KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This is the Josh Donaldson the Cleveland Indians were hoping for after rolling the dice in an Aug. 31 trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Donaldson, a former AL MVP, hit a grand slam and double during a 10-run seventh inning, powering the Indians past the Kansas City Royals 14-6 Friday night.

With the win, the AL Central champion Indians improved to 90-70, marking the third time in team history they’ve won at least 90 games in three straight seasons.

“We should be winning 90 games with the team we’ve got in here and this division the way it is right now,” said Jason Kipnis, an eight-year veteran with the Indians. “It’s been ours to lose the last couple years and we don’t want to waste it.”

Kipnis’ homer in the Cleveland third was the game’s only run in the first six innings.

But the Indians then broke loose for their first 10-run inning since doing it on Sept. 30, 2012, against the Royals in Cleveland led by Donaldson, who struggled the first two months of the season, then missed three months with a left calf strain before the trade.

If he can produced at the plate in the postseason, Donaldson could be a difference-maker for the Indians. Friday’s performance was the best evidence yet he’s close to the player who powered Toronto into the 2015 postseason.

“Kind of stating the obvious, isn’t it?” manager Terry Francona said when asked if was good to see him drive the ball. “We don’t want him to make outs, but it’s nice to see him hitting the ball like that.”

His leadoff double set the stage for a nine-hit inning, but it was his grand slam that ultimately delivered the game-winning runs.

Still, it wasn’t Donaldson booming extra-base hits that keyed the rally, Francona said.

“I thought it all kind of started with Kip laying a bunt down,” Francona said. “Little things turn into big things. You play the game right and you get rewarded for it.”

After Donaldson’s double, Yonder Alonso hit an RBI single and Melky Cabrera followed with a hit that chased Royals starter Ian Kennedy (3-9).

Kipnis, who made his 12th start in center field, greeted reliever Tim Hill by beating out a sacrifice bunt to third baseman Hunter Dozier for an infield single and the rout was on.

“It always does that,” Kipnis said. “Sometimes, that’s exactly what the offense needs, where the little thing — the bunt over —- gets the big inning. We would have been happy with two runs . but you see what getting guys on and causing havoc on the bases and putting the ball in play does for an offense.”

Roberto Perez added an RBI single before Francisco Lindor hit a chopper to first baseman Ryan O’Hearn against a drawn-in infield. A wild throw home let two more runs score.

One out later, reliever Jake Newberry walked Jose Ramirez and gave up an RBI single to Edwin Encarnacion before Donaldson launched his fifth career grand slam and second this season. He also had one in April for the Blue Jays.

Adam Rosales, who pinch-ran for Alonso earlier in the inning, doubled and later scored on a double by Greg Allen, who pinch-ran for Kipnis.

The 10 runs were the most the Royals had allowed in an inning this season.

It was a welcome outburst for the Indians, who had only scored two runs in the first 16 innings of the series and open the AL Division Series on next Friday at the Houston Astros.

Mike Clevinger (13-8) was the beneficiary of the bonanza. He allowed one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Clevinger finished the season with an even 200 innings for the first time in his career, which was a big personal goal for the 27-year-old right-hander.

“Still, there’s a bigger goal than my 200 innings,” Clevinger said.

His counterpart, Kennedy, went six strong innings before facing three batters in the seventh.

“He threw the ball well,” manager Ned Yost said. “It just got away from us there.”

Brian Goodwin hit a grand slam in the Royals ninth off Adam Plutko as part of a five-run inning. It was the second career grand slam for Goodwin, acquired in a July trade with Washington. He also had one March 31 for the Nationals.

Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 18 games for the Royals. It’s the longest active streak in the majors and one shy of his career best.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Francona essentially ruled out INF Erik Gonzalez for the remainder of the weekend. He said Gonzalez, who was hit in the head by a pitch Wednesday at the Chicago White Sox, remains in concussion protocol. The team hopes Ramirez will be available for an intrasquad game Tuesday in preparation for the playoffs.

NEXT UP

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (20-7, 2.83 ERA) will make his final appearance before the ALDS. RHP Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.42) is scheduled to start for the Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Salvador Perez slashed a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.

Neil Ramirez (0-3) retired the first two hitters in the 10th before he walked Aldaberto Mondesi, who stole second and third to reach 30 steals on the season. Alex Gordon also walked before Perez hit Ramirez’s first pitch into left field to score Mondesi for the walk-off win.

Mondesi also homered for the Royals (57-102), who are no longer in danger of matching the franchise record of 106 losses, set in 2005.

Jason Hammel (4-14) worked a scoreless 10th, following three Kansas City relievers who pitched four scoreless innings.

The AL Central champion Indians (89-70) got their only run in the first. Francisco Lindor led off with a single, took second on a botched pickup attempt and went to third on a balk by Royals starter Glenn Sparkman. Lindor scored on Jose Ramirez’s one-out sacrifice fly.

