The Cleveland Guardians earned a 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on Monday in spring training action. Steven Kwan paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Parker Messick turned in a solid outing, working 4.2 innings of scoreless ball with four strikeouts. The Royals out-hit the Guardians 10-9 on the day. The Guardians will take confidence from a well-rounded effort on both sides of the ball. Spring training is about building toward the regular season, and this was a step in the right direction.
Key Performers
Steven Kwan was the top performer at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Guardians will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Brayan Rocchio provided support, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI, Rhys Hoskins also contributed, going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Johnathan Rodríguez chipped in, going 1-for-1. Multiple contributors at the plate made life difficult for the opposing pitching staff.
On the other side of the diamond, Luca Tresh led the Royals offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI day. Elias Díaz also contributed, going 2-for-2. Gavin Cross added a 2-for-2 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Guardians pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Parker Messick earned the win after turning in a quality outing, working 4.2 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 2 hits with four strikeouts. He threw 66 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.1 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out three. The Guardians continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Codi Heuer stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Guardians struck first, scoring two runs in the third inning. The Guardians pushed across three runs in the fifth. The Guardians plated a run in the sixth. Royals answered with two runs in the seventh. The Guardians spread their scoring across three different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. Royals out-hit the Guardians 10-9, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 4,398 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Guardians will look to build on this positive performance as spring training winds down. With the regular season rapidly approaching, outings like this one provide confidence and continuity for a roster that is rounding into form. Every remaining exhibition game is another chance to sharpen the details before the games start counting for real.
