Nagy, Tribe Fall To Kansas City

July 5, 1998 / 1:33 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Sal Fasano's brains have had more to do with lifting his batting average almost 50 points than his brawn.

The thinking man's home run he hit off Charles Nagy in Kansas City's 5-3 victory over Cleveland on Saturday night was a shining example.

Nagy had just walked Jeff Conine and Fasano, who has won the Royals' starting catcher job, knew what the pitcher was thinking.

"I had a feeling he was going to come right after me," said Fasano, who has raised his average from the .180s to .230. "Good pitchers don't walk two guys in a row. I figured it was time to take a good pass at the ball."

He figured right, and knocked a fastball 410 feet over the fence for a two-run homer as the Royals notched their 12th victory in 17 games, the hottest stretch of the year for the team that has finished last in the AL Central the past two seasons.

"Sal's a smart guy," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "He's taking advantage of the opportunities. And he understands the game."

Johnny Damon also homered and had an RBI triple, and Pat Rapp pitched seven shutout innings to become Kansas City's first eight-game winner.

Rapp (8-7) gave up six hits in seven innings, with three strikeouts and four walks. Travis Fryman hit a three-run homer, his 14th, off Scott Service with two outs in the eighth inning to spoil the shutout.

Jeff Montgomery allowed the first two batters to reach in the ninth, before striking out Jim Thome for the second out with the tying run on second. Second baseman Jose Offerman preserved the lead, and Montgomery's 18th save, by making a diving catch of a liner by Manny Ramirez to end the game.

"Offerman made a fine play. He was in the right place at the right time," Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove said.

"If the ball gets through and both runs score, we're still alive because the game is only tied," Montgomery said. "But I'm glad it didn't get through."

Cleveland starter Charles Nagy (7-5) allowed both homers, giving him a major league-leading 25 on the season. Nagy, winless in his last six starts, went 6 1-3 innings and allowed 11 hits and five runs, striking out five and walking four.

"His velocity is fine, his health is fine," Hargrove said. "There are times when Charlie gets a hitter in a hole and overthrows and hangs something at the wrong time, or is trying to throw it in and gets it over the plate. As much as anything, Charlie sometimes tries too hard. He's got to try to find a happy medium."

Damon led off the first with his ninth home run, breaking a 39-inning homerless string for the Royals.

Fasano made it 3-0 in the fifth with his two-run shot to center. Two batters later, Damon hit an RBI triple, scoring Mendy Lopez.

Jeff King singled in the seveth for his fifth straight two-hit game, then Hal Morris chased Nagy with a double that stretched his hitting streak to 10 games. Reliever Jose Mesa hit Fasano with two outs to load the bases and allowed an infield single to Luis Rivera to make it 5-0.

Notes: Nagy's 25 homers allowed is halfway to the major league record of 50 that Bert Blyleven gave up in 1986 with Minnesota. ... Damon has four leadoff homers in his career. ... King and Service were selected the Royals' player and pitcher of the month for June. ... Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar, going to his sixth All-Star game, singled in the second to snap an 0-for-17 streak. Alomar hit a harmless grounder with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. ... Jim Thome, Cleveland's All-Star first baseman, struck out his first two at-bats after fanning his last three appearances Friday night. ... Rapp avenged a 16-3 loss he suffered against Cleveland on May 19 when he gave up seven runs on eight hits in just 4 2-3 innings. He is 5-0 on the road and 3-7 at home.