CLEVELAND (AP) — Francisco Lindor believes the Cleveland Indians need a spark.

Lindor homered in the ninth inning of Cleveland’s 5-1 loss Monday to the Kansas City Royals, who extended their winning streak to a season-high six games.

The Indians have lost three straight but still lead the American League Central by 14 games. Their magic number to clinch the division was trimmed to 12 after Minnesota’s loss to Houston.

“Our energy is down,” Lindor said. “I don’t [know] why. Personally, my energy is down. We’re at that point in the season where guys are dragging their feet a little. We have to go back to playing the Tribe Way and not taking any pitch for granted. We’ll be fine.”

EDITOR’S PICKS

Indians’ Donaldson back on DL with calf injury
Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam in Triple-A on Monday, soon after the Cleveland Indians put the new arrival on the disabled list to give him more time to rehab a calf injury in the minor leagues.

Jakob Junis allowed two hits in seven shutout innings and Ryan O’Hearn homered twice for Kansas City, which also has won eight of nine.

“It’s no fluke,” O’Hearn said. “Guys are going out, trying to win every day. Everyone is playing really well.”

Junis (8-12) gave up a two-out single to Lindor in the third and a leadoff single to Yonder Alonso in the fifth. The right-hander hit a batter, walked none, struck out six and retired his last nine hitters.

Junis was 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA in his first two starts against the Indians this season.

“Being in the division, these teams see my slider a lot,” he said. “Using my heater more was definitely the difference.”

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Brian Flynn pitched a scoreless eighth and Wily Peralta began the ninth with a 5-0 lead. Lindor homered with one out, Michael Brantley singled, and Peralta walked Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion on eight pitches.

Left-hander Tim Hill relieved, and pinch hitter Yandy Diaz hit a hard grounder that second baseman Whit Merrifield turned into a game-ending double play. Hill recorded his second save.

“That was a great play by Whit, a great play,” manager Ned Yost said. “That’s why you bring Timmy in, to get a ground ball.”

Lindor has 30 homers this season. He joins Ramirez, who has 37 home runs, as the first pair of switch-hitting teammates in major league history to each have 30 or more homers in a season.

O’Hearn had the first multihomer game of his career. He led off the fourth with a home run and hit a two-run drive in the sixth. Jorge Bonifacio and Hunter Dozier hit solo homers.

Adam Plutko (4-5) gave up three homers and allowed four runs in six innings. The right-hander had a career-high eight strikeouts.

Kansas City took two of three from Cleveland at Kaufmann Stadium last month, and Junis made certain that trend continued. He retired the first eight batters before hitting Greg Allen with a pitch in the third. Lindor sent Allen to third with a single, but the inning ended with an out on the bases.

Lindor broke for second and was caught in a rundown when catcher Cam Gallagher threw to shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. The rundown continued until Allen finally broke for home, and Merrifield threw to Gallagher, who applied the tag.

NICE DEBUT

Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam in Triple-A on Monday after the Indians placed him on the disabled list to give him more time to rehab a calf injury in the minor leagues. Donaldson, playing for Columbus, also walked and lined out against Toledo. Donaldson, acquired from Toronto on Friday, will work out with the Indians on Tuesday and continue his rehab assignment for Double-A Akron in the Eastern League playoffs this week.

“That was good,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It sounded like everything else went well, too, and he made all the plays.”

HEAR THE BUZZ

The Cleveland National Air Show, held at a nearby airport, ended Monday. Players and fans turned their attention to jets that flew around the ballpark in the early innings.

FEEL THE HEAT

Temperatures for the three-game series will be near 90 degrees each day, a stark contrast from the first time the Royals were in town. The game-time temperature of 32 degrees on April 8 set a Progressive Field record.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (sprained left thumb) sat out his fifth straight game, but Yost said he is improving and remains day-to-day. The six-time All-Star last played on Aug. 28 against Detroit.

UP NEXT

Royals LHP Danny Duffy (8-11, 4.72 ERA) takes on Indians RHP Mike Clevinger (10-7, 3.17 ERA) in the second game of the series. Clevinger has made three starts against Kansas City this season, going 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Meibrys Viloria trotted into the dugout after the sixth inning Sunday, and Royals manager Ned Yost told his recently recalled rookie catcher to help get pitcher Jorge Lopez through one more inning.

So when Viloria headed to the bench after the seventh, that task successfully complete, he plopped down and began to relax. Puzzled, Yost looked at him and asked, “What are you doing?”

“You said,” Viloria replied, “get him through one more inning.”

