Daniel Schneemann drove in all of Cleveland’s runs with two homers, highlighted by a go-ahead, ninth-inning grand slam, as the visiting Guardians stunned the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-3 victory Saturday.
Trailing 3-0, Schneemann — who doubled his season home run total Saturday — clubbed a solo shot well into the right field seats in the eighth off Chad Green. After Yimi Garcia (0-1) gave up Steven Kwan’s single and two walks in the ninth, Schneemann stepped up with two outs and crushed a 1-1 fastball to give Cleveland the lead.
Emmanuel Clase (six saves) retired the side in the ninth for the Guardians, who evened the three-game set by winning for the fourth time in five games.
The loss snapped Toronto’s three-game winning streak and spoiled a stellar start from Kevin Gausman, who yielded only Kwan’s third-inning bloop single, struck out nine and walked only one batter over six sharp innings.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams allowed seven hits and walked five while throwing 100 pitches over four innings. However, he yielded just two runs and struck out nine as Toronto stranded nine runners and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position against him.
For a second straight start, Williams allowed a home run on his first pitch. This time, Bo Bichette sent the ball well over the left field wall for his first homer since May 27, 2024. After allowing a one-out single to Anthony Santander and a double to George Springer, Williams fanned Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger.
Williams struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two runners in scoring position to end the second, but Toronto got to the right-hander again in the third. Santander doubled, went to third on Springer’s single and scored via Nathan Lukes’s bases-loaded walk.
With Williams out and Kolby Allard (2-0) on in the fifth, Toronto’s Ernie Clement recorded a pinch-hit double, went to third on Myles Straw’s deep fly to center and scored via a sacrifice fly from Tyler Heineman to make it 3-0.
Cleveland played without star third baseman Jose Ramirez (right ankle sprain), who was hurt in Friday’s 5-3 loss.
–Field Level Media
