Late-Inning Drama: Royals Stage Comeback to Edge Guardians 4-3
On Thursday, The Kansas City Royals staged a late-game comeback in the eighth inning to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on the road.
In the eighth inning, with the game tied at 3-3, the Royals faced a critical moment. The Guardians made a pitching change, bringing in Hunter Gaddis to replace Cade Smith. MJ Melendez led off by lining out to right fielder Will Brennan. Hunter Renfroe then popped out to the catcher, bringing them to two outs.
Adam Frazier stepped up and delivered a clutch double on a ground ball to right, his fifth of the season, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Kyle Isbel followed up with a sharp line drive single to right, bringing Frazier home to score the first run of the inning and breaking the tie. Maikel Garcia grounded out to end the Royals' turn at bat, but the damage was done.
The Guardians' Daniel Schneemann drew a walk in the bottom half of the inning, but the Royals' defense tightened up. Tyler Freeman struck out swinging, and David Fry grounded into a double play, ending the inning with no runs scored for the Guardians.
In the ninth inning, with the Royals clinging to a 4-3 lead, the Guardians made a pitching change, bringing in Scott Barlow to replace Hunter Gaddis. Bobby Witt Jr. drew a crucial walk and then showcased his speed by stealing second base, putting himself in scoring position with no outs. The Royals were in prime position to extend their lead and secure the win.
However, the Guardians' pitching tightened up, and Vinnie Pasquantino struck out swinging, unable to advance Witt Jr. Salvador Perez, a key hitter for the Royals, also struck out swinging, leaving Witt Jr. stranded at second. With two outs, Freddy Fermin managed to draw a walk, giving the Royals hope for an insurance run. But another pitching change was made, with Tim Herrin taking over for Barlow, and the Royals' pinch-hitter Nick Loftin grounded into a force out, ending the inning without adding any runs.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Royals turned to James McArthur to close out the game. Facing a one-run deficit, the Guardians' Steven Kwan flew out to center fielder Kyle Isbel, putting them one out away from defeat. Andrés Giménez grounded out, and José Ramírez grounded out to second baseman Nick Loftin, who made the final out, securing the 4-3 victory for the Royals.
After a mildly successful road series against the Guardians, Kansas City will now head back home for a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners starting on June 7. The series will continue on June 8 and conclude on June 9. The first game is scheduled to start at 7:10 PM CT tomorrow. Fans eager to catch the action can tune in to watch the game on Fubo TV and MLB.TV.
MATHEY GIBSON