First-place Royals? Kansas City surges into tie with Cleveland Guardians atop AL Central

The Kansas City Royals have caught the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. And they did it with three straight head-to-head wins in Cleveland.

The Royals pulled out a 6-1 victory behind newcomer Paul DeJong on Tuesday. The veteran third baseman hit a key two-run homer to propel the Royals into first place.

KC (75-58) climbed into a divisional tie with the Guardians. The Royals hadn’t been in first place since April 13.

“This is what a pennant race should be, to be honest,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s fun to be going back and forth with a good team. You know, the (Minnesota) Twins are right in it, too. ... This is what playoff baseball is like.”

The big highlight of Tuesday’s game: In the second inning, DeJong caught up to a 98 mph fastball from Guardians starter Gavin Williams. The blast traveled 395 feet over the right-center field wall.

“It’s just a testament to our team the way we are preparing to win every day,” DeJong said, “and the way we are sticking with each other despite all the adversity that we come across.”

That adversity on Tuesday also came in the second inning.

Royals right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen exited the game with a left hamstring strain. He sustained the injury after racing to cover the first base bag.

“We know it’s a hamstring and he is flying back early in the morning to get an MRI so we can find out,” Quatraro said.

Lorenzen, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers, has been solid in five starts for the Royals. He has a 1.85 ERA in 24 ⅓ innings with the club.

The Royals had a 2-1 lead before heavy rains halted play in the fifth inning. When play resumed, KC put the game away.

Infield duo Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey added RBI singles off Guardians reliever, and former Royal, Scott Barlow. The Royals scored three runs against Barlow to take a late four-run lead.

From there, KC relied on the bullpen to finish the game. Royals relievers James McArthur, John Schreiber, Sam Long and Chris Stratton helped nail down the club’s third consecutive victory.

“It’s great to see all of us going out there and picking each other up,” McArthur said. “One guy passing the baton to the next. That’s the goal for us.”

KC has won seven of nine games against Cleveland and clinched the regular-season series.

Missed previous games in the series?

Game 1: Royals climb up AL Central standings with road win over Guardians

Game 2: Salvador Perez’s monster night leads to Royals doubleheader sweep

Here are more notables from Tuesday’s game:

Bobby Witt Jr. injury scare

The Royals did have an a second injury scare.

Bobby Witt Jr. was hit on the hand in the seventh inning, but he was able to stay in the game. Witt sustained a bruise on his right middle finger and will get an X-ray as further evaluation.

“He just kept saying it was numb,” Quatraro said. “But all the strength tests that (Royals assistant athletic trainer) Chris (DeLucia) was doing and everything were checking out fine.”

Carlos Hernandez shines in emergency relief

The Royals turned to right-handed reliever Carlos Hernandez in a crucial spot. He filled in during the second inning after Lorenzen left due to injury.

And it was a tough situation.

Hernandez inherited two runners on base. He was tasked to face catcher Bo Naylor after tossing a few warmup pitches. The quick change wasn’t a hindrance as Hernandez struck out Naylor to end the scoring chance.

“We are not sitting here talking about a win if he doesn’t do that,” Quatraro said. “... Carlos set the tone. We don’t know what we are going to get there. He’s got one day rest. Prior to that, he had 23-25 pitches a couple of days earlier. He was going three out of five (days) coming in a big spot in the lineup. And he really nailed it.”

The Royals stuck with Hernandez for 2 ⅓ innings. He allowed one run before play was halted by the rain delay.

Speaking of...

Royals sit through rain delay

The Royals held a 2-1 lead before heavy rains temporarily stopped play. In the fifth inning, the Guardians were set to bat before the grounds crew covered Progressive Field.

The rain delay lasted 2 hours, 14 minutes.

Play resumed at 9:20 p.m. Central with Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio leading off against McArthur. The Royals right-hander worked two innings and struck out four batters in his relief appearance.

“The whole bullpen, after the rain delay, 15 up and 15 down is remarkable,” Quatraro said.

Wednesday’s finale is for the AL Central lead

The Royals conclude their four-game series against the Guardians on Wednesday. KC right-hander Michael Wacha will start in the early matinee.

Wacha is 11-6 with a 3.47 ERA. He has won seven consecutive decisions since June 22 against the Texas Rangers.

The Guardians will start right-hander Tanner Bibee. He is 10-6 with a 3.46 ERA in 25 starts during the 2024 campaign.