Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Match Player Stats On Sep 03, 2018

Jakob Junis pitched seven scoreless innings and Ryan O'Hearn hit two home runs, leading the visiting Kansas City Royals to a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians in an AL Central battle on Monday afternoon.

The last-place Royals have won six games in a row and eight of nine. The first-place Indians have lost three straight.

All five Royals runs were scored on homers, including shots by Jorge Bonifacio and Hunter Dozier.

Junis (8-12) allowed two hits -- both singles -- and no walks, striking out six batters for his second straight win. After struggling in June and July with ERAs over 7.00 in both months, Junis went 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA in August and has now carried that forward into September.

O'Hearn, a rookie first baseman from Texas, went 3-for-4 with one double, the two homers, two runs scored and three RBIs. He has nine homers since making his major league debut on July 31, and this was his first two-blast game. He also homered in his first major league game.

Adam Plutko (4-5) took the loss, allowing seven hits, no walks and four runs in six innings, striking out eight.

Kansas City opened the scoring in the second, when Bonifacio hit his second homer of the season, pulling a line drive to left on a high fastball.

O'Hearn started his power show in the fourth inning, golfing a low, 91 mph fastball out to center field. O'Hearn had fallen behind 0-2 in the count but then worked it to 3-2.

In the sixth, O'Hearn pulled a two-run shot to right. This time, he hit an 83 mph changeup.

Dozier gave Kansas City a 5-0 lead in the eighth with his ninth homer of the year. He pulled his homer to left off a 97 mph fastball by reliever Jon Edwards.

Francisco Lindor spoiled Kansas City's shutout attempt in the ninth with his 30th homer of the season, hitting a first-pitch fastball from reliever Wily Peralta. The Indians then loaded the bases with one out, but rookie reliever Tim Hill came in and got Yandy Diaz to hit a hard grounder that became the game-ending double play for his second career save.

--Field Level Media