Junis Shines as Royals Snap Indians Win Streak

Jakob Junis and the Kansas City Royals have been on a roll since the All-Star break.

Hunter Dozier homered in the first inning and Junis pitched two-hit ball through six dominant innings as the Royals beat Cleveland 1-0 on Saturday night, snapping the Indians’ six-game winning streak.

Kansas City improved to 7-2 since the break – after going 30-61 before it – as Junis, Scott Barlow, Jake Diekman and Ian Kennedy combined to three-hit Cleveland, which is an MLB-best 27-11 since June 4.

Junis (6-8), who retired 13 in a row between the second and sixth, was removed after 94 pitches on a steamy evening with a heat index of 99 degrees at the first pitch. The right-hander has won both of his post-break starts, allowing a lone run over 13 innings against the White Sox and Cleveland.

Batting third, Dozier sent a 349-foot shot to right off Adam Plutko for his 15th homer. The run stood up as Cleveland managed singles by Francisco Lindor in the first and Jason Kipnis in the sixth, and a Greg Allen double in the seventh.

Kennedy pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save as the Indians failed to advance a runner past second base, yet remained three games behind AL Central-leading Minnesota