Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia hit back-to-back triples to rally the Kansas City Royals past the visiting Cleveland Guardians, 2-1 to win the opener of a four-game series Thursday evening.
Leading off the sixth, Isbel drilled Ben Lively’s sinker over leaping right fielder Daniel Schneemann for a triple. Garcia followed with an RBI triple into the right field corner, snapping a 12 at-bat hitless slump.
After Bobby Witt Jr. fouled out on the first pitch, Vinnie Pasquantino’s major-league-best ninth sacrifice fly gave the Royals a 2-1 lead.
Isbel and Garcia’s consecutive triples were the first for the Royals since Nate Eaton and Isbel tripled in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 7, 2022.
Cleveland broke through in the fifth when Tyler Freeman led off with a sharp single and Steven Kwan doubled to right. Schneemann’s sacrifice fly gave the Guardians a 1-0 lead.
Royals starter Michael Wacha exited in the sixth with one out and runners at the corners. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing a run on seven hits and two walks, striking out six.
Sam Long (2-1) struck out four of six batters faced, pitching 1 2/3 innings and allowing a walk. John Schreiber pitched a hitless eighth and James McArthur earned his 14th save with a hitless ninth.
Lively (7-4) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro was ejected in the fifth inning after the umpires ruled Nick Loftin ran out of the basepath to avoid a tag to end the inning.
Salvador Perez singled twice as the Royals have won three of four.
Freeman reached base three times and Jose Ramírez had a pair of singles as the Guardians lost consecutive games for the first time since June 16-18.
–Field Level Media