Slade Cecconi Nearly Throws No-Hitter as Guardians Top Royals 10-2, Move Ahead in AL Wild Card Race

Monday, September 8th, 2025

Guardians Dominate Royals 10-2 as Slade Cecconi Nearly Makes History

The Cleveland Guardians made a statement on Monday night with a commanding 10-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, leapfrogging them in the AL Wild Card race. Pitcher Slade Cecconi took a no-hitter bid into the eighth inning, thrilling the Progressive Field crowd and nearly ending Cleveland’s long no-hit drought.

Slade Cecconi's Bid for History

Slade Cecconi (6-6) electrified fans by holding the Royals hitless through seven innings. The bid ended when Kansas City's Michael Massey led off the eighth with a single, lining a 2-1 fastball into left-center on Cecconi's 95th pitch. Cecconi received a warm ovation from the Cleveland faithful and quickly rebounded by inducing Carter Jensen into a double play.

Guardians' Offensive Firepower

Cleveland (73-70) recorded its fourth consecutive win, jumping ahead of Kansas City (73-71) for second place in the AL Central and increasing its postseason hopes. The offense was relentless, posting season highs in both hits (16) and doubles (7). Kyle Manzardo, Daniel Schneemann, and Nolan Jones each drove in two runs.

The Guardians broke the game open in the fourth, tagging Royals starter Ryan Bergert (2-2) for four RBI doubles and six runs in a single inning. By the end of the frame, Cleveland held a commanding 8-0 advantage, thanks to doubles by C.J. Kayfus, Brayan Rocchio, Schneemann, and Jones.

Royals' Injury Update

Kansas City was once again without All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who missed his third straight start due to back spasms. Manager Matt Quatraro noted that Witt participated in pregame running and fielding, and he is expected to return soon—possibly in Tuesday’s game.

Key Moment

Second baseman Brayan Rocchio delivered defensively to preserve Cecconi's potential no-hitter. Notably, he made a diving stop on Salvador Perez's hard grounder in the second and a sliding grab on Kyle Isbel’s grounder in the fourth, flipping for a key forceout.

Key Stat

Since Len Barker's perfect game in 1981, eight Cleveland pitchers have carried a no-hitter into the ninth, only to fall short. Most recently, Gavin Williams lost his no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth on August 6 after surrendering a home run to New York’s Juan Soto.

Up Next

The series continues with Royals rookie left-hander Noah Cameron (7-6, 3.03 ERA) set to face Joey Cantillo (4-3, 3.73 ERA) of the Guardians, who makes his second career start against Kansas City.

In summary

The Cleveland Guardians delivered a dominant performance against the Kansas City Royals, taking control both on the mound and at the plate. Slade Cecconi’s near-no-hitter energized the team and the crowd, while the Guardians' offense delivered season-best numbers to help secure a pivotal victory in the AL playoff race. With key defensive plays and potent bats, Cleveland looks to build on this momentum as the series continues and postseason aspirations grow stronger.

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