KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The Guardians looked to jeopardize Kansas City’s playoff chances, but early Wednesday it was the Royals who landed the knockout blow. The Royals avoided a sweep and ended a seven-game winless streak by inflicting a 4-1 loss on Cleveland in the final regular-season game between the two clubs at Kauffman Stadium.
Tommy Pham hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning against Cleveland starter Ben Lively, and Seth Lugo limited the Guardians lineup to one run on six hits in seven brilliant innings to earn his 15th win.
The loss ended Cleveland’s three-game winning streak, but the magic number to win the American League’s Central Division dropped to 19 as Minnesota lost at Tampa Bay.
However, the Royals were tied with the Twins in the race for the AL Central crown and were 4 1/2 games behind Cleveland.
Cleveland is 29-34 since June 26 after starting the season with a major league-best 51-26 record.
Kansas City scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead after Lively danced around trouble for the first three innings.
Paul DeJong and Robbie Grossman opened the inning with base hits before Michael Massey scored a run with an RBI single up the middle that landed under Lively’s glove. The hit ended an 0-for-17 streak for Massey and tied the score at 1-1.
Lively retired the next two batters he faced, but trailed Pham 2-0 in the count and let fly a fastball over the inside of the plate that the Royals’ right fielder hammered into the seats to the left, giving KC a three-run lead. It was Pham’s eighth home run and first in four games since joining the Royals as a waiver claimer on Sept. 1.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Lively struggled with the Royals’ lineup in the first three innings, although he didn’t have optimal control over his breaking pitches.
“He wasn’t really on his game tonight, but he really fought through the first three,” Vogt said. “He kept them off the board, and then I felt like they were able to get through to him pretty well in the fourth set.”
Lively said his trip may have depended on him missing spots that shouldn’t be missed.
“It’s very frustrating,” Lively said.
With career highs in starts (25) and innings pitched (135 1/3), Lively wasn’t looking for excuses after the fact. He said that at this point in his career, he’s motivated by the thought of his next better performance.
“There comes a point inside you where you just think, ‘I’m going to try to get better,’ and you have to get better. There’s only one way to solve the problem: go back out and do it.”
Since being signed by the Royals on Saturday, Pham has hit safely in three of four games, going 5-for-17 with two extra-base hits and three RBIs as a leadoff hitter.
Lively, on the other hand, has managed fewer than five innings in three of his last five starts since August 12, posting a 6.20 ERA during that span.
Eli Morgan replaced Lively in the fifth inning after 78 pitches. It was Lively’s second-shortest appearance of the season in Toronto in June 2016. The right-hander fell to 11-9 after starting the season with 10 wins in his first 16 decisions.
Cleveland’s bullpen managed four scoreless innings, marking its 51st game with at least three scoreless relief innings, a major league high this season.
Lugo, who struck out 10 Guardians batters in six innings in a Royals win on June 30, maneuvered through a Cleveland lineup that was without 100-RBI player Josh Naylor, who had to leave Tuesday’s game briefly because of acute back spasms.
Lugo struck out Daniel Schneemann with Will Brennan on third base to end the second inning and benefited from three double plays from his infield, including one that began with a comeback grounder to the mound by José Ramírez in the first inning.
Vogt said Lugo hit the bottom of the strike zone with his fastball all night.
“You don’t want to fight a guy like that down there who keeps missing shots,” Vogt said. “He got an advantage with that. He used all of his shots really well. We had a few things against him, but couldn’t get away with a crooked number.”
Lucas Erceg, who has been tasked with runs in his last three appearances by Cleveland and Houston, threw a scoreless ninth inning for his ninth save.
The Guardians struck first against Lugo in the third inning when Andrés Giménez flew over Melendez’s head in left and scored on a bloop single near the left field line by Ramírez. It was the 106th RBI for Ramírez, second in the major leagues behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (124).
In 13 games against KC this season, Ramírez hit .308 (16 of 52) with six doubles, three home runs and an OPS of .953.
Erick Sabrowski, who joined Cleveland on Aug. 28, made his major league debut with two outs in the seventh inning after striking out pinch-hitter Yuli Gurriel and leaving a runner on third base. Sabrowski worked a scoreless eighth inning, allowing a two-out double to pinch-hitter Maikel Garcia after starting the inning on a whiff from DeJong.
Vogt was impressed with Sabrowski’s performance, especially given the long wait before he finally took the mound.
“That was great,” Vogt said. “He came in and knocked Gurriel down in a good fight, threw some good strikes. It’s not easy for him to sit out for a week or so and not pitch.”
Next: The Guardians have Thursday off before opening a three-game weekend series against the Dodgers on Friday in Los Angeles. First pitch at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. Left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.38) will start for Cleveland. The Dodgers have not yet announced a starter. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM and the Guardians Radio Network will broadcast the game.
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