CLEVELAND GUARDIANS

Jose Ramirez homers, Emmanuel Clase gets 40th save in Guardians' win over Royals

Brian Dulik
The Associated Press
Cleveland Guardians' Gabriel Arias (8) congratulates Jose Ramirez, who hit a three-run home run off Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

CLEVELAND — José Ramírez hit a three-run homer and Emmanuel Clase closed for his major league-leading 40th save in the Guardians' 6-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Ramírez put the American League Central Division champion Guardians ahead for good at 4-3 in the sixth inning with his 29th home run of the season. The 404-foot blast to right off Brady Singer (10-5) gave the All-Star third baseman 121 RBIs — second in the AL behind Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.

Austin Hedges followed with an RBI single, snapping an 0-for-36 slump, and Myles Straw drove in Will Brennan to make it 6-3. The Royals took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

The Guardians have won 10 of 11 and are a major league-best 21-4 since Sept. 5. The Royals dropped their fourth in a row as the teams opened a six-game series to end the regular season.

Aaron Civale (4-6) threw six innings, allowing three runs — two earned — in winning his second consecutive start. The right-hander gave up a two-run homer to Drew Waters and a solo shot to Michael Massey.

Clase worked the ninth for his 40th save in 44 opportunities, moving him three saves ahead of Kenley Jansen of the Atlanta Braves.

Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez waits for the ball as Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez scores on a single by Will Brennan during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Singer had his first loss since Aug. 3, giving up six runs in 5⅔ innings. A right-hander, Singers was 6-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his previous nine starts

Waters hit a two-run homer in the third, and Massey went deep in the fifth. Andrés Giménez led off the fifth with the Guardians' first hit, then scored on Brennan’s single to cut the Royals' lead to 3-1.

Cleveland has not played a six-game series since 1963 against the Washington Senators. The Royals' only other six-game set was in 1976 against the Boston Red Sox.

Cream of the crop

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan have been major contributors all season, but are unlikely to beat out Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez for the Rookie of the Year award.

Witt leads AL rookies with 80 RBIs, 57 extra-base hits and 28 stolen bases. Kwan ranks first with 165 hits, 88 runs and seven triples. Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña also are making pushes for the honor.

“The biggest thing is we’re talking about young players who are ambassadors for the game of baseball,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “The position players, in particular, are pretty impressive.”

Guardians manager Terry Francona agreed, saying, “There are a pretty good handful of them this year. And they look like they’re ready to not just survive, but maybe thrive.”

Trainer's room

Guardians: Left-hander Anthony Gose (Tommy John surgery) is out for the season, giving the Guardians the opportunity to replace him on the 40-man roster with a prospect who would become eligible for the postseason.