• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bannister pitches Royals past Indians

Jun 7, 2007 - 3:44 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Brian Bannister pitched seven solid innings and Ryan Shealy drove in two runs as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians, 4-3, on Wednesday.

The win snapped the Royals' three-game losing streak and was just Kansas City's third victory in its last 13 games.

Bannister (2-3) held the majors' second-highest scoring team to only one unearned run while scattering five hits. He struck out two and did not walk a batter in outdueling Paul Byrd.

"One of my favorite pitchers is Paul Byrd," Bannister said. "There aren't many righthanders in the league who throw only 90 miles per hour. If you have that type of stuff, he is a good guy to look up to."

It was the second strong start in a row for Bannister, who allowed one run in eight innings in his last start against Tampa Bay.

"When you pitch ahead in the count, you always have a chance to win," Indians catcher Victor Martinez said of Bannister. "That's what he did. He did a great job tonight."

Bannister improved to 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA in his last five starts since being recalled from Class AAA Buffalo on May 13. The 26-year-old righthander has issued only two walks in his last three starts, and none in his last two.

"I feel like I am pitching the way I did in the minors," Bannister said. "In every level you move up there is an adjustment period. I am back to the basics, and trying to keep the ball down. I am feeling more comfortable and starting to become the pitcher I want to."

After Cleveland rallied for a run in the eighth off relievers Zack Greinke and Jimmy Gobble to pull within 4-2, closer Octavio Dotel gave up a run before getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to pick up his second save of the season.

Jhonny Peralta and David Dellucci led off the ninth with singles and advanced a base on Josh Barfield's sacrifice. Dotel induced Kelly Shoppach to ground out to third base, bringing up the top of the Indians' batting order. Grady Sizemore was intentionally walked to load the bases for Casey Blake, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games the previous inning.

Dotel quickly got ahead of Blake 1-2 before grazing him on the arm to force in a run and cut the lead to 4-3. But Dotel retired Franklin Gutierrez, who pinch ran for Indians slugger Travis Hafner in the eighth, on a groundout to short.

"Dotel has got good stuff and competes," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "He doesn't always make it look as easy as you like, but gets the job done."

Indians manager Eric Wedge defended his move to run for Hafner, who represented the tying run at first in the eighth.

"You can't assume you'll load the bases in the ninth with two outs," Wedge said. "We had a chance to win or tie with our best hitter (in the eighth). The way Victor hit the ball, we were a couple of feet from watching Gutierrez run around the bases."

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third. Joey Gathright and David DeJesus hit back-to-back doubles off Byrd (6-2) to start the inning. After Mark Grudzielanek's groundout advanced DeJesus to third, Mark Teahen followed with a single to right.

"I just wanted to come in and help the team win," said Gathright, who was called up from Class AAA Omaha before the game. "I did what I was supposed to do."

Shealy extended the lead to 3-0 with a solo home run to left field off Byrd to lead off the fourth. It was his third home run of the season.

Shealy drove his second run of the game to stake the Royals to 4-0 lead on a failed fielder's choice in the fifth. With runners on first and third and two out, Shealy hit a ground ball to shortstop Peralta, who fielded the ball but decided to try and force Teahen at second instead of trying to get Shealy at first, but the throw to second was late.

Byrd saw his five-game winning streak snapped as he allowed four runs on 10 hits in six innings. He also allowed his first walk in 48 innings when he issued an intentional pass to Teahen in the sixth.

"I hung (a breaking pitch) for the home run and threw two fastballs down the middle that I didn't want to, which they hit for doubles," Byrd said. "That was pretty much the game."

Despite allowing at least nine hits in his previous three outings, Byrd had been bidding to win his fifth straight decision, which he had accomplished in 2001 with the Royals.

Hafner had an RBI double and Victor Martinez knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the Indians, who fell to 20-7 at home this season.