Guardians beat Twins 7th straight time
Shane Bieber allowed one run over eight innings, Amed Rosario had four hits and the AL Centralleading Cleveland Guardians won their seventh in a row against the Minnesota Twins, 5-1 in a doubleheader opener on Saturday.
Jose Ramirez hit a solo homer on his 30th birthday and Owen Miller had a two-run double for Cleveland, which has won 10 of its past 12 games.
The Guardians opened a 4 1⁄2-game lead over the second-place White Sox and a six-game margin ahead of the Twins.
“When Shane pitches, it’s just a different feel because the innings roll by and it’s really fun to watch,” Miller said. “With him on the mound, he’s about as good as anyone. I’m glad we could get some runs for him.”
Bieber won his third straight start, allowing four hits and walking none for the ninth time in 28 outings. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner matched his career-long streak of 10 consecutive quality starts.
“I’ve got to commend the entire offense because when they get us an early lead, it makes it a lot easier for the pitching staff and the defense,” Bieber said. “I found myself in cruise control in the middle innings. All in all, it was a good start to the doubleheader.”
Minnesota’s Matt Wallner homered in the eighth and went 1 for 3 with a walk in his big league debut, with his parents and fiancee in attendance. The 24-year-old was the 39th overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft and played in this year’s Futures Game.
“It was pretty cool to do it against Shane Bieber,” Wallner said, smiling. “That was the pitch to hit, so it was pretty fun.”
Cleveland is 12 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2019 season. The Guardians clinched the season series against the Twins by winning Friday’s opener of the rare five-game series.
Rosario had his fourth four-hit game of the season, including RBI singles in the third and sixth that helped build a 5-0 lead. Miller tacked on a two-run double in the fourth.
Blue Jays 6, Orioles 3:
Raimel Tapia hit a threerun double, Jose Berrios pitched six innings to remain unbeaten against Baltimore, and host Toronto strengthened its position atop the A.L. wild-card standings.
Royals 9, Red Sox 0:
Brady Singer pitched out of a bases-loaded, nobody out jam in the third and finished with six strong innings for Kansas City at Boston. It was the second straight start without allowing a run for Singer.
AANATIONAL LEAGUE
Cardinals 5, Reds 1: Yadier Molina hit a tworun drive while Albert Pujols went hitless in his quest for 700 homers, and host St. Louis beat Cincinnati in the first game of a doubleheader. Pujols started
Aat first base and hit second for the first time this season. He went 0 for 3 with two walks in his first two plate appearances.
The sold-out crowd of 46,678 loudly booed both walks. The 42-year-old Pujols hit career homer No. 698 during Friday night’s 6-5 victory over Cincinnati. He is hitting .317 with 15 homers and 35 RBI in 48 games since July 10.
Rockies 3, Cubs 1: Charlie Blackmon hit a tiebreaking triple and scored in a two-run ninth, and Colorado earned a rare road win, winning at Chicago. Blackmon drove in pinch runner Garrett Hampson with a triple to the right-field corner against Adbert Alzolay after C.J. Cron walked with one out. He then scored on a single by Elias Díaz.
AELSEWHERE
Yankees: New York right-hander Frankie Montas will undergo an MRI on his shoulder a day after lasting just 3 1⁄3 innings in a 7-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
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