Sparkman worked a career-high five innings, allowing five hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

Josh Tomlin went 4 2/3 innings for the Indians, allowing Mondesi’s homer in the third.

The Indians had runners at second and third with two out in the eighth when Yandy Diaz chopped a slow roller between third baseman Hunter Dozier and shortstop Mondesi, who made a quick scoop and an off-balance throw to get Diaz.

HITS LEADER

The Royals’ Whit Merrifield had two hits and moved into the major league lead with 188, one ahead of Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman. Merrifield has 53 multi-hit games on the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: The Royals are healthy except for four players on the long-term disabled list – 3B Cheslor Cuthbert (strained lower back), OF Jorge Soler (fractured toe), RHP Jesse Hahn (elbow surgery) and RHP Nate Karns (elbow inflammation). LHP Danny Duffy (shoulder inflammation) also has been shut down for the season.

Indians: INF Erik Gonzalez entered the concussion protocol after getting hit in the head by a pitch against the White Sox on Wednesday. Manager Terry Francona said Gonzalez experienced some nausea after getting beaned, but “is doing much, much better.” Gonzalez traveled with the team but there is no timetable for his return. … 1B Yonder Alonso got the day off. … Francona said OF Michael Brantley, who left Tuesday’s game after fouling a pitch off his right calf and then returned to the lineup Wednesday, sat for his regular day off and has no lingering effects.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Mike Clevinger (12-8, 3.07 ERA) will make his final start of the regular season opposite Royals RHP Ian Kennedy (3-8, 4.59) as Francona gets his rotation set for the playoffs.

CINCINNATI (AP) – Talk about finishing with a flourish.

Rookie Heath Fillmyer struck out a career-high nine, collected his first major league hit and run batted in, and the Kansas City Royals wrapped up their road schedule with a 6-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

The only run Fillmyer allowed was Jose Peraza’s 14th homer in the first inning. Fillmyer (4-2) retired 11 straight batters in one stretch against a Cincinnati team that has scored three or fewer runs in 13 of its last 14 games.

“My curveball was working well against lefties, and I had a real nice slider against righties,” Fillmyer said. “I was able to keep them off-balance.”

He allowed four hits and two walks while tying his career high with 7 1/3 innings.

“He threw the ball well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He spotted it well and changed speeds well. He did a nice job of executing the game plan. When he makes a mistake lately, they don’t seem to hurt him. He was down in the zone and changed speeds.”

Fillmyer also chipped in to the Kansas City offense with a sixth-inning RBI double.

“If I missed that one, I was never going to get a hit,” he said. “It was right down the middle. It was nice to get the monkey off my back.”

Adalberto Mondesi tripled, scored two runs and stole two bases to spark the Kansas City offense. Whit Merrifield, who went into the game tied for the American League lead in hits and leading in stolen bases, extended his season-high hitting streak to 16 games with a third-inning single. He also stole two bases.

Alex Gordon tacked on a solo home run to help Kansas City to a third straight win and fourth in its last five games.

The Royals finished with a 26-55 road record. They need one win in their last four games to avoid matching their single-season record of 106 losses, set in 2005.

The Reds have lost five straight games, all to teams with worse records, and six of their last seven. Cincinnati’s offensive struggles date to the start of a 10-game road trip in Chicago on Sept. 14.

“We may have looked flat because we didn’t get a lot of hits and there was no activity, but we have been doing all our preparations before the games and trying to finish strong,” manager Jim Riggleman said. “Since Chicago, we haven’t got good results. We didn’t score a lot of runs in Chicago either, but we had better at-bats.”

After lasting six innings in his previous start, a win at Miami, Reds starter Cody Reed (1-3) could manage just 3 2/3, giving up six hits and three runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

“I wasn’t as sharp,” Reed said. “I didn’t have the back-foot slider to righties that I had the last two games. I rushed myself a little warming up before the game, but I felt fine.”

40-40 MAN

Merrifield is the first player since Houston’s Jose Altuve in 2014 with at least 40 doubles and 40 stolen bases in the same season. The only other Royal with that combination is Johnny Damon in 2000.

CHANGEUP

RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-2) now is scheduled to start Cincinnati’s game on Saturday against the Pirates. Sunday could be a bullpen day with RHP Sal Romano (8-11) starting, Riggleman said.

ELUSIVE WIN

The Reds lost their last seven interleague games to finish 10-10 against AL teams. They fell one win short of matching their single-season record for interleague wins. Kansas City finished 6-14 against NL teams.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (0-3) makes his fourth start in the opener of a season-ending, four-game series against division champion Cleveland.

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (7-7), originally scheduled to start on Saturday, was moved up to start Friday against Pittsburgh in place of RHP Luis Castillo, who was shut down for the season.