Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Jayson Nix hit two solo homers to support Josh Tomlin's first career complete game, and the Cleveland Indians halted a five-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Nix recorded his second multi-homer game of the season and third of his career, as the Indians evened the season series with Kansas City at eight wins apiece. Tomlin (5-4), a rookie, went the distance for the first time, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while fanning a career-high six. The righty needed 112 pitches.
"Obviously, you play the game to be here," Tomlin said. "To get this opportunity -- I feel very blessed to pitch up here (in the majors) right now."
Shin-Soo Choo finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and two walks, while Asdrubal Cabrera also had three hits in the win.
Wilson Betemit hit a two-run homer for the Royals, who have alternated losses and wins for seven games. Luke Hochevar (6-6) yielded four runs on eight hits and a walk in five innings to take the loss.
"I didn't hit that stride. It was a battle every inning," Hochevar said. "I never felt like I hit that groove where I start feeling comfortable. Every inning was a grind."
The Indians scored in each of the first three innings to move in front.
Trevor Crowe singled leading off the opening frame, and Choo's RBI double two batters later started the scoring. Nix sent a Hochevar offering over the left- field wall with one out in the second for a 2-0 lead, and Travis Hafner's run- scoring single in the third increased the margin to three.
Tomlin started his outing with three no-hit innings, but Mike Aviles led off the fourth with a double and scored on Betemit's sacrifice fly for a 3-1 game.
Cleveland, though, came back in the fifth with Cabrera's one-out single and Choo's second RBI double of the night to restore the three-run lead.
Tomlin, though, finished his outing with three scoreless innings, and the Indians increased their lead to 7-1. Shelley Duncan plated a run with a single in the seventh, and Nix led off the eighth with his second homer of the game. Cabrera capped the inning with an RBI single later in the eighth.
Betemit hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth to account for the final margin.
Indians starters have thrown nine complete games this season, four by Fausto Carmona...The Royals went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position, while the Indians went 4-for-11...Betemit's homer was the 4,999th in Kansas City franchise history.