Asdrubal Cabrera’s leadoff homer in bottom of 10th gives Indians 4-3 win over Royals

Cabrera homers in 10th, lifts Indians over Royals

CLEVELAND — Asdrubal Cabrera led off the 10th inning with a home run to give the Cleveland Indians a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Cabrera hit a 2-1 pitch from right-hander Jesse Chavez (2-2) into the right-field seats. The Indians won their third straight and moved within a game of fourth-place Kansas City in the AL Central. The Royals have lost four of five.

Chris Perez (2-2), the fifth pitcher used by Indians manager Manny Acta, worked a scoreless 10th for the win.

Wilson Betemit hit a two-run homer off Cleveland starter Jeanmar Gomez and tied it at 3 with an RBI double in the eighth against reliever Rafael Perez.

Betemit’s hitting helped Zack Greinke remain unbeaten against Cleveland in nine starts since 2008. The reigning AL Cy Young winner gave up three runs and eight hits over eight innings, striking out four. He walked four — after issuing only 38 bases on balls in his first 26 starts and 174 innings.

Greinke is 5-0 with a 2.73 ERA in nine starts against Cleveland since a 3-1 loss to the Indians on Sept. 7, 2008.

Cabrera’s first career walkoff homer gave Cleveland a 4-4 record in extra innings this season. Kansas City leads the majors in one-run games, going 24-24. The Royals are 10-6 in extra innings.

Cleveland led 3-0 after two innings. Michael Brantley doubled and scored in the first. He added a two-out RBI single in the second before Greinke walked Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo to force in another run.

Gomez, who got his first career loss to Greinke, 2-1 on Aug. 17, walked Jason Kendall to open the sixth. With one out, Betemit drove a 3-1 pitch over the wall in right center for his 10th homer of the season and second in two games.

Kendall led off the eighth with a walk against Joe Smith, went to second on a one-out wild pitch by Perez, and scored on Betemit’s line-drive double to right-center.

Gomez gave up two runs and six hits over 5 2-3 innings in his seventh career start and was helped by his defense.

The Royals put runners on first and third with none out in the fifth and didn’t score. Mitch Maier doubled and went to third on a soft single by Yuniesky Betancourt. Maier held when Chris Getz flied out to short left. First baseman Matt LaPorta then backhanded a line drive hit by Gregor Blanco and doubled off Betancourt to end the inning.

Greinke got out of the bottom half by inducing Trevor Crowe to hit into a double play with runners on first and second.

Gomez bounced back from his worst outing, an 8-1 loss Sunday in Detroit when he gave up 11 hits and seven earned runs over three innings.

NOTES: Royals RHP Brian Bannister (shoulder) allowed three runs and four hits in two innings in his second rehab start for Triple-A Omaha on Friday. Manager Ned Yost said Bannister will make at least one more rehab start before being activated. … Kansas City 1B Billy Butler did not start for the second straight game because of a sore right hand. He flied out as a pinch hitter with two on in the ninth and is 10 for 29 (.345) with five doubles and six RBIs against Cleveland this season. … Crowe stole second and third after reaching on a single in the third inning. He’s 14 for 17 in steal attempts overall. … Royals OF Blanco went 1 for 5 after getting four hits Friday night. He’s hitting .524 (11 for 21) against Cleveland this year.