C.J. Kayfus home run powers Guardians to much-needed victory over the Royals

CLEVELAND — The Guardians were heading in the direction of a loss Thursday night at Progressive Field before rookie C.J. Kayfus slammed on the brakes. With his team trailing by a run through seven innings and in jeopardy of losing ground in the wild card race, Kayufs blasted a game-winning home run to lift Cleveland to a 3-2 victory over Kansas City. It was a much-needed win for the Guardians, who entered the night facing a 3 1/2-game deficit for the American League's final postseason berth. They took three of four from the Royals, winning their fourth series in the last five to improve to 11-5 over their last 16 games. "You could feel the tension that we were feeling the whole game just erased," manager Stephen Vogt said of the Kayfus homer. "That was a really big emotional win for us tonight." Bo Naylor led off the eighth with his second hit of the night and Kayfus followed by belting a 1-0 fastball from John Schreiber an estimated 425 feet to center. "There is no feeling in the world like that one. That was truly the best feeling I've ever had in my life right there," Kayfus said. "As soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone. If it didn't go, that was all I had." After hitting leadoff batter Jonathan India in the ninth on a challenged call from the Guardians, closer Cade Smith struck out the next two before getting Mike Yastrzemski to fly to shallow right for the final out. Cleveland played from behind quickly after right-hander Gavin Williams allowed a two-run homer to Vinnie Pasquantino three batters into the game. But Williams recovered from there, shutting out the Royals on three hits over his final five innings to keep his team within striking distance. "They really didn't get much going after (Pasquantino's homer)," Vogt said. "They got his pitch count up a lot in the first, but he was able to rebound and get us through six. That's an outstanding job by Gavin. Again, it's another sign of growth and maturity." Williams has been on a roll, allowing two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine outings. It's been much different than his injury-plagued season last year. "It was totally not the year I wanted last year," Williams said. "Coming off an injury and trying to work back and always fighting for a spot, I felt like I was trying to do way too much. Going into this season, working with (pitching coach) Carl (Willis) and redefining my mechanics and pitch design stuff, it's helped out a lot and it's kind of showing up a little." Williams got little support from the offense, which went hitless over the first three innings against right-hander Stephen Kolek before Steven Kwan began the fourth with a double into the right-field corner. Kwan scored on Jose Ramirez's grounder to first to trim the deficit to a run. Cleveland managed only one hit after the fourth — Naylor's two-out double in the fifth — before Naylor's leadoff single in the eighth and the third homer of Kayfus' career. The win provided another positive moment in an up-and-down season for the Guardians that still has life with a little over two weeks remaining. "I feel like every day is a microcosm of our season," Vogt said. "It's back-and-forth. You never know what you're gonna get and I think that's what makes this group beautiful. They don't get quit. "It felt down. It felt dire most of the day today and it was a one-run game. We're right in it every single night. We just have to continue to focus on each day, one at a time, go out and win the game. Then we'll figure out where we're at tomorrow." "It's been a special ride and we're not done and still got 15 games and we're going to try and make a push at it," Williams said. "We're so close to a playoff push," Kayfus said. "Every game is huge, but I don't think we're treating any game differently. I think we're just going out there and playing our brand of baseball." Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him on X @CAwesomeheimer.