KANSAS CITY -- Gavin Williams has had a rocky return to the Majors since coming back from an elbow injury in July. But when Williams is right, the hard-throwing righty is capable of being a potential leader in the Guardians’ postseason rotation.

And that was on full display Monday. Williams tossed seven innings of one-hit ball to lead the Guardians to a 4-2 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Cleveland now leads Kansas City by 4 1/2 games just six days after the Royals tied the Guardians atop the AL Central. The Twins, who defeated the Rays on Monday night, sit 3 1/2 games back in second place.

It was Williams’ longest outing of the season and the first time this year he allowed one hit or fewer in a start longer than five innings -- a feat he accomplished three times in just 16 starts last season.

Williams’ only run came on a two-out double from Maikel Garcia in the second, but he escaped further damage and left the frame after 46 total pitches. The 25-year-old then proceeded to set down the next 16 Royals he faced -- getting through seven innings on 98 pitches (62 strikes).

“It looked like the first couple innings he was kind of fighting himself, kind of rotating,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “ … [Pitching coach] Carl [Willis] talked with him after the second inning, and he got back online. And again, what a performance by Gavin. … To end up going seven was much needed for him, for us and everything.”

Williams’ seven-inning gem was just the seventh time this season a Cleveland starter went at least seven frames, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Guardians' rotation has a 4.58 ERA, which ranks 24th in the Majors. The recent additions of Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb have helped stabilize Cleveland’s biggest weakness recently, but Williams may be the next piece to take a step forward ahead of the postseason.

In the past three games, Boyd, Cobb and Williams have each gone at least six innings and allowed one run or fewer -- which is only the second time all season Cleveland has put together a stretch of starting performances that strong (May 17-19 vs. Minnesota).

The last time the Guardians did it, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee were the three arms to lock it down. Now, McKenzie and Allen are in the Minors. Williams had his struggles in August, pitching to a 6.56 ERA in five starts, but the Guardians -- and their opposition -- are starting to see the Williams that was so successful in 2023.

“It’s very important, honestly,” Williams said. “Especially the way the bullpen has picked us up a little bit sometimes. So it’s time for us to pick them up.”

“[His fastball] always jumps,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “We’ve faced it a couple times going back to last year. He’s got some of the best stuff in the league. Big extension, he can run that fastball up near 100 [mph] pretty much all game, and [he has] a good breaking ball. When he’s got a feel for that, it’s tough.”

Williams used his fastball to set up his curveball, an offering he leaned on to secure five of his six strikeouts.

Offensively, Cleveland backed Williams with a pair of long balls. Lane Thomas slugged his first homer as a Guardian with a two-run blast in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Josh Naylor blasted a two-run shot, notching his 100th RBI of 2024 to give Cleveland two 100-RBI teammates (joining José Ramírez) for the first time since Ramírez and Edwin Encarnacion in 2018.

“What a cool accomplishment for him. 100 RBIs, it's huge,” Vogt said. “And I know that for him, it's always important for guys to reach personal milestones. I know we talk about team and we talk about this, but we also want to celebrate each other's accomplishments. So tip your cap to [Naylor] for a great season through five months, and he's got another one to go.”

But those big hits mattered because of Williams, who kept the Royals off the board for five innings to give Cleveland a chance to claw back.

“When the starting pitcher like that sets the tone for that kind of game and gives us an opportunity inning after inning to take the lead, I think that’s the biggest part of the game,” Thomas said.

If Williams can continue to do that in September, the Guardians will have no choice but to give the righty the opportunity to do the same in October.