Sun Aug 26 03:21:00 2007

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Indians plate five in first, down Royals

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez both homered as the Cleveland Indians downed the Kansas City Royals, 9-4, in the second of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

Martinez finished with three hits, including a double, with two RBI and three runs scored and Kenny Lofton also had three hits with two runs scored for the Indians, who have won three of four and moved to 2 1/2 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. Detroit lost to the Yankees, 7-2, on Saturday.

Cleveland starter Aaron Laffey (2-1), who was just recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, went six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Emil Brown recorded his second career four-hit game, going a perfect 4-for-4 for the Royals, who have lost four of six.

Kansas City starter Kyle Davies (5-11) was tagged for seven runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out three in just two innings.

Cleveland put five runs on the board in the first. Sizemore led off with a double to right and scored when Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a single to left. Travis Hafner then walked and Martinez doubled to right scoring another run.

Jhonny Peralta singled to center with two outs plating a run and, after Lofton singled to center, Franklin Gutierrez doubled to left-center, scoring two more for a 5-0 lead.

In the second Sizemore led off with his 22nd homer of the year to right-center and, three batters later, Martinez belted a solo homer to right, his 19th of the season.

A Casey Blake RBI single in the top of the fifth pushed Cleveland's cushion to 8-0.

Kansas City got on the board in the home half of the fifth on RBI singles by Esteban German and Mark Grudzielanek.

Peralta added an RBI double to right-center in the top of the ninth, and David DeJesus a two-run RBI double to left in bottom half to cap the scoring.

Game Notes

To make room on the roster for Laffey, the Indians optioned pitcher Edward Mujica to Buffalo...Davies, who was acquired in a July 31 trade with Atlanta, is 1-2 with a 7.48 ERA in five starts with the Royals...Lofton picked up career hit 2,400 in the ballgame...Brown also had four hits on July 11, 2005, at Arizona...Attendance was 23,167.