Royals’ Davies shelled

Indians win, 9-4, thanks to early blows

Cleveland Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta, left, throws to first to complete a double play against the Kansas City Royals. David DeJesus, right, was forced out at second in the Indians' 9-4 victory Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

? Aaron Laffey kept the Kansas City Royals beating the ball into the ground, and the Cleveland Indians came through for him with some run support.

Making his third big-league start, Laffey got 14 groundball outs in six innings, and Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez homered to help Cleveland beat the Royals, 9-4, Saturday night.

The Indians batted around in a five-run first against Kyle Davies before Sizemore led off the second with his 22nd home run. Martinez homered with two outs to make it 7-0.

“It was great to have that cushion going out there in the first inning,” Laffey said. “It was definitely a plus. I kept getting up to give guys high fives coming in the dugout. It makes you a little more comfortable every time a run scores.”

The night before, the Indians mustered only one run for ace C.C. Sabathia, who allowed just two runs in eight innings.

On Saturday night, the Indians turned three double plays behind Laffey, while the outfield made just one putout – Ross Gload flied out to Sizemore with two outs in the eighth – the entire game.

“It’s just a combination of throwing the sinker and being able to throw the changeup behind the sinker, two different speeds and both have late down action on them,” Laffey said. “That really helps to bust guys in and then go away and get them to pound it into the ground. I was really able to throw my changeup for strikes in all counts, that really helped me today. I didn’t have great fastball command.”

The Indians, who lead the Detroit Tigers by 21â2 games in the AL Central, scored three runs or less in 18 of their previous 29 games while hitting just .238.

“It was good the way we came out and to see us put up the type of ABs and hit the ball the way they did,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “Now we’ve got to start putting days together. Our guys up top led us and Kenny (Lofton) did a great job at the bottom of the order, as well as Franklin Gutierrez.”

Laffey (2-1) held the Royals to two runs and eight hits – all singles – to win his second straight start.

“We can’t seem to get one in the gap or over the fence,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said.

Davies (1-2) got roughed up again in his fifth start since the Royals acquired him in a July 31 trade with Atlanta, lasting just two innings and throwing 44 pitches in the first.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever went through that many pitches in the first inning,” Davies said. “I couldn’t throw my curveball over and couldn’t establish the slider or the changeup.”