Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer turned and threw the ball over the center field fence as manager Terry Francona approached to pull him from the Indians' 9-6 loss to the Royals on Sunday, punctuating a frustrating Kansas City afternoon for Bauer.

Bauer allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits in just 4 1/3 innings, and the Royals sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth inning to avoid a four-game sweep.

As Francona reached the mound, he and Bauer exchanged words. Francona then followed closely behind Bauer into the dugout and the two disappeared into the tunnel. They both were seen, fuming, but separate in the dugout.

Danny Duffy was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. Duffy (5-5) allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits in six innings. He had lost 10 straight decisions to the Indians, the most consecutive starts and decisions lost by a Royals pitcher against any opponent.

Ian Kennedy threw a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 20th save in 23 chances.

As they did on Saturday, the Indians jumped on the Royals in the first inning. Duffy gave up singles to Francisco Lindor and Oscar Mercado to start. Carlos Santana, who missed the previous two games with shoulder tightness, got one up in the wind and drove it into the Cleveland bullpen for a 3-0 lead. On Saturday, Cleveland got a grand slam before the first out was made.

Kansas City's offense responded against Bauer. The Royals scored one in the first and two in the third.

Then, with two runs already across the plate in the home half of the fifth inning, the Royals chased Bauer after a Nicky Lopez single scored two and gave them a 7-5 lead. Ryan O'Hearn, Cheslor Cuthbert and Meibrys Viloria also had RBIs in the inning.

Jorge Soler connected on his team-leading 28th home run in the sixth inning.

--Field Level Media