Indians Rally for 11-6 Win

Losing a four-run lead on one swing hardly fazed the hottest team in the major leagues.

The Cleveland Indians weren’t affected by Mark Teahen’s grand slam. A two-run homer by Coco Crisp put them back ahead and they rolled to an 11-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night at Kansas City, trimming Chicago’s once-commanding lead in the American League Central to 1 1/2 games.

“That’s the way we’ve been all year,” said center fielder Grady Sizemore, who was five for six. “This isn’t a team that panics.”

Travis Hafner walked with the bases loaded and hit a three-run homer, his sixth in five games for the Indians, who have won 15 of 17.

The Indians trailed the White Sox by 15 games on Aug. 1. They have not been this close since April 11, when they were one game behind and then lost to the White Sox.

“We’re controlling what we can control, and that’s playing Kansas City,” Manager Eric Wedge said.

Minnesota 4, Chicago 1 -- Matthew LeCroy hit a go-ahead run-scoring single in a three-run 11th inning at Chicago and the Twins sent the White Sox to another crushing defeat.

Chicago loaded the bases in the ninth and had runners on first and second in the 10th, but couldn’t score.

New York 7, Baltimore 6 -- Jorge Posada hit a tying home run in the fifth inning, then added a three-run, upper-deck drive in the sixth for the host Yankees, who won for the 10th time in 11 games and opened a one-game lead over Boston in the East.

Toronto 7, Seattle 5 -- Alex Rios broke a tie with a two-run homer in the eighth off Joel Pineiro (7-10) to lift the Blue Jays at Toronto. Justin Speier (3-2) pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory.