Kansas City Royals Rally in Seventh to Defeat Cleveland Guardians 4-3, Snap Losing Streak on September 10, 2025

Wednesday, September 10th, 2025

Kansas City Royals Rally Late to Defeat Cleveland Guardians 4-3

The Kansas City Royals earned a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, thanks to a clutch performance in the seventh inning. Nick Loftin delivered a game-tying RBI single and crossed the plate on Maikel Garcia’s go-ahead double, helping Kansas City snap a three-game losing streak and boost their push for an American League wild-card spot.

Royals Come from Behind in the Seventh

Trailing 3-2 after six innings, Kansas City’s offense sparked to life. Tyler Tolbert scored on a pinch-hit single from Nick Loftin, who then raced home on Maikel Garcia’s double off the left-field wall against Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis. Tim Herrin was charged with both runs in the inning.

Pitching Performances Shine for Kansas City

Luinder Avila tossed two scoreless frames in relief, earning his first career MLB win. Carlos Estévez closed out the ninth for his major league-leading 39th save of the season. Royals starter Jonathan Bowlan opened the game with two innings after Michael Wacha was scratched due to a concussion suffered in an off-field incident.

Key Contributions on Both Sides

Cleveland’s Kyle Manzardo launched a massive two-run homer in the first inning—his 26th of the year and his longest to date at 432 feet. Bo Naylor added an RBI single in the fourth. For Kansas City, Vinnie Pasquantino and Jonathan India each contributed an RBI single, with Pasquantino reaching 100 RBI in a season for the first time. Guardians starter Logan Allen allowed two runs in five innings but remains winless in his last seven starts.

Key Moment

The pivotal seventh inning began when Jac Caglianone walked and was replaced by pinch-runner Tyler Tolbert. Tolbert scored on Loftin’s single, and Garcia followed with a decisive RBI double to give the Royals their first lead since the early innings.

Key Stat

Kansas City deployed six pitchers in the win. Michael Wacha, initially slated to start, was unavailable due to a concussion, altering the Royals’ pitching plans and requiring bullpen depth.

Up Next

The Royals and Guardians conclude their four-game series on Thursday. Kansas City will send right-hander Stephen Kolek (5-5, 3.88 ERA) to the mound, while Cleveland counters with right-hander Gavin Williams (10-5, 3.17 ERA).

In summary

The Kansas City Royals staged a late comeback to secure a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians, ending a three-game skid and tightening their chase for an AL wild-card berth. Key seventh-inning hits from Nick Loftin and Maikel Garcia propelled the Royals ahead, while Luinder Avila and Carlos Estévez sealed the victory on the mound. Cleveland’s early power was not enough to extend their five-game winning streak, setting up an exciting series finale.

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