Jose Ramirez hit a three-run home run to key a five-run sixth inning as the host Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-3 Friday night.
Ramirez now has 122 RBIs, second in the American League to Aaron Judge.
The Guardians (89-68) and Royals (63-94) began a season-long six-game series. The final three games are make-up games from the lockout.
Aaron Civale (4-6) made his third start since coming off the injured list Sept. 20. He allowed three runs on three hits in six innings. Emmanuel Clase got his 40th save in 44 opportunities.
Brady Singer (10-5) allowed six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. All of the hits came in his final two innings.
The Royals took advantage of a Guardians’ error to score first in the third. Michael Massey hit an infield popup, but second baseman Andres Gimenez and shortstop Gabriel Arias collided. Drew Waters then hit a one-out, 405-foot home run to right field, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead.
Massey then connected on a Civale cutter and sent it over the wall in right. It’s the 12th time this season the Royals have had at least two home runs in the same game from rookies.
The Guardians got their first hits and first run off Singer in the fifth. Gimenez led off the inning with a single through the hole at short. He advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a single by Will Brennan.
Ramirez then launched his 29th home run in the sixth to put the Guardians ahead. Singer gave up a pair of singles to Steven Kwan and Arias to begin the inning before Ramirez pulled a 2-1 slider to right field.
Josh Naylor followed with a double. He scored on Austin Hedges’ single off the wall to left. That broke an MLB-worst 0-for-36 slump for Hedges and ended Singer’s night. The sixth run came on a Brennan single off reliever Carlos Hernandez.
–Field Level Media