KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After a harmless groundout in the fourth inning Sunday against Kansas City, Shelley Duncan made a minor adjustment to his swing at the suggestion of Cleveland hitting coach Bruce Fields.

There was nothing harmless about Duncan’s next two trips to the plate.

He pounded a three-run homer into the gusting wind in the sixth inning, and then added a two-run shot in the eighth as Cleveland built a big lead. Duncan’s career-high five RBIs helped the Indians beat the pesky Royals 9-6 and set up a critical three-game series starting Monday against Detroit.

“Both balls were just left over the plate,” said Duncan, who had just four homers and 24 RBIs coming into the game. “It was nice getting that big lead for once. We haven’t done that for a while.”

Asdrubal Cabrera returned to the lineup to drive in two runs, and Jason Donald and Jerad Head also had RBIs for the Indians (70-67), who surpassed their win total from all last season.

Still, they couldn’t gain any ground on the Tigers, who stayed 6 1/2 games ahead of the Indians in the AL Central after crushing the White Sox 18-2 Sunday night.

The Tigers and Indians square off in a three-game series starting today.

“You want to go into that series with a positive outcome here,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “If we don’t take advantage of this series, you can’t be looking at the last three games of the season (also against Detroit), because you might not be there.”

Jeanmar Gomez (2-2) was effective again in his second start since getting recalled from Triple-A Columbus, allowing six hits and only Mike Moustaksas’ RBI groundout in 5 1/3 innings.

The bullpen wasn’t nearly as good.

Eric Hosmer drove in a pair of runs in the ninth inning, and Johnny Giavotella had one of his two RBIs in the ninth as Kansas City tried to rally. Chris Perez came in with a runner on first and got Moustakas and Brayan Pena on weak pop outs for his 32nd save.

Melky Cabrera also drove in a run for Kansas City, but it wasn’t enough to help Jeff Francis (5-15) finally end his home woes. He allowed four runs – all in the first two frames – and nine hits over five shaky innings, and still hasn’t tasted victory at Kauffman Stadium since May 31.

“I tried to make an adjustment and was able to put up at least three zeros,” Francis said. “When you only go five innings, you don’t give the team much of a chance. It was disappointing.”

Francis got in trouble quickly when Kosuke Fukudome doubled with one out in the first. Carlos Santana and Duncan walked to load the bases for Donald, whose single made it 1-0.

Santana was thrown out trying to score on the play by Mitch Maier, the 24th time a Royals outfielder has thrown someone out at home. Only the 1978 Montreal Expos have more outfield assists at the plate (30) in a single season since 1974, when accurate records started being tracked.

Cleveland piled on in the second inning when Jack Hannahan doubled, Lou Marson singled and Head hit an RBI single. After a couple quick outs, including a great stab by Hosmer on a hard-hit ball by Fukudome, Cabrera ripped a two-run double down the left-field line.

Cabrera fouled a pitch off his knee Friday night, causing a colorful bruise that kept him out of the lineup Saturday night. He returned to push his team-leading RBI total to 82, a career best.

“He’s been such a strong player for us all year long,” Duncan said. “He’s a hard one to just plug someone in and have them do what he’s done for us this year.”

The Royals finally scored in the fourth when Hosmer lined a double into the wind, which was whipping up to 27 mph. He came home when Moustakas hit a grounder to third base.

The Indians got some breathing room in the sixth when Ezequiel Carrera and Santana reached base and Duncan pounded a 1-0 pitch from Jesse Chavez into the Royals’ bullpen for a 7-1 lead. The two-out homer to left field was Duncan’s fifth of the season and first since Aug. 5.

Hosmer and Giavotella drove in runs in the seventh for Kansas City, and Moustakas nearly tied the game with a bases-loaded drive that just skirted the foul pole. He eventually flied out to right, and Duncan’s second homer of the game in the eighth restored Cleveland’s six-run cushion.

“Today, Shelley Duncan stepped up, and we need just about every guy to step up with the roster we have right now,” Acta said, referring to his patchwork lineup. “We need heroes every day.”

Notable

Santana turned his right ankle on second base after his double in the fourth. He hopped around and spiked his helmet in frustration, but remained in the game.

• Hannahan left with a strained calf. He’ll be examined again Monday.

• Cleveland stole two bases, one after Francis caught Donald between first and second base but Giavotella whiffed on applying the tag.

• Kansas City heads out on a seven-game trip starting Monday at Oakland. Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1) will take the mound Monday afternoon for Cleveland against Detroit.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Detroit
• TIME: 1:05 p.m.
• WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS: Jimenez (8-10, 4.70 ERA) vs. Fister (6-13, 3.26)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

AL CENTRAL UPDATE

Team              W      L      PCT.     GB
Tigers            78    62    .557     —
Indians         70    67    .511    61⁄2
White Sox    68    69    .496    81⁄2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Cleveland Indians picked a bad time for their offense to go flat.

With little margin for error in the AL Central race, the Indians were held to three hits Saturday night in a 5-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

The loss, coupled with Detroit’s 9-8 comeback win over the Chicago White Sox, puts Cleveland 6 1/2 games back in the division.

