Consider this a very successful road trip so far. 50-50 was the best we could have hoped for in Seattle.

We still have some work to do offensively. The right pieces are not quite there yet.

The pitching needs a little tweaking.

Not worried about the rotation. They had a tough row to hoe. That Seattle lineup does not seem to have any weak links.

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Guardians

Guardians’ Parker Messick shuts down Dodgers for six innings in 4-2 win

Updated: Mar. 31, 2026, 12:50 a.m.|Published: Mar. 31, 2026, 12:45 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

LOS ANGELES — During the offseason, the Guardians gave their starting pitchers a message. It went like this: “We ended last season with six starters. We’re going to break camp with five. This is going to be a competition. Be ready.”

Rookie left-hander Parker Messick got the message, and he’s pitched like it since the first day of spring training.

It earned him a spot in the rotation, and Monday night it earned him a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers, who just happened to win the last two World Series.

Messick, in his first start of the season, threw six scoreless innings. He allowed four hits while striking five.

How efficient was Messick? He needed just 76 pitches to go six innings, an average of just under 13 pitches inning.

The Guardians, clinging to a 1-0 lead, finally got some separation from the Dodgers in the seventh.

They loaded the bases against Justin Wrobleski on singles by Austin Hedges, Angel Martinez and a bunt single by Steven Kwan. Wrobleski almost escaped as Chase DeLauter lined out to short and Jose Ramirez hit a weak fly ball to right field.

But Rhys Hoskins, down in the count 0-2, worked a bases loaded walk to make it 2-0. Daniel Schneemann followed with a double to the gap in left center for a 4-0 lead.

The bullpen finished the victory as Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski and Cade Smith worked the last three innings. The Dodgers scored twice off Smith in the ninth on a Mookie Betts double and a Freddie Freeman groundout.

The Guardians took a 1-0 lead in the third against Dodger starter Roki Sasaki (0-1, 2.50) on doubles by Hedges and Kwan.

Hedges, who reached 10 full years in the big leagues Sunday, started the rally with a leadoff double to right. Martinez, batting ninth, moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt.

Kwan delivered Hedges with another double to right.

When DeLauter turned a 3-2 pitch into a walk, it looked like the Guardians were getting to Sasaki. But he struck out Ramirez and retired Manzardo on a liner to right.

Messick allowed a single to Shohei Ohtani on his second pitch of the game. After that he pitched well.

He had an interesting inning in the third. Miguel Rojas hit a leadoff double past first. When No.9 hitter Dalton Rushing popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt to the third base side of the mound, Messick made a wild dive for the ball and almost collided with Ramirez, who could have easily caught the ball as he charged from third base.

The ball fell for a single as Ramirez came up limping after jumping over Messick. The game was delayed for several minutes as Ramirez was tended to, but he stayed in the game.

Messick proceeded to pickoff Rojas, who did not advance to third on Rushing’s bunt because he thought it was going to be caught, at second. Rojas was originally called safe, but the Guardians challenged and the call was overturned.

The next two Dodger hitters, Ohtani and Kyle Tucker, went down in order.

The Guardians missed a chance to add to their lead in the fifth. Martinez started the inning with a single against Sasaki to bring lefty Tanner Scott into the game. Martinez stole second and went to third on Kwan’s bloop single to right.

Ramirez, who came into the game hitting .321 (17 for 53) in his career against the Dodgers, skied a pop up behind first base. It looked like it was going to find grass for an RBI single, but Rojas sprinted over from second base to make a sliding catch and fire a strike to the plate.

The inning ended when Scott struck out Rhys Hoskins, who was pinch-hitting for Manzardo.

Last season Messick made his big league debut with Cleveland. He made seven starters and the offense never scored more than three runs in any of those starts.

For Messick’s six innings Monday night, it was more of the same as he walked the razor’s edge with a 1-0 lead.

Next

RHP Tanner Bibee (0-0, 5.40) vs. RHP Shohei Ohtani (first start) Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. EDT. Guardians.TV, WTAM and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game.

BOXSCORE

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DeLauter just left the game in the first inning with some kind of injury while batting. He completed his at bat but didn't take the field.

LOS ANGELES -- Guardians rookie right fielder Chase DeLauter exited in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday after fouling a pitch off his left foot/ankle area in the top of the first inning against the Dodgers.

