Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On May 03, 2021

Eddie Rosario hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to break up a tie game and Josh Naylor hit a two-run shot later in the inning as the Cleveland Indians emerged with an 8-6 win over the host Kansas City Royals on Monday.

The Royals scored three in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't come all the way back in the opener of a four-game series.

Bryan Shaw (1-0) earned the win after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning. Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his sixth save in seven chances.

Jakob Junis (1-2), who came on in relief after originally being scheduled to start the game for the Royals, took the loss. He gave up both seventh-inning home runs and yielded five runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Daniel Lynch, the Royals' starter and No. 2 prospect according to MLB.com, made his major league debut. He allowed three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings while walking four and striking out three.

Cleveland right-hander Aaron Civale gave up three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Jorge Soler. The Indians answered in the fourth on a two-out RBI double by Naylor.

Kansas City scored again in the bottom of the inning, although it nearly blew a golden opportunity.

Hunter Dozier led off with a triple but was still standing on third with two outs. Whit Merrifield, who grounded out to leave the bases loaded in the second, hit the first pitch into the seats in left to give the hosts a 3-1 lead.

Cleveland came right back with two in the fifth. Scott Barlow replaced Lynch with two outs and runners on first and second, and he threw a wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position. Franmil Reyes singled both of them in.

After the Indians took the 8-3 lead in the top of the seventh, the Royals rallied in the bottom of the inning.

Soler hit an RBI double, and Dozier then greeted James Karinchak with a 410-foot blast to left on the first pitch to draw the Royals within two runs.

Karinchak had not allowed an earned run this season prior to the home run.

--Field Level Media