Cleveland ? Kansas City manager Tony Pena is in no rush to find a cure for his flu-ridden Royals.

The Royals became the first team in 13 years to begin the season with eight straight wins, beating Cleveland, 1-0, Friday night behind seven sharp innings from Runelvys Hernandez.

“Sure, let’s keep it going,” Pena said when asked if he wouldn’t mind the flu bug lingering as long as the Royals kept winning.

“We started the game with 16 guys sick, Mike Sweeney got it during the game and our closer was sick in the bullpen. That’s 18.”

Rookie Mike MacDougal made it 6-for-6 on save chances as the surprising Royals extended the best start in team history.

The last major league club to start 8-0 was the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, who went on to win the World Series.

Hernandez (3-0) allowed seven hits, struck out four, and lowered his ERA to 0.45. Jason Grimsley pitched a perfect eighth.

Shane Spencer opened the Indians’ ninth against MacDougal by hitting a drive over the head and off the glove of right fielder Desi Relaford. But Spencer was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

“I was mad that it tipped off my glove and just picked it up and threw it as hard as I could,” Relaford said. “I just tried to keep it on line and got a couple nice bounces.

“When I saw the umpire make the call, (center fielder) Michael Tucker and I were doing high-fives. It was like we were Little Leaguers again, it was so much fun.”

MacDougal, who vomited moments earlier, felt miserable in the bullpen.

“How about that throw? Unbelievable!” he said. “Now, I’m feeling good.”

Pena thought Spencer took a good gamble against Relaford, who plays primarily in the infield. Indians manager Eric Wedge was not so sure.

“Shane was being aggressive, but with nobody out, he probably should have stayed at second,” Wedge said.

Kansas City scratched out the only run in the fifth against Jake Westbrook (0-2). Dee Brown drew a leadoff walk and advanced on a groundout. After another groundout, Angel Berroa singled to center and Brown just beat Milton Bradley’s throw home, which got past catcher Tim Laker.

Westbrook, who had not pitched since losing the season opener in relief on March 31, allowed one run and three hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out three, walked one and got 10 groundball outs.

The Indians put the first batter on base in three innings against Hernandez, but each time he shut them down.

“I’m not surprised,” Pena said. “He’s got four good pitches, and he’s not afraid to use them at any time.”

The right-hander got Omar Vizquel to hit into a double play in the first and retired the last two batters with two on in the fourth.

Cleveland’s best chance came in the fifth. Laker hit a one-out double and went to third on a single by John McDonald. Hernandez then got Bradley to pop to second and Vizquel to fly out.

The Royals, who made four of their five errors this season during a 4-2 win Thursday in Detroit, turned in several other good plays.

With a runner on first in the third, Tucker made an over-the-shoulder catch near the warning track on a drive hit by McDonald.

In the fifth, second baseman Carlos Febles fielded a sharp grounder by Travis Hafner near the bag and shoveled it with his glove to Berroa at shortstop, who had the better angle for the throw to first.

“We’re finding ways to win,” Relaford said. “That’s a characteristic of a good team.”

Notes: Only three umpires worked the game after crew chief Mike Reilly became ill before the start. … Royals starters have a 2.43 ERA this season. … The Royals are 3-0 on the road after going 25-56 away from home last year. … Indians OF Matt Lawton snapped an 0-for-16 streak with a sixth-inning single, but is hitting .097 (3-for-31). … Cleveland has batted .163 (17-for-104) after the sixth inning this season. … The Royals’ last 1-0 win also was against Cleveland on Sept. 27, 1997.