DeLauter was checked on by a trainer but stayed in to finish his at-bat, grounding out to first base. He hobbled trying to leave the batter’s box and did not take the field in the bottom half of the frame. CJ Kayfus replaced him in right field.

DeLauter is coming off a red-hot opening series for the Guardians, earning American League Player of the Week honors after slugging four home runs in his first three career regular-season games.

The Guardians’ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline (No. 44 overall), DeLauter has battled a number of injuries already in his professional career, including multiple to his left foot. DeLauter fractured the foot in 2024 after breaking it the year before while at James Madison University.

The Guardians did not immediately have information on DeLauter’s injury.

Guardians

Gabriel Arias shocks Dodgers with ‘effortless power’ and elite defensive arm

Published: Apr. 02, 2026, 9:11 a.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Gabriel Arias is one of the Guardians’ most intriguing weapons, and a game-changing performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers proved exactly why the organization continues to give the 26-year-old shortstop opportunities at the big league level.

According to the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Arias delivered both an offensive spark and the kind of defensive brilliance that helped the Guardians secure a series win at Dodger Stadium — and the details of his performance are absolutely eye-opening.

Let’s start with the defense, because what Arias did in the sixth inning was nothing short of spectacular. With Shohei Ohtani — yes, that Shohei Ohtani — racing toward first base on a potential double play ball, Arias made the kind of throw that separates good infielders from elite ones.

“The thing that stood out to me about that play was Arias getting on top of the turn there,” Joe Noga explained on the podcast. “He sort of lined up and let his arm do the work. Gabriel Arias has a very gifted and talented arm, probably the most talented arm out of anybody on the field defensively whenever he’s out there.”

The play was originally ruled safe — possibly giving Ohtani the “star treatment” — but replay overturned the call, preserving the Guardians’ lead and showcasing Arias’s elite arm strength.

But here’s where it gets really interesting: Arias’s offensive contribution might have been even more surprising than his defensive gem.

In the third inning, Arias launched a solo home run off Yoshinobu Yamamoto that, according to the podcast, looked like a routine pop-up coming off the bat. The ball had other ideas.

“He hit it almost straight up into the air, but the ball just kept going and going and going and landed over the fence and they’re up to nothing,” Paul Hoynes recounted.

The homer gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead and became the first time someone other than Chase DeLauter had worn the team’s new medieval knight helmet celebration — a detail that might seem trivial but speaks to Arias’s status in the clubhouse culture.

What really stood out from the podcast discussion was manager Stephen Vogt’s assessment of Arias’s raw power. Despite modest career numbers that don’t scream “power hitter,” there’s something lurking beneath the surface.

“Vogt said Arias has some of the best power in the big leagues, but we don’t see that every day, at least I don’t,” Hoynes admitted on the show.

That disconnect between what Vogt sees in practice and what shows up in games is fascinating. Arias has the physical tools — the elite arm, the raw power, the athleticism — but translating that into consistent production remains the challenge.

The Dodgers certainly got a full demonstration of what Arias can do when everything clicks. His home run essentially matched Yamamoto’s shock at the ball’s trajectory, with the ace turning around to watch it sail over the wall, clearly surprised by the contact.

For Guardians fans wondering if the switch has finally flipped for Arias, and if he can become a consistent contributor on offense, this performance provided a tantalizing glimpse at his ceiling.

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Only one way to describe this road trip......AMAZING !

Coming away from this trip playing over .500 baseball is more than you could have ask for.
The thing that's even more incredible, the bats for the most part were non-existent but clutch.
The rotation was shaky save for a few outstanding performances.
And, as was the case last year, the bullpen was on their game.
When you look back over the seven games, you have to ask yourself how they won any games at all.

Kayfus (0-10 000)
Manzardo (2-24 088)
Arias (2-19 105)
Ramirez (4-28 143)
Naylor (3-19 158)
Martinez (3-15 200)
Rocchio (4-20) 200)
Schneeman (4-18 222)

When you get production like the above against the best team in baseball (Dodgers Payroll give or take $400mil) and the other (Mariners give or take $180mil) one of the top 3 or 4 teams in baseball you gotta wonder. The Guardians clocked in at give or take $97mil, one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. How did they do it?

Well, the bullpen certainly helped. The rotation righted the ship vs the Dodgers.

The offense, well, only one way to go.

