Salvador Perez lifts Royals to 3-2 victory over Indians with eighth-inning homer

Salvador Perez took one step down the first-base line and gazed up into the night, admiring his work as a baseball soared toward the seats in left-center field. One step was followed by another, and then another, an easy walk turning into a trot as the Royals’ dugout erupted and the noise echoed off the concrete inside Kauffman Stadium.

For a moment on Tuesday night, it appeared the Royals’ latest winning streak would die at three games. And then Perez roped a two-run shot against Indians reliever Bryan Shaw in the bottom of the eighth inning, delivering a 3-2 victory in front of a crowd of 29,293.

“We play hard to the last out,” Perez said. “Until the 27th out, we never know what’s gonna happen.”

The homer — Perez’s 10th of the season — pulled the Royals to 34–30 on the season and to just one game out of first place after two straight victories over the first-place Cleveland Indians, who dropped to 35-29.

Kansas City clinched a series victory and can complete a sweep tonight. A season of turbulent streaks and wild emotional swings continued on a muggy night at Kauffman Stadium. There was a six-game winning streak at Kauffman Stadium, and then an eight-game skid on the road. Now the latest streak is at four, with the Royals improving to 21-7 in their home park.

“Salvy came up with a huge swing,” Royals starter Chris Young said.

For close to eight innings, the Royals could not secure a clutch hit against against Indians starter Josh Tomlin, leaving runners on base and opportunities untapped. In the eighth, they received new life after third baseman Jose Ramirez could not handle a chopper from the bat of Eric Hosmer. The play was scored a hit, and it set up a two-out opportunity for Perez after Lorenzo Cain struck out.

Perez saw one pitch — a 95-mph cutter — and took a violent hack. The ball jumped off the bat and landed in the seats in front of the fountains in left-center field.

“I think he tried to go in,” Perez said. “He just missed it a little inside … and I hit it pretty good.”

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The Royals had scored their first run on a solo homer from Whit Merrifield in the bottom of the third. The blast had marked 11 straight solo home runs for the Royals, dating back to a series in Cleveland in early June. Perez finally broke the streak — and it came at the perfect time.

“It’s a one-run game,” Yost said. “If we can get a guy on base. Maybe we can catch some lightning here.”

The lightning appeared, and with a one-run lead, Yost handed the game to Joakim Soria, who recorded two outs in the eighth and notched the win. Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Luke Hochevar were unavailable after heavy workloads in recent days.

“We’re athletes,” Soria said. “And I knew it was a possibility to throw one-plus, and it happens. I just feel good that we have this win.”

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Tomlin, the Indians’ starter, had allowed just one run in seven innings. The performance bested Young, who allowed two runs in 4  1/3 innings.

The second run came across in the bottom of the fifth, after another miscommunication between third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert and Perez. With a runner on first base, Santana lifted a foul ball along the third-base line. Perez settled under the ball, then appeared to move out of the way at the last moment as Cuthbert came into the picture.

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It is worth pointing out here, of course, that Cuthbert had taken out Perez on a similar play earlier this season, leaving the catcher sidelined for six days with a quadriceps contusion. This time, there was no collision. But with an extra out, the Indians manufactured another run against Young and reliever Dillon Gee.

The Royals had knotted the game at 1-1 on Merrifield’s solo homer in the bottom of the third inning. In the process, Merrifield became the first Royals rookie to homer in consecutive games since Mike Moustakas in 2012.

For another night, he sparkled with his bat and his glove.

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In the top of the first, Merrifield turned a double play while picking a low throw from Cuthbert. He ended the top of the fifth in similar fashion, making a quick turn after a solid defensive play from Alcides Escobar in the hole.

“Phenomenal,” Yost said.

The defense and the bullpen kept the Royals in the game. Perez delivered a victory with one swing in the eighth.

“He got a cutter, and he barreled it,” Yost said. “That was a huge hit for us.”

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Royals 3, Indians 2

1-ran for Santana in the 9th.

LOB: Cleveland 9, Kansas City 6. 2B: Lindor (13), Perez (13). HR: Santana (13), off Young; Merrifield (2), off Tomlin; Perez (10), off Shaw. RBIs: Santana (33), Kipnis (33), Merrifield (7), Perez 2 (29). SB: Naquin (1), Davis 2 (17). CS: Lindor (2). S: Cuthbert.

Runners left in scoring position: Cleveland 5 (Kipnis, Napoli, Chisenhall, Davis 2); Kansas City 4 (Merrifield, Morales 2, Cuthbert). RISP: Cleveland 1 for 8; Kansas City 0 for 4. Runners moved up: Dyson. GIDP: Napoli, Gomes. DP: Kansas City 2 (Cuthbert, Merrifield, Hosmer), (Escobar, Merrifield, Hosmer).

Inherited runners-scored: Gee 2-1, Soria 2-0.

Umpires: Home, Jim Wolf; First, Ramon De Jesus; Second, Gary Cederstrom; Third, Eric Cooper. Time: 2:55. Att: 29,293.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 10:24 PM with the headline "Salvador Perez lifts Royals to 3-2 victory over Indians with eighth-inning homer."