Long (2-1) walked one and struck out four over 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday over the Guardians.
Long worked in the sixth and seventh innings after a strong start from Michael Wacha. The Royals pulled ahead 2-1 in the sixth inning, and Long did his part to keep the score there. The southpaw has been scored on in just three of his 14 appearances this season, pitching to a 1.98 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB over 13.2 innings in a low-leverage role. The Royals' bullpen has been a weak spot this year, so it's possible Long could find himself in a more prominent role if he continues to have success.