The Cleveland Guardians rookie C.J. Kayfus delivered when his team needed it most Thursday night.
His two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted Cleveland to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Kansas City Royals in a crucial wild card matchup.
Kayfus entered Thursday’s game struggling at the plate with a .196 batting average and .634 OPS through 31 major league appearances.
The rookie stepped into the batter’s box in the eighth inning with Bo Naylor on first base and Cleveland trailing by one run.
“There’s no feeling in the world like that one. That was truly, probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life right there,” Kayfus said.
CJ Kayfus: “There’s no feeling in the world like that one. That was truly, probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life right there.”
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 12, 2025
Cleveland has now won six of its last seven games and took three of four from Kansas City.
The Guardians (75-71) remain in the American League wild card race despite trailing Seattle by
The ninth-place hitter launched a 425-foot blast to center field that changed the game’s momentum completely.
His go-ahead homer not only secured the victory but kept Cleveland’s playoff hopes from fading further.
Seattle maintains a three-game lead over the Guardians with just over two weeks left in the regular season.
Cleveland faces slim odds according to FanGraphs, holding less than a 10 percent chance to catch the Mariners or Texas Rangers for the final wild card spot.
While Thursday’s loss wouldn’t have mathematically eliminated Cleveland from postseason contention, it would have damaged their already fragile chances significantly.
Kayfus provided the clutch moment that keeps belief alive in Cleveland’s clubhouse.
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