KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Indians, held to one run Saturday night, bounced back Sunday afternoon to beat the Royals, 9-6, behind two homers and five RBI by Shelley Duncan. The five RBI were a career high.

• Box score



Now the Indians return to Progressive Field for a season-defining three-game series against Detroit starting Monday at 1:05 p.m. They trail Detroit in the AL Central by six games. The Tigers play Chicago on Sunday night.

Jeanmar Gomez (2-2) won his second straight start since being recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Aug. 30. He allowed one run on six hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

The Indians won the season series against the Royals, 12-6.

Duncan hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and a two-run homer in the eighth. He has six in 150 at-bats for the Tribe this year.

Jason Donald, celebrating his 27th birthday, gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a bases-loaded two-out single to right in the first. Kosuke Fukudome, who started the rally with a double, scored. The inning ended when Carlos Santana tried to follow Fukudome home and was thrown out at the plate. Santana's attempt to score has to go down as the worse of the season.

Catcher Branyan Pena made a sprawling catch of right fielder Mitch Maier's throw and was basically on his back across the plate. Santana could have slid into him and score, but instead he fell on top of Branyan and tagged himself out.

The Indians made it 4-0 in the second against left-hander Jeff Francis (5-15), who threw eight scoreless inning against them in Cleveland on July 29.

Jack Hannahan, who left the game for a pinch-runner in the third, opened with a double past first. Lou Marson singled him to third and rookie Jerad Head scored him with a double past third. The double broke an 0-for-18 slump for Head.

Asdrubal Cabrera, back in the lineup, finished the scoring with a two-run double past third. Cabrera was back in the lineup after missing Saturday's game with a bruised left knee.

The Indians loaded the bases in the third with two out, but could not score. Hannahan was on third base when he left the game in the third with a tight left calf. Lonnie Chisenhall replaced him.

The Royals made it 4-1 in the fourth. Eric Hosmer hit a leadoff double and came around to score on a ground ball and an error on Chisenhall at third. Chisenhall dropped Mike Moustakas bouncer.

Duncan's first homer came off Jesse Chavez and made it 7-1.

Ezequiel Carrera started the sixth with a walk and stole second. After Fukudome struck out, Cabrera walked to bring Chavez into the game. After Santana hit into a force play at second, Duncan homered.

Gomez started the sixth, but found trouble as he loaded the bases with one out. Rafael Perez relieved and in two pitches calmed the waters as Brayan bounced to third to start a double play.

Duncan again homered off Chavez in the eighth to make it 9-3. It was the third two-run homer of his career.

Francis went five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits. He walked three and threw 96 pitches.

Chad Durbin relieved Perez in the seventh with one out and two on following an RBI-single by Melky Cabrera. Chad Durbin relieved and walked Billy Butler to load the bases. Tony Sipp relieved and forced a run at the plate on a grounder to second by Eric Hosmer. Another run scored when Sipp walked Johnny Giavotella with the bases loaded. He finally ended the inning by getting Mike Moustakas on a pop up.

The Royals made it 9-6 in the ninth on a two-run single by Hosmer and a one-run single by Giavotella off Frank Herrmann. Chris Perez relieved and retired two straight for his 32nd save.