04/27/24 10:24:00
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04/27 22:22 CDT Josh Naylor, Ramon Laureano help Guardians outlast Braves 4-2
in 11 innings in meeting of top teams
Josh Naylor, Ramon Laureano help Guardians outlast Braves 4-2 in 11 innings in
meeting of top teams
By BILL TROCCHI
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) --- Josh Naylor and Ramon Laureano had RBIs in the 11th inning and
the Cleveland Guardians beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Saturday night in a game
featuring the teams with the two best records in the majors.
Scott Barlow (1-2) escaped a bases loaded, no-out jam in the 10th inning,
retiring Michael Harris II, Chadwick Tromp and Jarred Kelenic, to earn the win.
Nick Sandlin pitched a perfect 11th to record his first save of the season.
"We've played a couple of these that have been exciting, but this one was fun,"
said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. "Two really good pitchers gave us seven
innings of beautiful baseball. The back and forth, and the amount of talent on
that field, it was a beautiful baseball game tonight."
Naylor was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Steven Kwan was 3-for-5.
Tanner Bibee threw seven shutout innings for Cleveland, allowing just two hits
to go along with nine strikeouts and no walks in his first career start against
Atlanta. Bibee has thrown five or more innings with three or less runs allowed
in 27 of his first 31 career starts, joining Matt Harvey as the only pitchers
in MLB history to accomplish the feat.
"Throwing in a 0-0 game is always what you want to do," said Bibee, who saw
Braves starter Charlie Morton also throw seven scoreless. "You always want to
have that adrenaline rush no matter how many innings you are going. He was
awesome tonight. He held us to zero, I held them to zero and its just good
baseball.
Barlow gave the Guardians a chance in the 10th, getting Harris to hit a tapper
to the mound, striking out Tromp and inducing a grounder to second from Kelenic.
"When guys get out of big jams like that, that is the most exciting thing for
us (in the bullpen)," said Sandlin said. "For him to do it with the bases
loaded and a tie game, that was impressive."
Dylan Lee (0-1) took the loss for the Braves, allowing one hit and one earned
run. Morton surrendered four hits, one walk and struck out seven. The veteran
threw 63 strikes on 93 pitches. Morton continued a string of quality starts for
the Braves. In the last five games, Atlanta starters have given up just two
runs in 36 2/3 innings.
The win was the seventh in the last nine games for the Guardians, who own the
best record in the American League at 19-8. The Braves saw a four-game winning
streak snapped.
Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis gave up his first two runs of the season in
the eighth inning after the Guardians had taken a 2-0 lead.
Travis d'Arnaud hit a double that bounced on the left field foul line and
scored Marcell Ozuna. Kelenic followed with a bloop single that scored Michael
Harris II, but pinch runner Luke Williams was thrown out at the plate by Tyler
Freeman.
The Guardians pushed two runs across in the eighth inning without hitting a
ball out of the infield. Two infield hits and a bunt loaded the bases for Jos
Ramrez. He grounded to second base and beat out the double play, allowing Bo
Naylor to score. The Guardians then executed a double steal, with Ramrez just
beating the throw at second base to give the Guardians a 2-0 lead.
"I can't talk about (Ramrez) enough or find the words to describe what he
does," Vogt said. "He's the epitome of a professional and the epitome of a
baseball player."
The Guardians nearly broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning. With two outs
and Ramrez on first, Naylor hit a double down the right field line. Ronald
Acua Jr. fielded it before it reached the wall, threw it to first baseman Matt
Olson, who nailed Ramirez at the plate.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (left middle finger swelling) threw 17 pitches at
Triple-A Columbus on Friday as he gets closer to being activated, throwing 2/3
of an inning and allowing a hit and walk with one strikeout. Guardians manager
Steven Vogt said he has at least one more rehab appearance with Columbus and
then the team will reassess.
UP NEXT
The three-game series wraps up with Braves RHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00) making
his second start of the season against Guardians RHP Ben Lively (0-1, 2.38) on
Sunday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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