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DeLauter's latest clutch moment felt 'like a dream come true'

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Cleveland's No. 2 prospect hits 5th homer in first seven regular-season games

April 3rd, 2026

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- Progressive Field echoed each time Chase DeLauter stepped to the plate on Friday, as the crowd sang along to his walk-up song, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

“Hearing that from the first inning on, it's chills every at-bat,” DeLauter said. “It's something a lot of players kind of look forward to, like, ‘Hey, man, is that walk-up going to catch on?’ I love that the crowd’s real involved in that here.”

Get a Guardians City Connect Hockey Jersey with Special Ticket Package on April 17!
The Cleveland faithful had to wait over a week to serenade DeLauter this season as the Guardians opened their campaign with a seven-game road trip. In their home opener on Friday, the 24-year-old made that wait well worth the while.

DeLauter blasted a two-run home run in the seventh inning Friday, as part of a 3-for-4 day that keyed the Guardians’ 4-1 win over the Cubs.

DeLauter has now hit five homers over his first seven career regular-season games, which is tied for second most in MLB history since at least 1900 with Rece Hinds (2024) and Mark Quinn (1999). Only Trevor Story (seven, in 2016) hit more.

“It's incredible what he's doing,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “Like we talked about back in the postseason, this kid's comfortable. He's not big-eyed, and he's doing a phenomenal job for us. It's a really fun start for him this year.”

DeLauter received a crash course in playing at Progressive Field (and in the Majors) this past fall, when he made his MLB debut and started for the Guardians in Games 2 and 3 of the AL Wild Card Series. Four hours before Friday’s game, he noted how that experience helped him as he prepared for his first big league season over the winter.

“Getting thrown into that situation's probably one of the most pressure situations you can be thrown into,” DeLauter said Friday morning. “But doing that kind of helped me just relax a lot coming out after the spring."

DeLauter’s start to this season is the proof in the pudding. The only thing that has truly slowed him down is a left foot contusion; he fouled a pitch off himself in the first inning of the Guardians’ 4-1 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. Friday marked his first game back after he took a planned off-day on Wednesday.

DeLauter delivered early and often. He acknowledged he felt a bit rushed in his plate appearance in the first inning, when he grounded out to second base, but caught his breath and locked things in. DeLauter singled his next time up, in the fourth. In the fifth, DeLauter drew the Guardians into a 1-1 tie with a game-tying RBI single to left field off lefty Hoby Milner.

Gabriel Arias was thrown at home plate on the play, attempting to give Cleveland the lead. Arias bounced back by hitting a game-tying solo homer off Hunter Harvey in the bottom of the seventh. Two batters later, Steven Kwan walked, which set the table for DeLauter.

Harvey threw DeLauter four consecutive fastballs to fall behind 3-1. When he came back with a fifth straight, with a 96.6 mph offering up and inside, DeLauter was ready. He hit it 109 mph and a Statcast-projected 402 feet.

As Progressive Field erupted, DeLauter took five steps to watch the blast before entering a home-run trot. He, as well as everyone in the ballpark, knew he got all of it.

“When they come off like that, sometimes you just know,” DeLauter said.

DeLauter ran into a bit of trouble after he touched home plate. Listed at 6-foot-3, he accidentally shoulder checked Kwan (who’s listed at 5-foot-8) as they attempted to embrace in celebration.

“That one was my fault,” DeLauter said. “He went in for a high-five. I went in for a hug. Bad combination there. We'll get it figured out for sure.”

They figure to have plenty of chances to master their celebrations; DeLauter has hit second behind Kwan in each of his seven starts this season. And for his part, DeLauter figures to relish each moment, after an up-and-down road in the Minors in which he dealt with a number of injury setbacks on the way to the Majors.

It’s no surprise how DeLauter described a moment such as Friday -- delivering in the clutch in front of a packed and energetic crowd, singing his tune.

“[It feels] like a dream come true,” DeLauter said. “It really does. It’s something you kind of get lost in, definitely because of a day to day basis. Sometimes you kind of forget why you're here. … Beautiful day, packed crowd, what is there not to be happy about?”

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Cubs, Guardians set for Easter doubleheader after rainout

published: Sun 5th April, 07:47 2026

The Chicago Cubs were not going to waste an opportunity to take batting practice Saturday, even after their scheduled game at the Cleveland Guardians was postponed due to impending thunderstorms.

