Jose Ramirez hit a go-ahead home run to lead off the sixth inning and the Cleveland Guardians held on to defeat the host Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.

The Guardians won their sixth game in a row and reached the 50-win mark for the year. Baltimore has lost four straight.

Aside from Ramirez’s solo shot, his 20th homer of the season, neither team scored over the final six innings. Scott Barlow struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his second save of the season.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (6-2) worked six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) and five hits. He walked one and struck out seven.

Orioles starter Cade Povich (0-2) was charged with three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He issued one walk and fanned five.

Baltimore’s Anthony Santander drew a two-out walk in the eighth before Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis and Orioles left fielder Heston Kjerstad battled through a 13-pitch at-bat that ended with a flyout to center field.

The teams combined to strike out 25 times, with each team drawing two walks.

Kjerstad, playing in his first game in the majors in more than a month, had two of Baltimore’s five hits. He, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson each smacked a double.

Both starting pitchers ran into early trouble before settling in.

Ramirez opened the scoring in the top of the first with an RBI single before Ryan O’Hearn had a run-scoring base hit of his own in the home half of the frame to tie things at 1-all.

The Guardians went back in front in the second inning on Bo Naylor’s RBI double. Santander made it 2-2 with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Ramirez, who went 2-for-4, was the only Cleveland batter with more than one hit.

–Field Level Media