How KC Royals’ season-long skid hit 6 games with loss to rival Cleveland Guardians

The Kansas City Royals are slumping at the wrong time.

After taking three of four against the Cleveland Guardians last week, the Royals on Monday lost their sixth consecutive game, falling 4-2 to the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.

The Guardians (79-59) now hold a 4.5-game lead over the Royals (75-64) in the American League Central.

“It’s frustrating, you know, this time of the year to go on a streak like this,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “... We’ve got the guys in this clubhouse to turn around and do it. So, there is no panic.”

The Royals ran into another dominant pitcher on Labor Day. Veteran Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams allowed one hit — a double by Maikel Garcia RBI — in seven innings.

The Royals had few scoring opportunities. Williams threw 62 of his 98 pitches for strikes and worked the strike zone strategically, keeping the Royals off-balance with a four-seam fastball that averaged 96.3 mph.

He generated 26 swings with the fastball and also mixed in a curveball, slider and cutter. The curveball produced 14 swings and seven whiffs, per Baseball Savant.

“I think he did a great job,” Garcia said of Williams. “He changed his plan from last time. He threw more curveballs today and we didn’t make an adjustment.”

The Guardians gave Williams ample run support, too. Cleveland sluggers Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor each hit two-run homers.

Thomas gave the Guardians a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. He homered on an 89.8 mph cutter from Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha. Later, Naylor hit his 29th of the year off KC left-handed reliever Kris Bubic.

“Everything was good until the fifth,” Wacha said. “I had the type of stuff that was able to keep them off-balance up until then. Just a pitch that didn’t really do anything in the middle to Thomas. And he didn’t miss it.”

Wacha took the loss. He allowed two earned runs in five innings.

The Royals scored a run in the eighth inning, but Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase shut the door for his 41st save.

The Royals’ six-game losing streak is their longest of the season, and it comes at a time with so much at stake.

“The ball is not bouncing our way,” Massey said. “It is what it is. You go through streaks where the ball hits the right side of the chalk line. You goes through streaks where it hits the wrong side. We are just on the wrong side of it right now.”

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Here are more notable aspects of Monday’s game:

Yuli Gurriel exits in 8th inning

The Royals are dealing with yet another injury.

First baseman Yuli Gurriel departed with tightness in his right hamstring after hitting a leadoff double in the eighth inning.

Never quite running full-steam, Gurriel rounded first base and proceeded even more gingerly toward second. Royals bench coach Paul Hoover, acting manager Monday as Matt Quatraro attended to a personal matter, came out to check on Gurriel, followed by members of the KC training staff.

“I think it’s a super0mild strain,” Hoover said. “I think we were wanting to be a little cautious at that time and get him out.”

So Gurriel, who turned 40 in June and joined the KC organization over the weekend, was removed from the game. Catcher Freddy Fermin was summoned to pinch-run and soon scored on Kyle Isbel’s sacrifice fly.

With Gurriel out, the Royals shuffled their defensive alignment in the ninth inning. Fermin stayed in the game to catch while captain Salvador Perez moved to first base.

Gurriel was acquired from the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, joining Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman as the Royals’ newest additions.

What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule:

The Royals continue their three-game series against the Guardians on Tuesday night. Royals right-handed pitcher Brady Singer is scheduled to make the start.

Singer is 6-5 with a 2.88 ERA in 14 outings at Kauffman Stadium. In his last start against the Guardians (June 6 at Progressive Field), he allowed nine hits and three runs (two earned) in 3 2/3 innings.

Cleveland will start right-hander Tanner Bibee. The Royals scored five runs against Bibee in his last outing (Aug. 28).