KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield hit his first career homer, Edinson Volquez tossed seven innings of two-hit ball and the Kansas City Royals beat Cleveland 2-1 on Monday night to end a five-game skid against the Indians.
Alcides Escobar also drove in a run for the Royals, who have won three in a row after an eight-game losing streak. They also won their seventh consecutive game at Kauffman Stadium.
Volquez (6-6) walked the bases loaded in the first inning before settling down, allowing only a double to Jason Kipnis and a single to Lonnie Chisenhall. Volquez also hit a batter with a pitch and worked around an error, but ultimately kept the Indians from scoring.
Kelvin Herrera allowed a leadoff homer to Kipnis in the eighth but navigated the rest of the inning, and Wade Davis pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 18th save.
Carlos Carrasco (2-2) gave up both Kansas City runs and 10 hits over six innings.
Merrifield, who made his big league debut last month, tripled to start the game and scored when Escobar followed with a single. Then, the 27-year-old rookie lived up to his “Two-hit Whit” moniker by driving an 0-2 pitch over the left-field wall with two outs in the fourth.
He was greeted at the dugout by Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who playfully doffed his helmet.
Merrifield, considered a super-utility player, also helped turn a trio of double plays while getting another start at second base. One of them ended the eighth inning and preserved a 2-1 lead.
The Indians had plenty of opportunities, even after Chisenhall grounded out to leave the bases full in the first inning. Kipnis was left standing on second in the third, and the Indians left runners at the corners in the fourth when Rajai Davis grounded out to end the inning.
Yan Gomes squandered another chance by grounding into an inning-ending double play in the sixth, and Jose Ramirez did likewise when he grounded to Merrifield in the eighth.
ROYAL INTRODUCTION
The Royals introduced their top pick in this year’s first-year player draft, 6-foot-4 RHP A.J. Puckett, prior to the game. The Pepperdine pitcher was taken in the second round at No. 67 overall and agreed to a signing bonus of $1.2 million.
FOUNDATION DONATION
The Kauffman Foundation announced a $1 million grant to the Urban Youth Baseball Academy, a project spearheaded by Royals GM Dayton Moore. The foundation was started in 1966 by Ewing Kauffman, who founded the Royals and owned the team until his death in 1993.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians 3B Juan Uribe got the night off after taking a hard grounder squarely in the groin Sunday against the Angels. Uribe left on a cart with a testicular contusion.
UP NEXT
Indians RHP Josh Tomlin tries to beat the Royals for the third time this season when the teams continue their series Tuesday night. RHP Chris Young pitches for Kansas City for the first time since June 5 in Cleveland, when he allowed four solo homers in a 7-0 loss.
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