KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Trevor Bauer began the season in the Cleveland bullpen, but he will enter the postseason as the Indians' starter for the first American League Division Series game on Thursday.

Manager Terry Francona named Bauer his pitcher for the postseason opener after the Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Saturday.

Bauer was pulled after six innings and 96 pitches, giving up three runs and six hits. When Francona lifted him, he told him the news and why he did not want him to go longer.

"They bunched a couple of hits together," Francona said. "He could have gone longer. He was strong. But thought all things considered that was a good place to end."

Francona said he plans to start Corey Kluber, who has a quad issue and has not pitched since Monday, in the second ALDS game against the Boston Red Sox. Kluber will throw bullpen sessions Sunday and Tuesday to get him ready for the playoff start.

"I thought I threw the ball better than the results show," Bauer said. "I guess at some point things will start to go my way and the results will match how I pitch. Hopefully, it's the next outing."

Cody Allen logged his 31st save as the Indians scored three unearned runs in the eighth inning to beat the Royals again.

Whit Merrifield's fielding error on Abraham Almonte's grounder allowed Rajai Davis to score the go-ahead run. Francisco Lindor's two-out double with the bases loaded tacked on two runs.

"I should make that play just about every time, but he hit it hard and he hooked it pretty hard and I thought it was going to be to my right,” Merrifield said. "I took a pretty hard step right and it hooked back to the left and I got my feet tangled up and I wasn't able to make the play."

Allen struck out two and allowed a hit in the ninth to claim his 31st save in 34 chances. Five Indians pitchers combined to strike out 15 Royals.

Matt Strahm was the losing pitcher. Mike Clevinger picked up the victory.

Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez labored through 24 pitches in the first inning when the Indians loaded the bases but came away empty. He walked Carlos Santana on eight pitches leading off the inning and Jason Kipnis singled. After retiring the next two batters, Volquez hit Jose Ramirez with a pitch before ending the threat with Lonnie Chisenhall popping up to Merrifield at second.

The Indians got a run in the second, which Coco Crisp led off with a walk, stole second and scored on Tyler Naquin's single to right.

With two outs in the third, Chisenhall tripled to deep center off Jarrod Dyson's glove and scored on a Volquez wild pitch with Crisp at the plate.

The Royals cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, clustering three two-out singles after Trevor Bauer had retired the first eight batters. Drew Butera started it with a single that Bauer deflected past Lindor at short and into left field. Dyson hit a sharp grounder to right field, moving Butera to second base. Merrifield's single to left scored Butera.

Volquez walked Lindor to begin the fifth, the third time in four innings he gave a free pass to the leadoff hitter. Ramirez singled, advancing Lindor to third, where he scored on a Chisenhall sacrifice fly to left fielder Alex Gordon.

Bauer walked Cheslor Cuthbert and Butera with one out in the fifth, but the Royals failed to score. Merrifield struck out to end the inning with Cuthbert on third and Dyson, who stole his 30th base of the season, on second.

The Royals tied it at 3 in the sixth, which Kendrys Morales and Paulo Orlando led off with doubles. Orlando's double off the Royals' bullpen fence brought home Morales. Alcides Escobar's ground single to left scored Escobar.

Volquez was removed after five innings, allowing three runs, five hits, four walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch. Volquez, who is eligible for free agency after this season, finished with a 5.37 ERA and failed to work beyond five innings in four of his final five starts.

"He did a nice job of keeping us in the game," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He just battle command all day."

NOTES: C Salvador Perez, who has hamstring and knee issues, was out of the Royals' lineup for the third straight day and likely won't start the season finale. ... The Indians will meet Boston in the American League Division Series, which starts Thursday. That became a certainty on Friday night when Texas wrapped up postseason home-field advantage with a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Terry Francona, who managed the Red Sox to two World Series titles, is in his fourth year managing Cleveland. ... The Indians outscored the Royals by 29 runs in the first 17 games of the season series. ... Indians RHP Josh Tomlin and Royals RHP Ian Kennedy are the Sunday probables.