CLEVELAND _ An extended scoring drought was dragging on and the Indians were having to bite, claw and scratch for any sign of offensive productivity. Then, with one great swing, they were celebrating in the cold.
On a day that came with the coldest first-pitch in Progressive Field history _ 32 degrees _ the Indians came back Sunday to tie the Kansas City Royals 1-1 in the eighth and won 3-1 on Yan Gomes' walk-off home run in the ninth.
With a runner on first and Royals reliever Brandon Maurer on the mound, Gomes drilled a towering home run to left field that just cleared the 19-foot wall, sending a nearly frost-bitten crowd home happy.
The Indians (4-5) somehow manufactured their first run in 24 innings in the eighth, and they did it despite essentially not hitting a ball past the pitcher's mound.
Bradley Zimmer walked to open the inning with Royals reliever Justin Grimm on the mound. Zimmer then stole second base to put the tying run in scoring position with nobody out.
Despite being up 2-0 in the count, Francisco Lindor laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Zimmer at third with one out. With Zimmer holding at third, Jason Kipnis dribbled a ball back to Grimm, but the throw was errant enough to pull Whit Merrifield off the base to put runners on the corners.
That brought up Jose Ramirez, who looked like he accidentally got the run home. On a defensive check swing on an inside pitch, Ramirez tapped a ball down the third-base line that ended up in the right spot to score Zimmer and tie it at 1.
The run snapped the Indians' 23-inning scoring drought, the longest since they went 24 innings without a run from Aug. 26-29, 2012. And all it took was a walk, a bunt, a dribbler and a check swing.
Mike Clevinger turned in one of the better starts of his career. He lasted 7 1/3 innings, allowed one run on nine hits and struck out four. The lone Royals run came with a scare.
With a runner on first in the fifth inning, Jon Jay drilled a ball to deep center field. Zimmer tracked it but couldn't haul it in. He also slammed into the wall and was a bit slow to get up. Indians manager Terry Francona and a trainer checked on him, and he remained in the game.
Two innings prior, Zimmer flashed his arm strength, among the best in the league for an outfielder, to keep it a scoreless tie. Mike Moustakas singled up the middle with two outs and Jay, who was on second base, rounded third. Zimmer delivered a strike to Gomes, who applied the tag.
