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FinalFinal lineupsAL Central

Cleveland Guardians 3, Kansas City Royals 5

Final Score and Game Recap

Final score, pitching lines and standings context.

7:40 PM ET · Kauffman StadiumGame-day snapshotFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 20, 5:00 AM ET
T-Score40
Cleveland Guardians
85–77 · 1st AL Central · T-Score 40
3
3–5
FINAL
Kansas City Royals
69–93 · 5th AL Central · T-Score 26
5
T-Score26
FINAL

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherGuardiansWilliams owns the stronger overall starter profile, with the higher P-Score and better strikeout and baserunner rates.
Offense vs handRoyalsKansas owns a .727 OPS vs RHP, 13th in MLB; Cleveland ranks 24th vs RHP.
Team strengthGuardiansCleveland leads 40–26 in T-Score.

Starting pitchers

CLE
Gavin Williams RHP
Gavin Williams
Cleveland Guardians
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
–
77th
WHIP
–
37th
K/9
–
3rd
BB/9
–
101st
P-Score65i
FIP
–
HR/9
–
147th
OPS/R
–
IP
–
Last 5 starts
KC
Stephen Kolek RHP
Stephen Kolek
Kansas City Royals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
–
140th
WHIP
–
91st
K/9
–
215th
BB/9
–
19th
P-Score47i
FIP
–
HR/9
–
140th
OPS/R
–
IP
–
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Williams carries a 5.05 road ERA, compared with Kolek's 4.65 mark at home.
·Williams holds a 18-point P-Score advantage, 65 to 47.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Williams arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sweeper29%86.7
Four-seam27%96.1
Knuckle Curve22%82.0
Sinker16%96.1
Cutter6%91.8
Kolek arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam28%94.3
Sinker22%93.7
Slider16%85.6
Cutter12%90.3
Changeup12%87.1
Sweeper9%79.9

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Guardians vs RHP (Stephen Kolek)
24th
in MLB
0.706OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Royals vs RHP (Gavin Williams)
13th
in MLB
0.727OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Final lineupsOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsCLECLE·KCKC
+29623rd
Run differential
+26126th
85–77 Record69–93
Last 10 games
Cleveland Guardians Recent form unavailable
Kansas City Royals Recent form unavailable
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Guardians?+
Gavin Williams is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Royals?+
Stephen Kolek is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
7:40 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium.
Where is the game being played?+
Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Gavin Williams is at 65; Stephen Kolek is at 47. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.