CLEVELAND -- Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura's line won't look all that impressive: five innings, eight hits, three runs (two earned), two walks, four strikeouts.
But Royals manager Ned Yost wasn't complaining after the Royals toppled Cleveland, 8-4, on Thursday, earning a split in the series and eventually seeing their magic number to clinch the American League Central reduced to six.
"He was grinding, and he really didn't want us to lose another game," Yost said. "He was competing intensely. To give him some runs early was big. He put every effort he had to get us a win.