The Royals keep finding the right moment, and Saturday at Progressive Field gave them another clean example of why. With the game tied in the sixth, Kansas City jumped on Cleveland’s bullpen and turned a tight afternoon into an 8-3 win over the Guardians.
The turning point came right after Guardians starter Foster Griffin finished five strong innings. He held the Royals to two runs, allowed four hits and needed 82 pitches to get through the outing, which included Isaac Collins’ two-run double in the fifth. It was Griffin’s second start against his former team this season.
Stephen Vogt then handed the sixth to right-hander Colin Holderman, and the inning quickly spun away from Cleveland. Bobby Witt Jr. opened with a leadoff single, Jac Caglianone followed with another hit, and Witt moved all the way to third. Salvador Perez then ripped an RBI double into the left-center-field gap to give Kansas City a 3-2 lead.
From there, the Royals kept pressing. Holderman allowed Nick Loftin’s single to load the bases, and then Jose Ramirez committed a fielding error that let another run score.
Vogt went to left-hander Erik Sabrowski, but the damage kept coming. Josh Rojas, pinch-hitting for Tyler Tolbert, took the first pitch he saw and sent a half-swing into left field for a two-run hit that pushed the Royals further in front.
That six-inning burst changed everything. Kansas City added two more runs in the eighth when Rojas homered again, finishing with his second four-RBI game in the majors.
The Royals finished with a series win and improved to 62-75. They’ve now won 12 of their last 13 games dating back to Aug. 16.
The offense did the heavy lifting, but the pitching staff held up its end after Daniel Lynch IV left after 3 and 1/3 innings. Royals relievers retired 14 straight batters at one point.
Anthony Gose, recalled on the road trip, set down five in a row, while Craig Kimbrel, John Schreiber and Nate Pearson each delivered a scoreless inning. Alex Lange handled the ninth to close it out.
Pearson also kept flashing the kind of velocity that has stood out since he joined the club, reaching 101 mph with his fastball. Since coming to Kansas City, he hasn’t allowed a run in 14 of his 15 appearances.
Cleveland dropped to 68-68, with Angel Martinez accounting for all three of its runs. He scored twice on his own and also launched a two-run homer off Lynch in the second.
The Royals now sit 6 and ½ games behind the Guardians in the American League Wild Card race, and they still hold a 5-4 edge in the regular-season series.
Kansas City will go for the sweep on Sunday, with Seth Lugo (6-7, 4.61 ERA) set to face Parker Messick (10-8, 2.50 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Central Time.
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If he clears waivers, Schreiber would be expected to stay with the Royals through the 2026 season before potentially reaching free agency in the offseason. For Kansas City, it is a quietly significant roster move because it opens the door to another club while still leaving the option to keep him around, and it suggests the team is at least exploring what his future looks like beyond the immediate bullpen mix. [Read more 🡒]
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Alex Langes season has been part of the problem, with a 5.81 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, and he was the only Kansas City reliever to allow runs in the most recent game. The broader concern is bigger than one outing, though. The Royals have already taken some swings on the bullpen through free agency and trades, and the returns have been mixed enough that the offseason may have to bring a more meaningful answer. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Lineup Flipped A Shaky Night Fast And The Guardians Cracked
Daniel Lynch IV gave the Royals a short but survivable start, working 3.1 innings while allowing three hits, two walks and striking out three. From there, the bullpen settled things down and kept Cleveland off the bases until the ninth, giving Kansas City enough runway to let its offense take over after a shaky opening.
The lineup answered with a tie in the fifth and then strung together the kind of inning that can flip a game in a hurry in the sixth, with Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Nick Loftin all contributing key hits. The Guardians also helped the cause with defensive mistakes, and by the time the dust settled, the Royals had turned an uneasy night into a lead they could protect. [Read more 🡒]