Guardians lose in unGuardian-like fashion to Royals | Jeff Schudel

Takeaways from the game between the Guardians and Royals on June 6 at Progressive Field:

• The Guardians played so well rolling to a 40-20 record through the first 60 games that when they played like they did while losing 4-3 to the Royals, for some fans, it was like being let down by a good friend.

Sloppy fielding, a failed steal attempt by Brayan Rocchio, and a bullpen that was bested by the Royals relievers were the difference between winning and losing on a perfect afternoon for baseball in front of 26,344 fans at Progressive Field.

“We’re going to lose sometimes,” Manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’re not always going to get the big hit. You go back and look at that game, we had pressure every single inning and just didn’t get that big hit that we’ve typically gotten. That’s OK. More often than not, our guys are coming through in those situations.”

The Guardians were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They left nine runners on base.

• The Guardians had a four-game lead on the Royals when the series with Kansas City began on June 4. The lead remains four games with the June 5 rainout. The Guardians beat the Royals, 8-5, on June 4 with the help of shoddy infield play by Kansas City.

Progressive Field will be quiet until June 18 when the Guardians return to play the Mariners after an eight-game trip to Miami, Cincinnati and Toronto. The Marlins, Reds and Blue Jays are all in last place in their respective divisions.

• The Guardians handed two runs to the Royals and left starting pitcher Tanner Bibee with a no-decision in his 13th start of the season.

Royals leadoff hitter Maikel Garcia reached first base in the top of the first on an error by second baseman Andres Gimenez and advanced to second when first baseman Josh Naylor mishandled a throw on a failed pickoff attempt. Garcia scored on a double to right field by Vinnie Pasquantino.

Freddy Fermin led off the Royals sixth with a line-drive single to left. MJ Melendez walked, then Vogt lifted Bibee and replaced him with Nick Sandlin.

A double by Hunter Renfroe scored Fermin and moved Melendez to third. After Adam Frazier grounded out to first, Kyle Isbel grounded to first. Josh Naylor fielded the ball and threw to his brother, catcher Bo Naylor, when Josh saw Melendez running down the third-base line.

Josh Naylor’s throw was toward the left-handed batter’s box. Bo Naylor caught the ball and as he turned to cover home plate to tag out Melendez, Melendez dived over Bo Naylor and slapped his hand on home plate to tie the score 3-3. Josh Naylor’s throw wasn’t scored an error, but it cost the Guards a run.

• Rocchio beat out a bunt single with one out in the Guardians’ half of the fourth inning. He was thrown out trying to steal second. Steven Kwan, Andres Gimenez and Jose Ramirez, who hit his 17th home run of the season in the third inning, singled to drive in Kwan. Josh Naylor struck out to end the inning.

Vogt had no issue with Rocchio trying to steal second. The Guardians are seventh in Major League Baseball with 57 steals. Aggressive base running has been part of their success.

“Everything had to go right for (the Royals) and then they executed,” Vogt said. “Sometimes you wish you could go back and say, ‘Oh, man, what if?’ but that’s the way we play. We’re going to get thrown out sometimes. That was more a credit to them completing a good throw and good tag.’ ”

• The Guardians’ bullpen pitched 24 scoreless innings since the seventh inning of a May 28 game at Colorado before the streak was broken by the Royals in the top of the eighth inning. The two runs scored off Sandlin in the sixth inning were charged to Bibee.

Isbel drove in Frazier on a line drive single to right field off Hunter Gaddis to break a 3-3 tie. The Guardians went quietly in the eighth and ninth innings. Gaddis was tagged with the loss.

“They (the bullpen) continue to be just incredible,” Vogt said. “When they give up runs, we’re all going to wonder what happened because that’s the bar they’ve set for themselves.

“Give credit to them. They had good bats against our guys. They found ways to scrap across runs and we didn’t. That was the difference in the game.”

Brady Singer started for the Royals and was pulled with two out in the fourth inning. Five Kansas City relievers held the Guardians hitless through 5 1/3 innings.