KANSAS CITY -- There was never any question about Slade Cecconi's fastball repertoire. The mission for the Guardians’ right-hander on Thursday was to be more precise with his secondary pitches.
“I think that getting those shapes right with the offspeeds is going to help him,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said in his pregame visit with the media.
Indeed, Cecconi took a step in the right direction with that directive. With Cecconi delivering 5 ⅓ innings of two-run ball and the Cleveland offense showing some early juice, the Guardians came away with an 8-5 victory over the Royals and a split of the four-game series.
Kansas City put the leadoff man on in four of the first five innings, but Cecconi was able to navigate through some traffic. Meanwhile, the Guardians rang up five hits among their first six batters, with the highlight being Kyle Manzardo’s two-run double off Royals starter Seth Lugo. Staked to a 3-0 lead in the first, Cecconi held steady after starting the day with a 6.56 earned run average.
“I felt like the curveball was back to where it needed to be,” Cecconi said. “That was a pretty quick and easy fix. We went back to a grip that allowed me to get more depth on the baseball. We made some adjustments we thought would work and they worked well today.”
Having a three-run lead before he ever threw a pitch was ideal for Cecconi.
“There’s no better feeling than having your team jump out on the other team’s starter,” Cecconi said. “You feel really confident and convicted in attacking hitters in those situations. It definitely feeds the confidence that I have in myself.”
The Guardians went up 4-0 in the third when Petey Halpin delivered a run-scoring single. It marked the first RBI of Halpin’s Major League career. But even after forcing Lugo’s early exit after four innings due to a heavy pitch count (102), the Guardians still had some shaky moments in the latter portion of the game.
Catcher Bo Naylor seemed to ensure that the Guardians wouldn’t have any late-game drama when he launched a three-run homer that made it 8-2 in the seventh. But the Royals kept charging and were within three in the eighth when Erik Sabrowski struck out Vinnie Pasquantino in an intense lefty-lefty matchup with runners at second and third.
“That’s something we talk about a lot, that every run is important,” Naylor said of the insurance that he provided with his three-run homer.
Naylor added an infield hit in the ninth to finish the game 2-for-5. He started the day with a .127 batting average, so getting those two late hits felt especially nice.
“You always love to see the ball fall [for a hit],” Naylor said. “But at the end of the day, I always try to remind myself it’s about the preparation. Just continue to push forward and keep your mind in the right spot.”
After losing the opening two games of the series, the Guardians had to win the last two games to avoid dropping their first series to an American League Central opponent since July 26-27 last year, when they lost two of three at Kansas City.
Cleveland was able to get that done while finishing its seven-game road trip at 4-3.
“What a great road trip by our guys,” Vogt said. “Tough schedule, long days. To come home with a winning record, it’s a really good feeling.”