Hafner hits long homer, Indians sweep Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Travis Hafner hit one of the longest home runs in Kauffman Stadium history, Shelly Duncan homered and drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians romped past the Kansas City Royals 13-7 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

Casey Kotchman and Jason Kipnis homered on consecutive pitches for Cleveland in the eighth inning.

For the first time in the Indians' 111-year history, they scored at least eight runs in their first three road games of a season.

It got so bad for the Royals that manager Ned Yost put outfielder Mitch Maier on the mound in the ninth. Maier was the only Kansas City pitcher to not give up a run, working a hitless inning.

Hafner's home run in the fifth inning off Luis Mendoza went an estimated 456 feet and was the first to land in a sports bar behind the right-field bleachers. It was the longest home run at Kauffman Stadium since David Ortiz, then with Minnesota, hit one 458 feet on April 8, 2001.

Hafner went 3 for 4 and drew an intentional walk. Duncan hit a three-run homer in the Indians' six-run third inning and walked in his next three plate-appearances.

Kotchman and Kipnis connected against Louis Coleman. The Indians collected seven home runs and 18 extra-base hits in the series.

Ubaldo Jimenez (0-1), who had not pitched since April 7 while serving a five-game suspension from a spring training incident against Colorado, gave up four runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings to pick up the victory.

Mendoza (0-2) was pulled after four-plus innings, permitting nine runs — five earned — on nine hits and four walks. The Royals' starting pitchers allowed 24 hits and 21 runs in 10 2-3 innings in the three losses.

Brayan Pena had his first career-four hit game. Chris Getz added three hits, including a triple, and drove in a pair of runs with a second-inning single as the Royals took a 3-0 lead.

NOTES: The Indians are expected to officially sign OF Johnny Damon to a minor league contract Monday after he passes a physical. He would report to their spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., for conditioning before going to Triple-A Columbus. If all goes well, Damon could join the Indians in early May. ... This was the 11th time in Royals' history they have used a position player to pitch and it was Maier's second time on the mound. He also threw a scoreless inning July 26, 2011, at Boston. ... The Royals recalled Coleman from Triple-A Omaha and optioned OF Jarrod Dyson to the same club. ... RHP Felipe Paulino, who is on the Royals disabled list with a forearm strain, is scheduled to throw 35 pitches Monday in an extended spring game in Surprise, Ariz. ... The Indians have homered in each of their first eight games. That is the fourth longest streak in franchise history to start a season. They homered in nine straight to open the 2006 and 1997 seasons. ... The Indians swept a series in Kansas City for the first time since April 2008.