The Indians are a combined 2-8 against the Royals (1-3) and Tigers (1-5) this season.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eric Hosmer went 2-for-4 with a homer, triple and four RBI as the Royals defeated the Indians, 5-3, Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:
Harsh reality: The Indians (9-16) are in last place in the AL Central. They trail first-place Kansas City (17-9) by 7.5 games.
The Indians are 1-3 against the Royals, who are defending AL champions. The Indians are 1-5 against second-place Detroit.
Offensive offense: The Indians managed four hits and two walks against Royals lefty Jason Vargas and three relievers.
Tribe manager Terry Francona made changes to the lineup in advance of facing a lefty, including putting Carlos Santana in the two-hole (for just the sixth time in his career), putting Ryan Raburn in the cleanup spot, and benching Michael Bourn.
Through three batters, the Tribe was in excellent shape: After Jason Kipnis lined to right, Santana walked and Michael Brantley homered. But Vargas held the Tribe to one hit and one walk for the remainder of his outing, which wrapped at six innings and 82 pitches.
In his previous start, April 27 in Cleveland, Vargas allowed two runs on three hits and walked five in five innings. He threw 102 pitches.
Vargas entered Tuesday with a 5.95 ERA in four starts.
The Tribe's third run came when Lonnie Chisenhall homered off righty Kelvin Herrera's first pitch of the eighth.
Interesting night: Indians right-hander Danny Salazar (3-1, 3.81 ERA) did plenty good. He allowed just five hits in seven innings, struck out nine and walked none.
He threw 71 of 115 pitches for strikes. He was down in the zone with the vast majority of his pitches. His splitter, on balance, was superb.
Yet Salazar allowed four runs, all earned. In a bottom-line business, he came up short -- even though it didn't feel that way. It speaks to how small an MLB starter's margin for error can be, especially against a good team. Salazar was much more dominant than Vargas, but the latter was crafty enough and facing an offense that continues to struggle against lefties.
Salazar gave up a three-run homer to lefty Hosmer in the first. Hosmer went with a 2-0 fastball that tailed onto his swing plane and blasted it an estimated 433 feet to left-center. Hosmer swung as if that were the exact pitch, in the precise location, that he expected to see. He improved to 7-for-13 with two homers career against Salazar.
Kansas City's other run against Salazar came after Jarrod Dyson grounded a triple over first base and scored on Alex Gordon's one-out single through the hole at second.
Here is a pitch-by-pitch breakdown of Salazar's start:
First inning
(L) Alex Gordon -- 90 called strike (outer half); 93 fastball, single to right (middle third at shins).
Skinny: Gordon put the barrel on a decent sinker and beat the shift with a hard grounder past diving shortstop Mike Aviles.
(L) Mike Moustakas --92 fastball inside; 92 fastball foul (barely missed homer off right-field pole); 92 fastball, grounder to pitcher (low; Gordon to second).
(L) Kendrys Morales -- 84 splitter, HBP (left foot).
Skinny: Ball stayed in fingers a fraction too long.
(L) Eric Hosmer -- 92 fastball low; 84 splitter low; 95 fastball, homer to left-center (outer half and above knees).
Skinny: 107-mph hit speed. Catcher Roberto Perez set up on outside corner, then reached back about 5 inches. That was all it took to put the ball on Hosmer's barrel.
(R) Salvador Perez -- 94 fastball low; 85 slider called strike; 95 fastball down and away; 95 fastball, pop to right (middle third).
Skinny: Perez surprised by late action of pitch.
(R) Omar Infante -- 96 fastball called strike (outside corner at knees); 85 slider down and away; 94 fastball in dirt; 94 fastball foul; 85 splitter, swinging strikeout.
Second inning
(R) Paulo Orlando -- 74 curve called strike; 79 curve low; 92 fastball, single to left.
Skinny: Perez was set up outside; pitch ran to inside corner. Orlando reacted.
(L) Jarrod Dyson -- 89 fastball down and in; 90 fastball low; 91 fastball inside; 90 fastball called strike; 91 bunt out, 1-4 (Orlando to second).
(R) Christian Colon -- 90 fastball foul (inside); 91 fastball foul (inside; liner); 95 fastball, grounder to pitcher.
Skinny: During the AB, Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "I don't see Danny as a two-seam guy. I can see him trying to run it in occasionally, but he's a four-seam guy. He's a changeup guy.''
