CLEVELAND (AP) Yan Gomes hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Brandon Maurer in the ninth inning, lifting the Cleveland Indians to a 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday in the coldest game in Progressive Field history.
Gomes drove a 3-2 pitch barely over the 19-foot wall in left field, ending another tough day for Cleveland’s offense on a high note. Gomes was mobbed by his teammates at home plate after just the fourth hit of the day for the Indians.
Maurer (0-2) walked Yonder Alonso with one out before Gomes connected for his second homer. Cody Allen (1-0) worked the ninth for the win.
The game-time temperature was 32 degrees, the lowest in the 25-year history of the ballpark.
Jon Jay’s run-scoring triple put Kansas City in front in the fifth, but the Indians pushed across an unearned run in the eighth without registering a hit.
Bradley Zimmer led off with a walk and swiped second. He advanced to third on Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice.
Zimmer stayed at third when Jason Kipnis reached on a throwing error by reliever Justin Grimm. But Jose Ramirez followed with a check-swing dribbler, bringing home Zimmer with the tying run. Ramirez was originally ruled safe on Grimm’s wide throw to first, but the call was overturned after a review.
Cleveland hadn’t scored since the first inning of Friday’s 3-2 win. Lucas Duda’s seventh-inning homer gave Kansas City a 1-0 victory on Saturday.
Cleveland’s Mike Clevinger allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings while Kansas City starter Jason Hammel pitched six innings of three-hit ball.
Zimmer denied the Royals a run in the third when he threw Jay out at home on Mike Moustakas’ single. Jay drew a two-out walk and took second on Whit Merrifield’s single.
Kansas City right fielder Jorge Soler snapped a 0-for-34 skid dating to last season with three hits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: Duda (right hamstring tightness) served as the designated hitter for the third straight game.
Indians: RF Lonnie Chisenhall (strained right calf) is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. The injury is similar to the one that caused him to miss nearly two months last season. OF Tyler Naquin was recalled from Triple-A Columbus.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes on Seattle on Monday in the opener of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (0-1, 2.40 ERA), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, faces the Tigers as Cleveland continues its 10-game homestand.
Gomes powers Indians to 3-1 win over Royals
