Kansas City 5, Cleveland 2

CLEVELAND, April 12 (UPI) -- Raul Ibanez and Michael Tucker hit two-run homers Saturday to lead the Kansas City Royals, baseball's lone unbeaten team, to a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

At 9-0, the Royals are off to the best start since the 1990 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds won their first nine games. The 1984 Detroit Tigers, who also won the World Series, were the last American League team to start 9-0. Both the Reds and Tigers lost their 10th game.

"Seventeen players were sick today, but I'm doing great," said Royals Manager Tony Pena.

Kansas City, which won just 65 games last season, has defied the odds with this start, especially since Pena confirmed that as many as 18 Royals have been bit by the flu bug since Friday.

Slugger Mike Sweeney was scratched just before the game, and closer Mike MacDougal was unavailable Saturday due to flu-like symptoms. Starter Chris George (2-0) also was suffering from the virus, but ended up pitching 5 2/3 innings and picked up his second win in as many starts against the Indians this season.

"Mike Sweeney was out, MacDougal was out, but it's a 25-man ballclub and we got it done again," Pena said.

Ibanez's two-run homer in the sixth inning off C.C. Sabathia (0-2) gave the Royals a 3-2 lead and Tucker blasted his home run in the seventh off reliever David Riske.

Five of Kansas City's nine wins have come against the Indians.

The day started out well for the Indians. Sabathia struck out the side in the first inning, and Milton Bradley led off the bottom of the first with his first home run of the season.

"I knew we needed a spark, and I was trying to do something to get us fired up," said Bradley, who has hit safely in all 10 of Cleveland's games.

The Indians have scored a total of four runs in their four losses to the Royals.