CLEVELAND — Rookie Ryan Merritt pitched a career-high 6 2/3 innings and the Cleveland Indians recorded their AL-leading 13th shutout with a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Merritt (1-0) was called up from Triple-A Columbus before the game to take the injured Danny Salazar’s spot in the rotation. The 25-year-old left-hander scattered seven hits for his second career win, both coming against Kansas City.
Three relievers finished the eight-hitter for the AL Central leaders.
Kansas City left-hander Jason Vargas (14-8) allowed four runs in five innings. He has dropped four of his five August starts.
Francisco Lindor hit a two-run drive in the fifth for his 23rd homer of the season. Cleveland also scored twice in the second on Giovanny Urshela’s double and Austin Jackson’s single.
Merritt retired the first two hitters in the seventh in his third major league start of the season, but was pulled after walking Cheslor Cuthbert and giving up a single to Alex Gordon. Joe Smith retired Whit Merrifield on a line drive to right.
Merritt made four regular-season appearances last season and is best remembered for his performance in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto. He pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the win that put the Indians in the World Series.
Merritt’s performance bailed out Cleveland’s injury-ravaged rotation. Fans were so appreciative that they helped fill the registry for his wedding that took place in the offseason.
Third-place Kansas City fell to seven games out in the division. Catcher Salvador Perez, who was out for two weeks with a right intercostal strain, was checked by a team trainer after a fourth-inning single but remained in the game.
ORIOLES 16, RED SOX 3 Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis had home runs, and the Baltimore Orioles used a seven-run fifth inning to power past the Boston Red Sox. The 16 runs is a season-high for the Orioles, who have won three out their last four as they try to stay in the mix for one of the American League’s wild-card spots. Trey Mancini led Baltimore with four RBIs. Jeremy Hellickson (8-7) allowed four hits and three runs over seven innings to pick up his second win in an Orioles uniform.
TWINS 6, BLUE JAYS 1 Bartolo Colon pitched 6 2/3 innings for his second straight win, Byron Buxton had three hits and two RBIs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays. Joe Mauer had three hits and scored twice as Minnesota snapped a seven-game losing streak north of the border. The Twins had not won in Toronto since June 11, 2014.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILLIES 7, CUBS 1 Rhys Hoskins hit another homer and Cesar Hernandez ripped a three-run triple to back Jerad Eickhoff, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs. Called up from the minors too late to get a nickname on the back of his uniform for Players Weekend, Hoskins has put on a tremendous power display. He has nine homers and 21 RBIs in 16 games. No player in major league history has reached nine homers that quickly, according to MLB.com.
INTERLEAGUE
RAYS 7, CARDINALS 3 Corey Dickerson had four hits, including two doubles, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits and two RBIs, helping Tampa Bay to its fourth win in five games. Steven Souza Jr. hit his 28th homer, Kevin Kiermaier also drove in two runs and the Rays finished with 16 hits.