Cole Ragans struck out 10 batters over a career-best 7 2/3 innings and Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer as the visiting Kansas City Royals salvaged the finale of their three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians with a 4-2 victory on Sunday afternoon.

It was the third straight game that Ragans struck out 10 or more batters, joining Kevin Appier (1996) as the only pitchers in Royals history to accomplish that feat. Ragans (1-0), who struck out five in a row over the fourth and fifth innings, retired 18 of the last 19 batters he faced and didn’t issue a walk.

Carlos Estevez struck out three after yielding a leadoff single to Steven Kwan in the bottom of the ninth to pick up his fifth save.

Maikel Garcia went 3-for-4 with a two-RBI double and Kyle Isbel also had three hits and scored a run for Kansas City, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Daniel Schneemann doubled and drove in a run for Cleveland, which had a five-game win streak snapped. Ben Lively (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Schneemann lined a two-out double to the wall in left-center, driving in Jhonkensy Noel, who had singled. Schneemann also came around to score on the play when Bobby Witt Jr.’s wild relay throw to the plate went to the backstop.

Kansas City tied it 2-2 in the fourth on Perez’s second home run of the season, a 394-foot drive to left that scored Vinnie Pasquantino, who had singled.

The Royals took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on a two-run double to the gap in right-center, driving in Freddy Fermin, who had walked, and Isbel, who had doubled.

It was the first loss in six home games for Cleveland.

–Field Level Media