KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Danny Salazar handled the Royals for the third time this season, the Indians roughed up Kansas City's starter-by-committee and Cleveland rolled to a 7-3 victory Tuesday night to even their three-game series.
Salazar (11-3) allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. His latest starring role against the Royals came after the right-hander tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings in a 7-1 victory in early May and allowed one run over eight innings in a 6-1 win last month.
Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer off Brian Flynn (1-1), and Carlos Santana drove in two runs off long reliever Dillon Gee, as the Indians snapped a five-game skid at Kauffman Stadium.
Francisco Lindor added a solo shot in the ninth for Cleveland.
The Flynn-Gee combo got the call for the Royals in place of ineffective fifth starter Chris Young. Flynn lasted 2 2/3 innings in his first start since August 2014, while Gee went the next 5 1/3 innings.
Then again, Cy Young would have had a tough time matching Salazar on another hot, humid night.
The right-hander didn't allow a runner past first base through the first five innings, striking out Alex Gordon twice along the way. He seemed to falter in the oppressive weather in the sixth, when Salvador Perez drove in a run and Kendrys Morales scored on a wild pitch, but managed to escape the inning.
He gave up a sacrifice fly in the seventh before Kyle Crockett finished the frame.
Salazar pitched with the lead the entire way after Napoli's homer in the first inning, his 21st of the year just skirting inside the left-field foul pole. But the rest of the Indians' offense came from the same kind of small ball that carried the AL Central-rival Royals to the World Series title last season.
They scored a run in the second on a single, a walk and two sacrifices. The division-leaders added three more in the fifth on a double, three singles, a walk and a fielder's choice.
YANKEES 7, ORIOLES 1 Starling Castro hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, Nathan Eovaldi won for the first time since May and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 Tuesday night to move back above .500. Castro homered in the second off Vance Worley (2-1) and hit a two-run double in the sixth against Odrisamer Despaigne. Chase Headley added a two-run homer off Mychal Givens in the eighth. TWINS 6, TIGERS 2 Two outs shy of his first shutout, Tommy Milone finally had to be pulled in the ninth inning. The important thing was that he made it that far. Milone held Detroit scoreless until the ninth in his longest outing in over three years, and the Minnesota Twins broke through with five runs in the seventh in a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
METS 2, CUBS 1 Jeurys Familia escaped a bases-loaded jam with a game-ending double play after Rene Rivera drove in the tiebreaking run with two outs in the top of the ninth, lifting the New York Mets over the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday night. Familia walked Addison Russell and Miguel Montero to start the ninth, then Javier Baez reached on a bunt single when third baseman Jose Reyes threw wide to first. Pinch-hitter Matt Szczur hit a grounder to first baseman James Loney, and Loney threw out Russell at the plate. Kris Bryant then hit into a 5-4-3 double play to give Familia his 33rd save in 33 chances.
DODGERS 8, NATIONALS 4 On the day the Dodgers announced Clayton Kershaw suffered an injury setback, the lineup and starter Scott Kazmir stepped up. Some cramp-curing pickle juice and spicy mustard helped as well. Chase Utley drove in three runs with three hits, including a leadoff homer that quickly spoiled Reynaldo Lopez’s major league debut and sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to a win over Washington.