CLEVELAND (AP) — Jose Ramirez has served as the Indians’ super utilityman this season.

On Friday night he played a lead role in Cleveland’s fourth straight win, a 7-1 victory over the reeling Kansas City Royals.

Ramirez got three hits and drove in a career-high five runs as the Indians sent the World Series champion Royals to their eighth loss in 10 games.

Indians manager Terry Francona went into the season with the idea of finding as much playing time off the bench as possible for Ramirez. The switch-hitter made his seventh start at third base and has started nine times in left field.

“It’s worked out kind of like we mapped it out,” Francona said. “You want to find places for him to play so he can help you win.”

Ramirez, who batted ninth Friday, has hit in seven different spots in the lineup. He delivered a bases-loaded double in the third and a two-run double in the fifth. He singled in the second, walked in the eighth and raised his batting average to .324.

Ramirez, with winning pitcher Danny Salazar serving as a translator, said, “I feel like every time I go to home plate I have a purpose. I’m grateful to Tito for believing in me and giving me the opportunity.”

Salazar (3-2) held the Royals to four hits and struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings.

Yordano Ventura (2-2) allowed five runs and threw 97 pitches in four innings. The right-hander walked five, increasing his AL-leading total to 25.

Salazar faced the minimum until walking Alex Gordon with one out in the fifth. Lorenzo Cain, the game’s second batter, beat out a ground ball up the middle, but was caught off first by Salazar’s throw with Kendrys Morales batting to end the inning.

Salazar gave credit to catcher Yan Gomes for calling for the throw to first that caught Cain breaking off the bag.

“That was great,” he said. “I wasn’t even paying attention to that. I tried to do a quick move to first base and we got him.”

Salazar gave up two singles in the sixth and another in the seventh.

“Everything was working,” he said. “I was getting ahead in the count with the first pitch and I was coming in with the next one for a strike.”

Ventura labored through the first inning when he threw 32 pitches, but only gave up one run on Mike Napoli’s groundout.

Napoli’s single gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in third.

Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor turned another highlight reel play in the second. He ranged behind second and fielded Salvador Perez’s grounder, got to his feet and made a strong throw to first.

Gordon’s ninth-inning single produced the Royals’ only run. The Royals have been shut out four times and scored 21 runs in their last 10 games.

“Energy dropped down a little bit tonight, but I fully expect them to come back tomorrow full of energy and ready to go,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.

Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas was scratched from the lineup because of a sore left thumb. Moustakas was in the original lineup, but was removed about two hours before the first pitch.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Moustakas injured his thumb on the team’s last road trip. He wasn’t in the lineup for two games against Washington on Kansas City’s last homestand.

Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (strained left hamstring) is jogging and playing catch. He was injured covering first base April 24.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy faces the Indians for the first time since June 27, 2011, when he was pitching for Arizona. He broke a two-game losing streak in his last start, allowing one run in five innings against Seattle.

Indians: RHP Cody Anderson will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start against the Royals. He was sent down on April 27 after going 0-1 with a 7.65 ERA in four starts.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Stephen Strasburg likes to time his journey from the bullpen to the dugout before a game to minimize the time he has to sit on the bench before getting in the game.

He had to wait what seemed like an eternity Wednesday.

The Nationals scored six times off Kris Medlen in the first inning, taking advantage of three errors and a slew of hits before Strasburg ever got on the mound. Washington proceeded to rout Kansas City 13-2 and take the rubber-game of their three-game interleague set.

“It might sound strange but it made it a little more difficult,” said Strasburg, who allowed two runs and five hits over six tidy innings. “You have to trick your mind into thinking it’s a 0-0 game.”

Strasburg managed to do it, pushing his career-best start to 5-0.

Daniel Murphy finished a triple shy of the cycle, and slumping slugger Bryce Harper also went deep, as the Nationals pounded out 16 hits. Murphy and Clint Robinson drove in three runs apiece, and nearly everyone else in a gray jersey did something at the plate to help pace the rout.

Medlen (1-3) allowed nine runs, six of them earned, and six hits in two-plus innings for Kansas City. His home ERA rose to 20.65 in two starts at Kauffman Stadium this season.

“It just wasn’t Medlen’s day,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He just couldn’t get it going and the defense didn’t help him. Three errors in the first inning didn’t help him. It was just a struggle.”

Things got so bad for the Royals that Eric Hosmer, their hottest hitter, got ejected for the first time in his six-year big league career. He struck out and took umbrage with plate umpire CB Bucknor, who gestured for him to head to the showers in the bottom of the sixth inning.

By that point, Hosmer was probably happy to oblige.

The Royals used every player on their bench, including catcher Salvador Perez, who had to take over for Hosmer at first base. They also used six pitchers with closer Wade Davis working the ninth.

The tone was set with the first two batters of the game — and it sounded a whole lot like nails on a chalkboard to the thousands of kids in the stands for “School Day at the K.”

Mike Moustakas allowed a hopper to get past him for a leadoff error, and Omar Infante bobbled an easy grounder for another one. The Nationals proceeded to string together four straight hits, three of them extra-bases, before Medlen finally record his first out on his 39th pitch.

“They helped us out in that first inning and that doesn’t happen very often,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “They’re a very good defensive time.”

Washington added a sacrifice fly to take a 6-0 lead before Strasburg finally got to pitch.

He gave up a couple runs in the second, but the Nationals proceeded to score four more runs on five hits and a walk in the third inning. Medlen was lifted with the bases loaded and no outs, but reliever Danny Duffy did little to slow the Nationals’ offensive onslaught.

Murphy went deep in the fourth inning. Harper hit his 10th of the season in the fifth.

The only reason to pay much attention the rest of the game was Murphy, who had three legs of the cycle by the fourth inning. He added a single leading off the sixth to push his average to .402, but was part of the wholesale substitutions by both teams that kept him from getting another chance.

“Playing against him, you knew you were getting a professional at-bat every time,” Strasburg said. “His baseball IQ is just off the charts.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Nationals were 8 for 15 with runners in scoring position. … Murphy matched a career high with his four hits. … Medlen has lost three straight for th e first time since July 2013 with Atlanta.

TRAINER’S ROOM

OF Ben Revere (right oblique strain) will join the Nationals in Chicago on Thursday and be evaluated before being activated. He played nine innings in centerfield for Triple-A Syracuse in his fifth rehab game on Tuesday. … Moustakas was back in the starting lineup after dealing with swelling in his thumb.

UP NEXT

Nationals RHP Joe Ross is on the mound to open a four-game series against the Cubs on Thursday night at Wrigley Field. The Royal take a day off before beginning a three-game set Friday night in Cleveland.

— Associated Press —