CLEVELAND -- A standing ovation greeted Slade Cecconi as he walked off the mound after the top of the eighth inning on Monday night at Progressive Field. A smile came across the right-hander’s face, and he doffed his cap and waved to offer his appreciation.

Cecconi flirted with franchise history on Monday, when he carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning of the Guardians’ 10-2 win over the Royals. The right-hander was six outs away from becoming the first Cleveland pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Len Barker, who tossed a perfect game on May 15, 1981.

Michael Massey recorded Kansas City’s first hit in the eighth, when he hit a leadoff single to left-center field. Cecconi bounced back by getting Carter Jensen to ground into a 5-6-3 double play and Kyle Isbel to ground out to en

See Full Page