Yost didn’t mean Viloria’s day was done, though. And when he went to bat in the eighth, Viloria came through with his first big league hit, a two-run double that put a nice cap on a game Lopez and the Royals dominated. The 9-1 rout of the Baltimore Orioles wrapped up a three-game sweep of the only team in the majors with a worse record than Kansas City’s own.

“It feels great,” said Lopez, who allowed Jonathan Villar’s home run in the first inning but little else while striking out a career-high eight. “The defense was good and the offense has been hot.”

As for Viloria, the kid behind the plate who had just arrived from Class-A Wilmington?

“That kid’s something special,” Lopez said. “Communication, the game plan, we were right on it.”

It was the first win for Lopez, who was part of the late-July deal with Milwaukee for third baseman Mike Moustakas, since Sept. 29, 2015, when he was still with the Brewers.

“That’s why he was so well-thought-of and sought-after in trade,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “The things David (Hess) has done when he’s successful, that young man did today.”

Alcides Escobar also had three hits and an RBI as Kansas City piled up 14 hits, its sixth straight game with at least 10 and the longest such streak since June 24-29, 2016.

Most of the damage came against Hess (3-9), who allowed five runs on nine hits and a trio of errors — all of which came after the Baltimore pitcher’s own mistakes during a dreadful third inning.

The first error came with nobody out, when Hess threw the ball away trying to pick Merrifield off first base. Then, with two down, Hess tried to chase Jorge Bonifacio back to second and the ball squirreled away again. Bonifacio headed for third and second baseman Breyvic Valera tried to throw him out there, but the ball bounced away for yet another error that allowed Bonifacio to score.

“The toughest thing is giving them extra bases and extra outs to work with,” Hess said. “That’s something that I’ve prided myself on throughout the minor leagues and up here as well. I’ve been able to field my position well and do what we need to do to keep guys honest out there.

“I mean, they beat me at that today,” he said. “It’s something that we’re going to learn from.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Royals have won five straight, all in come-from-behind fashion, their best stretch since July 19-28, 2017. … Merrifield reached base for a career-best 22nd straight game. He also stole his 30th base, matching Seattle’s Dee Gordon for the AL lead. … The Orioles were swept for the third time in four series. … Baltimore has lost seven straight road games.

FIRST PITCH

Royals vice president Mike Swanson threw out the ceremonial first pitch to honor his 40 years in baseball. Swanson’s mother, Betty, spent nearly four decades working for the Royals and Chiefs, while her son has worked for the Rockies, Padres and Diamondbacks along with his time in Kansas City.

CLOSER CONCERNS

Showalter said he will try several options in the closer role after Mychael Givens blew another save Saturday night. “You’ve got to get people out, and pitch when you’re asked and take advantage of the opportunity,” Showalter said, “including Mike and some other guys.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Pedro Araujo (right elbow strain) will not pitch again this season. He’s been on the DL since June 11. “He’s going to be fine, I think, for next year,” Showalter said, “but I don’t think he’ll pitch in September. I don’t see any of the feedback that fits that scenario.”

Royals: OF Jorge Soler (fractured left toe) experienced a setback in his rehab and will likely shut down for the remainder of the season, Yost said. Soler went on the DL on June 16, when he was hitting .265 with nine homers and 28 RBI.

UP NEXT

The Orioles head to Seattle for three games beginning Monday night, when LHP Josh Rogers (1-0, 5.40 ERA) is on the mound. The Royals begin a trip to Cleveland and Minnesota with RHP Jakob Junis (7-12, 4.53) taking the hill against the Indians on Monday night.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield had never hit a game-ending home run — not in middle school, high school, college or as a pro — so he tried to admire his shot into the seats Saturday night.

The only problem? First base coach Mitch Maier wasn’t sure it was gone.

“I heard him yell, `Run! Run! Run!” Merrifield said, so he took off running.

His two-run shot with one out in the ninth inning was plenty deep, though, landing in the outfield seats and giving the Kansas City Royals a back-and-forth 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

“I’m going to have to get Mitch back for that,” Merrifield said with a smile.

The Orioles took the lead in the top of the ninth, when Trey Mancini homered to lead off and Tim Beckham added a two-run double for his fourth hit of the night. But when Mychael Givens (0-7) came on to close things out, he promptly walked Brett Phillips on four pitches to start the inning.

Cam Gallagher sacrificed Phillips to second, and Merrifield cracked a 0-2 pitch an estimated 415 feet to left field, giving the young Royals their sixth win in seven games this homestand.

It’s their best seven-game stretch since July 2017, and includes the first two games in this three-game series between the worst two teams in the major leagues.

