KANSAS CITY, Mo. — José Ramírez daringly stole home for the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, but the Kansas City Royals rebounded to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 Thursday on pinch-hitter Freddy Fermin's two-run double in the bottom half.
Even win, the Royals reached the season's midpoint at 23-58, the worst first-half record in team history.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona was in attendance but was not in uniform as an on-going precaution against health concerns. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale managed the Guardians.
Ramírez started the 10th on second base as the automatic runner and advanced on Josh Naylor's groundout. Josh Bell struck out and with an 0-2 count on Andrés Giménez and left-hander Aroldis Chapman (4-2) working from the stretch, Ramírez took five small steps toward the plate and burst home.
He slid headfirst and with his body to the infield side of the line, slapped his right hand on the plate as catcher Salvador Perez gloved the high sinker and lunged forward. Umpire Jeremy Riggs called Ramírez out, but the call was reversed in a video review, giving Cleveland its first steal of home since Leonys Martin on June 15, 2019.
Nicky Lopez singled off Emmanuel Clase (1-5) leading off the bottom half, moving automatic runner Kyle Isbel to third.
Drew Waters took a called third strike, bringing up the pitcher's spot in the order created when designated Bobby Witt Jr. replaced Maikel Garcia at shortstop on the ninth inning. Fermin lined a pitch into the left-field corner, easily scoring Isbel and allowing Lopez to score standing up.
Clase blew a save for the sixth time in 30 chances.
Cleveland built a 2-0 lead in the fifth on Ramírez's sacrifice fly and Bell's two-out RBI single. Kansas City tied the score in the eighth on Edward Olivares' sacrifice fly and Nick Pratto's two-out, run-scoring single against Trevor Stephan.
Shane Bieber faced two batters over the minimum, working around leadoff doubles in the second and third innings. He allowed just the two hits in six shutout innings and struck out eight, one on Waters' pitch-clock violation that ended the fifth.
Royals starter Zack Greinke gave up two runs and 11 hits in six innings. He is 0-4 in 10 starts since beating Baltimore on May 3.
Naylor had two of the Guardian's 13 hits and is hitting .398 (43 for 108) in his last 26 games.
TRANSACTIONS
Guardians LHP Logan Allen was optioned to Triple-A Columbus and RHP Michael Kelly recalled from Columbus.
UP NEXT
Guardians: RHP Cal Quantrill (2-4, 5.61 ERA) will be activated from the 10-day IL (right shoulder inflammation) to start at the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Royals: Dodgers RHP Bobby Miller (3-1, 4.13) will oppose Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (1-11, 6.68) in Friday's series opener.
