Indians 19, Royals 1
Grady Sizemore would have loved to be a part of this.
On the night Sizemore went on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised right knee, the Cleveland Indians had a season-high 20 hits and scored 10 runs in the fourth inning en route to a 19-1 pounding of the Kansas City Royals.
Michael Brantley's three-run homer and Travis Hafner's bases-loaded double keyed Cleveland's 10-run fourth inning off Vin Mazzaro, the third Royals pitcher on the night. Brantley and Matt LaPorta each had four RBIs in the Indians' biggest offensive outburst since scoring 22 runs at New York on April 18, 2009. Hafner and Orlando Cabrera each had three RBIs.
''We have Cabrera and Hafner and LaPorta, guys who can see a ton of pitches,'' Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. ''On one of those days that the pitcher's not on his game, these guys can wear them out pretty quick and that's how things snowballed.''
Mazzaro gave up four more runs in the fifth. He was charged with 14 runs on 11 hits in 2 1-3 innings, becoming the third major league pitcher since 1947 to allow 14 runs in a game, according to STATS LLC.
LaPorta reached base five times with a walk and four hits.
''Everybody seemed to have somebody on base when they came up to the plate,'' Acta said. ''That's what happened today.''
The Indians added another run in the second on an RBI single by Brantley, who set a career high with his four RBIs.
''Michael is a good player, man,'' Acta said.
Asdrubal Cabrera's RBI single got the Indians rolling in the fourth. Mazzaro then issued Carlos Santana's third walk of the game, and walk No. 7 on the night for the Indians, which loaded the bases.
Hafner then hammered a three-run double into left-center. Orlando Cabrera followed with an RBI single, then Travis Buck singled and LaPorta hit a two-run double that made it 10-0. After Jack Hannahan singled, Brantley hit a 1-1 pitch for a three-run home run and a 13-0 Cleveland lead.
The Indians, who were coming off back-to-back rainouts, sent 13 men to the plate in the fourth. For the game, they had a season-high 20 hits, including seven doubles, and drew eight walks.
In the fifth, Buck had an RBI single, LaPorta added a second two-run double and Hannahan brought in a run with an infield out.
''He had a big game. He has made a lot of progress,'' Acta said of LaPorta. ''We talk to him once in a while and that's what we want: consistency. All he needs to do is use the whole field. He's got the ability to hit a good fastball and he showed it today. You can't teach that. It's just about continuing to have some consistency and discipline at the plate.''
Mazzaro erased the Royals' record of 11 runs allowed in a game, which had been done three times.
After the game, the Royals announced that Mazzaro was going back to Omaha and left-hander Everrett Teaford was being recalled.
''I don't know if it's because he's not trusting his stuff or if he's just struggling with command,'' Royals manager Ned Yost said. ''I think it's more the latter than trusting his stuff. Whatever it is, he's got to throw more strikes.''
Starter Kyle Davies (1-6) left after walking the bases full in the first inning and retiring only one batter. The Royals said later that he would have an MRI for soreness in the front of his right shoulder. He was charged with two runs after Nate Adcock gave up a two-run single to Orlando Cabrera.
Josh Tomlin (5-1) got the win, going six innings and giving up five hits and one run, on Billy Butler's infield out in the fourth.
According to STATS LLC, the last pitcher to give up 10 runs in an inning was Texas' Scott Feldman against the Red Sox on Aug. 12, 2008, although not all the runs were earned. Before Mazzaro, the only pitchers since 1947 to get clobbered for 14 runs were Milwaukee's Bill Travers against Cleveland on Aug. 14, 1977, and Oakland's Mike Oquist on Aug. 3, 1998, against the Yankees.
Notes: The Indians are in the unusual position of playing a pair of two-game series on a four-game road trip. After two in KC, they'll fly to Chicago for two with the White Sox before returning home. ... It was LaPorta's second four-hit game. The other was Aug. 29, 2009, at Baltimore. ... The last Royals pitcher to give up 11 runs was Brian Bannister on June 12, 2010, against Cincinnati. ... The Indians also scored 10 runs in the fourth inning on April 8 at Seattle.