Kansas City Royals

Hosmer drives in 4 as Royals roll over Indians

Published Jul. 27, 2015 10:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Eric Hosmer drove in four runs, Kendrys Morales added three RBIs and the Kansas City Royals opened a 10-game road trip with a 9-4 victory over the spiraling Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Hosmer connected for a three-run homer in the first inning off rookie Cody Anderson (2-2) as the Royals rolled to their AL-leading 60th win and improved to 15-5 in their last 20 games.

Edinson Volquez (10-5) worked into the seventh inning for Kansas City, which will welcome newly acquired ace Johnny Cueto on Tuesday.

Rookie Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer and Carlos Santana had a solo shot for the Indians, who have dropped five straight.

Before landing Cueto in a trade from Cincinnati, Volquez was as close as the Royals had to a top-tier starter. The right-hander is 8-2 in his last 14 starts and 19-6 since June 20 of last season. He allowed three runs and six hits, getting pulled after allowing two walks to open the seventh.

Joe Blanton gave up Lindor's homer, but worked three innings for his second save.

The Indians have lost seven in a row at home, and haven't had the lead while being outscored 35-9 during this current seven-game homestand.

After being swept in four straight by the White Sox and falling into last in the Central, Indians manager Terry Francona held a lengthy closed-door meeting Sunday during which players aired their frustrations about a season slipping away. All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis said the one of the team's problems was a lack of accountability.

On Monday, Kipnis clarified he was not referring to his manager.

"That comment had nothing with Tito," Kipnis said. "Tito is our manager -- he's not a baby sitter."

Riding the momentum of their deal for Cueto, the Royals wasted no time getting to Anderson, who was coming off his shortest outing this season.

Mike Moustakas singled with one out in the first, Lorenzo Cain walked and Hosmer, who is batting .390 (16 of 41) with four homers and 17 RBIs against Cleveland this season, followed with a 421-foot homer to left-center to make it 3-0 -- hardly the start the Indians wanted after their embarrassing weekend.

Kansas City made it 4-0 in the second when Omar Infante connected for his first homer in 336 at-bats this season.

Anderson responded by hitting Jarrod Dyson in the leg with his next pitch, prompting plate umpire Lance Barksdale to issue a warning to both dugouts. Several Royals players standing on the step hollered in Anderson's direction.

Santana got a run back in the second with his 11th homer, a 433-foot blast to center that cleared a row of shrubs.

But the Royals added three runs in the fifth on Hosmer's RBI single and a two-run double by Morales, who has 11 RBIs against Cleveland in 2015.