Alex Jackson scored on Gunnar Henderson’s two-out single in the seventh inning, providing the decisive run for the visiting Baltimore Orioles in a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday afternoon.
Henderson delivered against Erik Sabrowski as Baltimore avoided a four-game sweep to the surging Guardians. Cleveland has won 11 of its 14 contests since July 7, when it beat the Houston Astros to snap a 10-game losing streak.
Baltimore’s Ramon Laureano hit his third home run in the series, a two-run shot in the first inning. Ramon Urias had an RBI double for the Orioles, who have lost seven of their last nine to fall out of postseason contention.
Steven Kwan of the Guardians recorded his first career two-homer game, clearing the right-field wall in the third and fifth innings against Charlie Morton (6-8). The first measured 384 feet and the second was 372 feet.
The Orioles scored three times on four hard-hit balls in the first against left-hander Logan Allen (6-9), highlighted by Laureano’s 414-foot homer that plated Jordan Westburg.
Cleveland pulled within 3-2 in the third inning on Kwan’s first homer and a sacrifice fly by Nolan Jones.
Morton threw a season-high 107 pitches and tied his longest outing of the year with 6 2/3 innings of five-hit ball. The right-hander allowed three runs, struck out seven and walked four. Gregory Soto pitched the ninth for his first save.
Allen pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. The left-hander struck out four without a walk, losing for the fifth time in six starts since June 24.
The entire game was played under a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service with a first-pitch temperature of 88 degrees that continued to rise. There were misting fans and ice-water stations throughout the ballpark.
Earlier in the day, the Orioles placed closer Félix Bautista on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort. The right-hander, who has 19 saves in 20 opportunities, will undergo an MRI upon returning to Baltimore on Friday.
–Field Level Media
