Vinnie Pasquantino’s second solo homer of the day broke an eighth-inning tie and sent the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.
With Cleveland’s Austin Peterson (0-1) pitching in his fifth inning of his second major league game, Pasquantino led off the eighth by sending a 2-2 sinker well into the right field seats.
Pasquantino also homered off Peterson in the fifth, while Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel each had two hits for the Royals (69-94), who ended a disappointing 2026 campaign by avoiding a sweep and winning for just the seventh time in the final 25 games.
Kansas City starter Daniel Lynch IV allowed seven hits in two runs over a season-high 5 1/3 innings.
Lucas Erceg yielded one hit in the ninth and earned his 13th save of the season.
Daniel Schneeman and Jo Adell each homered and had two hits apiece for the Guardians (85-77), who rested key regulars Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez and Brayan Rocchio one day after securing their third consecutive American League Central title.
All-Star rookie starter Parker Messick gave up six hits and a walk in three innings, but only one run, for Cleveland, which earned a bye into the AL Division Series.
This was just the second loss in the final 11 games for the Guardians.
The Royals wasted no time getting to Messick. Maikel Garcia opened the bottom of the first inning with a walk, advanced to third on Caglianone’s one-out double, then scored via a Salvador Perez single to left field.
Cleveland tied the game in the third when Schneemann went deep over the right field fence in his first at-bat of the series.
Pasquantino cleared the center field wall in the fifth for a 2-1 Kansas City edge.
Adell tied it in the sixth with a one-out drive into the left-center-field fountains.
Nate Pearson (3-4) pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning for the Royals, who went 41-40 at home.
–Field Level Media
