The Indians are denied a three-game sweep against the Royals as rookie Josh Tomlin fails to hold 3-0 lead.
UPDATED: 6:43 p.m.
Shin-Soo Choo drills his 20th home run of the season -- a two-run shot in the first inning on Sunday -- but it wasn't enough as the Indians fell to Kansas City, 6-4.ON DECK: INDIANS AT MINNESOTA TWINS
Where: Target Field.
When: Monday through Wednesday.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio Monday and Tuesday, no TV Wednesday; WTAM AM/1100.
Pitching matchups: RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-4, 4.02) vs. LHP Brian Duensing (9-2, 2.07) Monday at 8:10 p.m.; RHP Fausto Carmona (12-14, 3.81) vs. Scott Baker (12-9, 4.60) Tuesday at 8:10 p.m.; and RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 2.70) vs. RHP Nick Blackburn (9-10, 5.43) Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.
Season series: The Indians are 6-9 against the Twins this year. The Indians lead, 360-339, overall.
Indians update: Gomez and Carrasco have combined to allow one earned run in 12 2/3 scoreless innings against the Twins in two no-decisions this year. Carmona, 1-2 against Minnesota this year, threw a three-hitter against them on Sept.10. Matt LaPorta is hitting .311 (14-for-45) with three homers and five RBI against the Twins this year.
Twins update: They’re cruising toward the Central title. Jim Thome has eight hits against the Indians, half of them for homers. Duensing is 1-0 against the Tribe this season, while Baker is 0-2.
Injuries: Indians — C Carlos Santana (left knee), RHP Anthony Reyes (right elbow) and CF Grady Sizemore (left knee) are on the disabled list. 2B Jason Donald (right hand) is day to day. Twins — RHP Joe Nathan (right elbow), LHP Jose Mijares (right knee), 1B Justin Morneau (concussion), LHP Ron Mahay (right shoulder) are on the disabled list.
Next: Royals visit Progressive Field on Thursday to start four-game series.
— Paul Hoynes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Shin-Soo Choo is no Mungo Jerry. He's not the Vanilla Fudge or T. Rex.
He's no one-hit wonder and he proved that Sunday in a game that the Indians lost, 6-4, to Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. Choo went 20-20 (20 homers and 20 steals) for the second straight year with a homer in the first inning and a steal of second base in the third.
"Last year was my first full season in the big leagues," said Choo. "A lot of guys may say I was lucky or maybe I would just do it one time. I showed this year that I can do it again."
Choo and Toronto's Alex Rios are the only American League players to reach 20-20 this season. Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Young and Hanley Ramirez have done it in the National League.
In Indians history, Joe Carter, Grady Sizemore, Robby Alomar and Choo are the only players to do it more than once.
"It's even more impressive than what he did last year because of all the problems we've had in front of him with Asdrubal Cabrera losing more than 50 games and Grady Sizemore being gone almost the whole season," said manager Manny Acta. "And he doesn't have some of those guys who were hitting behind earlier in the year."
Choo went 8-for-12 with four homers and 10 RBI in the three-game series. He hit four homers in a stretch of eight at-bats. Three came in Friday's 11-4 victory.
"In the last 10 games, I've been afraid of the strikeout," said Choo. "I'm not afraid now. I'm just swinging the bat."
Choo's two-run homer in the first gave rookie right-hander Josh Tomlin a 2-0 lead. When Luis Valbuena added an RBI single in the second for a 3-0 lead, it looked like the Indians were on the way to a three-game sweep.
The Royals altered those plans by scoring four runs in the second. In succession, Tomlin lost his release point, the strike zone and the ballgame.
Tomlin (4-4, 4.73) loaded the bases on a walk and singles by Brayan Pena and Alex Gordon. He walked Yuniesky Betancourt to force home a run and gave up a two-run single to Mitch Maier to make it 3-3. Tomlin struck out Gregor Blanco, but was burned by a double steal.
When Maier broke for second, Tomlin turned and ran toward him. In his haste, he forget to look Betancourt back at third. Tomlin, with catcher Chris Gimenez screaming for the ball, turned and threw home, but Betancourt was safe and the Royals had a lead they never gave up.
"Josh just buried himself in the second," said Acta. "He pitched behind in the count, which he can't afford to do. Those walks really hurt him. And at the end he butchered that first-and-third double steal defense.
"That usually doesn't happen because he's very good fielding his position and in his awareness of the overall baseball game."
Tomlin allowed six runs on six hits in five innings.
"We work on that play during [pitcher's fielding practice]," said Tomlin. "That was my mistake. I've got to check third base first on that."
The Indians out-hit the Royals, 12-8, but didn't hit when it mattered. The loss ended their three-game winning streak. They are 7-7 against the Royals with just four more left to play between the two teams to see who will finish last in the AL Central.
The Tribe owns fourth by a half-game.
The Royals made it 6-3 in the sixth on Kila Ka'aihue's two-run double off Aaron Laffey. Tomlin started the inning by giving up a single to Billy Butler and a double to Wilson Betemit. Laffey, in his first appearance since joining the team Saturday from Class AAA Columbus, came in and gave up the double to Ka'aihue.
The Indians made it 6-4 in the eighth when Trevor Crowe scored on Blake Wood's wild pitch. Crowe reached on a fielder's choice and went to third on Andy Marte's double past third.
Luke Hochevar (6-5) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. Joakim Soria worked the ninth for his 39th save.
Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a two-out single in the seventh.