Guardians 3, Royals 1 — May 6, 2026
Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City, Missouri
The Cleveland Guardians finally punched back Wednesday night, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 to snap a three-game skid and end Kansas City’s five-game winning streak. It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the kind of tight, pitching-led win Cleveland needed.
⭐ Key Performers
- Chase DeLauter: 2-for-4, 2 RBI. His fifth-inning single flipped the game and gave Cleveland the lead for good.
- Joey Cantillo: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. Not overpowering, but steady enough to keep the Royals quiet.
- Cade Smith: 1 IP, 3 K, save No. 9. He slammed the door in the ninth.
- José Ramírez: Walked twice, scored a key insurance run in the eighth.
🧢 Game Summary
Kansas City struck first in the third when Salvador Perez lifted a sacrifice fly to score Bobby Witt Jr., giving the Royals a 1-0 lead.
The Guardians finally broke through in the fifth. After Austin Hedges and Petey Halpin helped set the table, DeLauter delivered the biggest swing of the night — a two-run single off Luinder Avila that turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 Cleveland lead.
Cleveland added one more in the eighth when Ramírez walked, stole second, and eventually came home on a run-scoring groundout from David Fry.
From there, the bullpen handled the rest. Matt Festa, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Smith combined for four innings of one-hit baseball, with Smith finishing it off on an ABS-assisted strikeout to end the game.
📊 Notable Stats
- Cleveland improved to 19-19 with the win.
- The Guardians held Kansas City to just four hits.
- DeLauter extended his hot start and is now hitting .308.
- Cleveland went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but that one hit won the game.
- Cole Ragans left after three scoreless innings with left triceps and elbow soreness.
🎥 Watch the Highlights
💰 The Betting Corner
The Guardians cashed as underdogs Wednesday. FanDuel had Kansas City favored at -134 on the moneyline, with Cleveland at +116. The Royals were also -1.5 on the run line, so Cleveland covered easily with the 3-1 win.
The total was set at 7.5, and the game stayed under with only four combined runs.
For Thursday’s series finale, FanDuel lists Kansas City as the favorite again: Royals -144 on the moneyline, Guardians +122. The run line is Royals -1.5 at +138 and Guardians +1.5 at -166. The total is set at 9 runs.
📅 Next Game
Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Location: Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City, Missouri
Probable Pitchers: Slade Cecconi for Cleveland vs. Seth Lugo for Kansas City