Deadspin | Guardians pour it on late in rubber match vs. Royals 
Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Angel Martinez had four hits, including a grand slam, and the Cleveland Guardians rolled to a 10-2 win against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the rubber game of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
Rhys Hoskins had three doubles, an RBI and run scored, and Jose Ramirez and Juan Brito each had two hits, an RBI and run scored for Cleveland, which has won three of four.
Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two.
Bobby Witt Jr. produced two hits and an RBI for Kansas City, which has lost three of four.
Royals starter Cole Ragans (0-3) lasted just five batters after he sustained a thumb contusion on his throwing hand when was hit by a comebacker by Ramirez.
He struck out the first two batters he faced before he was hit by the line drive. After several practice throws, Ragans stayed in the game and walked the next batter on four pitches before giving up a two-run double off the wall in left-center field by Chase DeLauter for a 2-0 lead.
Ragans allowed three runs and two hits, striking out two and walking one.
Ragans was then replaced by right-hander Luinder Avila, who surrendered an RBI double down the left-field line by Hoskins to make it 3-0.
The Guardians scored with two outs again in the second on an RBI double by Ramirez to make it 4-0.
Cantillo did not allow a hit until Maikel Garcia beat out a slow roller up the third-base line to lead off the fourth. Witt followed with a double into the left-center gap for his first extra-base hit of the season, cutting the lead to 4-1.
The Royals tacked on an unearned run in the fifth to trim it to 4-2, but Cleveland got the run back in its half of the inning on a two-out double just inside the right-field line by Brito to make it 5-2.
The Guardians strung together three straight singles to start the eighth to extend the lead to 6-2. Martinez came up with the bases full later in the inning and lined a grand slam over the fence in right to make it 10-2.
Cleveland relievers Connor Brogdon, Erik Sabrowski and Matt Festa combined to blank the Royals over the final 3 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
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Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Angel Martinez had four hits, including a grand slam, and the Cleveland Guardians rolled to a 10-2 win against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the rubber game of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
Rhys Hoskins had three doubles, an RBI and run scored, and Jose Ramirez and Juan Brito each had two hits, an RBI and run scored for Cleveland, which has won three of four.
Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two.
Bobby Witt Jr. produced two hits and an RBI for Kansas City, which has lost three of four.
Royals starter Cole Ragans (0-3) lasted just five batters after he sustained a thumb contusion on his throwing hand when was hit by a comebacker by Ramirez.
He struck out the first two batters he faced before he was hit by the line drive. After several practice throws, Ragans stayed in the game and walked the next batter on four pitches before giving up a two-run double off the wall in left-center field by Chase DeLauter for a 2-0 lead.
Ragans allowed three runs and two hits, striking out two and walking one.
Ragans was then replaced by right-hander Luinder Avila, who surrendered an RBI double down the left-field line by Hoskins to make it 3-0.
The Guardians scored with two outs again in the second on an RBI double by Ramirez to make it 4-0.
Cantillo did not allow a hit until Maikel Garcia beat out a slow roller up the third-base line to lead off the fourth. Witt followed with a double into the left-center gap for his first extra-base hit of the season, cutting the lead to 4-1.
The Royals tacked on an unearned run in the fifth to trim it to 4-2, but Cleveland got the run back in its half of the inning on a two-out double just inside the right-field line by Brito to make it 5-2.
The Guardians strung together three straight singles to start the eighth to extend the lead to 6-2. Martinez came up with the bases full later in the inning and lined a grand slam over the fence in right to make it 10-2.
Cleveland relievers Connor Brogdon, Erik Sabrowski and Matt Festa combined to blank the Royals over the final 3 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
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