Angel Martinez recorded two of his four RBIs with a double during an eventful ninth inning, in which the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians drew six walks and scored five times, to win 12-9 over the host Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
The Royals’ Nate Pearson (2-4) walked four batters in the ninth, including Jose Ramirez with the bases loaded and two out to break a 7-7 tie. Nolan Hoffman then came on and issued consecutive walks to Chase DeLauter and Petey Halpin to make it 10-7.
The Guardians broke things open with Martinez’s two-run double and held on to maintain a one-game division lead over the Chicago White Sox (83-77), who defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-1.
Postseason-bound Cleveland (84-76), which overcame four runs, five hits and four walks allowed over 3 1/3 innings by Gavin Williams, took advantage of 13 walks issued by the Royals to win for the eighth time in nine games.
Kansas City trailed 7-5 in the eighth, when Carter Jensen clubbed his second two-run homer of the night, this time off Hunter Gaddis (6-3). Jac Caglianone had three hits with two RBIs and Salvador Perez added a two-run homer in the ninth for Kansas City (68-92), which is mired in a 6-17 stretch.
The Royals’ Noah Cameron allowed seven runs — six earned — and seven hits with four walks over five innings.
However, the Royals got a run back in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Bobby Witt Jr. singled, then scored on Caglianone’s double off the left-field wall.
The Guardians answered with Austin Hedges’ home run. However, Jensen, with a man on, tied things when he lined Williams’ pitch into the right-field seats.
Cleveland regained the lead in the fourth via Ramirez’s sacrifice fly.
Cleveland, though, scored three times in the fifth, highlighted by David Fry’s two-run home run.
