Rookie Jhonkensy Noel delivered a crucial single that brought home Josh Naylor, securing the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Cleveland Guardians staged a comeback to defeat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Wednesday. This victory allowed the Guardians to regain sole possession of first place in the American League Central division. Entering the seventh inning, the Guardians were trailing 5-2 but managed to score four runs, marking their first lead of the game.
Bo Naylor contributed significantly by hitting a home run off Royals starter Michael Wacha, while Josh Naylor, Will Brennan, and Noel each recorded RBI singles against Lucas Erceg. Additionally, AndrĆ©s GimĆ©nez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Guardians avoid a four-game sweep in the series. This win marked Cleveland’s 37th comeback victory of the season, reinforcing their position at the top of the division, which they had held for 154 days before Kansas City tied them on Tuesday.
The Royals saw their seven-game road winning streak come to an end, although they have maintained a strong record of 23-14 since the All-Star break. Despite clinching the season tiebreaker over the Guardians, Kansas City will host Cleveland for a three-game series next week. Erceg, who allowed one run in this game, had not given up a run in his previous 12 appearances. Eli Morgan earned the win for the Guardians, while Emmanuel Clase achieved his 39th save, tying the franchise record for career saves.
The Kansas City Royals are set to travel to Houston on Thursday to commence a four-game series against the Astros. Taking the mound for Kansas City will be Brady Singer, who holds a record of 9-9 and an earned run average of 3.38, while the Astros will counter with Hunter Brown, boasting an 11-7 record and a 3.72 ERA. Fans can tune in for pregame coverage on SuperStar Country 102.5 and 1530 AM starting at 6:30 p.m., with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. from Minute Maid Park.
