Tribe, Thome top Royals with 2-1 series

On a weekend that saw a living legend return to the team, the Cleveland Indians covered up their recent lackluster play with a series win over the Kansas City Royals.

While the Tribe has exceeded expectations this season, their play of late has led to a complete 360-degree shift in the standings. Many baseball experts would consider the Tribe done for as far as playoff contention is concerned. 

Fighting a wave of injuries that has six regulars on the disabled list (DH Travis Hafner, OFs Michael Brantley and Grady Sizemore, INF Jason Kipnis, and SPs Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin), the Indians were able to take two out of three games from Kansas City this weekend. 

In the series opener Friday, the Indians capitalized on pitching mistakes by the Royals in the bottom of the seventh. They took a 2-1 lead in the inning on a bases-loaded walk by Ezequiel Carrera, and closer Chris Perez slammed the door in the ninth for a victory in Jim Thome's return.  

On Saturday, the Tribe came from behind as Asdrubal Cabrera blasted a three-run home run over the right field wall to give the Tribe an 8-7 lead.

Although the Royals threatened in the top half of the ninth, the Tribe headed into Sunday looking for a sweep.

While Justin Masterson has very well been the Indians' most consistent pitcher in the 2011 campaign, his run support from his offense has been nothing but poor. Masterson needed to pitch a beauty for the Tribe to get the sweep at the series finale on Sunday.

  It didn't look pretty from the start; the Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the first. Masterson, or The Ace, was able to work out of the jam, giving up just one run and pitching a total of 24 pitches in the first. 

The Tribe came right back in the bottom half of the first with three singles to start the game and one run scored, but that was unfortunately all she wrote for the offense.

  Masterson gave up another earned run in the third, as the Royals then hung on for the next six innings for the 2-1 win. 

The loss may prove costly for the Tribe, dropping the Indians back to .500 at a record of 65-65.

UP NEXT: The Tribe wraps up an 11-game home stand with a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics (60-73) starting Monday.