CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Guardians end the first half of the season where they began – even.
Second baseman Michael Massey had three hits, including a two-run triple as part of a three-run sixth inning, for the Kansas City Royals, who salvaged the finale of the four-game series with a 4-1 win over the Guardians Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Here’s our Final 9 as the Guardians hit the All-Star break at 45-45 through 90 games, a half game in front of the Twins and one win off last year's pace.
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1. Royals left handed starter Ryan Yarbrough, making his first start since May 7 when he was struck in the face by a comebacker to the mound against Oakland, was tough to hit Sunday. Yarbrough scattered six hits over six innings and allowed just one run. “That’s just exactly what he did is he kept us off balance and he would throw his little cutter, fast ball [for] strike one,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “And then I kept hearing Val [hitting coach Chris Valaika say to] every hitter [go the] opposite way, opposite way, opposite way. And the first time through, he got us in pull mode, and if you do that, you’re kind of playing right into his hand.” He walked one and struck out five nine weeks to the day of his injury.
2. Shane Bieber allowed four runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings of work Sunday as he fell to 5-6 on the season. Bieber struck out six and hit two batters. “Just trying to avoid big innings and wasn’t able to do that again today,” Bieber said. “It’s beyond frustrating. I’m disappointed in myself not giving the team the greatest chance to win with my start.”
3. Andres Gimenez broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI single which scored Jose Ramirez, who led the inning off with a single, to give the Guardians a 1-0 lead. In what appeared to be an attempt to force the Royals to cut off the throw to the plate to allow Ramirez to score, Gimenez was thrown out at first for the second out of the inning.
4. Cleveland’s lead was short lived. Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel hit his second home run of the season to right center to lead off the top of the fifth and tie the game at 1.
5. Royals catcher Freddy Fermin put Kansas City in front, 2-1, with an RBI double in the top of the sixth to score DH Salvidor Perez, who was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning. Massey followed with a two-run triple into the right field corner to make it 4-1. “That’s probably the best executed pitch I had all inning, but it doesn’t matter. People don't care about that, myself included,” Bieber said. “They found both the third base line and the first base line that inning and it is what it is.” Massey collected three hits in the game.
6. The Guardians came away with no runs in the sixth inning despite collecting three hits. Shortstop Amed Rosario, originally called safe before the Royals won the challenge, was thrown out trying to go first to third on Josh Naylor’s single to left field, short circuiting the rally. “Amed getting thrown out is a big play, but it’s hard for us not to play the other way,” Francona said. “We go base to base, we’re going to have a hard time winning. And Amed goes hard always from jump, and the kid hadn’t been out in left field very much. He made a nice play because if we go first to third and he makes that there, and then we get the double, we got a chance.” Gimenez followed with a double to put runners at second and third with two outs before Tyler Freeman’s sinking liner was caught by Royals left fielder Nicky Lopez to end the inning.
7. Nick Sandlin pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings where he walked one and struck out one and Tim Herron threw a scoreless ninth for Cleveland in relief of Bieber.
8. Josh Bell, who delivered a key two-run single in the eighth inning Saturday on the 10th pitch of the at-bat that saw him foul a pitch off his lower body, pinch hit for catcher Cam Gallager in the seventh after Myles Straw walked with one out. Bell grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
9. So where do the Guardians stand at the break in Francona’s eyes? “I think we're playing better baseball, which is always good,” Francona said prior to the game. “Wish our record was better. Whatever our record is, that’s what it is and that’s what you go by. But I think the one thing that’s really good is where we are. We’ve kind of earned the right now to come back in the second half and play really meaningful games. And if you show up and you’re a little bit nervous or excited, that’s a good thing. So that, that’s something I’m grateful for.”