Ramírez hits milestone to help Guardians route Royals
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CLEVELAND (AP) -- José Ramírez homered, hit his 1,000th career single and drove in four while Parker Messick struck out five and gave up one run in six innings to lead the Cleveland Guardians past the Kansas City Royals 11-1 on Sunday.
Cleveland (69-68) holds the third American League wild card.
Ramírez’s RBI single in the sixth inning plated Jac Caglianone, helping him become the 11th player in Cleveland history to achieve the feat. His two-run home run in the fourth inning extended the Guardians’ lead to 9-1 and was his first at Progressive Field since May 17.
After a 30-minute weather delay, Ramírez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 1 before Nathaniel Lowe sent his 15th homer of the season over the left-center field wall for a 3-1 Cleveland lead.
Jo Adell hit a two-run double in the third, and Lowe added an RBI sacrifice fly.
Chase DeLauter finished 4 for 4, his third career four-hit game, which included an RBI double in the fourth inning, and Adell capped the scoring with a one-run single in the sixth to help the Guardians avoid a series sweep.
Messick (11-8) allowed five hits. Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for two hits to close out the game.
Salvador Perez plated the Royals’ run with an RBI single in the first. Kansas City had won 12 of its previous 13 games before Sunday’s loss.
Seth Lugo (6-8) gave up nine runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings for Kansas City.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Randy Dobnak (2-2, 1.92 ERA) starts the series opener against the Marlins on Tuesday.
Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (12-7, 3.98) opens game one over the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
SATURDAY
ROJAS POWERS ROYALS
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Josh Rojas had his second career game with four RBIs, Salvador Perez hit two doubles and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Guardians 8-3 on Saturday for their 12th win in 13 games.
Rojas came into the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. He lined a two-run single to left to extend Kansas City’s lead to 6-2 and added a two-run homer in the eighth. Rojas’ other game with four RBIs was with Arizona in 2022.
Cleveland’s Angel Martínez had two hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in three runs. The Guardians have dropped their last two after a seven-game winning streak.
Anthony Gose (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings as five Royals relievers combined to allow one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Kansas City broke it open with a four-run sixth as its first five batters reached base. Perez’s double to left-center off Colin Holderman (6-4) drove in Bobby Witt Jr. with the go-ahead run.
After Jo Adell led off the second with a walk, Martínez drove a low changeup into the bleachers in left field off Royals starter Daniel Lynch IV.
Kansas City tied it in the fifth when the first three batters reached base. Nick Loftin hit a leadoff double and Tyler Tolbert got aboard on an infield single before Collins’ double down the left field line tied it at 2.
Lynch, making his fifth start since being moved from the bullpen to Kansas City’s rotation, allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Foster Griffin allowed two runs in five innings in his fifth start for Cleveland since being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline.