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Royals top Indians

Aug 1, 2012 - 3:50 AM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Luke Hochevar tossed six effective innings on Tuesday and the Kansas City Royals came away with an 8-3 win over the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

Hochevar (7-9) bounced back nicely from his previous outing last Wednesday in which he allowed eight runs on nine hits and a walk before being ejected in the fourth inning.

This time around, he allowed just three runs on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts to claim the win. Tim Collins fired two scoreless innings in relief and Aaron Crow finished it off in the ninth.

Alcides Escobar went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Chris Getz clubbed a two- run double for the Royals, who snapped a five-game slide. Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain each knocked in a run in the victory.

"Our offense swung the bats well and we played great defense, so that was big to pick up one and get things rolling here at home," remarked Hochevar.

Derek Lowe (8-10) was shelled for seven runs on eight hits in just 2 1/3 innings. He walked a pair, fanned one and has an ERA of 15.88 over his last three starts. Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman ripped RBI singles for the Indians, who lost for the fourth straight time.

After struggling through his first two innings, things went downhill quickly for Lowe in the third and the Royals were able to take control of the game, plating five runs in the frame.

Billy Butler began the inning with a base hit, Salvador Perez singled and Eric Hosmer drew a walk to load the bags with one out. With Getz at the plate, Lowe was called for a balk, allowing Butler to score the go-ahead run, making it 4-3. Things went from bad to worse for Lowe as he allowed a two-run double to Getz later in the at-bat, as the Royals took a 6-3 lead and the Indians righty headed for the clubhouse.

"It's frustrating," Lowe said of his outing. "You have a standard of what I've pitched like and this is not what you're used to doing, but it's reality."

Josh Tomlin came out of the bullpen in relief, but it didn't get any better, as he allowed an RBI double to Gordon and Escobar followed with a run-scoring triple into the right field corner to extend the cushion to 8-3.

Earlier, Kansas City grabbed the early lead with a run on its first at-bat when Gordon singled to lead off the inning and came around to score on a base hit back through the box by Cain.

Cleveland took the lead with a pair of runs in the second on RBI base knocks by Damon and Kotchman, but the Royals took the lead right back with a pair of runs in the home portion of the inning.

Getz started the two-out rally with a single up the middle and Jarrod Dyson doubled before Gordon drew a walk to load the bases. Escobar then came through with a clutch hit through the right side to score Getz and Dyson, making it 3-2, KC.

The Tribe quickly tied it up in the third when Asdrubal Cabrera ripped a double off the wall in center, moved to third on a groundout by Jason Kipnis and scored when Hochevar uncorked a wild pitch, tying the game at three.

Game Notes

Prior to Tuesday's game, the Royals sent closer Jonathan Broxton to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers Donnie Joseph and J.C. Sulbaran...It was the first time the Royals have scored five runs in an inning since July 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays...Kansas City went 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight on base, while the Indians were 2-for-11 with RISP and left eight.