Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Match Player Stats On Jul 06, 2023

Andres Gimenez, Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor each blasted solo home runs to help the Cleveland Guardians to a 6-1 win against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the opener of their four-game series on Thursday night.

Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee allowed one run and four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Eli Morgan (4-1), Enyel De Los Santos, Trevor Stephan and Nick Sandlin followed with scoreless innings apiece for the Guardians, who have won four of six to remain within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

Royals starter Jordan Lyles was aiming to win back-to-back starts after losing his first 11 decisions this season, but he departed after five innings with the score tied 1-1. He surrendered six hits, struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

Drew Waters had two hits for Kansas City, which has lost four straight.

Amir Garrett (0-1) relieved Lyles to start the sixth and was immediately tagged for back-to-back home runs by Ramirez and Naylor to give the Guardians a 3-1 lead.

Cleveland wasn't finished, as Gimenez walked, stole second and third and came home on a fielding error by second baseman Nicky Lopez with the infield drawn in to make it 4-1.

Bo Naylor came up with two outs in the inning and doubled into the right-field corner, scoring Will Brennan from first base to extend the lead to 5-1.

Guardians center fielder Myles Straw, who saved a run with a sliding catch to end the fourth, added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 6-1.

After rain delayed the start of the game 81 minutes, Bobby Witt Jr. singled with one out in the first and stole second before coming home on a single by Nick Pratto to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

Gimenez fouled off a pair of 0-2 pitches to lead off the second before lifting a home run over the right field fence to tie the score 1-1.

--Field Level Media