Rookie Chase DeLauter’s two-run, go-ahead single in the fifth inning highlighted a two-hit night, and Joey Cantillo yielded one run over five innings as the visiting Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Wednesday.
DeLauter, batting .308, extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning double, then came through in the fifth with the Guardians down 1-0. Austin Hedges opened the frame with a walk and went to second on Petey Halpin’s single. Following a double steal, DeLauter drove in both on a single past the drawn-in Royals infield to put Cleveland ahead for good.
Meanwhile, Cantillo (2-1) allowed three hits and three walks while striking out one as the Guardians snapped a three-game skid.
Maikel Garcia had two of the four hits collected by the Royals, who had won the first two games of the four-game set that concludes Thursday. Kansas City had a five-game winning streak end.
The Royals opened the scoring in the third inning. Garcia singled and was forced out at second on Bobby Witt Jr.’s grounder. After Lane Thomas walked, Witt stole third with a nifty swim-move slide and scored on Salvador Perez’s sacrifice fly to right field.
Royals starter Cole Ragans was pulled after three innings due to left triceps and elbow soreness. He allowed one hit and two walks while striking out four in a 58-pitch effort.
Luinder Avila (0-2) gave up Kansas City’s lead in the fifth. He was permitted two runs in two innings.
The Guardians, clinging to a 2-1 lead, added another run in the eighth. Jose Ramirez walked to open the inning, stole second and went to third on a flyout. He scored on a ground ball that third baseman Garcia knocked down but went to first base for the sure out on David Fry.
Cleveland relievers Matt Festa, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined to allow one hit and two walks while striking out seven in four innings. Smith gave up a hit but fanned three in the ninth for his ninth save.
–Field Level Media
