Newest Guardians Step Up For 4-3 Win And Series Split Against Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays v Cleveland Guardians

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 10: Jose Tena #8 of the Cleveland Guardians scores on a Brayan Rocchios (not in the picture) #6 RBI double during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field on August 10, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio.Photo: Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images

Rookie starters Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, and Logan Allen combined to hold the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs in 19 innings across the first three games of the series while today's starter Noah Syndergaard limited the Blue Jays to one in 5 2/3. Overall, this series was an impressive pitching display between two pitching staffs that entered today's game with two of the lowest ERAs in baseball: the Blue Jays ranked first at 3.73, and the Guardians ranked third at 3.75. In fact through the first three games the pitching staffs limited both offenses to a total of six runs.

After the Blue Jays took game one, 3-1, both teams traded 1-0 wins over the past two contests. Today, the Blue Jays scored in the second inning on Santiago Espinal's single, scoring Danny Jansen who drew a leadoff walk. Had the trend continued from the previous two games the game would have been decided early, but the Guardians rookies' responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame, matching their series output to that point. After Ramon Laureano and Bo Naylor walked, Jose Tena, making his first career start in his second game, delivered Cleveland's first run on his first career base hit and RBI - a single up the middle, scoring Laureano. Then Brayan Rocchio, leading off in place of Steven Kwan, hit the first of two RBI doubles to right-center field, scoring Naylor and putting Cleveland in front 2-1 against Toronto starter Alek Manoah.

Tena and Rocchio, both recently called up from the Columbus Clippers, led off the fifth inning with back-to-back doubles with the former scoring. Then after advancing to third on a flyout, Rocchio scored for the second time on Kole Calhoun's ground out (Calhoun was also acquired from the Dodgers), extending the Guardians' lead to 4-1.

However, the Blue Jays fought back and added two in an eventful seventh off of reliever Enyel De Los Santos and chased him from the game without recording an out. Craig Biggio hit a leadoff single off and reached third on a wild pitch and then a balk before scoring on Whit Merrifield's double to pull within one run at 4-3. Finally, Brandon Belt singled in Merrifield and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked, prompting Trevor Stephan to enter the jam in relief. He struck out George Springer for the first out, leading to Springer and manager John Schneider being ejected for arguing the call. Despite allowing the next batter to single and load the bases, Stephan retired the next two batters to escape with Cleveland hanging on to its one-run lead.

From there Sam Hentges and Emmanuel Clase shut down the Blue Jays in order in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively - Hentges notched his 11th hold and Clase earned his 31st save to seal the victory. Noah Syndergaard earned his first Guardians' win in his second start since being traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Interestingly, these teams combined for seven runs today, more than the six total runs between the previous three games. Nevertheless, the Guardians (56-60) pull within 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins after their shutout loss today against the Detroit Tigers, their third overall. The Guardians will travel for their first meeting with the Tampa Bay Rays (69-47) this season - first pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM with Xzavion Curry starting on the mound. In opposition, former Guardians' pitcher Aaron Civale will make his second start for the Rays since being traded to Tampa 10 days ago after spending four seasons in Cleveland. In his first Rays' start, Civale allowed three runs on nine hits in a losing effort against the Detroit Tigers.


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