In a Thursday night game dominated by solid pitching, the Cleveland Guardians found their power stroke in the sixth inning to secure a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night. José Ramírez and Josh Naylor each homered on consecutive pitches, providing the offensive spark that Cleveland desperately needed.
The Guardians’ 3-4 hitters, Ramírez and Naylor, delivered a much-needed 1-2 punch to break the deadlock. Ramírez launched a homer to left field, and Naylor, who had missed the previous two games due to tendinitis in his right wrist, sent a ball over the right-field wall against reliever Amir Garrett (0-1).
Cleveland manager Terry Francona expressed his gratitude for the sudden surge of power, saying, “To that point, there’s one run and all of a sudden you look up and we got a couple-run lead. We’ll take ’em when we get ’em.”
Ramírez and Naylor have been a formidable duo since June 1, combining for 80 hits, 11 homers, and 45 RBIs, contributing to 30% of the team’s total runs during that period.
Andrés Giménez also added a home run for Cleveland (43-44), which has struggled to reach the .500 mark since April 28 when they had a record of 13-13.
Giménez expressed the team’s desire to achieve a positive record, saying, “In reality, having that number would be a reflection of what we want to do, just to have that continuity, that’s what we do. Obviously, that (.500) would be the goal, to go to the break with a positive record and that would be a good reflection of what we’re trying to do here.”
Eli Morgan (4-1) delivered a scoreless inning, followed by strong relief performances from Enyel De Los Santos, Trevor Stephan, and Nick Sandlin, resulting in a six-hitter.
The game was delayed by light rain, pushing the scheduled start back 81 minutes to 8:31 p.m.
The Guardians entered the game with confidence after losing two out of three games to the Atlanta Braves, knowing they faced the struggling Royals, who hold the worst record in the American League and were shut out for the 10th time just a day prior.
However, Kansas City starter Jordan Lyles, despite his 11 losses on the season, held Cleveland to just one run in the first five innings. The tide turned in the sixth when Ramírez and Naylor’s back-to-back homers broke the game open.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro, who previously coached in Cleveland, acknowledged the power of Ramírez and Naylor, saying, “José Ramírez is a good hitter. Naylor is a good hitter. It wasn’t anything that Amir did wrong.”
The Guardians capitalized on their momentum, adding two more runs in the sixth inning, with rookie Bo Naylor snapping an 0-for-19 drought with an RBI double.
In the second inning, Giménez led off with his eighth homer, tying the game 1-1. The Royals took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after a rain delay, but their offense struggled to produce against the Guardians’ pitching staff.
In a minor move, the Guardians acquired right-hander Chris Vallimont from the Baltimore Orioles for cash, adding pitching depth to their roster. Vallimont was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. To make room for Vallimont, the Guardians transferred injured starter Triston McKenzie (sprained elbow) to the 60-day injured list, with a two-week timeline until he can resume throwing.
On the Royals’ side, Zack Greinke received favorable news regarding his shoulder strain, and the team hopes the 39-year-old will return to the rotation after the All-Star break. Cal Quantrill of the Guardians has been placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation but will continue to play catch while being monitored.
The Friday night matchup will feature Royals right-hander Daniel Lynch (2-3, 4.14 ERA) against Guardians right-hander Aaron Civale (2-2, 2.96 ERA), who impressed in his last start against the Chicago Cubs, allowing only three hits over six innings.
The MLB scoreboard for Thursday, July 6, 2023:
Philadelphia 3, Tampa Bay (11)
Detroit 9, Oakland 0
Toronto 6, Chicago (AL) 2 (11)
Baltimore 14, New York (AL) 1
Boston 10, Texas 6
Cleveland 6, Kansas City 1
Seattle 5, Houston 1
Toronto 5, Chicago (AL) 4
Cincinnati 5, Washington 4 (10)
Milwaukee 6, Chicago (NL) 5
St. Louis 3, Miami 0
New York (NL) 9, Arizona 0
Los Angeles (NL) 5, Pittsburgh 2
