CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians secured a decisive 11-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. José Ramírez made a significant impact, hitting a home run, achieving his 1,000th career single, and driving in four runs. On the mound, Parker Messick delivered a strong performance, striking out five batters and allowing just one run over six innings.
Cleveland Secures AL Wild Card Spot
Cleveland currently occupies the third American League wild card position, holding a narrow one-game lead over both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. This positioning is crucial as the playoff race intensifies in the final weeks of the regular season.
After a 30-minute weather delay, Ramírez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 1 before Nathaniel Lowe sent his 15th homer of the season over the left-center field wall for a 3-1 Cleveland lead. Chase DeLauter finished 4 for 4, his third career four-hit game, which included an RBI double in the fourth inning, and Adell capped the scoring with a one-run single in the sixth to help the Guardians avoid a series sweep. Messick allowed five hits. Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for two hits to close out the game. See ’s full MLB coverage here
Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams opens game one over the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Ramírez’s Key Hits Propel Guardians Against Opponents
In the sixth inning, José Ramírez’s RBI single scored Jac Caglianone, marking a significant milestone as Caglianone became the 11th player in Cleveland Guardians history to achieve this feat. Earlier, Ramírez hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, extending the Guardians’ lead to 9-1. This home run was particularly noteworthy as it was his first at Progressive Field since May 17.
