In the bottom of the 1st, the Guardians had two runners on Steven Kwan and Amed Rosario with nobody out with the middle of the order coming up. Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Josh Bell were unable to get the runners over and get them in with three consecutive flyouts.
And in the bottom of the 9th, Cleveland had the tying runs on base with Andres Gimenez and Will Brennan on 1st and 2nd with one out, but Myles Straw and Kwan were unable to get the big hit to tie or even win the game.
For the second straight game, Jose Ramirez made an error on a grounder, and it cost the Guardians a run in the top of the 2nd. With the missed opportunity in the bottom of the 1st, the J-RAM error that led off the second inning seemed to set the tone for the game.
Guardians starter Logan Allen did go seven innings giving the bullpen much-needed rest but gave up five runs, four earned. The home run ball burned Allen giving up two home runs in the 6th and 7th inning scoring three runs total. Kansas City starter Ryan Yarbrough continued to baffle Cleveland hitters, getting his second win of the season against the Guardians.
In Monday night’s game, Salvador Perez achieved a remarkable feat, becoming the 10th player in major league history to hit 200 home runs as a catcher. His two-run shot in the sixth inning off Logan Allen (4-3) propelled the Kansas City Royals to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.
Perez’s impressive home run total now stands at 240 over the course of his 12 seasons in the league. However, the ultimate record for homers as a catcher belongs to Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, who holds the mark at 396.
On the pitching side, Ryan Yarbrough (3-5) played a significant role in the Royals’ triumph. He delivered a strong performance, allowing only one run in six innings. Yarbrough’s stellar performance marked his second win at Cleveland in just 15 days. Notably, he had been recovering from a prior injury after being struck in the face by a liner from Oakland’s Ryan Noda on May 7. Nevertheless, he demonstrated composure and control, striking out one batter and not issuing any walks in his third start since his injury.
Kansas City’s offense also saw contributions from Edward Olivares, who hit a two-run double, and Maikel Garcia, who added a solo home run. These runs proved crucial for the Royals, who were able to snap a five-game losing streak. Despite the victory, the team still maintains the second-worst record in baseball at 29-73.
In the latter stages of the game, Myles Straw managed to make a dent in the Royals’ lead by hitting a two-run double in the seventh off Jose Cuas, bringing the Guardians within two runs (5-3).
Cleveland’s Josh Bell also got on the board with an RBI single, while Amed Rosario continued his strong performance, going 3 for 4 and tying for the major league lead with his 12th three-hit game.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, the loss pushed them 3 1/2 games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central. Additionally, the team received concerning news as their ace, Shane Bieber, was placed on the 60-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. Manager Terry Francona clarified that there hadn’t been a setback, but Bieber’s expected return date is now pushed back to mid-September. Bieber had previously posted a 5-6 record with a 3.77 ERA in 19 starts before getting injured on July 9 against the Royals.
As for the pitching matchup, rookie left-hander Logan Allen had a solid outing, matching his season highs with seven innings pitched while striking out five. However, he allowed five runs during the game, contributing to the Guardians’ defeat.
Tuesday 7/25 7:10 PM EST – Game 2 of 3 vs Kansas City Royals
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