KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Royals lost 3-2 to the Indians on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Royals rookie Trevor Oaks, recalled from Class AAA Omaha to make a spot start in place of the injured Ian Kennedy, allowed three runs on a pair of sacrifice flies and a Michael Brantley double. Oaks struggled to locate his sinker early and issued four walks in four innings.
The Royals tried on multiple occasions to bail Oaks out. They executed a two-out double steal that allowed Alex Gordon to steal home in the second inning and score the Royals' first run of the game. They hadn't successfully stolen home since Alex Rios did it nearly three years ago on July 20, 2015.
With Drew Butera in an 0-2 count, Hunter Dozier broke for second base, baiting a throw from Indians catcher Roberto Perez. Dozier stopped halfway to the bag to trick second baseman Jason Kipnis into a rundown. Yet as Dozier scooted back to first base and Kipnis did a few double-takes over his shoulder, Gordon darted a few feet up and down the third base line before finally committing to his break.
Kipnis fired an off-target throw to third baseman Jose Ramirez, who fell into foul territory as he rushed to make a transfer. When Perez finally got the ball back, Gordon was diving into the plate. Gordon's right hand swiped the corner right before the ball fell out of Perez's glove in his haste to apply the tag.
The Royals cut their deficit to 3-2 in the fifth on Whit Merrifield's sacrifice fly ball to right field. Alcides Escobar, who logged a hit in consecutive games for the first time since he hit in six straight from May 29-June 4, had reached third base after Butera poked a fastball through the right side of the infield.
Rosell Herrera drew a walk to keep the inning, but Salvador Perez struck out on a pitch that bounced in front of home plate to end the threat.
Despite Merrifield leading off the eighth with a double and Gordon ripping his own two-base knock in the ninth, the Royals failed to scratch across another run.
The Royals, who dropped to 25-61, host the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox for a three-game series that begins Friday night.
