Tanner Bibee struck out eight over seven-plus innings in a combined two-hitter and Brayan Rocchio had an RBI triple as the Cleveland Guardians never trailed in a 3-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Patrick Bailey and Steven Kwan added run-scoring singles for the Guardians, who snapped their four-game losing streak. Cleveland moved within percentage points of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central Division.
The Tigers only managed two hits off Bibee (2-7) on solo homers from James Outman in the third and Spencer Torkelson leading off the eighth. The right-hander walked two and threw 91 pitches, winning his second start in a row.
Hunter Gaddis retired all three batters he faced in the eighth and Cade Smith worked a clean ninth for his 22nd save, four more than any other closer in the majors. Cleveland won for the second time in its last eight contests.
The Guardians went up 2-0 in the second when Bailey singled in Rhys Hoskins with two outs, then scored on Rocchio’s triple off Jack Flaherty (1-8). Cleveland had just seven hits with runners in scoring position over its previous seven games.
Flaherty exited with left leg discomfort after three innings — his shortest start since April 25 — and gave up two runs on three hits. The right-hander walked one and struck out one, throwing a season-low 63 pitches.
Outman homered in his first plate appearance with Detroit, a 418-foot solo shot in the third to cut its deficit to 2-1. Outman was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins after batting .156 without a homer in 64 at-bats.
Kwan singled off Drew Anderson in the sixth, scoring Angel Martinez to extend Cleveland’s lead to 3-1. Torkelson chased Bibee with his 416-foot rocket to center field for his 11th homer of the season.
The Tigers have won seven of their last 10 after falling a season-low 16 games under .500 on May 31.
Detroit closer Kenley Jansen was activated from the injured list after missing 13 games with pelvic inflammation. Reliever Beau Brieske was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move.
–Field Level Media
