The Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday night following the team's final game of the season.Matheny took over as manager ahead of the shortened 2020 season after Ned Yost retired. In his three seasons at the helm, the Royals never finished above fourth place in the five-team American League Central. This year, they finished last at 65-97 (.401) following a 9-2 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday.Kansas City went 165-219 (.430) under Matheny.

Jose Ramirez had four hits and two RBIs as the Cleveland Guardians headed into the postseason on a winning note, beating the visiting Kansas City Royals 9-2 in the finale of a six-game series on Wednesday.Aaron Civale (5-6) allowed two runs over six innings for the Guardians (92-70), who open a best-of-three wild-card series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Civale gave up five hits, with one walk and nine strikeouts.Josh Naylor contributed two hits and three RBIs, while Oscar Gonzalez, Will Brennan and Luke Maile each had two hits. Myles Straw had two RBIs.Kyle Isbel and Vinnie Pasquantino each homered for Kansas City (65-97), which was outhit 15-6 in the regular-season finale for both teams.After Pasquantino gave the Royals a brief lead with a solo homer in the first, Cleveland answered with four runs on five hits in the bottom half.Naylor came to the plate with two outs and doubled in a pair of runs against Jonathan Heasley (4-10). Brennan and Maile added RBI singles to cap the rally.The Guardians tacked on another run in the second when Steven Kwan hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Amed Rosario's groundout and scored on Ramirez's single.Cleveland moved ahead 6-1 in the third when Straw's sacrifice fly scored Brennan, who doubled to lead off the inning.

Jose Ramirez hit a two-run double and Owen Miller hit a two-run home run in the Cleveland Guardians' five-run fifth inning to defeat the visiting Kansas City Royals 5-3 Tuesday night.Ramirez has 19 RBIs against the Royals this season and nine of them have been go-ahead RBIs.The Guardians (91-70) and Royals (65-96) will conclude a season-long six-game series, and the 2022 regular season, with a matinee Wednesday.Cal Quantrill (15-5) earned the win, allowing one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out four and didn't walk anyone. The Guardians are 16-1 in Quantrill's last 17 starts. He's never lost to the Royals (6-0).Quantrill is 14-0 in his career at Progressive Field, matching Vic Raschi's perfect record in one ballpark. Raschi went 14-0 at Comiskey Park from 1947-55.Emmanuel Clase allowed an unearned run in the ninth and picked up his 42nd save in 46 chances.Daniel Lynch (4-13) took the loss. He allowed five runs -- all in the fifth -- on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Drew Waters hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning as the visiting Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in the fourth game of a six-game series on Monday.Waters had two hits and four RBIs for Kansas City (65-95). Scott Barlow (7-4) pitched a scoreless ninth inning before Taylor Clarke retired the Guardians in order in the 10th for his third save.Nicky Lopez began the top of the 10th as the automatic runner at second and moved to third on Michael A. Taylor's fielder's choice before Waters delivered the decisive blow with a home run to left field against Kirk McCarty (4-3).The Guardians (90-70), who clinched the American League Central early last week, lost for just the sixth time in their last 28 games.Kansas City took an early lead on Waters' run-scoring single with two outs in the second against Triston McKenzie.The Guardians pulled even in the third when Steven Kwan grounded into a fielder's choice, allowing Gabriel Arias to score from third.Cleveland threatened to move ahead later in the inning after loading the bases with two outs, but Zack Greinke struck out Oscar Gonzalez to end the inning.McKenzie gave up one run on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts over five innings.Cody Morris relieved McKenzie in the top of the sixth and was greeted by Bobby Witt Jr.'s leadoff single.

Will Brennan clubbed his first major league home run to help the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-5 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals in the third game of a six-game series on Sunday afternoon.Josh Naylor also had a three-run homer among his two hits for the Guardians (90-69), the American League Central champions who have won 11 of their past 13 games.Cleveland starter Shane Bieber (13-8) allowed two runs (one earned) and seven hits in five innings in his final start before the playoffs. He struck out three and walked one on 80 pitches.Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his 41st save.Royals starter Max Castillo (0-2) allowed seven runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two.MJ Melendez and Vinnie Pasquantino each had three hits and an RBI for the Royals (64-95), who have dropped five of six.Playing in his ninth major league game, Brennan collected his first MLB extra-base hit when he tripled to lead off the first inning. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Amed Rosario for a 1-0 lead.The Guardians scored six more runs in the second inning, all with two outs.

