CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a game where projections and pregame odds heavily favored the home team, the Kansas City Royals relied on timely hitting and a strong start from Michael Wacha to defy expectations and even their season record with a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Progressive Field.

A crowd of 13,143 watched as the Royals, installed as +1.5 underdogs against a Guardians squad given a 55.2 percent win probability by statistical models, methodically built their lead before holding off a late Cleveland push. The win moved Kansas City to 5-5 on the young season, while Cleveland fell to 6-5.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the top of the eighth inning, transforming a tense one-run contest into a more comfortable margin for the visitors. Holding a 2-1 lead, the Royals saw their first two batters of the inning retired by reliever Peyton Pallette. Carter Jensen, however, kept the inning alive with a single. Jonathan India then stepped in and delivered the decisive blow, launching a two-run homer to left-center field. The blast, India’s second of the season, scored Jensen and provided critical insurance runs, stretching the lead to 4-1.

That cushion proved vital moments later in the bottom half of the inning. Cleveland’s Brayan Rocchio led off with a solo home run off Royals reliever John McMillon to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Guardians then put the potential tying run at the plate after a two-out walk to José Ramírez, but David Fry flew out to left field to end the threat. Lucas Erceg worked a perfect ninth inning, retiring the side in order on a strikeout and two flyouts to secure his third save of the year.

The game began as a pitcher’s duel between Wacha and Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee. Wacha earned the win, improving to 1-0, by working six strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits. The lone damage against him came in the third inning when Steven Kwan hit a solo home run to right field, giving Cleveland an early 1-0 lead.

Kansas City answered in the fourth. A walk to Vinnie Pasquantino and a wild pitch that also resulted in a strikeout but allowed Carter Jensen to reach set the table. India, in his first key at-bat of the night, lined a single to right field to score Pasquantino and tie the game.

The Royals took the lead for good in the sixth. With Bibee out of the game, Carter Jensen greeted reliever Tim Herrin with a leadoff solo home run to right field, making it 2-1. Bibee finished with a line of 4.2 innings pitched, allowing one run on five hits.

Kansas City’s offense collected 11 hits, with Maikel Garcia contributing two doubles and Bobby Witt Jr. adding two singles. Cleveland’s attack was stifled, managing only four hits total, with Kwan’s homer and a double from Gabriel Arias accounting for half of them.

Peyton Pallette took the loss for Cleveland, falling to 0-1. He was charged with two runs on three hits in his two innings of work, with India’s eighth-inning homer proving the fatal mistake.

The victory allowed Kansas City to split the two-game set with Milwaukee over the weekend and start their road series in Cleveland on a positive note. The Guardians, coming off a series win against the Chicago Cubs, saw their two-game win streak snapped.

The two teams will continue their three-game series Tuesday night at Progressive Field.