The Cleveland Guardians will be looking to reach the .500 mark as they face the Kansas City Royals in the second game of their four-game series on Friday night. In the series opener, the Guardians hit three home runs and secured a 6-1 victory, marking their fourth win in the past six games.
With the win, the Guardians improved their record to 43-44 and remain 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for first place in the American League Central division. The last time Cleveland held a .500 record was on April 28 when they defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-2. However, they had missed opportunities to reach .500 in two previous games this week, losing to the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Monday and 8-1 on Wednesday.
In Thursday’s game, Josh Naylor, who had been sidelined for two games due to a sore wrist, contributed a home run. Additionally, Andres Gimenez hit a home run and scored three runs. Gimenez has been performing well this month, going 8-for-21 with four extra-base hits and seven runs scored.
On the pitching side, the Royals will start left-hander Daniel Lynch in an attempt to end their four-game losing streak. Lynch has a 2-3 record and a 4.14 ERA this season. In his previous outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lynch earned a win after allowing three runs and five hits in five innings of work.
Lynch has struggled in his career against Cleveland, as he holds a winless record of 0-3 in five starts with an 8.87 ERA.
The Guardians will counter with right-hander Aaron Civale (2-2, 2.96 ERA). Civale had a solid performance in his last start against the Chicago Cubs, allowing one run and three hits in six innings. However, the Guardians’ bullpen squandered a lead in the ninth inning, leading to extra innings where they eventually won 8-6.
Civale has had success against the Royals in the past, holding a 2-1 record with a 4.12 ERA in seven career starts. He won both of his regular-season starts against Kansas City last year.
Civale will need to be mindful of the Royals’ speed on the basepaths, as they were successful in all three stolen base attempts in Thursday’s game. Cleveland manager Terry Francona acknowledged the Royals’ speed, particularly highlighting the abilities of Nicky Lopez and Bobby Witt Jr.
The upcoming game will provide the Guardians with another opportunity to reach the .500 mark while the Royals aim to put an end to their recent losing streak.
Pregame hits the air tonight at 5:30, with a 6:10 first pitch on KTTN AM 1600 and FM 92.3.
