Royals 7, Indians 2: Salvador Perez doubled in a pair of runs and scored twice in support of Bruce Chen as Kansas City took the rubber match of a three-game set from visiting Cleveland.

Chen (8-3) allowed two runs on four hits in five innings for the Royals, who pushed within 2 1/2 games of Texas for the second wild-card spot in the American League. Alcides Escobar scored on a strange steal of home in the fifth and helped put the game away with a two-run single in the eighth.

Michael Brantley doubled in a run and scored on Michael Bourn’s sacrifice fly for the Indians, who are a half-game behind the Rangers for the second wild card. Rookie Danny Salazar (1-3) matched his career high with four runs allowed on six hits in as many innings.

Salazar retired the first two batters in the first before yielding a single to Eric Hosmer and walking Billy Butler. Perez followed with a double to left, moved up on the throw home and scored on a wild pitch to cap the three-run rally.

Cleveland took advantage of an error on Brantley’s double to push across a run and made it a 3-2 deficit on Bourn’s fly to left. Escobar broke for home when Alex Gordon got caught in a rundown between first and second and dove under the attempted tag from Indians catcher Yan Gomes before scampering to his feet and sprinting the last 15 feet to the plate.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Perez went 5-for-11 with four runs scored and four RBIs in the series. … Cleveland RHP Justin Masterson (left oblique) came through an aggressive throwing session on Wednesday with no issues and will work off a mound in the bullpen on Friday. … The Indians return home to host the major league-worst Houston Astros in a four-game series beginning Thursday while the Royals get a day off before hosting Texas.