Live Updates: Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians (Game One)

The Royals hit the road for game one against the AL Central leading Guardians.

© Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals (36-25) will face a crucial matchup against the AL Central leaders, the Cleveland Guardians (39-20), as they look to close the 4.0 game gap in the standings.

The Royals, coming off a strong stretch, will rely on their ace, Cy Young candidate Seth Lugo, who boasts an impressive 9-1 record with a 1.72 ERA. Lugo's dominance on the mound has been a key factor in the Royals' success this season. Opposing him will be the Guardians' young gun, Triston McKenzie, who holds a 2-3 record with a 3.77 ERA. McKenzie, despite his inconsistent start, has shown flashes of brilliance and will be looking to stifle Kansas City's offense.

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How It Happened...

FINAL: Guardians 8, Royals 5.

Ninth Inning:

• In the ninth inning, the Guardians brought in Emmanuel Clase to replace Scott Barlow on the mound. Hunter Renfroe started things off for the Royals by lining out sharply to center field. Garrett Hampson followed with a strikeout swinging, putting the Royals down to their final out. Maikel Garcia kept hope alive for the Royals with a walk, but Bobby Witt Jr. struck out swinging to end the game, securing the win for the Guardians. Final: Guardians 8, Royals 5.

Eighth Inning:

• In the eighth, the Royals faced Scott Barlow on the mound after the Guardians made a pitching change. Nelson Velázquez flew out to center, Nick Loftin popped out to shortstop, and Adam Frazier struck out swinging, making it another quick and uneventful inning for Kansas City. The Royals made a pitching change, bringing in Nick Anderson to replace Angel Zerpa. Anderson got off to a great start, with Will Brennan grounding out for the first out. Tyler Freeman then struck out looking, and Brayan Rocchio followed suit, swinging and missing for the third out. We move to the ninth inning. Royals have one last chance to make a comeback in Cleveland.

Seventh Inning:

• For the Royals, Bobby Witt Jr. led off with a single to right. Vinnie Pasquantino popped out to shortstop, and then Salvador Perez grounded into a double play, cutting their time at the plate short. The Guardians, however, brought the drama. Will Brennan started with a single to center, and then Tyler Freeman hit a two-run homer to left center, tying the game at 5-5. The Royals made a pitching change, bringing in Sam Long to replace Seth Lugo. Steven Kwan grounded into a force out, and Andrés Giménez struck out swinging. José Ramírez walked, pushing Kwan to second. With another pitching change, Angel Zerpa came in for matchup purposes, but it didn't seem like Long had his best stuff. Josh Naylor walked, and then David Fry reached on a throwing error by Bobby Witt Jr., allowing Kwan, Ramírez, and Naylor to score, making it 8-5 in favor of the Guardians. Manzardo grounded out to end the frame, but not before the Guardians took a commanding lead. Guardians 8, Royals 5.

Sixth Inning:

• In the sixth inning, the Royals couldn't get much going. Hunter Renfroe flew out to center to start things off. Garrett Hampson then singled on a line drive to left, giving them a glimmer of hope. But with a pitching change for the Guardians, Cade Smith came in to replace Triston McKenzie, and Maikel Garcia promptly grounded into a double play, ending the Royals' inning.

The Guardians had a similarly quiet inning. Josh Naylor flew out sharply to right, David Fry followed with a flyout to left, and Kyle Manzardo struck out swinging, wrapping up a quick and uneventful inning for them.

Fifth inning:

• The fifth inning saw the Royals' bats go mostly quiet. Salvador Perez struck out swinging to start things off, followed by Nelson Velázquez grounding out. Nick Loftin provided a spark with a single to right, but Adam Frazier was called out on strikes, ending their turn at the plate. For the Guardians, Will Brennan got things started with a single to center. Tyler Freeman flew out to center, but Daniel Schneemann walked, moving Brennan to second. Steven Kwan was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases and causing the Royals to call for a mound visit to try and calm down Seth Lugo, who was struggling with his command. The visit worked wonders as Lugo struck out both Andrés Giménez and José Ramírez swinging, escaping the jam and keeping the score in check.

Fourth Inning:

• The Royals started with Hunter Renfroe grounding out and Garrett Hampson striking out swinging. Maikel Garcia kept things alive with a sharp single to right, setting the stage for Bobby Witt Jr. to smash his second homer of the day, a two-run shot to left center. After that, Vinnie Pasquantino popped out in foul territory to the catcher, ending the Royals' half. The Guardians responded with some fireworks of their own. Steven Kwan led off with a double to right. Andrés Giménez grounded out, but José Ramírez followed with a single to left, driving in Kwan. Josh Naylor then hit a two-run homer to center, bringing Ramírez home. The inning wrapped up with David Fry lining out sharply to short and Kyle Manzardo grounding out. Cleveland cuts the deficit to two. Bobby Witt Jr. continues his MVP candidacy. Royals 5, Guardians 3.

Third Inning:

• This inning was action-packed for the Royals. Hunter Renfroe kicked things off with a solo homer to right center. After Garrett Hampson flew out to center, Maikel Garcia hit a sharp single and then stole second base. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a two-run homer to center, bringing Garcia home. Vinnie Pasquantino grounded out, but Salvador Perez kept the momentum going with a double to left. Nelson Velázquez walked, and Nick Loftin singled on a deflected line drive, loading the bases. However, Adam Frazier flew out to center to end their half of the inning. For the Guardians, it was a quick three outs. Will Brennan and Tyler Freeman both struck out swinging, and Daniel Schneemann grounded out to wrap up the inning. Royals 3, Guardians 0.

Second Inning:

• In this inning for the Royals, Salvador Perez managed to get on base with a walk, but Nelson Velázquez struck out swinging. Nick Loftin hit a line drive that was caught by the center fielder, and Adam Frazier also struck out swinging, ending their half of the inning. For the Guardians, Naylor grounded out, Fry flew out, and Manzardo grounded out, making it a quick inning for them as well.

First Inning:

• In the inning for the Royals, Garcia struck out swinging, Bobby Witt Jr. struck out on a foul tip, and Pasquantino flew out to center field. For the Guardians, Kwan lined out, Gimenez flew out, and Ramirez also flew out to center.

Pregame:

• Starting lineups:

Royals	Guardians
Maikel Garcia	Steven Kwan
Bobby Witt Jr.	Andres Gimenez
Vinnie Pasquantino	Jose Ramirez
Salvador Perez	Josh Naylor
Nick Lofton	David Fry
Adam Frazier	Kyle Manzardo
Hunter Renfroe	Will Brennan
Garrett Hampson	Tyler Freeman
P: Seth Lugo	P: Triston McKenzie

• First pitch is slated for 5:40 CT. You can watch the game on fuboTV and MLB.TV.