Kansas City, MO - David DeJesus homered and doubled, driving in two runs, as the Kansas City Royals snapped a 12-game losing streak, edging the Cleveland Indians 4-2, in the second of a three-game set.
Kansas City starter Kyle Davies (1-0) fared well in his first big-league action this season, allowing just one run on five hits and three walks through five innings. The Royals turned to a fresh face for their first win since a 9-3 victory against the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium, May 18.
"I just wanted to get up here (in the clubhouse) and listen to the music after the win," DeJesus said. "It's definitely good to get everybody talking after a game. We won. It's over now."
Mark Grudzielanek added two hits and a run batted in and Joakim Soria notched his 12th save of the season, tossing two innings.
C.C. Sabathia (3-7) fell victim to one bad inning, allowing three of his four runs in the fifth in taking the loss. KC managed eight hits but Sabathia fanned four without allowing a walk in the complete game effort.
Franklin Gutierrez was 2-for-2 with a triple, walk, and scored a run for Cleveland which dropped its second game in the last three.
"We left a lot of people on base (12) and that was really the difference," Indians manager Eric Wedge lamented. "We had people up there that we'd like to see up there in situations, but we just weren't able to get that final hit. We had multiple opportunities in different innings to do that."
The Royals took the lead with three runs in the fifth. Mark Teahen started the inning with an infield single and John Buck doubled to center putting runners at second and third. Joey Gathright plated Teahen on a groundout two batters later and DeJesus lined a two-out double to left scoring Buck. Grudzielanek capped the scoring with a single to left bringing DeJesus around from second for a 4-1 lead.
KC, desperate for a win, brought on its closer Joakim Soria for the eighth with mixed results. Jhonny Peralta singled to center and moved to second on a passed ball. Casey Blake doubled to center on a ball that Gathright lost in the lights, putting runners at second and third with one out. Michael Aubrey then worked a walk to load the bases. Pinch-hitter David Dellucci grounded out to first, scoring Peralta but Soria got Grady Sizemore to pop out, minimizing a potential big inning.
Soria continued for KC in the ninth. He allowed a two-out single to Victor Martinez, but Peralta grounded out to end the game and the Royals nearly two- week stretch of futility.
Cleveland put the game's first run on the board when Gutierrez laced a triple to left to start the third. Jamey Carroll beat out an infield single two batters later, scoring Gutierrez.
Kansas City matched the Tribe in the home half on a two-out solo homer to right from DeJesus.
Notes: The Royals recalled Davies from Triple-A Omaha prior to Saturday's game and designated catcher Brayan Pena for assignment. Pena was claimed off outright waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Friday..During the losing streak, Kansas City was swept in consecutive four-game sets for the first time in franchise history.. This was Kansas City's longest losing streak since dropping 13 straight from May 12-25, 2006.