American League Central rivals open a three-game divisional series on Monday when the Kansas City Royals visit the Cleveland Guardians.
Both teams enter the opener coming off losses on Sunday. Cleveland gave up a 3-1 lead to Philadelphia in the pursuit of a series sweep, rallied on a David Fry home run to force extra innings, then gave up four runs in the 10th en route to an 8-5 defeat.
“David’s had a lot of big days,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said of Fry. “He’s done a terrific job for us when you think he’s played first, little bit of third, caught, right (field), and putting the bat on the ball really well.”
Fry’s 2-for-4 performance on Sunday marked his third multi-hit showing since July 16.
The Guardians threatened in their half of the 10th when Steven Kwan capped a 4-for-5 day that included a solo home run with a run-scoring single, but Cleveland could not capitalize on loading the bases with no outs.
Kansas City, meanwhile, fell in New York to the Yankees, 8-5, for the Royals’ fifth consecutive loss.
Five Kansas City batters — Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Michael Massey and Freddy Fermin — all connected for two hits on Sunday. However, after digging themselves a 4-0 hole in the first inning, the Royals could not catch up.
Kansas City had runners on first and third with one out in the eighth, trailing 5-3, but both Salvador Perez and Massey struck out. New York then tacked on three more runs in its half of the eighth, making home runs from Fermin and Kyle Isbel in the ninth inning futile.
“It’s nice to crawl back into it. You make them work a bit, make them go into their bullpen. You never know what can happen,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told Bally Sports Kansas City after the game.
Logan Allen (4-2, 3.21 ERA) will make the start on Monday for Cleveland. Allen earned the win in his last start — his first appearance to go to a decision since June 3 — when he struck out eight and gave up just one hit over five scoreless innings last Tuesday at Pittsburgh.
Allen struck out five and gave up three hits with no runs in 3 2/3 his first time facing Kansas City, a 14-1 Guardians win on June 28.
Ryan Yarbrough (2-5, 5.21) gets the start for Kansas City, seeking his second win in as many starts opposite Cleveland. He pitched six innings, allowing just one run on six hits in the Royals’ 4-1 road victory on July 9.
With the win, Yarbrough improved to 3-0 in his career against the Guardians. He has faced Cleveland four times in total with a trio of starts and has amassed a 1.78 ERA with 18 strikeouts. The July 9 start was his first outing against the Guardians as a member of the AL Central counterpart Royals.
Yarbrough is coming off a loss in his last start, having given up three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings in Kansas City’s 3-2 loss to Detroit on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
