Jose Ramirez homered twice to help the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-3 win against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the rubber match of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
David Fry also homered and Gabriel Arias had two hits and a run scored for the Guardians, who have won two in a row to get back to .500, where they sat at the All-Star break.
Cleveland starter Gavin Williams threw four shutout innings, allowing three hits. striking out five and walking two. The rookie right-hander was lifted after throwing 87 pitches.
Royals rookie right-hander Alec Marsh dropped his fifth straight start to begin his major league career.
Marsh (0-5) allowed four runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking four.
MJ Melendez had two hits, including a solo homer in the ninth, and Salvador Perez, Freddy Fermin and Michael Massey also had two hits apiece for the Royals, who have lost seven of eight.
Andres Gimenez walked with one out in the first before Ramirez lined a fastball over the fence in right-center field for a 2-0 lead.
Gabriel Arias was thrown out at home while trying to score from second base on a single by Steven Kwan in the second inning, but the Guardians asked for a review and the call was overturned, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead.
Marsh walked his second batter of the third inning to load the bases with two outs. He was relieved by Jonathan Heasley, who walked the first batter he faced to force in a run and make it 4-0.
Ramirez homered again to lead off the fourth and stretch the lead to 5-0. He has 16 homers this season.
Fry went deep later in the inning with a runner aboard to make it 7-0
Nick Sandlin (5-3) replaced Williams to start the fifth and gave up an infield single to Kyle Isbel followed by an RBI double from Maikel Garcia to cut the lead to 7-1.
Ramirez delivered his third hit of the game, an infield single, to lead off the sixth and scored his third run on a single from Tyler Freeman to make it 8-1.
Dairon Blanco delivered a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth for Kansas City to trim the lead to 8-2.
Melendez's homer in the ninth made it 8-3.
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