The Indians couldn’t solve Royals’ right-hander Luke Hochevar, who allowed just one unearned run over eight innings.

“Hochevar pitched an outstanding ballgame,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “He was as good as we’ve seen him the last two years. He had every one of his pitches working and he dominated our lineup.”

The Indians went on top in the first after an errant pickoff throw by Hochevar allowed Ezequiel Carrera to go from first to third. Carrera scored on Carlos Santana’s sacrifice fly.

But the Indians were blanked the rest of the way and will have to settle for trying to take two of three in the weekend series in today’s finale.

Acta just wants his club to focus on the job at hand and not concern itself with what the Tigers are doing.

“We’re the Indians, we don’t worry about Detroit,” Acta said. “We worry about what we can do. Who cares what Detroit does if we don’t win? We have to take care of our own business.”

Indians starter David Huff (2-3) surrendered a two-run double to Jeff Francoeur in the first and the Royals continued to tack on runs while the Indians’ offense was stuck in neutral.

“We have to start winning or before we know it our season will be over,” Huff said.

Kansas City manager Ned Yost saluted Hochever for shutting down the Cleveland offense.

“His sinker was as good as I’ve ever seen it,” Yost said. “He had tremendous movement to it and used all his pitches effectively tonight. That was a nice job by him.”

Hochevar threw a career-high 117 pitches before Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth.

“The key to it is having a simple approach and a clear approach,” Hochevar said. “You just kind of get out of your own way and let everything you’ve learned and experienced take over.”

Following Francoeur’s two-run double in the first, Kansas City kept pecking away.

Alex Gordon added a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the second, Billy Butler doubled in a run in the fifth and Johnny Giavotella capped the scoring with his second homer in the sixth. That was plenty of offense for Hochevar.

“(Hochevar) was working fast and keeping us on our toes out there,” Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “It seemed like we were on offense most of the game. It was his night and he threw a great game.”

Notable

The Indians kept SS Asdrubal Cabrera (left knee contusion) out of the lineup, but Acta expects him back for the final game of the weekend series. “I’m very confident he’ll be able to play (Sunday),” Acta said.
• Indians OF Grady Sizemore, battling back from a right knee injury, was scheduled to play nine innings for Triple-A Columbus on Saturday. Acta hasn’t ruled out the possibility that Sizemore could rejoin the Indians sometime next week.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland at Kansas City
• TIME: 2:10 p.m.
• WHERE: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
• PITCHERS: Gomez (1-2, 4.55 ERA) vs. Francis (5-14, 4.64)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

AL CENTRAL UPDATE

Team                   W       L      PCT.    GB
Tigers                  77    62    .544       —
Indians                69    67    .507      61⁄2
White Sox          68    68    .500      ½½½71⁄2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With just under four weeks remaining, the Cleveland Indians continue to hang around in the AL Central.

Justin Masterson worked seven strong innings, and Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Donald homered to lift the Indians to a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Masterson (11-8) allowed seven hits and four runs as the Indians (69-66) equaled last year’s win total and remained 5½ games behind first-place Detroit in the division.

The longer Cleveland stays close to the Tigers, the more exciting Masterson figures it’s going to be.

“Why not? You’re here, you’re playing,” he said. “There’s a lot of good things going on right now. It’s going to be fun as we continue on, especially with as many games as we have left in the division.”

The Indians jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but had to hang on after Masterson departed with Cleveland up by a run. Vinnie Pestano came on after Kansas City scored in three consecutive innings and stopped the Royals cold with a perfect eighth.

Closer Chris Perez got Kansas City in order in the ninth for his 31st save.

“Masterson threw the ball well, but those guys have a very good lineup,” Indians manager Manny Acta said of the Royals. “You can’t fall asleep or they’ll put some runs up on you right away. Our bullpen was clutch again.”

Acta was particularly impressed with Pestano, who struck out both Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur in a 1-2-3 eighth.

“Just a tremendous inning,” Acta said. “When you have a one-run lead and you have to go through Butler, (Eric) Hosmer and Francoeur, that’s a pivotal inning.”

Pestano has allowed just one run over his last 16 outings. The right-hander knew he needed to be sharp to hold off the heart of the Kansas City order.

“You’re dog-paddling in the water, hoping to keep your head up,” Pestano said.

Royals starter Bruce Chen (10-6) gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings. When Masterson and Chen matched up in Cleveland last Sunday, it was Chen who had the upper hand in a 2-1 Kansas City victory.

Not this time.

The Indians went to work in the first, producing two runs on three hits. Carlos Santana’s run-scoring double and an RBI single by Jim Thome put the Royals in an early hole.

Cleveland struck again in the third against Chen, who was 5-1 in six August starts. A leadoff single by Kosuke Fukudome and Cabrera’s two-run homer that barely eluded the outstretched glove of a leaping Alex Gordon in left staked Masterson to a 4-0 lead.

Cabrera fouled a pitch off his left knee early in his at-bat and hobbled out of the batter’s box. He homered shortly after that but left the game favoring his knee in the bottom half when he had trouble moving laterally in the field on a grounder.

