CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Guardians are one of two teams in baseball with five win streaks of five-or-more games in 2024. Cleveland’s now 4-1 against Baltimore this season, the third-best team in the American League.
Baltimore’s high-powered offense was held to one hit through the first six innings. Carlos Carrasco and Cade Smith combined to retire 11 consecutive hitters spanning from the third to the seventh inning.
Smith struck out three batters in his 1.2 innings of work. He’s now 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA in his rookie season.
“He’s probably the second-best reliever in baseball,” Austin Hedges said. “That’s as good as it gets out there. Guys have no idea how to adjust to it. It’s really special.”
Carrasco was pulled after striking out Jackson Holliday to start the fifth inning. He pitched through the O’s lineup twice, throwing 79 pitches.
“It was really nice,” Carrasco said about the ovation he got leaving the game. “All the fans with us, they know we faced one of the best teams in the league. I’m glad we won today.”
Carrasco only struggled in the second inning. He walked three batters on 3-2 counts, threw 27 pitches, and gave up a run. Carrasco struck out Colton Cowser with the bases loaded to end the inning. He struck out five batters, gave up a run on one hit, and walked four.
“I thought Cookie was outstanding,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “A couple walks got him in trouble a little bit, but he wiggled his way through and got us two times through the order very well.”
Unlike the Orioles, the Guardians were able to produce with the bases loaded in the second inning. Josh Naylor scored after Brayan Rocchio walked, and Austin Hedges plated David Fry with a sac fly to right field.
It wasn’t the only time Hedges had an at-bat with the bases loaded. Hedges hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield with no outs in what ended up being a four-run sixth inning for Cleveland.
Steven Kwan walked as the next batter which scored Angel Martinez. Two more runners crossed the plate thanks to some heads-up baserunning by Hedges and Kwan. Jose Ramirez hit a sac fly to center field. Kwan juked his way out of a rundown between first and second base, while Hedges sprinted home scoring from second base on the sac fly.
“Actually, I didn’t feel like I was moving in slow motion on those which is pretty rare,” Hedges said. “That’s usually how I feel when I’m running.”
“You don’t have to be fast to be a good baserunner,” Vogt said. “Hedges is smart and he’s always looking to push the envelope and that’s how all of our guys are.”
Cleveland’s other two runs came in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Josh Naylor. He connected on a sinker, resulting in a high fly ball to shallow left field along the third base line. Hustling as he rounded first base, Naylor along with 35,137 fans at Progressive Field were hoping for the ball to drop.
The crowd erupted when the ball fell and rolled slightly behind Baltimore’s left fielder. Kwan and Ramirez scored on the play. Naylor recorded his fourth three-hit game of the year, going 3-4 with a two-run double, two singles, and a run scored.
The win secured Cleveland’s second-straight season series over Baltimore. It also marks the club’s seventh-consecutive year with a .500-or-better record against the Orioles.
The Guardians will look for their third consecutive series win for the first time since June 18th-26th on Saturday. Joey Cantillo (0-0, 8.10 ERA) will make his second career start for the Guardians. It will be a special evening, as former Cleveland pitcher CC Sabathia will be enshrined into the team’s Hall of Fame.
