Guardians squeeze out unsightly win over Royals in AL Central race
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KANSAS CITY -- It doesn’t have to be pretty, right? At this point in the season, all that matters is winning, no matter what that looks like.
The Guardians showed they can win a nail-biter on Thursday, when they clinched a postseason berth with a 1-0 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Less than 24 hours later, their matchup with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium got your stress levels rising for different reasons.
The Guardians beat the Royals, 12-9, on Friday in the opener of their final series of the regular season. Cleveland blew three leads and had to lean upon a five-run rally in the top of the ninth inning, when it drew six walks, three of which brought in a run.
Cleveland nonetheless got one step closer to securing a third straight American League Central division title.
“It’s baseball,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “You never know what you're going to get. We have no idea how we're going to find a way to win, but we're going to continue to try to find a way to win every night.”
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s win.
1. The postseason picture
The Guardians (84-76) maintain a one-game lead on the White Sox (83-75) for first place in the AL Central, after Chicago beat the Rockies earlier Friday night. This race could reach finality on Saturday, as the Guardians can clinch the Central and a first-round bye in the postseason with a win over the Royals and a White Sox loss to the Rockies.
Because the White Sox hold the tiebreaker after winning the season series, the Guardians must finish with a better record to win the Central. Cleveland entered the weekend with a one-game lead. Its destiny is in its own hands.
“As much as we want Colorado to win this week, it's on us,” first baseman David Fry said. “If we go out and win three games, we take care of business, we get to get the bye. We're paying attention to the other games, but we're focused on what we're doing.”
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2. Patient approach pays off
Nine Guardians hitters stepped to the plate in the ninth inning. Six drew a walk. It marked the first time Cleveland drew six walks in a single inning since Sept. 10, 1999 (fourth, at White Sox). Cleveland’s 13 walks on Saturday marked its most in a nine-inning game since Sept. 9, 1979, against Toronto (14).
Royals reliever Nate Pearson issued four walks in the ninth, including one to José Ramírez with two outs and the bases loaded, which gave the Guardians an 8-7 lead. Chase DeLauter and Petey Halpin followed with back-to-back walks off Nolan Hoffman, and Angel Martínez broke the game open with a two-run double.
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The Royals’ pitching staff did itself no favors. The Guardians’ hitters also did well to force Kansas City to throw strikes when it mattered most in the ninth. Vogt even liked Travis Bazzana taking a chance on a 2-0 pitch from Pearson in the ninth (on which he flied out) after Nathaniel Lowe drew a leadoff walk.
“For me, those are the worst at-bats,” Fry said of the Royals’ command troubles in the ninth. “You can't be really aggressive, because you know they're all over the place. But as soon as they throw a strike, it’s like, ‘All right, well, now I'm back behind in the count.’
“Our guys did a great job of being super patient. It was just a weird night.”
Fry loomed large before Lowe pinch-hit for him. He belted a two-run homer in the sixth that gave the Guardians a 6-5 lead, and he made a slick pick at first base to complete a 7-6-3 double play on a John Rave flyout in the eighth.
3. Williams struggles
The Guardians were hopeful staff anchor Gavin Williams would guide them to a win, but he lasted just 3 1/3 innings while allowing four runs on five hits and four walks on 74 pitches.
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Most ironic? The Guardians arrived in Kansas City from Boston at 3 a.m. local time on Friday, while Williams flew ahead of the team earlier Thursday to be well-rested for his start.
“I was just spraying the ball everywhere,” Williams said. “A little out of control, the body, everything. I just didn't have it when I should have, and there's really no excuse that I didn't have it.”
Williams watched the Guardians clinch a postseason berth on his flight Thursday. When he got to the team hotel, Joey Cantillo called him on FaceTime so he could be a part of the team’s celebration.
The next time Williams toes the mound will either be in Game 1 or 2 of the ALDS, or in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, which is set for Wednesday. In the latter case, another champagne celebration could be in store first, with him included.