Ben Lively pitched five strong innings and four relievers didn’t yield a baserunner as the host Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 on Sunday to split their four-game set.

Lively (12-9) showed no ill effects of taking a liner off the thigh against the Chicago White Sox earlier this week, allowing four hits — all singles — and one walk. He retired 11 straight until giving up back-to-back singles to Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe to open the sixth of a 1-0 game and finished with two strikeouts.

Despite Lively’s low pitch count (59), Guardians manager Stephen Vogt immediately went to his bullpen where Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase (45th save) were stellar, striking out seven.

Jose Ramirez notched two hits and Brayan Rocchio had an RBI single as the American League Central-leading Guardians (86-64) won the final two of the series to move closer to clinching their second postseason berth in three seasons.

Lowe had two hits for the Rays (73-77), who totaled one run in the last two games after scoring a combined eight to win the first two contests of the series. Taj Bradley (6-11) was charged with both runs while allowing five hits and three walks and striking out six in 4 1/3 innings.

The Guardians made Bradley throw 32 pitches in the first inning but stranded the bases loaded. However, Cleveland pushed home a run in the second when Daniel Schneemann doubled to the right field wall, went to third on Bo Naylor’s groundout and came home via a bloop single to right by Rocchio.

Cleveland added a run in the fifth when Angel Martinez reached on a leadoff infield single. He went to third on Ramirez’s one-out single to left field and scored via a double steal where Rays threw down to second to nab the Guardians’ All-Star.

Martinez had two hits for Cleveland, which has won 11 of its last 17.

–Field Level Media