Game Recap 6/27/23 | Guardians Win 2-1 vs. Royals

June 27, 2023

Andy Billman

Observations from the Game

3 things about Guardians’ 2-1 win over Kansas City Royals:

1 – Homecoming 

Quite the homecoming tonight for Kansas native Will Brennan who went 3 for 4 including the game-winning RBI double in the 9th scoring both runs to win the game. 

2 – Glorious Gavin   

Rookie Gavin Williams had a wonderful game going seven strong and only giving up one hit.  Williams seemed to get stronger as the night went on as he got 13 straight outs to end his night. 

3 – Stephan struggles 

Trevor Stephan ended up getting the win tonight but had some struggles.  In the bottom of the 8th, Stephan came in and he gave up a lead-off double.  After recording an out, Stepan got a grounder hit right to him and he air-mailed a throw to Bo Naylor allowing the runner to score.  Stephan also failed to cover home plate on the play never allowing a chance for Naylor to throw out the runner. 

Game Summary

In his second major league start, Gavin Williams delivered a remarkable performance, allowing only one hit to the Kansas City team through seven innings. The Cleveland Guardians mounted a late rally as Will Brennan smashed a two-run double in the ninth inning, propelling them to a 2-1 victory over the Royals on Tuesday night.

The game remained scoreless until the eighth inning when Kansas City managed to break the deadlock with a comebacker by Nicky Lopez against Trevor Stephan (4-3). However, Stephan’s throw to the plate went awry as he attempted to cut down the run.

In the ninth inning, Emmanuel Clase navigated through another error to secure the final outs and complete a two-hit game, earning his 24th save of the season.

Notably, Guardians manager Terry Francona was absent from the game due to feeling unwell earlier in the day. As a precautionary measure, he was taken to the hospital for evaluation, considering his medical history.

Gavin Williams, regarded as Cleveland’s top pitching prospect, bounced back impressively after a slightly shaky debut last week. He exhibited his skills by striking out six batters, issuing only one walk, and efficiently completing seven innings with just 92 pitches. Williams now joins an elite group in franchise history, becoming the second pitcher to achieve a one-hit outing of seven innings or more in his first two appearances.

The only significant threat Williams faced came in the third inning when he successfully retired Bobby Witt Jr. on a lineout with two runners on base.

Up Next

Wednesday 6/28 8:10 PM EST – Game 2 of 3 at Royals

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