CLEVELAND (AP) — Ryan Merritt didn’t look like a rookie Friday night.

Merritt pitched a career-high 6 2/3 innings and the Cleveland Indians recorded their AL-leading 13th shutout with a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals.

“He’s not breaking the radar gun, but when he’s pitching like that he’s so fun to watch,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Merritt (1-0) was called up from Triple-A Columbus before the game to take the injured Danny Salazar’s spot in the rotation. The 25-year-old left-hander scattered seven hits for his second career win, both coming against Kansas City.

Merritt is beginning his fifth stint with the Indians this season.

“Going up and down is better than not coming up,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunity. I want to be that guy they can call upon when they need to.”

Three relievers finished the eight-hitter for the AL Central leaders, who stayed 5 1/2 games ahead of second-place Minnesota.

Kansas City left-hander Jason Vargas (14-8) allowed four runs in five innings. He has dropped four of his five August starts.

Francisco Lindor hit a two-run drive in the fifth for his 23rd homer of the season. Cleveland also scored twice in the second on Giovanny Urshela’s double and Austin Jackson’s single.

Merritt retired the first two hitters in the seventh in his third major league start of the season, but was pulled after walking Cheslor Cuthbert and giving up a single to Alex Gordon. Joe Smith then retired Whit Merrifield on a line drive to right.

Merritt made four regular-season appearances last season and is best remembered for his performance in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto. He pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the win that put the Indians in the World Series.

Merritt’s performance bailed out Cleveland’s injury-ravaged rotation. Fans were so appreciative that they helped fill the registry for his wedding that took place in the offseason.

Lindor’s home run came on a 3-0 pitch and landed in the left-field bleachers.

“I wasn’t trying to get something over,” Vargas said. “I had a good idea he was swinging, I was trying to throw a fastball up. I just threw it on the inner half and belt high.”

Third-place Kansas City fell to seven games out in the division. Catcher Salvador Perez, who was out for two weeks with a right intercostal strain, was checked by a team trainer after a fourth-inning single but remained in the game.

BRIGHT SPOT

Gordon, batting .198 going into the game, was 3 for 3 with a double.

“It was good,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “I had a gut feeling Gordy would be the guy, and he ended up getting three hits.”

WARDROBE MALFUNCTION

Smith was wearing the pants Indians players use for their pregame workouts during the game. Francona kidded him about it when removing him in the eighth.

“I told (pitching coach) Mickey Callaway, `I want him to get this out so bad because I want to go out there and tell him that he looks so dumb.’ I couldn’t wait,” Francona said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 3B Mike Moustakas didn’t start for the second straight game because of a sore knee.

Indians: RHP Josh Tomlin (strained left hamstring) made his first rehab start, allowing five runs — three earned — in 3 2/3 innings at Single-A Mahoning Valley. … 1B Carlos Santana returned after missing three games because of back tightness.

UP NEXT

Kansas City right-hander Jason Hammel (6-9, 4.73 ERA) defeated the Indians on Sunday, allowing three runs in six innings. He has won all three starts against Cleveland this season. Right-hander Mike Clevinger (6-5, 3.97 ERA) will start against the Royals for the third time this season. He has a win and a no-decision against Kansas City.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Colorado manager Bud Black expressed faith in Greg Holland before the game, saying he did not intend to remove his struggling closer from that role.

Holland was summoned to protect a one-run lead Thursday and he worked a flawless ninth for his 36th save as the Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.

Holland allowed Eric Hosmer’s game-ending, three-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday night and was 0-4 with three blown saves in his previous six appearances.

“You have games in a row where your command is not where you expect it to be,” Holland said. “I guess there is sometimes a little bit of `What are we going to get today?’ But, I cleaned a few things up. Today, the ball was going towards my target like I’m used to seeing.

“When you get the line out from the first batter it makes it a lot easier, when you get that first hitter out.”

Pat Valaika hit a two-run homer off Mike Minor with two outs in the eighth inning to give the Rockies a lead.

“I faced him the night before, so I knew he liked his slider on the hands a little bit, so kind of in the back of my mind,” Valaika said. “That’s where he threw it and I didn’t miss it.”

Valaika snapped an 0-for-12 slide, driving a full-count breaking ball from Minor (5-6) to left after Gerardo Parra singled.

“It was a terrible pitch,” Minor said. “I just hung it. It didn’t have good break on it, no spin, not much depth to it.”

