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FinalFinal lineupsAL Central

Cleveland Guardians 8, Kansas City Royals 5

Final Score and Game Recap

Final score, pitching lines and standings context.

2:10 PM ET · Kauffman StadiumStats availableFinal lineups locked
T-Score53
Cleveland Guardians
78–75 · 1st AL Central · T-Score 53
8
8–5
FINAL
Kansas City Royals
67–86 · 5th AL Central · T-Score 37
5
T-Score37
FINAL

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherEvenThe starters grade similarly overall, with no clear advantage across P-Score, ERA and WHIP.
Offense vs handRoyalsKansas owns a .721 OPS vs RHP, 14th in MLB; Cleveland ranks 25th vs RHP.
Team strengthGuardiansCleveland leads 53–37 in T-Score.

Starting pitchers

CLE
Slade Cecconi RHP
Slade Cecconi
Cleveland Guardians
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.03
158th
WHIP
1.47
176th
K/9
7.40
139th
BB/9
2.97
95th
P-Score45i
FIP
4.66
HR/9
1.45
158th
OPS/R
0.846
IP
118.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.96
Road ERA5.12
Last 5 starts
KC
Seth Lugo RHP
Seth Lugo
Kansas City Royals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.06
159th
WHIP
1.46
169th
K/9
6.98
165th
BB/9
2.88
85th
P-Score48i
FIP
4.16
HR/9
1.22
113th
OPS/R
0.745
IP
169.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.07
Road ERA6.03
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Lugo owns the lower FIP, 4.16 to 4.66.
·Cecconi has been more vulnerable to home runs, allowing 0.23 more per nine innings.
·Cecconi carries a 5.12 road ERA, compared with Lugo's 4.07 mark at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricCecconiLugoNote
ERA−122117Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP4.664.16
WAR0.62.1Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Cecconi arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam27%93.5
Cutter25%88.4
Sinker20%93.5
Curveball15%75.9
Sweeper6%83.1
Slider5%83.4
Changeup2%83.1
Splitter0%84.4
Lugo arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker19%91.4
Four-seam16%91.6
Cutter16%89.8
Curveball15%77.2
Sweeper11%79.1
Slider9%84.2
Changeup9%85.1
Slow Curve2%69.2
Slurve1%77.3

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Guardians vs RHP (Seth Lugo)
25th
in MLB
0.701OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Royals vs RHP (Slade Cecconi)
14th
in MLB
0.721OPS
.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
+19719th
Run differential
+12727th
78–75 Record67–86
Last 10 games
Cleveland Guardians (0–0)
Kansas City Royals (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Guardians?+
Slade Cecconi is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Royals?+
Seth Lugo is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
2:10 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?+
Slade Cecconi is at 45; Seth Lugo is at 48. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.