Royals snap 3-game skid, beat AL Central champion Guardians 3-2 in regular-season finale

By: Marc Bowman, The Associated Press Posted: 4:40 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 27, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino homered twice and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Pasquantino hit solo homers in the fifth and eighth innings off Austin Peterson (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Columbus before the game.

The Royals (69-93) won for just the seventh time in September, finishing last in the AL Central with 13 fewer wins than last season’s third-place finish (82-80).

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino is doused by teammates after their baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Nate Peterson (3-4) recorded two outs in the eighth and Lucas Erceg struck out one and earned his 13th save.

Salvador Perez’s RBI single put the Royals ahead in the first inning. Kansas City scored a first-inning run in seven of their final 10 games.

Cleveland’s Daniel Schneeman hit his seventh home run leading off the third inning, tying the game 1-all.

Pasquantino hit a solo homer, his 16th, 434 feet to center with two out in the fifth. Then, Jo Adell tied the game at 2 with a 440-foot home run in the sixth, his 23rd.

Adell, Schneeman, and David Fry each had two of the Guardians’ nine hits.

Parker Messick allowed two hits in each of his three innings, striking out two and allowing one run.

Peterson allowed two runs on three hits and two walks, striking out five in five innings in his second major league appearance.

One day after clinching the AL Central title, the Guardians fielded a makeshift lineup missing several regulars. In winning their third straight division title, Cleveland (85-77) won three fewer games than last season.

Royals’ attendance at Kauffman Stadium was 1,504,231, an average of 18,802, more than 3,000 per game fewer than in 2025.

Up next

The Guardians, on Saturday, host the winner of Houston Astros/Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox winner from the wild-card round.