KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning after Maikel Garcia tied it with a homer four batters earlier to help lead the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Saturday.
Garcia led off the seventh with a 405-foot homer off Paul Sewald (0-1). Cavan Biggio followed with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who stole second. With two outs, Witt lined a double to left to score Blanco with the go-ahead run.
Guardians six-time All-Star Jose Ramirez left in the third inning with a sprained right wrist when he was tagged on the arm while attempting to steal second base. Gabriel Arias replaced Ramirez at third base.
Bo Naylor gave the Indians a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the second, and Carlos Santana scored Steven Kwan on a sacrifice fly in the third.
Kwan’s solo homer in the fifth put Cleveland up 3-1.
Royals starter Seth Lugo threw five innings and allowed three earned runs and four hits and struck out four with three walks. Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) followed Lugo and threw two perfect innings for the win. Carlos Estevez walked one and struck out one in the ninth to earn his first save for Kansas City.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams allowed two runs and four hits in five innints with one walk and two strikeouts.
Salvador Perez had RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings.
Key moment
The Royals’ comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning was powered by Garcia’s homer and Witt’s double.
Key stat
The top four hitters for Kansas City — Jonathan India, Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Perez — went 5 for 14 with five RBIs.
Up next
The Guardians send RHP Tanner Bibee to the mound against RHP Michael Wacha for Kansas City in Sunday’s series finale.
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