Adam Ottavino (2-3) struck out two in a perfect seventh.

The Rockies snapped a four-game losing streak with just their fifth victory in 17 games.

Rookie Jake Junis limited the Rockies to one run and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He matched his career high with seven strikeouts and walked one. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three August starts, walking one and striking out 16 in 19 1/3 innings.

“Junis was fantastic,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He had a really good slider, a lot of swings and misses on his slider. He spotted his fastball extremely well. Junis was very impressive.”

Whit Merrifield and Brandon Moss led off the Royals’ first and second innings with home runs. It was Merrifield’s third career leadoff home run, all this season, and his eighth hit in 15 at-bats. Moss hit his 17th home run, 14 with the bases empty.

Rockies starter German Marquez allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings.

Raimel Tapia singled in Parra in the sixth for Colorado’s first run.

Royals reliever Peter Moylan got three outs on seven pitches. He got DJ LaMahieu to roll into a double play to end the seventh, and retired Nolan Arenado, who singled in his first two at-bats, on a comebacker to start the eighth.

“This is a tough loss,” Yost said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee inflammation) is scheduled to throw another simulated game this weekend in Atlanta. Black said if “he comes out of that fine” Anderson would go out on a rehab assignment. “He could conceivably start a game” in September, Black said.

Royals: 3B Mike Moustakas has a sore knee and was not in the lineup, but flied out as pinch hitter to end the game. Yost said Moustakas heard his knee pop on his final at-bat. “It’s not anything we’re concerned about,” Yost said. “We’re going to just give him a day off. We might DH him a day or two, depending on how he feels tomorrow.”

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis will make his third start since returning from battling testicular cancer in the series opener at Atlanta on Friday night.

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas, who is 2-4 with a 7.15 ERA in eight starts since July 1, will start Friday night at Cleveland. He was 12-3 with an American League-leading 2.22 ERA at the end of June.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off former Kansas City teammate Greg Holland, lifting the Royals over the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Wednesday night.

Hosmer’s 21st home run of the season was the first game-ending shot of his career.

Holland (2-5) fell to 0-4 with one save in four opportunities in his past six games, allowing 10 hits, three home runs and 12 runs over five innings. The former Royals closer issued a leadoff walk in the ninth, gave up a two-out single to Melky Cabrera and then was tagged by Hosmer on a 1-1 pitch.

Brandon Maurer (2-1) pitched the ninth.

Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado homered for the Rockies in a matchup of playoff contenders.

Blackmon hit his career-high 30th. He became the first National League leadoff man to reach 30 home runs since Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins in 2008.

Arenado, who has homered in back-to-back games, hit his 29th in the first. He leads the majors with 108 RBI and 74 extra-base hits.

Arenado has a major league leading .430 batting average in the first inning.

Rockies rookie Antonio Senzatela allowed nine hits but just two runs in five innings.

Ian Kennedy failed to make it out of the fifth for Kansas City, yielding three runs on seven hits, including two home runs. In his past two starts, he has surrendered eight runs on 13 hits, including four home runs, in 7 1/3 innings.

Kennedy is 0-6 with a 5.97 ERA in 12 home starts this season. He has a franchise record of 16 winless starts since beating the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 20, 2016.

Whit Merrifield had four hits for the Royals, matching his career high.

PEREZ WON’T DH

Royals C Salvador Perez has been the DH 13 games this season, but he won’t be used in that role again this season. He strained his right intercostal swinging on Aug. 4 and missed 15 games. “When you’re catching, you’re staying loose and you’re staying mobile,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “When you’re DHing, you have an at-bat and then sit. It’s probably something we won’t entertain.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: IF-OF Ian Desmond (right calf strain) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Albuquerque. If he has no setbacks, Desmond could be activated Sunday. . LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee inflammation) threw a 45-to-50 pitch three inning simulated game. He will throw another simulated game before going out on a rehab assignment. “This is more about, I think, the knee strength moving forward,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “His arm has felt pretty good all year.

Royals: RHP Kelvin Herrera will circumvent a trip to the disabled list after being removed in the ninth inning Tuesday with forearm tightness. The Royals do not expect their closer will miss much time, if any.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP German Marquez is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts against American League clubs.

Royals: RHP Jake Junis has a 4.79 ERA in his eight major league starts.

— Associated Press —