Kris Bubic went five dominant innings, Drew Waters and Salvador Perez each homered and the Kansas City Royals evened their weekend series with the rival Cleveland Guardians Saturday night with a 7-1 win in Cleveland.Bubic (3-13) enjoyed one of his better starts of a tough 2022 campaign, tossing five frames of shutout ball while striking out a season-high eight against just one walk, earning his third victory of the season in the process.The Royals' offense made it difficult on Guardians (89-69) right-hander Zach Plesac (3-12) who returned from the 15-Day IL (hand) to make his first start since Aug. 27.Plesac ended his evening with 3 2/3 innings of four-run ball (one earned), allowing seven hits while striking out just one versus one walk.In addition to a sixth-inning home run, Waters also doubled and scored a pair of runs to lead the Kansas City offensive attack.

Jose Ramirez hit a three-run home run to key a five-run sixth inning as the host Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-3 Friday night.Ramirez now has 122 RBIs, second in the American League to Aaron Judge.The Guardians (89-68) and Royals (63-94) began a season-long six-game series. The final three games are make-up games from the lockout.Aaron Civale (4-6) made his third start since coming off the injured list Sept. 20. He allowed three runs on three hits in six innings. Emmanuel Clase got his 40th save in 44 opportunities.Brady Singer (10-5) allowed six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. All of the hits came in his final two innings.The Royals took advantage of a Guardians' error to score first in the third. Michael Massey hit an infield popup, but second baseman Andres Gimenez and shortstop Gabriel Arias collided. Drew Waters then hit a one-out, 405-foot home run to right field, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead.

Miguel Cabrera blasted a two-run, first-inning homer and seven Detroit pitchers made the lead stand as the host Tigers won their fifth straight by edging Kansas City 2-1 on Wednesday.Cabrera's long ball was his first since July 25 and fifth of the season.Detroit's scheduled starter, Matt Manning, was scratched moments before the game due to arm fatigue. Emergency starter Will Vest gave up one run in one inning.Daniel Norris (1-4) pitched two scoreless innings and was awarded the victory. Gregory Soto pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save for the Tigers (62-92).Kansas City starter Daniel Lynch (4-12) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. The Royals got a leadoff homer from MJ Melendez off Vest, but then squandered numerous opportunities. They left 13 runners on base and Detroit catcher Eric Haase cut down two baserunners attempting to steal.Edward Olivares had three of the Royals' 10 hits. Cabrera was the only Tigers player with more than one hit.Melendez smacked his 18th homer, an opposite-field shot. Cabrera answered with his two-out, two-run blast, the 507th homer of his career, after a Haase single.

Javier Baez belted a two-run homer and Eduardo Rodriguez tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 10-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon.Detroit (63-92), which has won six in a row overall, completed a three-game sweep and won 10 of 19 games in the season series versus Kansas City (63-93).Rodriguez (5-5) allowed five hits and struck out three while collecting his second straight victory.Baez had two hits and two runs, while Tucker Barnhart supplied three hits, a run scored and two RBIs. Willi Castro blasted his eighth homer before departing early due to a hamstring injury as the Tigers won for the eighth time in nine games.Ryan O'Hearn had a two-run double for Kansas City. Starter Jonathan Heasley (4-9) gave up five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.Castro put the Tigers in front during the bottom of the second when he clubbed a Heasley changeup over the right-center field wall.The Royals left three runners stranded in the first two innings and two more in the third when Edward Olivares flied out with Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino at the corners.Detroit added to its lead in the fifth inning.Barnhart reached on a walk and moved up on a wild pitch. First baseman Pasquantino booted Akil Baddoo's grounder, allowing Barnhart to score. Greene then ripped a double to right center and Baddoo scored all the way from first.

Harold Castro hit a two-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th to give the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 victory over Kansas City on Tuesday.Castro, who had three hits and drove in three runs, slapped an 0-2 pitch from Anthony Misiewicz (1-2) to bring home pinch-runner Ryan Kreidler. Riley Greene supplied two hits and an RBI for Detroit (61-92), which has won six of its last seven games.Alex Lange (6-4) held the Royals (63-91) scoreless in the top of the inning with the aid of a double play to notch the win.Hunter Dozier blasted a two-run homer for Kansas City in the opener of a three-game series. Royals starter Zack Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk.Tigers starter Joey Wentz gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. He also walked three while striking out four.Wentz got into trouble in the second by issuing a leadoff walk to Edward Olivares. Dozier then drilled his 12th homer of the season over the left field wall. Michael A. Taylor had a one-out double later in the frame but was left stranded.

