Sun Jul 15 04:12:00 2007

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Royals edge Sabathia, Tribe

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Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Emil Brown belted a three-run home run in the third inning, and the Kansas City Royals held on to edge the Cleveland Indians, 6-5, in the second contest of a three-game set from Jacobs Field.

Billy Butler finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored for the Royals, who have won three of four. Mark Teahen went 3-for-5 and scored three runs in the win.

Gil Meche (6-6) allowed four runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts over five-plus frames for Kansas City to push even his season record by winning his third straight decision. Four relievers finished the job, with Octavio Dotel notching his ninth save of the season.

Ryan Garko homered for the Indians, who have dropped two of three. Jhonny Peralta ended 2-for-3 and scored twice in the loss. C.C. Sabathia (12-4) gave up six runs on 11 hits with two walks and six strikeouts over seven innings for Cleveland.

Kansas City put up two runs in the first. Mark Grudzielanek and Teahen both singled before scoring on Butler's double.

The Royals put up three more runs in the third. Teahen doubled and Butler's single put runners at the corners for Brown, who blasted a three-run shot to right field on the first pitch he saw.

Cleveland got on the board with a run in the fourth, as Peralta walked, Garko singled, and Trot Nixon followed with an RBI base hit.

The Tribe added another run in the fifth when Grady Sizemore doubled and scored on Victor Martinez's single, and two more in the sixth, as Garko smacked a two-run shot to left field on a 3-1 pitch.

The Royals plated a run in the seventh when Teahen lined a leadoff double and scored as Butler reached second on a fielder's choice with a throwing error by Casey Blake.

Cleveland responded with a run in the bottom half, as Martinez doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch by reliever Jimmy Gobble, who paid for the mistake when Martinez was able to score on a Travis Hafner sacrifice fly.

Game Notes

Garko was ejected in the eighth for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Mark Carlson...The Indians had a six-game winning streak at Jacobs field snapped...These clubs hold a 4-4 split in the 2007 season series, but Kansas City has dropped 13 of its last 17 games in Cleveland.