David Fry ripped a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the host Cleveland Guardians a 9-8 walk-off victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
After Aaron Hicks’ two-run double in the top of the ninth gave Baltimore an 8-7 lead, Cleveland answered in its half of the inning. Andres Gimenez led off with a double, and he went to third on Gabriel Arias’ grounder to second base.
Will Brennan was intentionally walked before Fry sent a first-pitch offering from Yennier Cano (1-4) to left-center field to end the game.
The late uprising made a winner out of Emmanuel Clase (3-9), who retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth and appeared poised to secure his major-league-leading 43rd save. He then hit Anthony Santander with a pitch and allowed an infield single to Ryan O’Hearn. A wild pitch moved up pinch runner Ryan McKenna and O’Hearn to second before Hicks plated both runners with a double to left field.
Kole Calhoun drove in two runs and Brennan, Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, Myles Straw and Gimenez each plated one for the Guardians (74-81), who have won the first two contests of a four-game series.
Cleveland was eliminated from playoff contention later Friday night when the Minnesota Twins (82-72) beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-6 to clinch the American League Central title.
Activated from the 60-day injured list earlier on Friday, Cleveland starter Shane Bieber recorded a no-decision after laboring through five innings. The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and one walk before exiting after 81 pitches. He struck out five.
Santander collected three hits, drove in three runs and scored once. Gunnar Henderson scored three times and joined Ramon Urias with two hits apiece for the Orioles (95-59), who have lost three in a row following a four-game winning streak.
Baltimore saw its lead in the American League East remain at 1 1/2 games over the Tampa Bay Rays, who dropped a 6-2 decision to the Toronto Blue Jays earlier on Friday.
Santander had an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch to stake Baltimore to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Cleveland scratched for a pair of runs in its half of the frame before Straw’s RBI single in the second gave his team a 3-2 advantage.
The Orioles bounced back in the third inning, with Henderson contributing an RBI double before scoring on a fielder’s choice. Santander’s run-scoring single pushed Baltimore’s lead to 5-3.
Cleveland countered with three runs in the fourth, capped by Calhoun’s sacrifice fly that plated Ramirez.
Santander and Brennan each had an RBI single for their teams in the seventh inning.
–Field Level Media