They wrapped up the session before heavy rains arrived and even got in some on-field work. The teams now will play a traditional doubleheader on Sunday.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt knows how the weather can change quickly in the city.

"It's Cleveland, so we know how the weather goes," Vogt said. "Today, I was out in the yard playing Wiffleball in shorts and a T-shirt before coming to the ballpark because it was 80 degrees and beautiful.

"When we saw the forecast, we all agreed that we wanted to play both (Sunday), instead of messing around with Chicago having to make another trip here later in the season."

Cleveland will start right-hander Slade Cecconi (0-1, 12.46 ERA) in the opener and left-hander Parker Messick (1-0, 0.00 ERA) in the second game. The Guardians have won two straight, including a 4-1 victory Friday in their home opener over the Cubs.

Chicago is sending right-hander Edward Cabrera (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound in Game 1 and left-hander Shota Imanaga (0-1, 7.20 ERA) in Game 2.

"Imanaga tunnels the ball really well," Vogt said. "We've seen him a couple of times over the last few years and we know when he's executing, he's tough.

"We've got to lay off the split and can't go chasing him underneath. We have to try and get him up in the zone and hopefully go to work."

The Cubs placed 2025 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton on the injured list Saturday. He only threw 17 pitches and one scoreless inning Friday before leaving with right forearm discomfort. Left-hander Riley Martin was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

Horton's next start was slated for Wednesday, but manager Craig Counsell could opt for a bullpen game.

"Cade is very important to us," said Colin Rea, who pitched 3 1/3 innings immediately after Horton was lifted. "Hopefully, he caught it early, and hopefully it's nothing too bad and he doesn't miss too much time."

Martin, who is set to make his major league debut, has spent six years in the minor leagues, compiling a 24-13 record and 3.76 ERA in 174 appearances (three starts).

Counsell was scheduled to speak with reporters in the dugout Saturday but opted not to do so once the game was called off. Cubs players were already stretching and went through with their activities.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who committed to attend Vanderbilt before turning pro, did joke with the media about his basketball skills. The 24-year-old said he could have been a a sixth-year senior for the Commodores in the NCAA Tournament.

Cecconi has not faced Chicago, while Cabrera lost his only start against Cleveland, giving up five runs in 5 1/3 innings last Aug. 14 while with the Miami Marlins.

Imanaga is 1-0 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts against Cleveland, allowing five homers in 10 1/3 total innings. Messick will pitch against the Cubs for the first time.

--Field Level Media

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Hunter Gaddis Rejoins Guardians Ahead Of Sunday’s Doubleheader

[ Gaddis performed poorly his last outing in Columbus But..... Need the arms for the double header today. ]

April 4, 2026

By Andres Chavez

The Cleveland Guardians, leaders of the AL Central division with a 5-3 record, were supposed to play against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. That didn’t happen, as they were rained out.

There is now a doubleheader scheduled for Sunday, and the Guardians will need a 27th man for it. They haven’t made any announcements, but a familiar face is back with the team after a short rehab stint in Triple-A and might get the nod.

“Guardians’ Hunter Gaddis is back with the team today,”

team insider Mason Horodyski posted on X.

Horodyski included a video of Gaddis, who suffered a right forearm strain in early March, throwing in the outfield at Progressive Field. There is a good chance he makes his official 2026 debut on Sunday, and if it doesn’t happen then, it will be very soon.

Gaddis first reported his symptoms on March 3, and the team, understandably, took things slow with him. He had to gradually work himself back into game shape, and that includes his most recent rehab stint in Columbus.

In terms of results, it wasn’t particularly successful, as he posted a 15.43 ERA in 2.1 innings, with three walks and three strikeouts. Still, the team appears to be confident with where he is at the moment, and they do have a need for his services on Sunday. The math checks out.

Gaddis had never experienced any injury issues during his short MLB career, but has pitched in 78 games for the Guardians in 2024 and 73 last year. Perhaps the forearm strain was his elbow giving him, and the team, a small warning.

It’s hard not to use him so frequently when he has been so successful, though. He posted a brilliant 1.57 ERA in 2024, after making the transition from failed starter to impact reliever, and was at 3.11 last year.

Gaddis has become the Guardians’ most reliable setup man in front of closer Cade Smith, and even though they haven’t missed him much this year, they definitely would if he were to miss a significant chunk of the season.

