CLEVELAND (AP) - Emil Brown hit a three-run homer in the third inning and the Kansas City Royals hung on for a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians last night.

The Royals built an early 5-0 lead off ace C.C. Sabathia but needed strong work from their bullpen to seal the win. Kansas City used four relievers, with Octavio Dotel pitching the ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances.

Zack Grienke, Jimmy Gobble, Joakim Soria and Dotel combined to hold the Indians to one run over the last four innings.

Mark Teahen had three hits and scored three runs, and rookie Billy Butler had three hits and drove in two runs for the Royals.

Gil Meche (6-6) allowed five runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking one. He was pulled after Ryan Garko’s two-run homer in the sixth cut Kansas City’s lead to 5-4.

The Royals added a run in the seventh on a throwing error by third baseman Casey Blake. Travis Hafner’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to one again.

Kansas City jumped on Sabathia (12-4) from the start. The left-hander allowed six runs and 11 hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking two in his second straight loss.

Singles by Mark Grudzielanek and Teahen started the Royals’ outburst in the first. Both runners scored on Butler’s double to right-center. In the third, Teahen doubled with one out and took third on Butler’s infield hit. Brown homered to right on the first pitch to make it 5-0.

The Indians scored in the fourth. After Jhonny Peralta drew a two-out walk, Meche was hit by Garko’s smash back to the mound, and the ball rolled behind second base for a single. Royals Manager Buddy Bell and a team trainer visited Meche, but he stayed in the game. Trot Nixon followed with an RBI single.

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