Guardians still control AL Central, but Royals send message with Sunday’s 6-2 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — That’s why it’s nice to still be 22 games above .500 despite losing three of four games to a division rival.

The Guardians, leaders of the American League Central division, return home Sunday night after losing to the Royals, 6-2, at Kauffman Stadium. The Guardians entered this four-game series with a nine-game lead over the third-ranked Royals. They leave with a seven-game lead.

Make no mistake, the Royals delivered a message.

They beat the Guardians, 2-1, 10-3 and 6-2. They outscored the Guards, 7-3, and showed a deeper starting rotation. If it weren’t for a contested home run from rookie Jhonkensy Noel on Saturday, the Guardians might have been swept.

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Sunday’s game snapped a 13-game losing streak for the Guardians in which they went 8-5 against Seattle, Toronto, Baltimore and the Royals.

“In this 13-game stretch that we just finished, we played some really good teams,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “It was hot, emotional. We would have liked to have at least split this series. We have work to do, but I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. This 13-game stretch could have gone a lot different for us.”

“We know we have to win more games and we are going to do it. For now, we will enjoy our day off on Monday, pull ourselves together and string together 13 consecutive victories. »

The Guardians finished their seven-game road trip with a 3-4 record. They started strong by winning two of three games against the Orioles, but faltered against the Royals. Kansas City leads the season series, 4-2.

The Guards still control the division with a 52-30 record. But this would be a bad time to get big and brash. The Royals aren’t going anywhere. The same goes for the second-place Twins.

Royals starters Michael Wacha and Alec Marsh pitched well against Cleveland in this series, but they were outplayed Sunday by right-hander Seth Lugo (11-2, 2.17). Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk. He walked one and allowed four hits.

Lugo, a free agent acquisition over the winter, threw seven or eight different shots. The Goalies couldn’t touch any of them.

“His secondary pitch, the curveball, was very good,” second baseman Andres Gimenez said. “The gear change too. He pitched a fantastic game. »

Asked how the Guardians are handling their three out of four losses to the Royals, Gimenez said: “We have to stay positive. Having a day off on Monday is going to be huge for us.

“The season is not going to be perfect. You’re going to have a bad streak. You have to launch and launch this.

Left-hander Logan Allen (8-4, 5.74) gave up two runs earlier, but had regained his footing when Vogt retired him with an on and out in the fifth. The bottom kept dropping out of the game.

Dairon Blanco broke Allen’s momentum with a bunt single to start the fifth. Allen came back to retire Maikel Garcia, but with Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez due to bat, Vogt went to the bullpen for Eli Morgan.

Morgan, activated from the injured list Saturday, fell behind Witt 3-1 with the infielder back in. Witt lined the next pitch past Jose Tena at third and into the left-field corner for a triple and a 3-0 lead.

Pasquantino made it 4-0 with a single past the outstretched glove of first baseman Josh Naylor.

“The heart of their lineup was there,” Vogt said. “They were all hitting right-handed. We wanted Eli (a right-hander) to come in and shut down the game. Bobby Witt is a very good player and Pasquantino had a good swing.”

“It was good to get Eli back out there. It just didn’t go the way we wanted it to today.

The Royals, 30-16 at home, made it 6-0 on Perez’s seventh-inning two-run home run off Pedro Avila.

The Guardians avoided a shutout with two runs in the eighth. Jose Ramirez doubled Daniel Schneemann and Josh Naylor singled to score Ramirez. Ramirez’s double was the 620th extra-base hit of his career. That tied him for third in franchise history with Hall of Famer Jim Thome.

The Royals took a 2-0 lead against Allen with runs in the first two innings.

Witt and Pasquantino hit back-to-back one-out singles in the first inning and Witt advanced to third. Perez sent a grounder into the hole at shortstop where Brayan Rocchio made a sliding save. He threw to second to force Pasquantino and Andres Gimenez was able to make the relay in the first inning while avoiding Pasquantino’s slide.

First base umpire Tripp Gibson ruled Perez out at first base, but the Royals contested the outs at second and first base. Replays confirmed the out at second base, but said Perez beat the throw to first base, allowing Witt to score for a 1-0 lead.

The Royals’ second inning came on back-to-back one-out doubles after the third by Freddy Fermin and Garrett Hampson in the second.

Bo Naylor was the only Cleveland hitter to get a clue against Lugo as he doubled with two outs in the second and singled to start the fifth.

“Lugo is one of the best pitchers in the American League, if not in baseball, this year,” Vogt said when asked about Lugo. “He had it all together today. It was like a button being pushed.”

“He could have gone in any direction he wanted and he did. He didn’t allow us to do anything.

Following: The Guardians will be off Monday before the White Sox come to town for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night at Progressive Field.