Thankfully for Cleveland, that doesn’t appear to be the case, and we should see him back to his best in a matter of a couple of weeks.

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Guardians

Guardians and Cubs set mark for fewest combined hits in Progressive Field history as Chicago wins first game of doubleheader, 1-0

Updated: Apr. 05, 2026, 5:21 p.m.|Published: Apr. 05, 2026, 3:54 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians and Cubs found hunting runs harder than hunting Easter eggs as they battled to a scoreless tie through seven innings Sunday at Progressive Field.

Miguel Amaya’s eighth-inning RBI single proved to be the difference as the Guardians fell to Chicago, 1-0, in the first game of a doubleheader.

The game set a record for the fewest combined hits between two teams at Progressive Field, with Chicago collecting two singles and Cleveland managing just one, a double.

Both sides were held scoreless into the eighth inning before Amaya lined a 1-2 fastball from Cleveland reliever Connor Brogdon into right field, scoring pinch runner Dylan Carlson with the game’s only run.

Cubs closer Daniel Palencia shut down the Guardians in the ninth to earn his first save.

Guardians starter Slade Cecconi delivered six shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while issuing one walk and hitting a batter.

Manager Stephen Vogt said Cecconi worked quickly and induced weak contact from Cubs hitters all day while throwing strikes throughout his appearance.

“He did everything he could for us today,” Vogt said.

Cecconi credited catcher Bo Naylor for mixing the pitches he called and keeping Cubs hitters off balance.

That’s when I feel like I’m at my best when I’m using all five of my pitches relatively equally to keep hitters off balance and to showcase the full arsenal," Cecconi said. “Because outside of really the curve ball being a little bit of an outlier, all of my stuff kind of plays pretty evenly.”

Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera matched Cecconi’s effectiveness, allowing one hit over 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Cabrera entered the game coming off a one-hit performance against the Angels in his previous start.

Cold weather and dominant pitching defined the Easter Sunday contest. Game-time temperatures sat at 44 degrees, with windy conditions creating additional challenges for both offenses.

Vogt said despite the conditions and Cabrera’s efforts, the Guardians hit the ball hard at times and worked some really good walks.

“We didn’t chase a ton and that’s what (Cabrera) feasts off is people chasing him,” Vogt said. “We did a really good job of minimizing that, but we just weren’t able to get that big hit or get much going.”

Cleveland threatened in the sixth inning after C.J. Kayfus broke an 0-for-11 slump with a leadoff double to right field for his first hit of the season. Steven Kwan advanced Kayfus to third with a sacrifice bunt, but Chase DeLauter’s chopper to second baseman Nico Hoerner resulted in Kayfus being thrown out at the plate.

Vogt said Kayfus was “100% going” on the contact play, and that if the ball was two feet to Hoerner’s left or right, there could have been a different outcome.

“You take your chances there,” Vogt said. “We’re aggressive in that situation and we’re going to continue to be.”

Cabrera then walked José Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo to load the bases, prompting Cubs manager Craig Counsel to bring in left-hander Caleb Thielbar. The reliever escaped the jam when Naylor popped out to shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Vogt said he let Naylor face the lefty in that situation because he has put up good at-bats lately, but also because the doubleheader dictated he stay in the game.

“David (Fry) is playing right field in the second game, so you don’t want him going into a tie game, catching three innings, and then going to play the outfield,” Vogt said. “Doubleheaders make other circumstances come into play. But for the majority, we wanted Bo to take that at-bat.”

Gabriel Arias made a sensational defensive play in the eighth inning, throwing out Alex Bregman from deep in the hole at shortstop to prevent any further damage after Amaya’s go-ahead hit.

It’s the second shutout loss in the first nine games for Cleveland, which was held scoreless 15 times last season.

Sunday’s doubleheader marks the earliest in a season for Cleveland since the club played two games at Oakland on April 2, 2014. The Guardians posted a 6-4 record in five doubleheaders last season, including a sweep of Minnesota in their final twin bill.

Next

Game 2 is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., with left-hander Parker Messick (1-0, 0.00) starting for Cleveland against Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga (0-1, 7.20). The game will air on Guardians TV, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF 1350 AM and the Guardians Radio Network.

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Guardians

CJ Kayfus, Gabriel Arias lead comeback as Guardians beat Cubs, 6-5, to earn doubleheader split

Updated: Apr. 05, 2026, 7:52 p.m.|Published: Apr. 05, 2026, 7:38 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Timing is everything. Especially if you’re CJ Kayfus.

