"The running joke between Zack Greinke and Joakim Soria resumed Tuesday night after Soria secured another victory for Greinke when Royals beat the Cleveland Indians 2-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

"I always tell him how bad he is," Greinke said. "About how he's not good enough to be a starter and stuff like that. How he doesn't throw hard, and he signed a bad contract. I never give him credit for anything."

Not even, apparently, for saving seven of Greinke's eight victories this season.

"I don't think I have," Greinke mused. "I just tell him his curveball is going to get hit soon. And his change-up is going to get hit soon."

And so on.

Soria hears this and laughs.

"We always mess around with each other," he said. "He got me into the game (by pitching well), so I can't complain about it. He's a great pitcher. We just mess around all of the time. That's why he says stuff like that."

Fact is, if the Royals have a best-case scenario, it probably starts with Greinke and closes with Soria — and includes a bit of a bullpen bridge and just enough offense. Tuesday provided a case in point.

Greinke worked six strong innings and, thanks to homers by Yuniesky Betancourt and Wilson Betemit, handed a lead to the bullpen. Jesse Chavez and Blake Wood got the game to Soria.

And Soria responded by converting his 27th straight save opportunity, though the Indians made him work after Michael Brantley opened the ninth inning by serving a single into center field.

"When they get a man on base," Soria said, "even if he's a slow runner, there's pressure because you're only up by one run.""