Donald homered in the fourth before the Royals made a bid to climb out of a five-run hole. Kansas City used a run-scoring single by Alcides Escobar in the fifth and a sacrifice fly by Hosmer in the sixth to close to 5-2.

The Royals applied more pressure in the seventh when Alex Gordon launched a two-run homer to straightaway center.

“You can’t give Masterson a five-run lead,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “When Masterson gets you through seven, they have Pestano and Perez to come in (and) it’s a tall order.”

Notable

Acta said the club is still weighing options regarding right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who has been on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation. In response to a Venezuelan newspaper report in which Indians minor leaguer Hector Rondon said his countryman Carrasco might need Tommy John surgery, Acta said: “As far as I know, we’re still gathering information and different opinions on Carrasco. We haven’t made the decision just yet.”

TONIGHT

• WHO: Cleveland at Kansas City
• TIME: 7:10
• WHERE: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
• PITCHERS: Huff (2-2, 2.08 ERA) vs. Hochevar (9-10, 4.97)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

CLEVELAND — Thanks to a depleted bullpen from a 16-inning marathon the night before, the Indians made a flurry of moves prior to their afternoon affair with Oakland on Thursday.

On the first day that major league rosters could expand to 40 players, the Indians recalled pitchers Corey Kluber and Nick Hagadone from Triple-A Columbus. Because Hagadone had not been back in the minors for the required 10 days after being sent down, the Indians had to place a player on the disabled list for the right-hander to return.

The victim was right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who has been sidelined by a left oblique injury, and was still close to two weeks away from returning.

“The fastest Choo could have made it back was a day or two before we expected,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “It wasn’t worth taking the risk with our bullpen. It was the right move.”

The Indians are also expected to recall right-handed reliever Josh Judy from Columbus today to join them for their three-game series at Kansas City.

Thanks to the lopsided score and taxed bullpen, Hagadone and Kluber made their big league debuts Thursday, both under unusual circumstances.

Hagadone relieved starter Fausto Carmona with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh inning and retired all three batters he faced before allowing a pair of runs in the eighth.
Kluber, a career starter, followed Hagadone to make his first relief appearance of the season, allowing two hits and striking out two in 1 1⁄3 innings.

“(Hagadone) really showed a good heartbeat today,” Acta said. “That was impressive. It was a good start for them and it gave the bullpen some rest.”

Hagadone, a hard-throwing left-hander acquired in a trade with Boston for Victor Martinez in 2009, is a combined 6-4 with a 2.83 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 54 games (70 innings) for Columbus and Double-A Akron.

Kluber, acquired from San Diego last year in a three-team trade that sent Jake Westbrook to St. Louis, is 7-10 with a 5.65 ERA in 26 starts for Columbus.

Center it

Grady Sizemore (right knee) was expected to continue his rehab assignment with Akron on Thursday, playing six innings in center field.

Sizemore went 0-for-3 as the Aeros’ designated hitter in his rehab debut Wednesday.

Scuffling shortstop

As the Indians pull into a pivotal final month of the season, All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is slumping.

Cabrera, who is tied with Carlos Santana for the team lead in homers (21) and leads the club with 78 RBIs, is batting just .151 (8-for-53) over his last 13 games. He is hitting .259 (58-for-224) in 57 games since June 26.

Next up

Justin Masterson (10-8, 2.83 ERA) opens the series against the Royals tonight (8:10), opposing LHP Bruce Chen (10-5, 3.94), while David Huff (2-2, 2.08) goes for the Indians on Saturday (7:10 p.m.) against RHP Luke Hochevar (9-10, 4.97).

Jeanmar Gomez (1-2, 4.55) starts the series finale Sunday (2:10 p.m.), the Royals countering with LHP Jeff Francis (5-14, 4.64).

Rehabbing Rondon

One time prized pitching prospect, right-hander Hector Rondon, began a rehab assignment with Class A Mahoning Valley on Wednesday, allowing a run on two hits and striking out one in two innings of the Scrappers’ 6-2 loss to Williamsport.

Rondon, 23, was Cleveland’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2009 before elbow problems in 2010 led to Tommy John surgery last Aug. 25.

Minor details

Columbus first baseman Beau Mills had a big game Wednesday in a 12-4 win at Louisville. Cleveland’s first-round draft pick in 2007 went 4-for-5 with his sixth home run, a double, two runs and an RBI. He began the season at Akron and entered Thursday batting .250 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 33 games since his promotion.

It’s been a rough first full professional season for outfielder LeVon Washington but he had a positive night Wednesday in Class A Lake County’s 7-3 loss to West Michigan, going 2-for-5 with a triple. He is batting just .209 with three homers, 18 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 74 games for the Captains.

Roundin’ third

• The 16 innings Cleveland and Oakland played Wednesday accounted for the second-longest game at Progressive Field and equaled the longest game in the majors.
• The win Wednesday was the Indians’ 33rd comeback victory of the season, which ranked second in the American League to Boston’s 37. It was Cleveland’s 11th walk-off win and 22nd in its last at-bat. The 22 last-at-bat wins were tied with Atlanta for the most in the majors through Wednesday.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.