In Sunday’s doubleheader against the Cubs, Kayfus prevented the Guardians from being no-hit in the first game with a sixth-inning double for their only hit of the game. In the second game, he prevented them from getting beat by hitting a game-tying home run in the eighth inning.

The Guardians lost the first game, 1-0. They earned a split with a come-from-behind 6-5 win in the second game on a cold and damp Sunday at Progressive Field.

Ian Happ put the Cubs ahead in the second game, 4-3, with a leadoff homer in the seventh. Until then, Happ had gone 0 for 7 with six strikeouts. But with one swing of his bat, he put the Cubs on the verge of a sweep.

Kayfus, however, would not be denied.

He homered in the eighth with one out to tie the score at 4-4. The Guardians added two more runs on singles by hot-hitting Gabriel Arias and Austin Hedges for the win and the doubleheader split.

In their first three series this season, the Guardians have beaten two postseason teams in the Cubs and Dodgers, while splitting a four-game series with a third, the Seattle Mariners.

The Guardians fell behind 1-0 in the second game on Matt Shaw’s leadoff homer in the second inning off rookie lefty Parker Messick. After Nico Hoerner drew a two-out walk, Steven Kwan saved Messick further damage when he made a bruising catch against the center field wall to rob Alex Bregman of extra bases for the third out.

Cubs starter Shota Imanaga held the Guardians to three hits through five innings. The three hits were two more than they managed in the opener, but that was not reason to celebrate.

David Fry opened the second inning with a single, but Imanaga retired 10 of the next 11 Guardians before Hedges doubled with two out in the fifth. Hedges was stranded at second as Brayan Rocchio struck out.

When Dansby Swanson hit a two-run homer off Matt Festa in the sixth to extend Chicago’s lead to 3-0, Imanaga came out for the seventh, but Kwan sent him to the bench with a double past first.

The double started a rally that saw the Guardians score three times to tie the score.

Ben Brown, who relieved Imanaga, walked Angel Martinez before retiring Jose Ramirez on a pop-up to shortstop. Kayfus, pinch-hitting for Fry, singled to right center to score Kwan and make it 3-1.

It was the Guardians’ first run of the doubleheader and just the second hit of the season for Kayfus. In the first game, a leadoff double by Kayfus ended a 0-for-11 season-opening skid for Kayfus.

Chase DeLauter made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to score Martinez, who had taken third on Kayfus’ single. Arias, after a walk by Rhys Hoskins, sent a 3-2 pitch through the middle for a 3-3 tie.

Messick allowed one run in five innings. In two starts this season, he’s allowed one run in 11 innings with 11 strikeouts and three walks.

In his first start of the season, Messick needed just 76 pitches to throw six scoreless innings against the Dodgers. He needed 93 pitches to get through five innings and walked a career-high three batters.

Festa, Erik Sabrowski, Shawn Armstrong and Cade Smith followed Messick. Festa and Armstrong (1-0) were nicked for homers, while Smith allowed a run in the ninth before he earned his third save in four chances.

Next

Guardians open a three-game series against the Royals on Monday night at Progressive Field. The pitching matchup features RHP Tanner Bibee (0-1, 4.00) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (second start, 0.00) at 6:10 p.m. Guardians.TV, WTAM and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game.

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Kayfus has no business in left field

Guardians

Brayan Rocchio’s walk-off RBI single gives Guardians a 2-1 win against Royals

Updated: Apr. 07, 2026, 4:57 p.m.|Published: Apr. 07, 2026, 3:57 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Brayan Rocchio’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth off Royals right-hander John Schreiber gave the Guardians a 2-1 walk-off win Tuesday on a frigid afternoon at Progressive Field.

With game-time temperatures hovering around 33 degrees, the Royals and Guardians entered the ninth inning tied 1-1. CJ Kayfus reached base on a one-out single to center and moved to second when pinch-hitter Bo Naylor drew a walk.

Rocchio lined a 2-2 changeup from Schreiber into right field and Kayfus slid home with the game-winner.

It was Cleveland’s first walk-off win of the season and the fourth walk-off plate appearance of Rocchio’s career. The Guardians totaled nine walk-off wins in 2025, including Rocchio’s three-run home run against Texas in the regular season finale.

