Mike Aviles drives in five runs and Corey Kluber pitches seven innings as the Cleveland Indians beat Kansas City, 10-3, for a split of their day-night doubleheader.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Corey Kluber made it through the first inning Sunday night against the Royals and that was big. Then he pitched six more innings and that was bigger.
The Indians, behind Kluber's good pitching, earned a split in a day-night doubleheader against Kansas City with a 10-3 victory in the nightcap. They lost the first game, 9-0.
Kluber made his first big-league start against the Royals on Aug. 2. Oh, the things they did to him in the first inning, scoring six runs on six hits, including two homers and a triple. It was a different story Sunday as Kluber faced only four Royals instead of the 10 they sent against him last year.
More importantly, none of them scored.
"I remember that game, but I wasn't really thinking about it," said Kluber, pitching for the first time since April 20. "I'd like to have that game back, but it doesn't really affect what I'm doing now."
After scoring two runs in the first 18 innings of this series, the Indians' wayward offense decided to show up for work. Carlos Santana and Mike Aviles each drove in a run in the first to give Kluber a 2-0 lead. The two runs were as many as the Indians had scored in their previous 21 innings.
Santana finished with six hits and Asdrubal Cabrera five in the doubleheader. Aviles, facing the team that signed him for $1,000 bonus in 2003, drove in a career high five runs. Aviles' three-run homer in the third off left-hander Will Smith (0-1, 9.00) gave the Indians a 5-0 lead.
Game 1 boxscore | Game 2 boxscore | Scoreboard | StandingsSmith, called up from Class AAA Omaha for the start, was 2-1 against the Tribe last year.
"It was fun to do it here," said Aviles, second on the team with 11 RBI despite playing just 13 games. "I came up with Kansas City and I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Kansas City. It's a great place and a great town."
Kluber (2-0, 2.25) went seven innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out six. After being rained out of starts against the Yankees and White Sox, Kluber, using a fastball clocked between 88 mph and 93 mph, beat the Royals in perfect conditions. It was 73 degrees for the first pitch.
"I didn't even check the forecast," said Kluber with a laugh. "I just assumed it would be raining."
Manager Terry Francona liked the way Kluber settled into the game, using his fastball and cutter inside.
"Early on he was up in the strike zone, but he reeled it in and got into the flow of the game," said Francona. "He pitched in, he used all his pitches, and he was aggressive in, especially moving guys off the plate.
"Considering how much he's been bounced around, for him to do what he did was very impressive."
In the first game, Jeremy Guthrie, Tim Collins and Luke Hochevar combined on an eight-hitter for the Royals. It marked the 14th time in 22 games this season that the Indians have scored three or fewer runs.
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.
The Indians are 4-4 on this three-city, nine-game trip. It was supposed to be a 10-game trip, but one game was rained out in Chicago.
When asked about the Indians' offensive problems, 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."
The Royals hurt Masterson with two outs 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 again got two quick outs before walking Moustakas a second time. 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."