CLEVELAND _ Carlos Santana is having a career year for the Indians in 2016. On Thursday, the Kansas City Royals felt the full brunt of that, as the Indians dropped their magic number down to four games with a 5-2 win.
Aside from a Jason Kipnis solo home run in the first inning, the rest of the Indians' offensive production came courtesy of Santana.
Kipnis put the Indians on top 1-0 with his 23rd home run of the year off of Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas in the first inning. Santana later in the inning came up to bat with Francisco Lindor on second after he walked and stole second.
Santana first gave the Indians (89-63) a scare when he fouled a ball off his left foot and began limping. Indians manager Terry Francona and a trainer came out to look at Santana. He stayed in the game, and promptly responded by ripping an RBI-double to the gap in right-center field to make it 2-0.
The Royals (77-76) responded in the top of the second against Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger. With Alex Gordon on first, Alcides Escobar drilled a two-run home run to straightaway center field to tie it at 2.
Clevinger spent the next three innings working into and out of trouble. All three times the Royals put the lead-off runner on base and all three times they came away with nothing. The Indians, likewise, struggled to do anything else against Vargas.
In the sixth inning, Santana broke it open. Jason Kipnis was hit on the left wrist with a pitch _ another scare for a team that can ill afford any more injuries _ and Lindor walked. Santana, facing Dillon Gee (7-9, 4.63 ERA), crushed a three-run home run to right field, putting the Indians on top 5-2.
Clevinger lasted five innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks and striking out four. It was a mostly-positive night for a pitcher the Indians might have to lean on in October. Clevinger threw 80 pitches, as he's spent last couple of starts building up his pitch count.
Dan Otero (5-1, 1.49 ERA) worked two scoreless innings in relief of Clevinger. Bryan Shaw worked a scoreless eighth. Cody Allen secured his 29th save of the season.
J.R. Smith, still a free agent, was at the Indians game and received a standing ovation when shown on the scoreboard. He was, in fact, wearing a shirt.