“I think it gives us confidence,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “When your players have confidence, it gives us confidence too. You can see it in their faces that they continue to gain confidence.”

The Royals’ Jason Hammel squandered another solid start by Heath Fillmyer, though that’s hardly new. The 24-year-old Fillmyer allowed two runs on nine hits and a walk over seven innings, striking out six, yet was stuck with his sixth no-decision in his last eight starts.

Jake Newberry (1-0) wound up earning his first big league win in relief.

“Pretty cool,” he said, “to get it on a walk-off homer.”

The Orioles took an early lead on John Andreoli’s sacrifice fly and Beckham’s homer on a 3-1 pitch from Fillmyer. But the Royals answered in the bottom of the fourth when Phillips hit his second homer of the season — the 35th allowed by Dylan Bundy, tying an Orioles single-season record.

Kansas City pulled even in the sixth on Brian Goodwin’s base hit, then took the lead when Rosell Herrera shrugged off a 3-for-31 slump with an RBI single.

The game went back-and-forth one more time after that.

“It’s just closing. There’s pressure in different situations. There’s finality in that inning,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of their fateful ninth. “It’s a great job if you’re good at it.”

BUNDY IS BETTER

Bundy wound up allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out eight in his best performance in about three weeks. “Yeah, I thought so too,” he said. “Still got room to improve, obviously, but the breaking pitches were a little bit sharper.”

MINOR LEAGUE DEAL

The Royals announced a two-year extension with Idaho Falls to remain their rookie-level farm club in the Pioneer League. Eleven current members of the big league club played for the Chukars.

ROYALS MOVES

The Royals, who traded C Drew Butera to Colorado on Friday, recalled C Meibrys Viloria from Class-A Wilmington. C Salvador Perez has been dealing with a sprained thumb, and Cam Gallagher is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Viloria was hitting .260 with six homers at Wilmington.

ORIOLES MOVES

Baltimore recalled INF Breyvic Valera from Triple-A Norfolk, and he’ll join the club in time for Sunday’s game. Valera appeared in one game with the Orioles last month, going 1 for 4, after arriving as part of the July 18 trade of Manny Machado to the Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: OF/DH Mark Trumbo (right knee inflammation) will have arthroscopic surgery in Baltimore, manager Buck Showalter said. It is expected to take place Thursday or Friday.

Royals: LHP Eric Skoglund (sprained UCL) was due to make a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on Saturday night. Skoglund (1-5, 6.70 ERA) has been out since late May.

UP NEXT

RHP Jorge Lopez (0-3, 7.90 ERA), part of a late-July trade with Milwaukee, tries again for his first win for the Royals when he faces Orioles RHP David Hess (3-8, 5.08) in the series finale Sunday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brad Keller kept up his recent pitching surge with another strong outing.

Keller gave up a home run to the first batter of the game — Cedric Mullins — but quickly settled in to pitch eight strong innings in the Kansas City Royals’ 9-2 win over the Baltimore Royals in a matchup of the teams with the worst records in the majors.

“Every time he takes the mound, you expect him to keep you in the ballgame,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He just did what he does so well. He keeps the ball on the ground and did a nice job doing that.”

Keller (7-5) gave up two runs and four hits with two walks and four strikeouts to improve to 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last four starts.

“I was just trying to get in a groove and throw strikes,” he said. “I just made a mistake (to Mullins). You’ve got a long game after that. You’ve got to flush it and lock it back in.

Ryan O’Hearn homered among his three hits and drove in four runs, Whit Merrifield scored three runs, and Hunter Dozier and Cam Gallagher also went deep to help the Royals win for the fifth time in six games on their current homestand.

“They’re not exactly household names yet, O’Hearn, Dozier and Gallagher,” Yost said. “But they’re doing okay. You watch Dozier who looks totally comfortable now. O’Hearn has always been a guy with a lot of confidence that he can hit. It’s nice to see Cam get off to a good start too.”

With the scored tied 1-1 in the fourth, Andrew Cashner (4-13) gave up a sacrifice fly to Merrifield after loading the bases on two walks and a single. Dozier led off the fifth inning with a 423-foot home run to left field to make it 3-1.

“(Cashner) was having trouble gripping his breaking ball,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “He never really got a feel for it. He’d throw a couple and it’s just hard to go through that many hitters, especially lefthanders, without a feel for a breaking ball. I think the last home run is the one that’s going to stick with him. He could have come out of that with three runs, not being able to do the things he normally does.”

The Orioles pulled within a run in the sixth when Mullins led off with a double just beyond the reach of Dozier at third, advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on Trey Mancini’s sacrifice fly to the wall in right.

