chapter,” Cueto said in Colorado, with Reds catcher Brayan Pena serving as his translator. “I know they play baseball very good. I’m excited because I know it’s going to be good for my career and good for the team.”

Keuchel (12-5), who started for the American League in the All-Star Game, was tagged for a season-high 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings. He also allowed five runs, matching a season high.

The Royals got off to a fast start, scoring four times in the first inning. Keuchel allowed a total of four first-inning runs in his first 20 starts of the year.

Kansas City opened with three straight singles to load the bases. After consecutive grounders led to a pair of forceouts at home, Omar Infante hit a two-run single and Cheslor Cuthbert doubled home two more runs.

Cuthbert has hit in all five of his games in the majors.

“I really didn’t feel like the bases were loaded, just based on some of the contact that was being made,” Keuchel said. “I felt like there were only a few hard hits all day. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. You know as a ground-ball pitcher they’re going to find holes. I feel like they were finding every hole in the first inning, but it’s my job to kind of shore up some things and sure enough, I did. It’s one of those days I’d like to have the first inning back, but I battled.”

Lorenzo Cain added a two-out drive in the second for his 11th homer. He had two hits after going 3 for 21 in his previous five games.

“I told Dallas on the mound in the seventh, to get us into the seventh the way he did showed a lot of perseverance,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “I think it’s easy when you get singled to death, so to speak, it’s easy to cave. And Dallas didn’t cave. He kept us in the game.”

Houston got its only run in the second. Evan Gattis led off with a triple and scored on Colby Rasmus’ single.

SUNSHINE ROYALS

The Royals have won five straight day games and are 10-1 in their past 11 afternoon encounters.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: INF Jed Lowrie (right thumb ligament tear) is 2 for 7 in three games with Double-A Corpus Christi. “He hasn’t fielded a ground ball yet in rehab, which I’m very frustrated with,” Hinch said. After having Sunday off, Lowrie will play Monday and Tuesday and then be re-evaluated.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (left groin strain) is throwing and hopes to take swings off the tee this week. “Baby steps,” Gordon said.

UP NEXT

Astros: After an off day, RHP Collin McHugh (11-5, 4.25 ERA), who is 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA in his past seven outings, starts Tuesday against the Angels.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (9-5, 3.15 ERA) starts Monday at Cleveland as the Royals open a 10-game trip.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals acquired Johnny Cueto in a trade with Cincinnati on Sunday, sending three prospects to the Reds for a legitimate ace for the front of their beleaguered rotation.

Kansas City has the best record in the American League after it lost to San Francisco in Game 7 of the World Series last October. But Yordano Ventura has underperformed this year and Jason Vargas will miss the rest of the season after he injured his elbow last week — increasing the need for pitching help.

The Royals last won the title in 1985, and the trade was greeted with a loud ovation when it was announced during the third inning of Kansas City’s home game against Houston on Sunday afternoon.

“I’m excited about my next chapter,” Cueto said with Reds catcher Brayan Pena serving as his translator. “I know they play baseball very good. I’m excited because I know it’s going to be good for my career and good for the team.”

Cueto, who is eligible for free agency after the season, had spent his entire career with Cincinnati. But the fourth-place Reds are looking to the future and could trade several more significant pieces before Friday’s non-waiver deadline, including right-hander Mike Leake and All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman.

Cincinnati got minor league left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed in the trade for Cueto, who was one of the top starters on the market. The Reds also are sending money to the Royals to help pay Cueto’s remaining salary for the year.

“There is a lot interest in Johnny and we felt that this was the best value we could get,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. “Johnny is going to a great situation there. He has people that he’ll know. He’s on a team that has a chance to go to the World Series.”

Finnegan and Lamb were assigned to Triple-A Louisville, and Reed went to Double-A Pensacola.

Finnegan was selected by the Royals in the first round of last year’s draft. He made seven playoff appearances in 2014, but has split time between Triple-A Omaha and Kansas City this year.

The 25-year-old Lamb, a fifth-round pick in 2008, is 9-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 17 starts for Omaha.

Cueto, 29, won 20 games last season and is 7-6 with a 2.62 ERA in 19 starts this year. He pitched eight scoreless innings in Cincinnati’s 5-2 victory at Colorado on Saturday night.

The right-hander made his major league debut with Cincinnati in 2008 and is 92-63 with a 3.21 ERA in eight seasons.

“It’s a very emotional time for me,” Cueto said. “But I understand it’s part of the game and I’m just excited about my next step.”

The deal for Cueto is indicative of the new reality for Kansas City, which used to trade away its top players for prospects at the deadline. Not so much right now, and the Royals are trying to take full advantage of their window for contention.

Several top young players, such as first baseman Eric Hosmer and All-Star third baseman Mike Moustakas, are eligible for arbitration and becoming more expensive by the year.

While Royals owner David Glass has been willing to increase their payroll to franchise-record levels, Kansas City may have only a couple of years to make another run at a title before finances force them into a rebuilding mode.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore is not thinking about Cueto’s future — now.

“We acquired Johnny Cueto to help us compete and win the division and hopefully get back to the playoffs and win a World Series,” he said. “That’s where our focus is.”

The deal also reunites Edinson Volquez and Cueto after the pitchers spent four years together in Cincinnati.

The close friends are from the Dominican Republic, and Volquez, who signed a $20 million, two-year deal with the Royals this past offseason, served as a mentor to Cueto when he broke into the big leagues in 2008. They have even spoken of their desire to play together once again.

— Associated Press —