If this is a mirage, it’s a darn good one: Guardians hang on to beat Mets, 7-6
Updated: May. 21, 2024, 9:01 p.m.|Published: May. 21, 2024, 8:51 p.m.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Whatever this is, it continued Tuesday night.
The Guardians beat the Mets, 7-6, at Progressive Field and they did it with power, pitching, defense and a baserunning.
All right, so the bullpen sprung a couple of long-ball leaks. But they can’t hang zeroes every time out.
Really, if this a mirage, it’s a darn good one. The Guardians are 32-17, have won five straight and eight of their last nine games.
The Mets, meanwhile, have lost seven of their last nine.
It came down to the ninth inning with Emmanuel Clase on the mound and Francisco Lindor, Cleveland’s former face of the franchise, on first base representing the tying run. Clase ended it by getting Pete Alonso to ground into a 3-6-1 double play.
It was Clase’s 15th save in 18 chances.
Jose Ramirez tried to create some separation in the score with two out in the fifth. He skied a 3-2 pitch by Adrian Houser (0-4, 7.88) into the right field seats for a two-run homer and a 5-2 lead. It was Ramirez 12th homer of the season and his third of the homestand.
The separation did not last.
Jeff McNeil’s two-run homer in the sixth brought the Mets back to within one run at 5-4. Sam Hentges opened the inning with two outs, but Mark Vientos doubled and McNeil homered over the right field wall. It was his second homer of the season.
But the Guardians weren’t done separating. And who else would they turn to besides David Fry?
Lefty Jake Diekman started the sixth in place of Houser. Will Brennan singled to right to bring Fry, pinch-hitting for Kyle Manzardo, to the plate. Fry sent a 2-2 pitch down the right field line and over the wall for a 7-4 lead. It was Fry’s fifth homer of the season and first pinch-hit homer of his career.
Fry, who came into the game hitting .387 (12 for 31) against lefties, has four RBI in the first two games of this three-game series against the Mets.
But even that separation did not last.
Starling Marte, ejected from Monday’s game for arguing balls and strikes, hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Scott Barlow to once again make it a one-run game at 7-6. Marte hit a 2-2 pitch 414 feet onto the home run porch in left field after Barlow hit Tyrone Taylor with a pitch.
After Barlow retired Mark Vientos, Tim Herrin relieved and ended the inning as McNeil sent a screamer to center that Tyler Freeman tracked down.
The Guardians took a 3-0 lead in the third. It all started with Bo Naylor getting hit by a pitch and a one-out bloop double by Brayan Rocchio behind first base that just kept rolling.
Naylor scored from first and Rocchio took third on the throw home.
Tyler Freeman scored Rocchio with a double past third. Freeman moved to third on a two-out grounder by Andres Gimenez. Ramirez scored Freeman with a double over Marte’s head in right field. Ramirez continued to third when Marte bobbled the ball, but went no farther.
hose were the first earned runs Houser has allowed against Cleveland. He’d made two previous appearances against the Guardians while pitching for the Brewers. He did not allow an earned run against them in seven innings.
The Mets swung their way back into the game against emergency starter Xzavion Curry in the fifth. Curry, who arrived from Class AAA Columbus because scheduled starter Carlos Carrasco was placed on the injured list with a strained neck, held the Mets scoreless through four innings.
Vientos changed that with a one-out homer in the fifth. McNeil doubled and Tom Nido moved him to third with a single. Lindor singled for the fourth straight hit of the inning to make it 3-2.
Nick Sandlin (4-0) relieved Curry and walked Pete Alonso to load the bases. Sandlin proceeded to end the inning by striking out Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez, the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, on eight pitches to keep the keep the Guardians in front.
Sandlin has allowed just 2 of 21 inherited runners to score. The opposition is hitting .042 (1 for 24) against him with runners in scoring position.
Next:
RHP Triston McKenzie (2-3, 3.23) vs. RHP Jose Quintana (1-4, 5.21) Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM, WMMS, WAFR and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.
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J-RAM 2-RUN HOMER
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FRY PINCH HIT 2-RUN HOMER
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FREEMAN SLIDIING CATCH
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RAMIREZ 2-RUN DOUBLE
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RICCHIO RBI DOUBLE
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CONDENSED GAME
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