It's the second time in as many days Kansas City has walked into Cleveland and left with the win — Michael Wacha threw 8 shutout-caliber innings with 10 strikeouts in Friday's series opener, and Saturday's lineup picked up right where that game left off. The Royals are shorthanded doing it, too, playing without both Michael Massey and Maikel Garcia.
Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians
Sat Aug 294:10 PM ET
By JR·1 min read
TLDR: Kansas City just handed Cleveland its second straight loss in this set, and by the middle innings it wasn't close.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
 CLE | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
Kansas City Royals
- Won 4 of last 5, beat this Guardians staff Friday too
- Wacha's 8-inning gem set the tone for the series
- Missing 2B Michael Massey (concussion) and 3B Maikel Garcia (hamstring)
- Bullpen down key arms — Mears out for the season
Cleveland Guardians
- Griffin ranks top-3 in MLB wins, sub-3.25 ERA
- Won 4 of last 5 entering the set
- Lost Friday's opener 3-0 to this same Royals team
- Rhys Hoskins still on the injured list
Foster Griffin came in third in the majors in wins and had never faced his old organization since Cleveland acquired him from Washington on August 3. Daniel Lynch IV was the one who wobbled first, though — Angel Martinez took him deep for a 2-run shot that had Progressive Field feeling good early. It didn't last.
Daniel Lynch IV
(5-5)·3.52 ERA
Aug 23 vs Tigers
ND
4.1IP
2ER
2K
1BB
59P
08/29 Lineup
Foster Griffin
(15-5)·3.65 ERA
Aug 23 @ Rockies
W
5.0IP
2ER
4K
3BB
105P
08/29 Lineup
Griffin, who owns a 3.21 ERA and had been nearly untouchable in his Cleveland cameo, couldn't hold the line. Kansas City chipped away with 2 runs in the 5th, then blew the game open with a 4-run 6th, tacking on 2 more in the 8th to bury any comeback hopes. The Royals finished with 12 hits against a Guardians pitching staff that had looked buttoned-up all week.