Kansas City, Mo. ? At last the Kansas City Royals have a victory from a starting pitcher.

Jeremy Affeldt pitched into the sixth inning to pick up the first victory by a Kansas City starter this season, and the Royals beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-1, on Sunday.

Affeldt, who held the Indians to four hits and one run in 51â3 innings, became the first Royals starter to earn a win since J.P. Howell on Sept. 26. Kansas City starters were 0-9 with a 6.25 earned-run average this season before Sunday.

“It was bound to happen one of these days,” Affeldt said. “I don’t think any of the starters cared if we get a victory or not, we just want to go home feeling like a winner. Today is a product of playing good defense, we had a lead early, we held the lead and I just happened to be on the winning end.”

Affeldt picked up his first victory as a starter since July 23, 2003. He spent all of last season in the bullpen and most of 2004.

“I’ve had a lot of losses since then,” Affeldt said. “It’s about time I turned it around and got a win out of it.”

Affeldt (1-2) threw 94 pitches, walked two and struck out a season-high six.

In his previous start, Affeldt held the Chicago White Sox to four hits and three unearned runs, in six innings, but was charged with the loss.

“He pitched as well today as he did in Chicago,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said. “It’s a big lift for us. Those last two teams he’s faced are not slouches. His tempo was outstanding. I like his tempo. Last year, his tempo was slow.”

Said Affeldt, “I’m working a little bit quicker. I worked pretty quick the first two games, but when you throw a lot of balls it seems you work slower. I changed that, and I’m throwing more strikes.”

Kansas City Royals shortsop Angel Berroa, right, is congratulated by third baseman Tone Graffanino following a game-ending double play against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, April 23, 2006, in Kansas City, Mo. The royals won the baseball game 5-1.

Kansas City beat Cleveland, 11-5, on Saturday night to snap an 11-game losing streak.

“It’s a streak for us,” Tony Graffanino said. “We’ll take it right now after losing all those ball games. We feel like a winning ball club again.”

Ronnie Belliard homered with one out in the second inning for the Indians. Bell said in the past after Affeldt gave up “something like that, it bothered him.”

“It seemed like he got better after that today,” Bell said.

The Royals scored three runs in the bottom half. John Buck doubled in a run, and Esteban German singled home Angel Berroa, who went 4-for-4. Emil Brown scored the first run of the inning on Belliard’s throwing error.

“Affeldt was outstanding,” said Berroa, who went 8-for-12 in the series to raise his average to .317. “He was unbelievable.”

Berroa and Tony Graffanino had back-to-back doubles in the fourth to make it 4-1. Graffanino, who had three hits, singled home Brown in the eighth.

Indians right-hander Jason Johnson (2-1) allowed four runs and nine hits with one walk in six innings. Johnson lost for only the second time in seven decisions against the Royals, covering 13 career starts.

The bottom four of the Royals’ lineup – Berroa, Graffanino, German and Buck – had nine hits, four RBIs and scored three runs.

The Royals won two of three from Cleveland for the first time since April 30-May 1, 2005.