KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 19 (UPI) -- Raul Ibanez hit a three-run run homer to cap a five-run seventh inning Friday night as the Kansas City Royals matched their longest winning streak in nearly 17 years with an 8-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
After Carlos Beltran snapped a 3-3 tie with an RBI single and Luis Alicea scored on an error, Ibanez hit a two-strike mistake from reliever David Riske over the right-center field fence.
In his last 18 games, Ibanez is hitting .359 (21-for-61) with eight homers and 25 RBI. In 10 games since the All-Star break, he has driven in 17 runs.
Reliever Heath Murray (0-1) threw a scoreless sixth but gave up three runs in the seventh without retiring a batter.
He was in for emergency starter Jason Phillips, a last-minute replacement for Chuck Finley, who was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Luis Garcia and a minor league player to be named.
Scott Mullen (2-2) allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief for the Royals' eighth consecutive win.
