KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Even Ripley would have a difficult time believing this: Jason Vargas is 3-0 against the Cleveland Indians this year and Corey Kluber is 0-3 against the Kansas City Royals.

Vargas and his Kansas City teammates beat the Indians again 4-2 on Wednesday night, and Kluber continues to be tormented by the Royals.

Kluber, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is 0-3 against the Royals. He trailed 1-0 after two pitches. He gave up three runs and five consecutive hits in the third inning.

"They can come out of a cool streak pretty quick and they did tonight," Royals manager Ned Yost said of his offense coming to life after scoring two runs or less in six of the previous seven games. "We just had good ABs against him. When we got our pitches, we didn't miss."

Kluber (3-5) went the distance, permitting nine hits, striking out nine and walking one, but was still unable to find a way to beat the Royals. He has a 5.85 ERA in the three losses to the Royals, yielding 13 earned runs and 26 hits in 20 innings.

Vargas (4-2), who missed three weeks with a flexor strain before coming off the disabled list May 26, scattered eight hits in six innings while striking out three and walking none. Vargas is 3-0 against the Indians, restricting them to six runs, no more than two in any starts, and 13 hits in 17 innings this season.

Greg Holland worked a spotless ninth to log his eighth save in nine chances. It was his first save since May 14.

Shortstop Alcides Escobar, third baseman Mike Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer combined to go 6-for-12 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs.

"It was pretty much our plan to be aggressive with (Kluber) and attack right away," Hosmer said. "That's how we've had success before with him. And Esky set the tone right away with the first pitch."

After starting 0-5, Kluber had pitched well recently -- 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA in his previous four starts.

Kluber gave up a run and two hits with his first two pitches. Escobar doubled down the left-field line on Kluber's first offering and Moustakas followed with an RBI single.

"On the first pitch of the game, they kind of ambushed him," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "They came out swinging early. He was leaving the ball over the middle and elevated. After the third inning, he really buckled down and started establishing in again. He held them the rest of the way."

The Indians scored single runs in the second and third innings to seize a short-lived 2-1 lead.

Right fielder Brandon Moss doubled home left fielder Ryan Raburn in the second. Center fielder Michael Bourn had a hustle double to lead off the third and scored on shortstop Mike Aviles' single two batters later.

The Royals responded with three runs off Kluber in their half of the third. The inning featured three consecutive run-scoring doubles by center fielder Lorenzo Cain, Hosmer and designated hitter Kendrys Morales, putting the Royals on top 4-2.

"In the third inning, I just didn't quite get balls to where they needed to be and left them too far over the plate and they took advantage of them," Kluber said. "I didn't execute the pitch to Escobar. I got Moustakas to roll over a ball that just found a hole and the next three guys hit doubles.

"It really just came down to those five batters ended up being the difference. Other than that, everything was good."

The Indians threatened in the fifth but came away empty. Bourn and second baseman Jason Kipnis opened with singles and Cain made a rare error when Kipnis' hit rolled past him, allowing Bourn to advance to third.

Aviles, though, hit a sharp comebacker to Vargas, who looked Bourn back to third before starting a 1-4-3 double play and first baseman Carlos Santana flied out to right to strand Bourn at third.

Bourn had three of the Indi