Manager Stephen Vogt said we’ve seen this kind of effort out of Rocchio in the past.

“He doesn’t try and do too much,” Vogt said. “It’d been a tough day at the plate for him up to that point. And he didn’t try to do too much. He found a hole and got us the win.

Rocchio has hit safely in seven of his last eight games against Kansas City and is hitting .407 against the Royals over that stretch.

Cleveland’s bullpen logged 3 1/3 scoreless innings as Cade Smith (2-0) picked up the win with a scoreless ninth. Schreiber fell to 0-1 with the loss. Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin logged scoreless outings for the Guardians.

Armstrong pitched out of trouble in the eighth after the Royals put a pair of runners in scoring position. Walks to Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino put two on base, and Witt pulled off a double steal with pinch runner Lane Thomas sliding safely into second behind him.

Thomas was originally ruled out with Carter Jensen at the plate, but Royals manager Matt Quatraro challenged and the call was overturned. Armstrong then struck out Jensen on a cutter above the belt to end the inning.

Vogt said Armstrong battled to get through the inning and keep the score tied.

“He was struggling throwing strikes there, but came up huge with a big punch out and didn’t let anything rattle him,” Vogt said.

Entering the game, Cleveland’s starting rotation had pitched to an MLB-leading 0.92 ERA over the seven games since March 30. Both of Tuesday’s starters turned in strong outings, with Gavin Williams and Noah Cameron matching efforts into the sixth inning.

Williams, coming off a 10-strikeout performance against the Dodgers last week, allowed a run on just one hit, a solo homer by Jensen in the second. He struck out eight and walked five in 5 2/3 innings while becoming the first Guardians pitcher to throw more than 100 pitches in a game this season.

On a day where weather conditions made it tough to pitch, Vogt praised Williams for what he called a “gutsy” effort.

“They had one hard hit ball, outside of that, they couldn’t really get anything going,” Vogt said. “Obviously, a few more walks than Gavin would’ve liked, but one run in five and two-thirds, you can never ask for anything more than that.”

Williams became the first Cleveland starter since Xzavion Curry (2023) to allow two hits or fewer in each of his first three starts to a season.

Cameron, meanwhile, scattered six Cleveland hits and struck out five, exiting in the sixth when Juan Brito reached on a two-out single.

Brito was making his major league debut after Cleveland placed starting shortstop Gabriel Arias on the injured list with a strained left hamstring earlier in the day. He collected his first hit in his first at-bat on a double to left field.

Vogt said Brito was confident and comfortable at the plate.

“We’ve seen him for three spring trainings now and he’s looked ready to go,” Vogt said. “Great at-bats. He had great at bats all day and a couple of nice plays in the field. It was a really fun day for Juan. What a great debut, a walk off win.”

Jensen put Kansas City in front with a solo home run to right field off Williams in the second. It was Jensen’s second homer of the series after giving the Royals a one-run lead Monday with a solo home run off Peyton Pallette in the sixth.

It was Jensen’s sixth home run in 30 career games, and his third this season, all hit on the road.

The Guardians threatened to score in the fourth when Angel Martínez led off with a single and moved to second on a David Fry walk, but Cameron struck out Rhys Hoskins and got Brito to pop out to left field to keep Cleveland scoreless.

Cleveland tied the score in the sixth. Austin Hedges drilled the first pitch he saw from Cameron into left field and moved to second on a ground out by Rocchio. Steven Kwan then delivered a base hit to left center, lining a Cameron cutter into the gap for his fourth RBI.

Kwan has reached base safely in eight straight games and has a hit in three straight. Martínez followed Kwan with a base hit to center, but Cameron escaped the inning when José Ramírez drove a ball to right center that hung up in the wind enough for Jac Caglianone to make a running catch over his shoulder.

Hedges is hitting .500 with a 1.200 OPS in 10 early season at-bats.

Tuesday’s game-time temperature of 33 degrees marked the coldest for Cleveland since April 9, 2018 in Detroit, where the first pitch temperature was also 33 degrees.

Next: The series concludes Wednesday with a 1:10 p.m. first pitch scheduled at Progressive Field. Left-hander Joey Cantillo (0-0, 3.00) will start for Cleveland, while Kansas City sends lefty Cole Ragans (0-2, 3.60) to the mound. The game will air on Guardians TV, WTAM 1100 AM, WARF 1350 AM (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network.

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