John Wathan is retiring after 51 years in professional baseball, including 47 years with the Kansas City Royals.The Royals announced Wednesday that the 72-year-old Wathan will retire at the end of the season.Wathan played catcher for the Royals from 1976-85 and managed the team from 1987-91. He also managed the California Angels for part of the 1992 season before returning to Kansas City as a broadcaster, assistant coach, scout, roving instructor and special assistant to player development.

Cal Raleigh's one-out double in the ninth lifted the visiting Seattle Mariners to a 6-5 win over the Royals Saturday night in Kansas City.Raleigh also had a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the sixth.The Mariners (83-68) won for just the fourth time in 11 games, despite leaving 14 runners on base.The Royals (62-90) walked nine Mariners hitters and hit two more.Paul Sewald (5-4) earned the win. Brad Keller (6-14) took the loss. Andres Munoz earned his fourth save.Seattle starter Logan Gilbert, who came into the game having allowed two runs in 23 innings combined in his last four starts, allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings. Royals starter Kris Bubic allowed three runs on five hits (and four walks) in 4 2/3 innings.Dylan Moore singled to left center in the first to give Seattle the early lead. Moore's hit was Seattle's first of the series with a runner in scoring position, after going 0-for-8 in that situation Friday.Salvador Perez extended his home hitting streak to 20 games with a double in the first. Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a two-run, 432-foot home run.

Michael Massey had a two-run homer and a two-run single in an 11-run sixth inning that propelled the Kansas City Royals to a 13-12 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Sunday in the rubber game of their three-game series.The Royals sent 14 batters to the plate in the sixth, scoring at least 11 runs in an inning for the sixth time in team history.For the Royals (63-90), who have won five of their past six games, Hunter Dozier had three hits and two RBIs, Bobby Witt Jr. and Ryan O'Hearn each had two hits and two RBIs, and Edward Olivares had two hits and scored three runs.Royals starter Max Castillo allowed six runs and six hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked four. Jose Cuas (4-2) earned the win in relief, and Scott Barlow pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 24th save.Ty France and Mitch Haniger each had three hits and two RBIs for the Mariners (83-69), who started the day holding the third and final wild-card spot in the American League, four games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.Mariners starter Luis Castillo was unable to take advantage of an 11-2 lead. He allowed five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking three.Matt Brash (3-5) was responsible for four runs in the sixth inning and took the loss.

Brady Singer pitched effectively around traffic most of the night, helping the host Kansas City Royals defeat the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Friday night in the first game of a three-game series.Singer (10-4) threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out eight.Seattle (82-68) saw its lead for the final American League wild-card spot slip to three games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles (79-71). The Mariners have not been to the postseason since 2001, the longest postseason drought in the four major North American major sports leagues.The Mariners, who were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, fell for the sixth time in eight games.The Royals (62-89) moved closer to avoiding their third 100-loss season in the past four full seasons by registering their season-best, fourth straight win.Singer (10-4) didn't have a clean inning until the sixth. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in four of the first five innings.The 26-year-old right-hander has pitched at least six innings in 13 of his past 14 starts. He has allowed one run total in his past 20 innings.Marco Gonzales (10-15) took the loss. He allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings, striking out two without issuing a walk.

Jonathan Heasley allowed one run and two hits over six innings as the host Kansas City Royals posted a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday to complete a three-game series sweep.The Royals (61-89) came into the series having scored a total of 10 runs during a seven-game losing skid to the Twins.Kansas City's bullpen didn't allow a run in 11 2/3 innings in the three-game series.Bobby Witt Jr. recorded his third straight multi-hit performance and Salvador Perez drove in a run for the seventh straight game for the Royals.The Twins (73-77) have lost seven of their last eight games.The Royals outscored the Twins 14-7 in the series.Brad Keller earned his first career save after striking out two batters in one inning.Josh Winder (4-5) had good success against former teammates. He held high school teammate Vinnie Pasquantino and college teammate Nate Eaton to a combined 0-for-6. But he was not as successful against the rest of the Royals. He allowed three runs on six hits in six innings.