(L) Alex Gordon -- 85 splitter swinging strike; 85 splitter foul (inside); 86 splitter, swinging strikeout.
Skinny: Salazar and Perez were not going to let Gordon beat them with another fastball, especially given Gordon's lack of success against Salazar's splitter in previous meetings.
Third inning
(L) Mike Moustakas -- 79 curve low; 93 fastball foul; 85 splitter in dirt; 86 splitter foul (inside corner); 96 fastball foul; 96 fastball in dirt; 96 fastball, fly to center.
Skinny: Moustakas was unable to lay off pitch above belt.
(L) Kendrys Morales -- 79 curve high; 86 splitter inside; 93 fastball foul (outer third); 86 splitter swinging strike; 88 splitter foul; 87 splitter inside; 87 splitter foul; 86 splitter, swinging strikeout.
Skinny: Salazar and Perez were going to make Morales prove he could hit the split.
(L) Eric Hosmer -- 81 curve inside (barely); 81 curve called strike; 87 splitter in dirt; 88 splitter low; 87 splitter called strike; 89 slider foul (down and in); 88 splitter, called strikeout.
Skinny: Salazar and Perez were not going to let Hosmer see a fastball if they could help it. Strikeout pitch was terrific -- outside corner at the knees.
Notable: Called strikeout snapped Salazar's streak of 31 straight swinging strikeouts to begin the season and 39 dating to last season.
Fourth inning
(R) Salvador Perez -- 85 splitter in dirt; 93 fastball inside; 94 fastball foul (inside); 95 fastball foul (letter-high); 87 splitter in dirt away; 86 splitter, swinging strikeout (outside corner at knees).
(R) Omar Infante -- 95 fastball foul (inside); 96 fastball swinging strike (up); 96 fastball foul; 88 splitter in dirt; 87 splitter, swinging strikeout (outside corner at the knees).
(R) Paulo Orlando -- 97 fastball (over plate at knees); 96 fastball, grounder to second (below knees).
Fifth inning
(L) Jarrod Dyson -- 84 splitter swinging strike; 87 splitter, triple down right-field line.
Skinny: Pitch was inner third at shins. Dyson grounded it over first base. Credit Dyson for keeping it fair, albeit with no room to spare.
(R) Christian Colon -- 85 slider called strike (outside corner); 81 splitter up and in (squirted on Salazar); 96 fastball swinging strike; 96 fastball grounder to third (Dyson holds).
(L) Alex Gordon -- 87 splitter down and in; 86 splitter, RBI single to right.
Skinny: One of the few Salazar splitters that had a balloon element too it and stayed up. Gordon hit grounder into hole at second.
(L) Mike Moustakas -- 94 fastball inside; 94 fastball foul; 95 fastball called strike (outside corner); 96 fastball, fielder's choice 6-4.
Skinny: Superb play by Aviles, who made diving stop as Moose tried to punch the fastball the other way.
(L) Kendrys Morales -- 94 fastball away; 94 fastball away; 94 fastball, grounder to short.
Skinny: Salazar kept fastball down; Morales pulled it to Aviles, who was on the second-base side as part of the shift.
Sixth inning
(L) Eric Hosmer -- fastball outside; 85 splitter called strike; 87 splitter in dirt; 95 fastball foul; 88 splitter, swinging strikeout.
(R) Salvador Perez -- 97 fastball called strike; 96 fastball foul; 89 slider down and away; 89 splitter in dirt; 88 splitter foul (hanger); 87 splitter, foul pop to first.
(R) Omar Infante -- 87 splitter called strike; 88 splitter in dirt; 87 splitter swinging strike; 97 fastball high; 83 curve, grounder to third.
Seventh inning
(R) Paulo Orlando -- splitter low; 85 slider swinging strike; 96 fastball low; 94 fastball, grounder to third (inner third).
Skinny: First baseman Carlos Santana makes good pick of Lonnie Chisenhall's throw.
(L) Jarrod Dyson -- 94 fastball called strike (insider corner at knees; 85 slider up and in; 86 splitter foul; 97 fastball foul; 89 splitter low; 88 splitter inside; 87 splitter, swinging strikeout.
(R) Christian Colon -- 97 fastball low; 96 fastball called strike; 89 slider down and away; 96 fastball foul; 90 splitter in dirt; 97 fastball, swinging strikeout.
Skinny: Colon could not lay off the high heat.
