(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH -- Triston McKenzie was locked in from the jump on Thursday night against the Tigers, setting a new career high for strikeouts in what was a brilliant outing. Cleveland took an early lead on a solo shot off the bat of Josh Naylor in the 2nd inning. The Guardians would never look back after gaining the lead, cruising to a 4-0 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers.
Guardians starter Triston McKenzie tossed 8 shutout innings of 5-hit baseball while striking out a career-high 12 batters. Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase took the ball in the 9th and shut the Tigers down, pitching a quick 1-2-3 inning to secure the win.
All-Star middle infielder Andres Gimenez drove in 2 RBI on a double and a solo homer. Fellow All-Star Jose Ramirez drove in a run on his lone hit of the night.
Cleveland and Detroit will square off on Friday night for game two of the series. The first pitch is set for 7:10 pm ET at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Hear the game on WTAM 1100 and the free iHeartRadio app!