The Indians' offense once again failed to report for duty as Jeremy Guthrie pitched the Royals to victory in the first game of a day-nigh doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It stopped raining. The sun came out, but the Indians' offense still refuses to bloom.
Jeremy Guthrie threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday as the AL Central-leading Royals
shut out the Indians in the first game of a day-night doubleheader, 9-0, at Kauffman Stadium. The Indians have scored three or fewer runs in 14 of their 21 games this season.
Guthrie, the Indians No.1 pick in 2002, is 8-0 since Aug. 8 with the Royals. In that span, he's made 16 straight starts without a loss to set a club record.
Justin Masterson (4-2) struck out a season-high nine batters, but he was picked apart by the Royals' hitters. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The seven runs were as many as Masterson allowed in his first five starts of the season. His ERA jumped from 1.85 to 3.12.
"I threw some good pitches and I threw some bad ones," said Masterson.
In Saturday's 3-2 loss, the Indians didn't score until Michael Brantley tripled with two out in the ninth. Sunday even Brantley couldn't save them as they were shut out for the third time.
On this three-city trip, the Indians are hitting .265 (18-for-68) with runners in scoring position. Take away their 19-6 victory over the Astros on April 20, and they're hitting .152 (7-for-46) with runners in scoring position.
When asked about the Indians' offensive problems, manager Terry Francona said, "I understand that, but it doesn't change how we'd approach this game. Whatever happened in the first two weeks of the season happened. Whatever happened in the first game (Sunday), we've got to come out and find a way to win the second game.
"We certainly try to think of ways where we can get better. But those type of stats won't matter going into the second game."
The Royals hurt Masterson with two out in the second and fourth innings.
Masterson started the second with consecutive strikeouts, but walked Mike Moustakas, who came into the game hitting .152. Jeff Francouer and Jarrod Dyson followed with consecutive doubles for a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth, Masterson retired Eric Hosmer and struck out Salvador Perez before again walking Moustakas. Francoeur followed by bouncing an infield single off the plate and Dyson singled for a 3-0 lead.
"I think there was a force field around the strike zone for Moustakas' first two at bats," said Masterson. "I couldn't put it there. I have no clue why. It's unbelievable."
In the fifth, Alcides Escobar hit a first-pitch homer to left for a 4-0 lead. It was just the second homer Masterson has allowed this season in 40 1/3 innings this year.
"When Masterson worked ahead, and got to two strikes, I thought his stuff was electric," said Francona. "The second and fourth innings he walked Moustakas on four pitches both times and that led to four runs.
"Then Escobar ambushed him on a first-pitch fastball. That happens. . .I think the walks to Moustakas were big."
The Royals, who have won seven of their last eight games against the Indians at Kauffman Stadium, put the game away with three runs in a messy seventh. Chris Getz opened with a single to short. Alex Gordon moved him to third with a single to center and Escobar delivered him on a force play at second.
Masterson walked Billy Butler before surrendering an RBI single to Hosmer to make it 6-0. Matt Albers, working for the second day in a row after not pitching since April 8, relieved and loaded the bases by hitting Perez. He forced home the third run of the inning with Moustakas' third walk.
The Royals completed the scoring against lefty Scott Barnes, on a day pass from Class AAA Columbus to give the Tribe an extra arm for the doubleheader. Gordon hit a two-run homer off Barnes in the eighth.
Guthrie struck out five, walked three and allowed six hits. He is 3-2 against the Indians.
He combined on the eight-hitter with Tim Collins and Luke Hochevar.
The loss dropped the Indians to a season-high five gave off the pace in the Central.
Francona said Ervin Santana and Guthrie, the Royals starters in the first two games of this series, have the Indians hitters stuck in an "in-between' hitting mode.
"The last couple of days they've established their secondary (breaking) pitches for strikes and have enough on their fastball where you have to respect it," said Francona, "and we're caught in between."
If you're one of the Indians players who gets paid to swing the bat, it is not a good place to be. Asdrubal Santana, in case you're interested, led offense with three hits.