The Cleveland Indians were rewarded nicely for making it out of a harrowing ninth inning: They gained ground in the AL wild-card chase.

Chris Perez retired Alex Gordon on a fly ball with the bases loaded to end the game and preserve Cleveland’s 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

The Indians, who won despite having only five hits, moved a half-game closer to idle Tampa Bay, 1 1/2 games back for the second wild-card spot. The Royals dropped to four games behind the Rays.

Ubaldo Jimenez struck out 10 in seven innings and Asdrubal Cabrera, Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana each hit solo homers, as Cleveland built a 4-1 lead. It appeared as if the Indians were safe but Alex Gordon hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Cody Allen and Perez needed 27 pitches to get through the ninth.

Even Indians manager Terry Francona, who led Boston to two World Series titles, admitted he was on edge.

”I had a stomachache,” he said. ”That’s about as nail baiting as you can get.”

Jimenez (11-9) wasn’t sure he wanted to watch.

”I was praying a little,” he said.

Francona has stressed to his players to take their season one game at a time and not worry about the previous day or the following one. With 19 games remaining and the Indians in the middle of the chase for the postseason, they have obviously listened.

”You try to be one run better,” he said. ”Tonight, I feel like we were a tenth of a run better.”

A crowd of only 9,794 attended the game, despite the matchup of two contenders. Several hundred dogs were also in attendance with a ”Puppypalooza” promotion. The Indians were 14th in the league in attendance entering Monday, but Francona was diplomatic when asked about the small crowds.

”Everybody would love to play in front of a packed house, but my view of it is we have a responsibility to play as well as we can and hope that the people that come enjoy it and are proud of us,” he said. ”I think that’s the best we can do. That’s how I feel.”

Salvador Perez led off the ninth with a single and Mike Moustakas walked on four pitches. Pinch-hitter David Lough’s sacrifice moved the runners to second and third. Carlos Pena, another pinch hitter, struck out looking on a full-count pitch. George Kottaras, the third straight pinch hitter, battled back from an 0-2 count and walked to load the bases.

Gordon flied out to center fielder Michael Bourn and Chris Perez recorded his 23rd save.

”I liked the matchups with Pena, Kottaras and Alex (Gordon),” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”We just couldn’t get it done.”

Royals starter Ervin Santana (8-9) made three mistakes, but they cost him the game. Cabrera homered in the second and Gomes hit his in the fifth. Santana led off the seventh with a line drive down the right field line that landed in the seats. First base umpire Dana DeMuth ruled the ball foul, bringing Francona out of the dugout.

The umpires huddled briefly and left the field to view a replay, which clearly showed the ball hit the foul pole. The umps returned to the field, DeMuth gave the home run signal and Santana rounded the bases.

The Indians also got a boost from rookie infielder Jose Ramirez, who got his first major league hit and used his speed to score a run in his first start since being called up from Double-A Akron on Sept. 1.

Francona said before the game he started Ramirez because he thought the rookie could do something to help the team score. Ramirez made his manager look good in the third when he started the inning with a single, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Hosmer’s throwing error.

Ramirez’s throwing error led to Kansas City’s run in the sixth and he was picked off first in the eighth.

”He was all over the ballpark tonight,” Francona said.

— Associated Press —

Bruce Chen put a stop to a bad string of starts for the Kansas City Royals.

Chen picked up the Royals’ beleaguered rotation with seven solid innings, pitching Kansas City past the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Sunday.

Chen (7-2), who moved into the rotation on July 12 after 19 relief appearances, limited the AL Central leaders to five hits and two runs. He earned the first victory for a Royals starter on their seven-game homestand.

”I was pounding the strike zone, mixing in all my pitches, throwing different angles,” Chen said.

Eric Hosmer had three hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning.

The Royals stayed close in the wild-card chase, taking the final two games of the series after losing 16-2 Friday.

”After that game, it was a bad feeling,” Hosmer said. ”They just flat out beat us that day. Just to forget it as a team and bounce back like that shows a lot about the character on the team and pitching staff.”

The Kansas City starters had an 8.00 ERA in the first six games of the homestand, allowing 24 runs on 41 hits and 16 walks in 27 innings. The other four starters had a 9.43 ERA in that span and had failed to make it beyond 4 1-3 innings in four starts.

Hosmer homered off Doug Fister after Alex Gordon and Emilio Bonifacio singled with two outs.

Fister (12-8) allowed five runs on eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Chen kept the Tigers hitters off-balance all afternoon.

”We hit a lot of lazy fly balls,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. ”The credit goes to Chen. He changes speeds and got us out in front a lot. You know what you’re going to get with him. He changed speeds and got us out in front and mixed his pitches. He was very effective.”

Greg Holland allowed Prince Fielder’s double with two out in the ninth, but collected his 40th save in 43 chances. Joakim Soria, Jeff Montgomery and Dan Quisenberry are the only other Royals relievers to earn 40 saves in a season.

Jose Iglesias, who had not played since leaving the game Wednesday with shin splints, homered in the third inning after Alex Avila had singled, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

”Chen pitched how he always pitches,” Avila said. ”You can look back at any game he’s pitched and it’s always the same. He mixes a lot of pitches, works in and out, changes speeds, and never gives in.

”After he gets you out, you go back to the dugout saying, ‘Man, how did I get out?”’

Iglesias hit his second home run since the Tigers acquired him in a July 30 trade with Boston.

”After that pitch, Chen was locked in the entire day,” Hosmer said. ”We knew if could get a lead and hand it off to the bullpen, we’d be in a good spot.”

The Royals got a run in the fourth when Billy Butler grounded a single.

Jarrod Dyson led off the Royals’ seventh with a triple into the left-field corner and scored when Gordon dunked a fly ball into shallow right over a drawn-in Tigers infield for a single.

Chen pitched out of trouble in the sixth. Austin Jackson led off with a double and Miguel Cabrera came up – he had five career home runs off Chen in 36 at-bats.

This time Cabrera hit a comebacker and Chen threw out Jackson at third. Chen fell behind 3-0 to Fielder, who then looked at the next three pitches – all strikes.

”It was a huge play with Miguel,” Chen said. ”We have a two-run lead and the first pitch, he hits a groundball to me.”

— Associated Press —