Ventura continuing to learn with each outing

CLEVELAND -- Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura had a very simple explanation for why he couldn't make it through the sixth inning in the Royals' 7-5 loss to the Indians on Wednesday.

"I just didn't have any command from the first inning on," Ventura said through interpreter Jeremy Guthrie. "I couldn't command my fastball or my curveball the whole game."

And why was that?

"Just one of those days," he said. "I'll come back and work harder next time."

Ventura surrendered leads of 2-0 and 4-3 before exiting in the sixth. His line: 5 1/3 innings, six hits, five earned runs, four walks and one strikeout.

Not pretty.

"He just left some pitches out over the plate," manager Ned Yost said.

But Yost is also keeping a close eye on Ventura's demeanor -- Ventura has been ejected twice this season, and also had a flare-up with Mike Trout of the Angels.

Ventura may have had cause to have another incident after teammate Alcides Escobar was nailed in the head with a pitch from Cleveland's Danny Salazar in the top of the fifth.

Cleveland's Jason Kipnis was up first for Cleveland in the bottom of the fifth. And he admitted he had some visions of a Ventura heater coming at him.

"I knew who was on the mound," Kipnis said. "I know what's happened in the past couple weeks. It's in the back of my head. But a guy that throws that hard, there's not much I can do if he comes for me. There's nowhere to really run."

But Ventura didn't even come close to retaliating.

"He's been through enough things lately," Kipnis said. "I don't think he's trying to get in any more altercations. I thought he handled it just fine. He's a tough pitcher that we got to today."

Yost agreed.

"He's working really hard to work as a professional," Yost said. "And he'll get there."