KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have six games remaining with Cleveland. Maybe they will figure out how to get out Carlos Santana before they meet again in late August.
Santana hit two more home runs, giving him six in six games, and the Indians beat Kansas City 10-3 Sunday to end the Royals’ winning streak at five.
Santana became the first opposing player to hit five home runs in a series against the Royals in franchise history.
How do the Royals get him out?
“That’s a good question,” manager Ned Yost said. “You try not to give him anything too good to hit. He hit a couple of home runs off (Yordano) Ventura (on Friday) on good fastballs. He’s just hot right now.”
“He’s hot as a firecracker. He’s hitting home runs right-handed. He’s hitting home runs left-handed.”
Santana hit a pair of two-run homers from each side of the plate as the Indians finished up the four-game series. He has connected in three straight games.
Santana went 3 for 3 and reached base in all five plate appearances. He homered in a four-run fifth inning and hit another drive in the ninth for his fifth career multihomer game and his second of the series.
In his past six games, Santana is 14 for 23, including three doubles and 10 RBIs. Santana hit a tepid .151 with three home runs in 27 April games and .169 with three home runs in 23 May games.
“The way he started the season, he was scuffling a little bit and really turned it around,” Royals left fielder Alex Gordon said. “I think everyone knew what kind of hitter he was. It was just a matter of time before he got it going. Obviously, five home runs in a series here is pretty impressive.”
Ryan Raburn and Yan Gomes also homered for the Indians, who had lost six straight at Kauffman Stadium. Cleveland had dropped four in a row overall.
Danny Salazar (3-4) gave up three runs and seven hits over seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven.
Bruce Chen (2-3) allowed up six runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.
Nick Swisher hit an RBI single in the Indians seventh to end an 0-for-21 streak.
Billy Butler had three hits for the Royals, including an RBI double. He had homered in his previous two games.
Santana is the first player to hit five home runs in a series since Hunter Pence for San Francisco against the Dodgers on Sept. 12-15, 2013.
Santana tied an Indians record for most home runs in a series. The others were Hal Trosky (1934), Joe Carter (1989), Albert Belle (1995), Matt Williams (1997), and Travis Hafner (2004). Hafner did it in two-game series against the Angels.
NOTES: Royals RHP Wade Davis has not allowed an extra-base hit this season in 44 2-3 innings. … Chen picked 3B Mike Aviles off first to end the third inning. It was Chen’s 45th career pickoff, which ranks fourth among active pitchers. … Royals RF Nori Aoki is 9 for 24 over his past six games. … Royals CF Jarrod Dyson snapped an 0-for-12 skid with an RBI single with two out in the second inning. Seven of his 14 RBIs have been with two out.
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