With the 2022 season slipping away, both in terms of days remaining on the calendar for every team and in opportunities to extend it for teams like the Minnesota Twins, the focus turns toward the 2023 season.With that in mind, the Twins and Kansas City Royals need to figure out who their future starting pitchers will be.The Twins (73-76) and the Royals (60-89) will conclude their three-game series Thursday afternoon in Kansas City with a pair of rookies getting the start. Minnesota will turn to Josh Winder (4-4, 4.17 ERA), while Kansas City will hand the ball to Jonathan Heasley (3-8, 5.09).After losing five of their previous six games, the Royals won their second straight over the Twins on Wednesday, 5-2. Salvador Perez drove in a run for the sixth straight game.The Twins managed a pair of one-run innings on Wednesday but still fell for the sixth time in seven games."The runs are tough to come by right now and you just have to come up with a way," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We might have one guy that comes out and has a good night, but we need more than that."Minnesota saw its playoff hopes all but evaporate with the latest loss. The Twins slipped nine games back of the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians with 13 games remaining.The Twins have a mix of veterans and young starters, though much of their difficulty this season has been because of injuries on their pitching staff. Starting pitchers Chris Archer, Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Kenta Maeda and Chris Paddack are on either the 15-day or 60-day injured list.Winder has showed promise, though he has battled right shoulder impingement for the past two seasons. He has had two stints on the IL this season.

Salvador Perez went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI as the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-2 Wednesday night in Kansas City, their second straight victory over Minnesota.Perez drove in a run for the sixth straight game.The Royals (60-89) were playing their first game since the firing of longtime executive Dayton Moore. Dismissed Wednesday afternoon as the team president of baseball operations, Moore had been with the organization since 2006.The Twins (73-76) lost their sixth game in the last seven and fell nine games behind division-leading Cleveland.Anthony Misiewicz (1-1) picked up the win in relief. Scott Barlow earned his 23rd save.Bailey Ober (1-3) pitched five innings for the Twins, allowing three runs on seven hits. Royals starter Daniel Lynch allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings.The Royals jumped on Ober early. MJ Melendez led off with a career-long 437-foot home run to left center with the wind blowing from left to right. Bobby Witt Jr. singled sharply to center, followed by a bloop double by Perez that eluded right fielder Matt Wallner, allowing Witt to score.

Salvador Perez drove in Bobby Witt Jr. with a two-out double in the seventh inning to help the Royals defeat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series in Kansas City.The Royals (59-89) won for the first time this season when trailing by three runs at any point in the game. Minnesota opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning.The Twins (73-75) fell to 6-12 in September.Dylan Coleman (5-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the win. Scott Barlow picked up a five-out save, his 22nd in 26 chances.Michael Fulmer (5-6) took the loss.Neither starter factored in the decision. Dylan Bundy allowed four runs on four hits, including two homers, in 4 2/3 innings. Zack Greinke allowed four runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.After escaping a jam in the first, Greinke was not as fortunate in the second. Jake Cave beat out a one-out infield single. Gilberto Celestino lined a single to right and then Matt Wallner doubled to right, scoring Cave. Carlos Correa stroked a two-out single between third and short, scoring Celestino and Wallner.In the top of the third, Greinke struck out Cave, notching his 1,000th career strikeout with the Royals, passing Tom Gordon for seventh place on the club's all-time list.

The Kansas City Royals fired president of baseball operations Dayton Moore on Wednesday.J.J. Picollo effectively will replace Moore, who was in his 16th season with the Royals. Picollo was named executive vice president and general manager overseeing baseball operations on Wednesday.Under Moore's watch, Kansas City advanced to the World Series in 2014 before winning the title the following season."Dayton's 16 years of leadership here will always mark the transformation into a World Championship club," Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a statement. "Our fans, our region and our community will never forget the excitement we shared in back-to-back pennants and the World Series championship in 2015. He always put the Kansas City Royals first, and we're stronger today because of it."The Royals are out of playoff contention for the seventh straight season and 59-89 heading into Wednesday's game against the visiting Minnesota Twins.

Leadoff-hitting catcher MJ Melendez went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and four runs scored as the Kansas City Royals cruised to a 9-0 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday.Brady Singer (9-4) worked six innings in his second consecutive scoreless start for the Royals (58-88), who had lost their previous four games. Singer struck out five and allowed just five hits and a walk.Vinnie Pasquantino had three RBI singles and four other Royals logged multiple hits. Bobby Witt Jr. went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.Enrique Hernandez and Christian Arroyo had two hits apiece as Boston (70-75) lost for the third time in four games.Boston starter Rich Hill (7-7) was charged with four runs on eight hits and struck out four over 4 2/3 innings.Hill retired seven of the first eight batters he faced, with the lone hit during that span coming in the form of Salvador Perez's two-out single in the first inning.Kansas City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third. Melendez lined the go-ahead single into right field to score Nate Eaton, who hit a one-out infield single and stole second.After a groundout by Bobby Witt Jr. moved Melendez into scoring position, Perez sent a single through to the base of the Green Monster in center to make it 2-0.