Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Omar Infante hit a solo shot in the second off Cleveland starter Cody Anderson as the Royals jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in their 9-4 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Hosmer hit his 10th of the year and finished the night with 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. He also extended his hitting streak to ten games.
Kendrys Morales added three RBI to back Edinson Volquez who picked up his 10th win of the year after going seven-plus innings. He was charged with four runs.
Carlos Santana had a solo shot for the Indians and Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer in the seventh off Joe Blanton, who just entered for Volquez after he walked back-to-back hitters, finishing the night with 111 pitches.
Watch Hosmer’s homer (Video/MLB)
Volquez was pitching one day after finding out his friend and former teammate in Cincinnati, Johnny Cueto, would be rejoining him with the Royals after a trade between the two clubs on Sunday. Cueto will join the Royals on Tuesday, and he seems excited to join his new club.
“He’s already got a picture on his phone with his Kansas City uniform on,” said Volquez, who played with Cueto in Cincinnati. “I don’t know where he found it. He texted me and I was like, `Where did you get that picture?’ He said, `I can’t tell you.”
The Royals are a season’s best 22-games over .500 with a 60-38 record and their eight-game lead in the Central Division over Minnesota is the biggest since 1980 when the club then had a season high 20 game lead in late August. That year the Royals won the division by 14 games on their way to a World Series matchup with Philadelphia. Ironically that team was also 60-38 on July 28th.