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Royals send Indians into Detroit series on low note

Sep 16, 2007 - 9:43 PM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Cleveland Indians head into their biggest series of the season on a down note.

Billy Buckner pitched six solid innings and Emil Brown had two RBI to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-2 victory over the lackluster Indians on Sunday.

The loss dropped the Indians lead to 4 1/2 games in the American League Central over the Detroit Tigers, who come to Cleveland for a three game series starting Monday. The five game lead is the closest Detroit has been since August 30.

"It's a big series," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "The most important thing we can do is keep playing ball the way we have been playing. These guys have been playing good for a long period of time."

Despite the loss, Cleveland is 17-5 in its last 22 games.

Cleveland (87-62) played like they were looking ahead to series against the Tigers as they were shutdown by Buckner, who was making just his third start in the majors.

Buckner (1-1) held Cleveland to five hits in six innings to pick up his first major league win. The rookie righthander struck out three and only walked one. The only mistake Buckner made was a 3-2 pitch to Victor Martinez in the sixth.

"I was getting ahead of hitters," Buckner said. "If you get behind the hitters or even 3-2, you will give up home runs, like I did today."

The 24-year-old didn't allow multiple baserunners in an inning except for the third, when the Indians had runners on first and second with one out. Buckner got out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

Trailing 4-1, Cleveland woke up from its slumber in the seventh inning scoring two runs off of the Royals bullpen.

Franklin Gutierrez had an RBI single and Casey Blake drove in another run on a groundout to bring the Indians within 4-3. However the Indians wouldn't get any closer.

Jimmy Gobble retired Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera in the seventh with the tying run on second and one out.

"The opportunities we did have, we didn't take advantage of," Wedge said. "I felt we should have done a better job that we did. We are better than what we saw offensively."

Gobble then retired the first two hitters to start the eighth before Joakim Soria recorded the final four outs for his 15th save in 19 opportunities to preserve the win for Buckner.

"It was fun," Buckner said. "I was getting a little nervous at the end though."

"We've been struggling in the seventh and eighth innings and getting the game to Soria," Kansas City manager Buddy Bell said. "Jimmy came in and did a great job."

The Indians minds seemed to be focused on other things in the field as well. In the sixth inning and a runner on second and two out, Aaron Laffey walked Alex Gordon on a ball that got past

Martinez. Martinez jogged after the ball, while Gordon raced to first. By the time Martinez retrieved the ball, Gordon was halfway to second.

"I was trying to throw a slider and get him to chase," Laffey said. "It bounced in the dirt. There was nothing I could do about it."

Emil Brown followed with an infield single to second to drive in his second run of the game and give the Royals a 3-0 lead.

Kansas City tacked on another run in the seventh on a Mark Teahen two-out RBI single.

After Laffey (3-2) struck out the side in the first, the Royals went to work on the rookie scoring two runs in the second.

Billy Butler led off the inning with a single and Alex Gordon followed with a double over the head of Kenny Lofton. Brown plated a run with a single to left and John Buck hit a sacrifice fly to give the Royals an early 2-0 lead.

Brown continued his success off of Laffey going 3-for-3 against him. In six at-bats this season against Laffey, Brown has six hits.

Laffey allowed four runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

It was just Kansas City's second win in 11 games

"We needed this win," Bell said. "Our guys have been busting their (butts)."