CLEVELAND — After two walk-off defeats suffered in heartbreaking fashion the past two days, the Royals lost in a different way Saturday night with a 14-6 blowout loss to the Indians at Progressive Field.
The Royals have seen it too often this first half of the season, a situation when their offense grabs a lead, only to see it given up the next inning and momentum shifted the other way.
It happened in the extreme in the fourth inning Saturday night. After Salvador Perez launched his 21st home run of the season in the top of the frame — a two-run, 418-foot shot to left field — the Indians not only took the lead, but also gave themselves a four-run cushion with a six-run inning off Royals starter Mike Minor.
José Ramírez led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk, and from there, the Indians knocked five hits off Minor before Cesar Hernandez capped off the inning with a three-run home run on a hanging slider that Minor threw for the first pitch.
The Royals fought back with four runs in the sixth and seventh innings combined, but the pitching continued to spiral. Ervin Santana gave up three runs in 1 2/3 innings, and Kyle Zimmer allowed a three-run homer to Oscar Mercado in the seventh — right before Zimmer struck out his brother, Bradley Zimmer, in what was the first time the two faced each other in the Major Leagues.