CLEVELAND —
The Indians didn't win the season series against Kansas City. But they continue to stage many of their biggest offensive innings against the Royals.
On Sunday afternoon, the Tribe hitters scored 10 runs in the fifth inning to lift them to a 15-3 victory in the rubber match of the three-game wekend series.
Asdrubal Cabrera completed the rally with his second career grand slam. The Indians pounded out 19 hits in the win.
The last time the Tribe scored 10 runs in an inning was on May 16 of last year, at Kansas City. The last time it turned the trick at home was also against Kansas City, on Aug. 13, 2006.
The win was the fifth in seven games for Cleveland (67-92), which whacked 19 hits. The Royals are 71-88. The Wahoos moved a game ahead of Minnesota in the race to avoid the cellar of the AL Central Division.
This time, the 10-run inning happened in the fifth, which began with the Tribe up 1-0. Shin-Soo Choo started it with a line double to right, and stole third. Jason Kipnis bounced a ground-rule double over the right-field wall to make it 2-0. Cabrera followed with a bunt single to third base.
One out later, Jack Hannahan (3 hits) lined a double to right for another run. After Brent Lillibridge walked to load the bases, Casey Kotchman grounded to first base for a force, and beat the relay as Cabrera crossed the plate.
Cleveland was just getting warmed up. Lou Marson (3 hits), who had knocked in the first run with a second-inning single, walked to load the bases. Jason Donald was hit by a pitch to force home a run, making it 5-0. Choo hit a sharp grounder out of the reach of diving shortstop Irving Falu and into left-center for his second hit of the inning, scoring two runs and knocking out starter Luke Hochevar (8-16, 5.73 ERA).
Kipnis (3 runs) drew a base on balls to fill the bags again, and Cabrera (3 hits, 3 runs) emptied them with his second career grand slam, which he hit over the left-field fence off of Everett Teaford.
“That was the pitch I was looking for,” Cabrera said. “He threw me a curveball on the first pitch (for a strike) and then a changeup (for a ball). “(I was looking) for a fastball.”
Manager Sandy Alomar credited the Indians for doing the little things right in the inning.
“Cabby’s bunt when the third baseman was playing back,” he said. “The guys were just trying to (what was) necessary to get the rally going. They were not getting big. They were just using what the pitcher was giving them. They stayed within themselves -- trying to go up the middle and the other way. Some balls weer in; they pulled them. That’s how you get in a good rhythm.”
Matt LaPorta’s two-run double off Jeremy Jeffress produced two runs in the seventh. Cord Phelps knocked Jeffress out with an RBI safety in the eighth, and Jeffress’s replacement, Louis Coleman, threw a wild pitch that let in another run.
“(Zach) McAllister did a phenomenal job keeping us in the game, and then the offense took off,” Alomar said. “They went nine-for-20 with men in scoring position, and they kept the line moving. They didn’t try to get too big; they just tried to do their job.”
Alomar’s comments were similar to those of Hannahan when he was asked why the team’s offense has been better of late.
“That’s being more patient, getting better at-bats, going with what the pitcher gives you, using all fields and being more selective with two strikes,” he said. “Seeing pitches and taking advantage of pitchers’ mistakes.”
McAllister (6-8, 4.24) was thus able to cruise to victory in his final start of the 2012 season. McAllister went 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs and five hits. The runs came on a two-run homer by Alex Gordon in the sixth and an RBI single by Tony Abreu in the seventh.
“(McAllister) is very impressive,” Alomar said. “Today, he was pounding the strike zone. He had a good sinking fastball and a good slider.
“That was a good deal, getting that kid (from the Yankees in August 2010 for Austin Kearns). He’s showing that hard work and dedication can get you to the big leagues, and he’s performing.”
Tony Sipp and Frank Herrmann finished for the Indians.
Cleveland loaded the bases with one out in the third, but Hochevar struck out both Hannahan and Brent Lillibridge.
Goldman is a freelance writer from South Euclid.
Click here to subscribe to The Star Beacon print edition.
Click here to subscribe to The Star Beacon replica edition.
