CLEVELAND — Austin Hedges hit a three-run homer and rookie Oscar Gonzalez doubled in two runs, sending the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Hedges’ third-inning drive, which barely cleared the 19-foot wall in left, scored Ernie Clement and Oscar Mercado to extend Cleveland’s lead to 6-2. The Guardians put 11 men on base in the first three frames against Daniel Lynch (2-4).
Gonzalez, who is 9 for 21 through five games in the majors, tacked on a two-run double in the sixth off Dylan Coleman. Cleveland has won three of four, including the first two in its three-game set with AL-worst Kansas City.
Cal Quantrill (2-3) worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, to remain unbeaten in his career at Progressive Field and against the Royals. The right-hander struck out five without a walk in improving to 6-0 in Cleveland and 5-0 all-time against Kansas City.
Lynch was lifted in the fourth after Andrés Giménez led off with a single. The left-hander gave up six runs, three in the first, in dropping his third straight decision for the 16-32 Royals.
Kansas City got on the board in the second when Kyle Isbel’s seeing-eye single drove in Hunter Dozier, then pulled within 3-2 in the third on Andrew Benintendi’s single to left. Benintendi was later thrown out at the plate by right fielder Gonzalez.
Guardians third baseman José Ramírez, who leads the majors with 51 RBI, was intentionally walked in his first two plate appearances and finished 1 for 2 with a stolen base. They were the first two intentional passes by a Cleveland player in 2022.
Royals reliever Jose Cuas, who began last season with Long Island in the independent Atlantic League, made his big league debut by retiring all three batters he faced.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Dozier were both hit by pitches from Quantrill near their left wrist, but remained in the game. Kansas City is 2-6 on a nine-game, 10-day trip that wraps up Wednesday in Cleveland.
Torrid pace
Ramírez was selected the AL Player of the Week for the second time this year after batting .348 with 11 RBIs in six games. The three-time All-Star has driven in 51 runs on the season, the third most in franchise history before the end of May. Cleveland’s record is 63 by Manny Ramirez in 1999.
“Manny and Josey are so different, but when you’re talking about Josey in those comparisons, that’s a pretty big compliment, probably to both guys,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said.
Trainer’s room
Royals: C Cam Gallagher (left hamstring strain), who has been on the 10-day injured list since May 2, joined Triple-A Omaha on a rehab assignment. Gallagher has missed 28 games. “He’s got a little ways to go,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Cam has to get behind the plate.”
Guardians: RHP Aaron Civale (left gluteal soreness) underwent a procedure to aspirate blood from the affected area. Civale was hurt on May 20 when he fell twice while mishandling a grounder against Detroit. “Hopefully, that will speed things up for him,” Francona said.
Up next
Royals: RHP Brad Keller (1-5, 3.95 ERA) seeks his first road victory since Aug. 20, 2021, against the Cubs. Keller is 0-3 with a 6.33 ERA in four starts away from Kansas City this season.
Guardians: LHP Konnor Pilkington (0-0, 3.75 ERA) makes his sixth appearance in the majors since debuting on April 15. Pilkington has allowed five runs in seven innings over two starts, both in May.
Twins 8, Tigers 2
DETROIT — Max Kepler had three hits and drove in three runs to help the Minnesota Twins to an 8-2 win against the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader. Game two ended after deadline.
Kepler is hitting .320 with four homers and 12 RBI in 25 at-bats against Detroit this season.
Minnesota’s Devin Smeltzer (2-0) picked up the win, giving up two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
“Today’s the best I’ve felt,” Smeltzer said. “My fastball velocity and fastball command is the best it has been, I was able to move the ball up and down and my changeup was good.”
Tigers starter Rony Garcia (0-1) took the loss, allowing six runs and seven hits in five innings.
“We didn’t do a good job of controlling the top half of their lineup, and they did a pretty good job of controlling the top half of our lineup,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “When that happens, it is an uphill battle.”
Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run double by Trevor Larnach, and the Twins added four more runs in the third.
Byron Buxton led off with a single — his first hit in 24 at-bats against Detroit this season — and scored on Kepler’s double.
Jorge Polanco singled, and with one out Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer to left for his sixth homer of the season.
Miguel Cabrera singled — career hit No. 3,030 — and scored in the fourth to make it 6-1, but Kepler added a two-run single in the seventh.
Daz Cameron ended Smeltzer’s day with an RBI double in the seventh.
“The good thing about Devin is that he throws strikes,” Sanchez said. “All his pitches were working today and he attacks the hitters. That plan works for us.”
Tigers rookie Spencer Torkelson went 3-for-4 in the first game, his second straight three-hit game.
“I’m seeing the ball a lot better right now, and I’m definitely getting my good swing off in more at-bats,” said Torkelson, who raised his batting average from .176 to .211. “This game can knock you down fast, but sameness is greatness. Stay the course and results are going to happen.”
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