Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will go into his start Monday night in Kansas City in an unfamiliar position: in a slump.

In his first 14 starts this year [url=http://www.texanscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-aaron-colvin-jersey]Aaron Colvin Jersey[/url] , Kluber was 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA. But in his last three starts, Kluber is 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA.

Nevertheless, the slumping Kluber will be on the mound Monday night for the Cleveland Indians, who, not coincidentally, are slumping as a team.

Although they walloped Oakland 15-3 on Sunday, the Indians have lost four of the first six games on their nine-game trip that will conclude with three games in Kansas City.

Kluber, who is 10-6 with a 2.82 ERA in 21 career starts against the Royals, will try to get back on track against one of his favorite opponents.

Kluber’s three-start slump is actually two really bad ones sandwiched around a really good one. It started June 15 with a 10-3 loss to Minnesota in which Kluber gave up four runs in five innings.

However [url=http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-dorance-armstrong-jr.-jersey]Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey[/url] , Kluber’s next start, on June 20, was a 12-0 win over the Chicago White Sox in which he pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up one hit.

But on June 26 in St. Louis, Kluber had his worst start of the year, his worst in several years. In an 11-4 loss to the Cardinals, Kluber was removed from the game after giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings.

“He’s human. Guys don’t go 35 starts (during the season) without a bump in the road,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Kluber said, “No excuses. I just didn’t get the job done. I had some things going on delivery-wise and didn’t execute my pitches consistently.”

Although the Indians have a comfortable nine-game lead in the American League Central, they have had trouble winning on the road.

Cleveland is 27-13 at home but just 18-24 on the road [url=http://www.broncoscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-marquette-king-jersey]Marquette King Jersey[/url] , the only division leader in the majors with a losing record on the road. The Indians are hoping Kluber can help shake his slump and get a road win Monday.

Kluber is 11-4 with a 2.54 ERA overall this season. One of those wins came against the Royals on May 13, a 6-2 Cleveland victory in which Kluber pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run.

The Indians bolstered their bullpen Sunday by selecting left-hander Marc Rzepczynski from Triple-A Columbus and optioning starter Adam Plutko to Columbus.

Kluber’s mound opponent Monday night, Royals right-hander Jakob Junis (5-9, 4.67), is also mired in a slump.

Junis hasn’t won a game since May 18. In seven starts since then, he is 0-6 with a 6.30 ERA. His last start came June 26, a 5-1 loss to Milwaukee. In that game, Junis pitched five innings, giving up four runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Junis’ last start against Cleveland came May 13. In a 6-2 loss to the Indians [url=http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-bruce-smith-jersey]Bruce Smith Jersey[/url] , he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

In three career appearances against Cleveland, Junis is 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA.

The Royals, who have lost three in a row, were glad to see the calendar change to July. They went 5-21 in June, the worst record in June in the team’s 50-year history.

The Cleveland Browns traded tight end Randall Telfer to the Kansas City Chiefs for defensive end Dadi Nicolas.

A sixth-round pick in 2015, Telfer is the sixth veteran dealt by new Browns general manager John Dorsey, who continues to remold a team that has just one victory over the past two seasons.

Telfer started 19 games for Cleveland and was used primarily as a blocker. He caught five passes for 40 yards. After he was selected in 2015, Telfer sat out his rookie season while recovering from a foot injury.

Nicolas has history with Dorsey [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-torrey-smith-jersey]Torrey Smith Jersey[/url] , who was Kansas City’s GM from 2013-16. He selected the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Nicolas in the 2016 sixth round.

The 25-year-old Nicolas appeared in 11 games as a rookie, but injured his knee in the regular-season finale and sat out 2017.

Since joining the Browns in December, Dorsey has traded quarterbacks DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler, cornerback Jason McCourty and defensive tackle Danny Shelton.

The Browns also claimed linebacker Jermaine Grace off waivers from Indianapolis on Wednesday. The 6-1, 225-pounder signed with Atlanta last year as an undrafted free agent.

He appeared in five games on special teams with the Falcons and six with the Colts.

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