Takeaways From Guardians Opening Day Extra-Innings Win vs. Royals

The Cleveland Guardians start the 2025 MLB season 1-0 after defeating the Kansas City Royals.

Tommy Wild | Mar 27, 2025

Mar 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo (9) hits an RBI double against the Kansas City Royals during the tenth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In this story:

Cleveland Guardians

The 2025 MLB season is officially underway, and the Cleveland Guardians started their year off with some extra-innings baseball against the Kansas City Royals.

Here are three observations and takeaways from the Guardians' first victory of the season, 7-4.

Ben Lively Steps Up For Cleveland

Most Opening Day starters across baseball knew they would take the mound for the first game of the season as late as last week.

But Ben Lively found he was starting for the Guardians on Thursday morning, with Tanner Bibee being scratched due to a stomach illness.

When Stephen Vogt called Lively on Wednesday and told him Bibee was sick and that he might have to pitch, Lively said, "Oh ok. Sounds like a plan."

Lively was largely terrific during his first start of the season. He pitched 5.0 innings, struck out three batters, issued zero walks, and gave up four hits.

The right-hander did give up three runs on a blast from Vinnie Pasquantino, but that was it on the scoring front. (If Bobby Witt Jr. wasn't so fast, the Guardians may have been out of the inning the batter before.)

Despite the home run, the Guardians couldn't have asked more from Lively.

He threw the ball great on short notice and is officially off to a solid start to the season.

Mar 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively (39) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kyle Manzardo: One Man Wrecking Machine

With the Royals starting LHP Cole Ragans on the mound, there was a question about how Kyle Manzardo would perform in the season's first game.

However, he put all those unknowns to rest with an incredible game against his biggest weakness: left-handed pitching.

The Guardians' designated hitter drew a walk in his first at-bat and hit a triple down the right-field line in his second, both of which came against Ragans.

Then, with the Guardians down one run, Manzardo hit a two-run go-ahead home run against Angel Zerpa, another lefty.

Manzardo then delivered the game-clinching blow in extra innings with a two-run double against Sam Long, another lefty.

It's a small sample size, sure, but this is proof there is no reason Manzardo should platoon against lefties this year.

Have a day, Kyle.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/68ZNPwsDqC
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 27, 2025

The Guardians Bullpen Will Be Fine (Including Emmanuel Clase)

Cleveland's bullpen was historically good in 2024. It was so dominant that some analysts thought it could regress this season.

Cade Smith was the first reliever out of Cleveland's bullpen and saw three batters, striking out three of them. Tim Herrin was the next man up and finished with the exact same line as Smith.

Hunter Gaddis took the ball in the eighth inning and ran into a little trouble with his command, but he got out of a jam thanks to some great defense from the Guardians combined with poor baserunning from the Royals.

Newcomer Paul Sewald even recorded a quick three-batter save in his Guardians debut.

Emmanuel Clase was the shakiest of the bench and allowed the Royals to tie the game up in the ninth with one earned run. Cleveland's closer gave up two hits, both of which had an exit velocity of 100+ mph.

Is this the start of the season that Clase or the Guardians wanted? Obviously not.

However, there's no reason to overreact right now. It's only the first game of the year. Plus, the Guardians still won.

Ben Lively Steps Up For Cleveland

Kyle Manzardo: One Man Wrecking Machine

The Guardians Bullpen Will Be Fine (Including Emmanuel Clase)

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage