Home runs, rain fall from the sky in 7-0 loss to Indians

Chris Young gave up four home runs and the Royals mustered just four hits as the Indians shellacked them 7-0 in the series finale. The Royals were swept in a four-game series for the first time since May 23-26, 2013 against the Angels. They fall to 1.5 games back of the first place Indians as they head to Baltimore.

The Indians got going in the first inning when Jason Kipnis tripled to deep center. He scored on a sac fly from Francisco Lindor, his fifth RBI of the series. In the fourth, Mike Napoli led off with a fly ball a mile high that first appeared to be a routine out, but was carried by the wind over the wall, for Napoli's 14th home run of the year.

In the fifth, the Indians positively punished Chris Young's flyball tendencies with three solo home runs to knock him out of the game. Rookie Tyler Naquin opened the inning with a blast, his third of the series. Two batters later, Carlos Santana homered, giving him 19 against the Royals in his career, more than against any other club. Two batters later, Francisco Lindor continued his torrid pace with another blast, the fourth home run of the game, enough to knock Chris Young out of the game trailing 5-0.

Offensively, it did not seem to matter much. The Royals seemed to have Corey Kluber's number last year, but he came back with a vengeance today. He struck out six Royals hitters in the first six innings, and allowed just two singles - one of them an infield single.

Mercifully, the rains came in the sixth. The game was delayed for over three hours, because what else is there to do in Cleveland but watch water fall out of the sky?

By that point, continuing the game was a formality. Scott Alexander came on to give up two runs in the seventh, and has now given up five runs in his last three outings. The Indians retired 12 of the last 13 Royals hitters in the game. Drew Butera played first base. It was that kind of game.

The Royals were smoked in this series, getting swept in four games and outscored 25-6, falling into second place. It was a bad series, but it is just one series, and we've all had a bad day or two.