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Teahen, Sweeney lead Royals to win over Indians

May 23, 2007 - 6:56 AM KANSAS CITY (Ticker) -- Mike Sweeney and Mark Teahen helped the Kansas City Royals knock off one of the hottest teams in the majors.

Sweeney hit a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth and Teahen drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh as the Royals posted a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.

John Buck had two hits and an RBI for the Royals, who won for the seventh time in the last nine games, and in the process handed the Indians just their third loss in the last 11 games.

The Royals got a rare win at home, where they are a major-league worst 8-14.

"The game tonight was a lot better than most of those (home) games," Royals Manager Buddy Bell said. "It was a real good game. We had good starting pitching from Odalis (Perez), great relief pitching, and key hitting from Tony (Pena) and Mike. It was a well-played game."

While Kansas City has struggled at home, they used the momentum from a 6-4 road trip to beat Cleveland. Three of those four wins came by three runs or less, giving them a reason to be optimistic in close games.

"Confidence comes from success," Buck said. "Winning a couple of close games on the road really helps with our confidence.

"We've escaped from that snake that's been following us around in the grass and we didn't get snakebit again."

Rookie Alex Gordon had a pair of hits and scored a run for the Royals, who pounded out 11 hits.

Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer in the first - his sixth of the season - for Cleveland off Royals starter Odalis Perez.

Jason Michaels had an RBI double for Cleveland, which was opening a nine-game road trip.

The Royals loaded the bases in the seventh off reliever Tom Mastny (3-2). Buck hit a one-out single to left-center and Pena followed with a double to left. After David DeJesus was walked intentionally and Mark Grudzielanek popped out, Aaron Fultz relieved Mastny and threw four straight balls to Teahen to force in the game-winning run.

"I got out there and was mechinically bad," Fultz said. "I was jerking the ball and I didn't make the adjustment to throw strikes. In that situation, you've got to throw strikes and make them hit it to beat you. It was all fastballs, which makes it even worse."

Zack Grienke (2-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings to pick up the win as four Kansas City relievers combined for three scoreless innings after Perez left. Joakim Soria finished up for his 10th save.

The Indians threatened in the seventh. Trot Nixon led off with a double but was stranded as a trio of relievers each recorded outs.

"We had a chance," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "We just didn't get it done offensively. We really created some good opportunities for ourselves from time to time, but we weren't able to finish things off, particularly in that seventh inning.

"We needed to get something done there. They took that momentum and took it right back to their ABs."

Perez allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings with six strikeouts.

"I was just trying to keep us in the game," Perez said. "That's the thing for me. I don't care if I have a lot of no-decisions."

The Royals rallied against the red-hot Fausto Carmona, who had won five straight starts heading into this one.

"He was efficient tonight," Wedge said. "He put the ball on the ground and the infield did a real good job and got some good double-play balls."

The converted reliever allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings and did not record a strikeout for the first time this season.

"He's a young pitcher doing a great job for us," Wedge said. "I love the way he controls the ballgame with his rhythm and tempo."

"I felt better, much better, because I was getting a lot of ground

balls," Carmona said with Luis Rivera acting as an interpreter.

"I got a lot of quick outs."

Carmona allowed consecutive one-out singles to Gordon and Ryan Shealy before Buck drove in a run with an infield single to cut the lead to 3-1. It was the first run allowed by Carmona in his last 19 innings.

In the sixth, David DeJesus led off with a double and Grudzielanek walked. After a double play, Sweeney hit a two-out, two-run homer off Carmona, who had allowed just four runs in his last 31 1/3 innings, to tie the game at 3-3.

"He pitched as advertised," Sweeney said. "Carmona was pounding the zone big time with his fastball.

"I was watching video of when he pitched against Minnesota and I noticed that whenever he got 0-and-2 on the big righthanded hitters like Torii Hunter or Cuddyer he'd come inside with a fastball, so I was hoping he'd stay with that pattern and he did."

"Even though he's a very good hitter, I thought it was a good pitch," Carmona said. "I'm surprised he hit it out."