Lindor dazzles, Indians climb back to .500 with 5-1 win over Royals

CLEVELAND Francisco Lindor brought it all on Wednesday night to lead the Indians to a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field.

Lindor has represented one of the best reasons to go to the ballpark the last couple months. The 21-year-old phenom has shown his Gold Glove-level fielding, which has always been his best attribute. He’s shown his speed and a flair for the excitement. He’s been better-than-advertised at the plate and has shown some power to go with it.

On Wednesday night, he did it all, showing in a neat three-hour package why he widely has been considered one of the top 10 prospects in baseball for several years.

He started it with a bang. In the bottom of the first inning, facing Royals starter Danny Duffy (7-8), Lindor launched a no-doubt solo home run to the bleacher seats in left field, putting the Indians up 1-0.

An inning later with runners on second and third and a 2-0 lead after Jason Kipnis singled home a run, Lindor slapped a ball the other way that ricocheted off Royals second baseman Ben Zobrist’s glove and into right field, scoring two more runs and putting the Indians (72-72) on top 4-0.

In the fourth inning, he tied his career high with four RBIs by driving in Mike Aviles with a single back up the middle. It was his second career four-RBI game, the first coming on July 29, also against the Royals.

To start the fifth, he showed off his glove. Lindor made a diving stop to his left on a hard-hit ground ball off the bat of Alex Rios, spun and from his knees got enough on the throw to get the out.

Aviles, getting the start in place of Giovanny Urshela at third, made a highlight-reel play of his own. In the second inning, the Royals’ Salvador Perez ripped a ball down the third-base line. Aviles dove to his right, fielded it and fired to first from his knees to beat Perez to the bag.

Those defensive plays aided starting pitcher Danny Salazar (13-8), who pitched seven innings, allowed just one run on four hits and struck out six. Salazar’s lone blemish was a solo home run he allowed to Mike Moustakas in the seventh inning that cut the Indians’ lead to 5-1.

The Royals fell to 85-60.

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