Cleveland ? Jose Lima is making the most of this opportunity.

The resurgent right-hander stopped the Cleveland Indians for seven innings Thursday night, helping the Kansas City Royals win 4-1 for a three-game sweep.

“To see ‘Jose Lima, winning pitcher’ up there on the board just feels great,” said Lima (2-0). “I’m with a winning team and I feel like ‘Wow, I must be doing something right.'”

“Lima Time never left, it just went into hiding,” he said. “I am more mature. I used to dance when I pitched. Now I know a second opportunity does not happen often.”

The 30-year-old right-hander allowed five hits and one run in his third start since being signed June 11. He had gone 6-1 with a 2.33 ERA for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League before that.

The Royals retained first place in the AL Central, but did so with leading hitter Mike Sweeney back home in Kansas City. The first baseman was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the game because of tightness in his upper back.

“Hopefully, Mike won’t be out long because he means so much to us in every aspect,” said rookie outfielder Aaron Guiel, who helped fill the void by hitting a two-run homer and scoring twice.

The Royals improved to 24-6 within their division and won for the 10th time in 13 games.

“We’re not getting funny breaks or lucky, but things are going our way,” Guiel said. “We’re just playing solid baseball and I want to contribute.”

Kansas City's Aaron Guiel, right, gets a high-10 from Carlos Febles. The Royals won, 4-1, Thursday in Cleveland.

Lima beat the Indians for the first time. He had been 0-5 with a 10.55 ERA in seven appearances, including four starts, against Cleveland.

“They were showing that 10-point whatever on the scoreboard,” Lima said. “That was against the old big machine here when they had (Albert) Belle and (Sandy) Alomar and everybody.”

Les Walrond, a Kansas University product recalled before the game from Triple-A Omaha, pitched the eighth and Mike MacDougal worked the ninth for his 19th save in 24 chances.

The Indians loaded the bases with none out in the fourth, but did not score. Jody Gerut singled and went to third on a double off the wall in left by Milton Bradley. Ben Broussard then walked.

But Casey Blake popped weakly to right and Josh Bard hit a similar pop to center — and neither were deep enough to score Gerut. When John McDonald grounded back to Lima, the restless fans booed.

“Make no mistake about it, we have to do a better job offensively,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “There are no excuses. What we are doing is unacceptable.”

¢ 6Sports video: Royals in first place by a game

The fourth-inning flop made the Indians 2-for-24 (.083) with runners in scoring position in the series and gave Cleveland a .211 average (12-for-57) with the bases loaded this season.

“Right now, any pitcher in the league has to be salivating to get a chance at our lineup,” Bradley said.

Kansas City scored in the first off Ricardo Rodriguez (3-8), who was activated off the disabled list before the game.

Rodriguez hit the first batter he faced, Guiel, who advanced on a one-out single by Carlos Beltran and scored on a single by Raul Ibanez.

Guiel followed a two-out single by Carlos Febles in the fifth, by hitting a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right-center for his second homer and 3-0 lead.

A sacrifice fly by McDonald made it 3-1 in the Indians’ seventh.

A run-scoring single by Michael Tucker off reliever Jason Boyd in the eighth made it 4-1.

Rodriguez gave up three runs and five hits over six innings in his first outing since leaving a June 8 start in Arizona because of a strained right triceps. The right-hander struck out four without issuing a walk as the Indians dropped to 1-8 against Kansas City this season and lost for the fifth time in six games overall.

Notes: Cleveland fell to 6-27 against teams with .500 records or above. … The Indians’ season-high homerless streak reached six games. … Indians OF Matt Lawton was booed after striking out on a pitch that went to the backstop to end the third. Instead of running to first base, he walked away from the plate, slowly taking off his batting gloves as Royals C Brent Mayne recovered the ball and threw to first to complete the putout. … The Royals are 6-1 this season at Jacobs Field. The six wins are their most ever in one season in Cleveland.