(TSX / STATS) — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When it came down to a battle of the bullpens, the Cleveland Indians had a huge advantage.
Jason Kipnis homered and drove in two runs, and six Cleveland pitchers combined on an 8-0 shutout of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Kipnis homered in the sixth, hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and walked and scored in a four-run second inning.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona said he did not address his team Saturday after the Indians committed three errors and gave up a dozen runs.
“You never want to shirk your responsibility,” Francona said. “I think yesterday would have been too easy. I think today is the day where I want to see us show up with some energy. We should after a game like that.”
And they did.
After a nearly two-hour rain delay in the bottom of the second inning, Indians starter Trevor Bauer did not return. He gave up two hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.
The Indians have a bullpen ERA of 2.19 that is the best in the majors, so the relievers took it from there.
Dan Otero, Zach McAllister, Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen held the Royals scoreless for 7 1/3 innings. Otero (1-0) picked up the victory, allowing one hit in 2 1/3 innings. His previous win was Sept. 22, also against Kansas City.
“De facto starter, kind of,” Otero said. “Fortunately, our offense put up four runs in the top half of the second, which was nice.”
Miller struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning and lowered his ERA to 0.33, while Allen struck out two in the ninth.
On the flip side, the Royals’ bullpen allowed four runs (three earned) in seven innings. Travis Wood, who had not pitched since May 28, gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings, his ERA climbing to 9.31.
The run off Seth Maness was unearned after a Whit Merrifield throwing error in the fifth.
On a 3-1 pitch in the sixth, Chris Young surrendered Kipnis’ homer, his sixth home run allowed in 27 1/3 innings.
Merrifield singled three times to raise his average to .307 and extend his hitting streak to a major-league-best 19 games.
Royals left-hander Eric Skoglund (0-1), who allowed two hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Tuesday to beat the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in his major league debut, was roughed up in his second major league start.
Skoglund gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in two innings, as the Indians had an idea on what he would be throwing.
“In today’s game, there is so much video,” Francona said. “Nobody is really a secret anymore. There is a lot of information out even before a guy gets here, but there is no replacement than being in the batter’s box. That helps more anything. You can’t tell from the video how much life a guy has on the ball. I always feel like that a guy that is pitching against you for the first time definitely has the advantage. It doesn’t mean he’s going to win.”
Skoglund said, “I made some mistake pitches. I got behind. I left some balls over the plate, and they take advantage of it up here.
“It just shows how important first-pitch strikes are. It’s something you have to do up here to be successful and consistent. Hopefully, I can just bounce back from that.”
Skoglund will remain in the rotation with Nathan Karns and Danny Duffy on the disabled list. The Royals have yet to name a starter for Tuesday.
“I need starters,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I don’t have Karns. I don’t have Duffy, so I imagine Eric is going to get another start.”
Roberto Perez and Daniel Robertson each laced two-run doubles in the second. Skoglund walked Austin Jackson and Kipnis in the inning, and both scored.
“Walks and doubles in the second inning — two walks, two doubles, four runs on the board,” Yost succinctly described Skoglund’s rough inning.
NOTES: Indians OF Michael Brantley did not play. Manager Terry Francona said he wanted to give him a day off to keep him healthy and fresh. Cleveland is off Monday before starting a series at Colorado on Tuesday. … Royals LHP Eric Skoglund and C Drew Butera went to the University of Central Florida, but not at the same time. … The Indians have outscored opponents by 26 runs this season. … The Royals are 5-4 vs. the Tribe this season. … Cleveland is 13-14 against America League Central Division opponents. Kansas City dropped to 9-18 within the division. … Houston Astros RHP Mike Fiers and Royals RHP Ian Kennedy are the Monday probables.
Photo credit – Â John Sleezer / The Kansas City Star via AP / Kansas City, MO