Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez runs while grounding out during the third inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, July 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Noah Cameron escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first before tossing five innings of three-hit ball, Maikel Garcia homered for the second time in three games, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on Sunday.

Garcia finished with two RBIs, and Vinnie Pasquantino and Luke Maile also drove in runs, while the Kansas City bullpen allowed only Gabriel Arias’ homer amid four hits over the final four innings.

Carlos Estévez worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 27th save.

Cameron (5-4) was stingy after the first, when Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and José Ramírez began the game by loading the bases with nobody out. Cameron rebounded to retire David Fry, Carlos Santana and Arias, then allowed only two baserunners in the next four innings. He also struck out six in another dominant performance.

The 26-year-old left-hander from nearby St. Joseph, Missouri, lowered his ERA to 2.44 and has not lost a game since June 27.

Joey Cantillo (2-1) lasted only four innings for Cleveland on a hot, humid day in Kansas City. He allowed three runs and three hits and four walks while striking out four in his fifth start since joining the Guardians’ rotation.

Cantillo had twice faced Kansas City in relief this season, retiring all six he faced and striking out four of them.

Key moment

The fruitless first proved to be pivotal for Cleveland, when Fry flied out to right, Santana struck out and Arias grounded out to end the inning. Kansas City proceeded to coax across two runs in the bottom half and never trailed.

Key stat

The Royals won despite going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

Up next

The Guardians return home to face Colorado tonight with RHP Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.76 ERA) starting the opener. The Royals welcome the Braves on Monday night with LHP Rich Hill (0-1, 1.80) on the mound first for the three-game series.

SATURDAY

GAME 2

Guardians get doubleheader split

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steven Kwan hit a two-run home run, Tanner Bibee struck out eight in five innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Saturday night to earn a doubleheader split.

Kansas City won the first game 5-3 with a walk-off homer in the 10th inning. The Guardians have not swept the Royals in a doubleheader since April 24, 2008.

Kwan’s 431-foot home run into the right field fountains of Kauffman Stadium gave the Guardians a 6-2 lead.

The Guardians drew four straight walks in the first with Carlos Santana drawing the RBI walk to give Cleveland a 1-0 lead. Johnathan Rodríguez extended the lead with a two-run double in the first. Daniel Schneemann hit a sacrifice fly RBI in the third.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Freddy Fermin each hit two-run home runs for Kansas City.

Bibee (7-9) allowed four runs on seven hits for his third straight win. After taking the loss in game one, Emmanuel Clase earned his 24th save of the season.

Kris Bubic (8-7) gave up four runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings of work with four walks and one strikeout. Bubic got off to a slow start, throwing 42 pitches in the first inning. The four walks matched a season-high.

Key moment

Kwan’s home run was the spark the Guardians needed to get the win. Since July 7, Cleveland has homered in 14 of 16 games.

Key stat

Santana drew his 133rd career walk against the Royals, which tied Rickey Henderson for most career walks vs. Kansas City.

GAME 1

Royals rally past Guardians in 10

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonathan India hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning to send the Kansas City Royals past the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Trailing 3-2, John Rave and Luke Maile walked to lead off the 10th off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (5-3).

Automatic runner Tyler Tolbert was picked off second base after Rave’s walk. India’s 413-foot drive to left center won it for the Royals. It was India’s fifth homer of the season.

Kyle Manzardo’s bases-loaded RBI single in the top of the 10th gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead.

Steven Cruz (3-1) earned the win for Kansas City.

Maikel Garcia went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, triple and a walk. Salvador Perez had a two-hit game with a double. Garcia’s two-run homer in the fourth inning gave the Royals a 2-0 lead. It was his ninth homer of the season.

Bo Naylor drove in both of the runs for the Guardians with a sac fly in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh.

Kansas City’s Michael Wacha pitched 5 1-3 innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Gavin Williams gave up two runs and five hits in six innings with three strikeouts and two walks for the Royals.

The series opener on Friday game was postponed because of weather, which set up a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Key moment

Missed opportunities in the later innings cost the Guardians. With two on and one out in the seventh, Brayan Rocchio attempted to score from first on Naylor’s RBI double, but was thrown out at home. Cleveland had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth and had the bases loaded in the 10th, but only scored once. The Guardians went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.

Trainer’s room

Jac Caglianone (left hamstring tightness) left the game in the top of the third inning after grounding into a double play in the bottom of the second.

Key stats

This was the first matchup for between the AL Central foes since April 13. For the Royals, it was the first divisional game since June 8.