Steven Kwan went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, Gavin Williams threw five quality innings and the Cleveland Guardians posted a 6-1 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon.
Williams (1-0) allowed one run on three hits, striking out seven and walking two, while Kyle Manzardo connected on a two-run homer as Cleveland swept the White Sox in three games.
Jonathan Cannon (0-2) gave up six runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings for the White Sox, striking out six and walking three. Lenyn Sosa tallied a pair of hits for Chicago, which dropped its eighth straight game and became the first team to record 10 losses.
Nick Maton led off the game with a single, before advancing to second on Andrew Vaughn’s groundout and then scoring thanks to Williams’ two wild pitches.
Cleveland answered in the home half of the first, as Kwan led off with a single and Manzardo launched a two-run homer — his fourth of the season — to give the Guardians a 2-1 edge.
The lead was pushed to 4-1 in the bottom of the third, when Brayan Rocchio’s double was followed by Kwan’s second home run of the season.
An inning later, Jhonkensy Noel singled, Bo Naylor walked and Daniel Schneemann reached on Sosa’s fielding error to load the bases with nobody out. After Cannon retired Rocchio, Kwan’s single to left scored Noel and extended Cleveland’s advantage to 5-1.
Cannon escaped without further damage by striking out Jose Ramirez and getting Carlos Santana to ground out.
Williams was replaced by Jakob Junis, who threw a perfect top of the sixth inning. Naylor began the bottom of the sixth with a bunt single before Schneemann struck out. Cannon then walked Rocchio and Naylor advanced to third on a balk, chasing the Chicago starter after 102 pitches for reliever Bryse Wilson.
Kwan greeted Wilson with a bunt single on his first pitch, driving in his fourth run and giving Cleveland a 6-1 edge.
Joey Cantillo pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts for Cleveland and retired Brooks Baldwin to stamp the win.
–Field Level Media
