The Cleveland Guardians picked up a gritty road victory on Friday, September 25, 2026, defeating the Kansas City Royals 12-9 at Kauffman Stadium in nine innings. Cleveland erased an early deficit to take the division matchup, with Angel Martínez leading the way offensively with two hits and four RBI, while David Fry and Austin Hedges each went deep to fuel the Guardians' attack. Hunter Gaddis earned the win in relief, and Kansas City's Nate Pearson took the loss after a disastrous ninth inning that effectively decided the game.

Guardians Offense Powers Through Kansas City Bullpen

Cleveland's offense had to grind through a bumpy start from Gavin Williams, who lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four. The Guardians trailed at points during the early going, but they kept manufacturing runs and ultimately wore down a Kansas City bullpen that could not hold the lead.

Martínez was the engine of the Cleveland attack, going 2-for-5 with four RBI — a performance that stood as the offensive centerpiece of the night. Fry provided a significant boost as well, connecting on a home run as part of a 1-for-4 evening that netted two RBI. Hedges chipped in with a home run of his own, going 1-for-3 with one RBI to give the Guardians three long balls on the night across multiple contributors.

Turning Point: Royals Bullpen Implodes Late

The decisive moment came when Kansas City turned to Nate Pearson late in the game. Pearson could not find the strike zone, issuing four walks in just two-thirds of an inning while surrendering four earned runs — a meltdown that broke the game open for Cleveland. Nolan Hoffman followed and allowed one more earned run in a third of an inning, and by the time the dust settled, the Guardians had turned a competitive game into a comfortable three-run margin.

Hunter Gaddis, working a full inning of relief, allowed two earned runs and three hits but was the pitcher of record when Cleveland took the lead for good, earning him the win. Matt Festa closed things out with a workmanlike final inning, giving up two earned runs and a walk but preserving the victory. The bullpen as a whole logged 5.2 innings of work after Williams exited, a collective effort that — despite some late shakiness — got the job done.

Royals Offense Kept It Interesting

To Kansas City's credit, this was not a walkover. Carter Jensen was a one-man wrecking crew for the Royals, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI — the kind of performance that keeps a team in any game. Jac Caglianone added three hits and two RBI in five at-bats, and Salvador Perez contributed a home run with two RBI as well. Maikel Garcia rounded out the top performers with two hits in four at-bats.

The Royals put up nine runs against Cleveland pitching, which is nothing to dismiss. Starter Noah Cameron worked five innings but surrendered six earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out three, leaving Kansas City's bullpen to try to hold whatever lead the offense could muster. When Pearson imploded, there was simply no margin left to protect.

Guardians Pitching Depth Key to Survival

Cleveland used seven pitchers in total to secure the win. Beyond Williams and the trio that closed it out, Tim Herrin worked two-thirds of an inning, Shawn Armstrong threw a clean inning, Daniel Espino contributed a scoreless frame with a strikeout, and Erik Sabrowski posted a quiet inning of his own. The bullpen carousel was not pretty at every turn, but it held together when the offense provided the cushion it needed.

Cleveland Guardians Notable Performances — September 25, 2026

  • Angel Martínez: 2-for-5, 4 RBI
  • David Fry: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
  • Austin Hedges: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Hunter Gaddis (W): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER

What's Next for Cleveland

The Guardians take a 12-9 win out of Kansas City and will look to build on the momentum from this division road victory. Late September games against division opponents carry real weight, and Cleveland showed on Friday night that they can battle back from a deficit and take advantage of an opposing bullpen when it falters. The next slate of games will reveal whether this club can carry the fight forward.