The Royals answered in the bottom of the inning as Gallagher hit his first home run of the season, ending Cashner’s night.

“I think he was trying to get it out over the plate but it backed up on him,” said Gallagher, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha Friday after the Royals traded catcher Drew Butera to the Colorado Rockies. “He just left it middle-in and I was able to get a good swing on it.”

Cashner, who has given up a career-high 21 homers, allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out one.

“That was probably some of the worst stuff I’ve carried into a game,” Cashner said. “My sinker was not there tonight. (My) offspeed pitches were not there. (I) didn’t really command anything for a strike.”

O’Hearn added a two-run single off Yefry Ramirez later in the sixth to push Kansas City’s lead to 6-2. Dozier’s RBI single in the eighth drove in Merrifield for his third run scored of the game, and O’Hearn added a two-run homer off Ryan Meisinger to cap the scoring.

TRANSACTIONS

Orioles: OF Joey Rickard was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. … RHP Jhan Marinez was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list (right hamstring strain). He cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Norfolk. … OF Craig Gentry was designated for assignment.

Royals: Butera was traded to the Colorado Rockies for LHP Jerry Vasto, who was assigned to Triple-A Omaha. … OF Brian Goodwin was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: OF Mullins, who missed Wednesday’s game with a hip injury, was back in the lineup in the leadoff spot. “I’m feeling good,” he said prior to Friday’s game. “I’m excited to get back out. I’ve been with the trainers; we’ve had some intense treatment going on, but I feel really good.”

Royals: C Salvador Perez was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons with a mild strain of his left thumb. Perez, who missed Wednesday’s game against Detroit, hurt the thumb on Tuesday when he lost his grip on the bat during a swing against the Tigers. Manager Ned Yost said Perez could have caught Friday, but swinging would be difficult. Perez was replaced in the lineup by Gallagher.

UP NEXT

Orioles RHP Dylan Bundy (7-13, 5.37 ERA) will face another Royals rookie pitcher as RHP Heath Fillmyer (2-1, 4.21) takes the mound for Kansas City. Fillmyer will make his first career start against the Orioles. Bundy is 1-1 with a 5.87 ERA all-time against Kansas City, including one start this year May 8 in Baltimore, in which he gave up seven earned runs without recording an out.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run homer and finished with four RBI, Danny Duffy allowed two hits over six innings and the Kansas City Royals routed the Detroit Tigers 9-2 on Wednesday to sweep their two-game series.

Duffy (8-11) gave up both hits and his only run in the first inning, when Mikie Mahtook drove in Jose Iglesias with a two-out single. The left-hander labored through the frame but breezed the rest of the way, striking out six while working around a trio of walks.

Alex Gordon hit a two-run homer and Brett Phillips had a pair of RBI as the Royals pounded Tigers starter Michael Fulmer (3-10) in his second outing off the disabled list.

Fulmer, who tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings against the White Sox last week, allowed seven runs on eight hits before he was chased with two outs in the fourth. Fulmer is winless in his last seven starts, losing five of them, since beating the Twins on June 14.

Mahtook also homered off Wily Peralta in the ninth for Detroit.

Mondesi began Kansas City’s onslaught with his homer in the second, his second in as many days. Gordon went deep in the third, and the Royals added on with two triple and two doubles in the fourth.

Seven of the eight hits Fulmer allowed went for extra bases.

The Royals kept tacking on runs against the Detroit bullpen, sending the Tigers to their fifth consecutive loss. They’ve now lost 26 of their last 32 on the road.

Much like Fulmer, Duffy had been struggling much of the past month, going winless in three starts around a stint on the DL. But he was in complete control after the first inning, the only runners he allowed coming on a pair of walks and an error by third baseman Hunter Dozier.

Duffy’s performance was rather unexpected, too. He’d lost three straight to the Tigers, including two rough outings earlier this season, and was 3-8 with a 6.01 ERA in day games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: Iglesias left in the fourth inning with a lower abdomen strain. He singled in the first inning and flied out to center field in the third. Jim Adducci replaced him in the lineup.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (left oblique strain) was scheduled to make his first rehab start at Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday night. … OF Bubba Starling, a former first-round pick, will begin his rehab stint after a dislocated finger at rookie-level Idaho Falls.

UP NEXT

The Tigers head to New York on Thursday night with LHP Francisco Liriano (3-9, 4.82 ERA) facing Yankees LHP J.A. Happ (15-6, 3.80) in the opener of a four-game set. The Royals get the day off before facing Baltimore on Friday night in a matchup of the two worst teams in the majors.

— Associated Press —