Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| KC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
The Story
The Cleveland Guardians silenced Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 to hand the home side a loss the DiamondIQ model's estimate made inevitable by game's end, dropping Kansas City's win probability from an even 50 percent at first pitch to zero. Cleveland was held scoreless through the first four frames before breaking through in the fifth, and the Guardians never relinquished the lead, adding an insurance run in the eighth to close out the victory on six hits and no errors against Kansas City's one error.
The turning point arrived in the top of the fifth inning, when Chase DeLauter laced a single off Luinder Avila that shifted win probability by plus 22.7 percent in Cleveland's favor, the single largest swing of the game. DeLauter finished as the game's most impactful offensive player, posting a plus 21.9 percent WPA and a RE24 of plus 1.5 on the night. The Royals mounted their most credible threat in the bottom of the eighth, where Maikel Garcia drew a walk off Hunter Gaddis to move the needle plus 6.6 percent for Kansas City, but Jac Caglianone's lineout and Bobby Witt Jr.'s flyout against Gaddis represented swings of minus 7.4 and minus 7.0 percent respectively, effectively extinguishing the rally. Cade Smith then closed the door in the ninth, striking out Isaac Collins for a plus 12.0 percent swing that sealed the outcome.
On the mound, Erik Sabrowski was Cleveland's most valuable arm by win probability, contributing plus 15.2 percent WPA, while Joey Cantillo added plus 10.3 percent and Cole Ragans plus 10.2 percent, a collective effort that limited Kansas City to one run on four hits. Starling Marte rounded out Cleveland's standout performers at the plate with a plus 7.0 percent WPA and plus 0.5 RE24. The DiamondIQ model favors the Guardians having controlled this game through both starting pitching depth and the decisive fifth-inning sequence that Kansas City's offense was ultimately unable to answer.