The Cleveland Guardians needed a bounce back, and they got one in a big way Wednesday night in Kansas City.
Behind a gutty performance from Joey Cantillo, the Guardians knocked off the Kansas City Royals 3-1 at Kauffman Stadium to snap a three-game losing streak and move back to .500 at 19-19. The win also ended Kansas City’s five-game winning streak, a streak that had been building momentum at exactly the wrong time for the AL Central race.
Back in the win column!#GuardsBall | #GuardiWins pic.twitter.com/Cfhc3saFKV
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 7, 2026
The story of the night belonged to Austin Hedges, who continues to do things that nobody expected from him when this season began.
Hedges is now hitting .311 on the season, a number that would have seemed impossible to project for a player whose career average entering 2026 sat well below .200. On Wednesday night he did not just contribute with the bat. He ignited the entire fifth inning with his legs, stealing third base in a moment that set the table for the biggest hit of the game. It was the 17th stolen base of his career and just his second career swipe of third base.
DeLauter went 2-4 on the night with two RBI and now has hits in 10 straight games while reaching base in 14 consecutive contests. The 24-year-old continues to be the most consistent and productive hitter on this roster.
Cantillo held the Royals largely in check through five innings, allowing just one run on three hits while walking three and striking out one. Kansas City got their only run in the third inning on a Salvador Perez sacrifice fly, but Cantillo settled in and retired six straight batters after that before turning the game over to the bullpen. Matt Festa, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith combined for four scoreless innings to close it out. Smith worked the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.
Cleveland gets back to .500 and keeps pace in the AL Central. The series continues Thursday afternoon with Slade Cecconi taking the mound against Seth Lugo at 2:10 PM ET.
NEXT: One Guardians Pitcher Has Quietly Been Special Since Returning
