CJ Kayfus came through in the clutch during the Cleveland Guardians' matchup against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.
His moment arrived in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cleveland was trailing 2-1 to Kansas City as he blasted a two-run homer out to center field to give his team the final lead of the night.
Kayfus reflected on the homer after the game, per reporter Zach Meisei. He described the feeling of obtaining the game-winning home run that it was like no other.
“There’s no feeling in the world like that one. That was truly, probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life right there,” Kayfus said.
C.J. Kayfus flips the scoreboard with a 425-foot 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/pEV32rGJ7a
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2025
How CJ Kayfus, Guardians played against Royals
It was a huge home run for CJ Kayfus to earn, leading the Guardians to a 3-2 win over the Royals. As a result, they won the series 2-1 in the three-game set this week.
Cleveland had to fight its way back in the contest, giving up a two-run homer in the first inning. They did not score until the fourth inning when Jose Ramirez got an RBI groundout to drive Steven Kwan to home plate. It wasn't until Kayfus arrived in the eighth inning to flip the momentum to his squad's favor.
The Guardians' bullpen did a great job keeping the Royals' offense quiet after the first inning. They held them to five hits after 32 at-bats, including the homer to open the scoring. Gavin Williams started on the mound as he lasted six innings, striking out six batters while conceding four hits and the two-run shot. Meanwhile, Matt Festa earned the win and Cade Smith obtained the save.
Cleveland improved to a 75-71 record on the season, holding the second spot of the AL Central Division standings. They are 8.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers for the top seed.
The Guardians will prepare for their next series, remaining at home. They host the Chicago White Sox as Game 1 will take place on Sept. 12 at 7:10 p.m. ET.
