Duffy, Royals shut out Indians

Danny Duffy pitched into the sixth inning and Nicky Lopez had three hits and an RBI to help the visiting Kansas City Royals earn a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.

Danny Duffy pitched into the sixth inning and Nicky Lopez had three hits and an RBI to help the visiting Kansas City Royals earn a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night. Duffy (3-3) found himself locked in a modest pitchers' duel with Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco (2-4). The Kansas City left-hander allowed four hits, struck out four and overcame four walks over 101 pitches in 5 2/3 innings to keep the Indians in check.

The Royals (16-28) posted a second straight win over the Indians after losing seven in a row. Three Royals relievers held Cleveland batters to two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his third save.

Carrasco also threw 101 pitches, though he lasted seven innings. He yielded a run on seven hits and fanned six without a walk. In the mix for first place in the American League Central, the Indians (26-17) have dropped two straight after winning five of their previous six contests. Cleveland had a golden opportunity to break the scoreless tie in the fifth. The Indians had the bases loaded with one out, but Francisco Lindor popped out to shallow center field and Carlos Santana took a third strike to end the frame.

Kansas City jumped on top in the sixth. No. 9 hitter Cam Gallagher opened the frame with a single, went to third on Whit Merrifield's second hit of the game and scored on Adalberto Mondesi's single to right field. Kansas City added some insurance in the ninth inning. Edward Olivares delivered what would become a run-scoring triple after the ball took a strange hop past Indians right fielder Tyler Naquin. Lopez followed with an RBI single.

Six of the Royals' 10 hits came from the bottom three in their order -- Olivares, Lopez and Gallagher. Delino DeShields had three hits, including a triple, for Cleveland.

--Field Level Media

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