Indians sweep Royals

CLEVELAND – Rookie Grady Sizemore’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning gave the Cleveland Indians a 4-3 win and sweep of a day-night doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Sizemore’s base hit to left on a 3-2 pitch from Rudy Seanez – Kansas City’s fourth pitcher in the ninth – scored pinch-runner Tim Laker and capped Cleveland’s two-run rally.

Matt Miller (3-1) struck out five in two innings as the Indians won their third straight and moved to .500 (49-49) for the first time since July 2.

Chad Durbin’s six-hitter against his former team led the Indians to a 10-2 victory in the opener.

The Royals, who got a strong start from Brian Anderson in the night game, have lost seven of nine.

Anderson didn’t have much trouble against the Indians, allowing his former team just two hits in six innings. The left-hander also received a nice defensive play by left fielder Ruben Mateo, who threw out Victor Martinez trying to score in the fifth.

In the eighth, Mateo cut down Sizemore, who pinch ran and was out by 10 feet. The former high school football star couldn’t knock the ball loose from catcher John Buck.

With the Royals leading 3-1, reliever Ryan Bukvich gave up one run in the eighth and walked Ronnie Belliard opening the ninth. Jaime Cerda got two outs, but Pena brought in Scott Sullivan, who walked pinch-hitter Matt Lawton.

Pena, without injured closer Jeremy Affeldt, then called on Rudy Seanez, who hasn’t had a save since 2001. Ben Broussard greeted Seanez with an RBI single to score pinch-runner John McDonald and tie it 3-3.

Sizemore then dropped his game-winning single into left and got swarmed on by his teammates in the infield.

The Indians nearly tied it in the eighth on Omar Vizquel’s single to left. Broussard scored on the play but third-base coach Joel Skinner decided to test Mateo again and waved Sizemore around. But Mateo’s throw was perfect, and Sizemore never had a chance.

In the day game, Durbin (4-4) lost a bid for his first career shutout in the ninth inning.

Belliard had three RBIs for the Indians, who scored eight runs in the second inning of the first game off Chris George (1-2).

Royals third baseman Joe Randa went 0-for-3 with a walk in his first game back since undergoing knee surgery on June 28.

Notes: Pena, a catcher for three seasons in Cleveland, helped throw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of festivities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Jacobs Field. Fans voted Pena’s game-winning homer in Game 1 of the 1995 division series against Boston as the top moment in the ballpark’s history. … With Lawton nursing a sore hamstring, Lou Merloni started in left for the first time in his career. It looked like it as Merloni allowed one ball to get through his legs and had another bounce off his head as he tried a diving catch.

AP-ES-07-24-04 2221EDT