The Cleveland Guardians secured a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday, thanks to a strong seven-inning performance by Gavin Williams.
Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor each contributed two-run home runs to the Guardians’ win, which marked their fourth victory in five games. With this victory, Cleveland solidified their lead atop the AL Central.
Williams, who struggled in August, rebounded with a solid outing, allowing only one run and one hit. The right-hander settled down after a shaky start, retiring his final 16 batters faced.
The Royals, managed by bench coach Paul Hoover in the absence of Matt Quatraro, continued their losing streak with a season-high six consecutive defeats.
Thomas’ home run gave Cleveland a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, while Naylor’s powerful blast extended the Guardians’ advantage.
Emmanuel Clase earned his 41st save of the season, closing out the game for Cleveland.
Yuli Gurriel drove in a run for the Royals in the second inning, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Guardians’ offensive output.
The Kansas City Royals will welcome the Cleveland Guardians to Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday for the second game of their three-game series.
Tanner Bibee (10-6, 3.65 ERA) will take the mound for Cleveland, facing off against Brady Singer (9-9, 3.36 ERA) for Kansas City. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 6:00 p.m. on SuperStar Country 102.5 & 1530 AM.
