The Cleveland Guardians erased a four-run deficit on Saturday afternoon, using a pivotal seventh inning to earn a 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels and halt the visitors’ eight-game road winning streak. The betting line entering the matchup listed Cleveland as slight favorites at -115, with the Angels priced at -105.
The Guardians’ comeback was punctuated by a go-ahead two-run double from Gabriel Arias with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The inning had already seen Carlos Santana tie the game at five apiece with a solo home run off Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. Following Santana’s homer, Daniel Schneemann reached base on a single and advanced to second on a stolen base. Bo Naylor walked, setting up Arias to deliver a clutch hit to deep center field on a full count.
Earlier in the contest, the Angels had appeared in control. Starter Kyle Hendricks was pursuing his 100th career win and had been staked to a 4-0 lead by the third inning. Yoán Moncada and Taylor Ward hit solo home runs in the top of the third to open the scoring. Later in the same frame, Mike Trout singled and Jo Adell followed with his seventh homer of the season, extending the Angels’ lead.
The Guardians responded in the fourth when Nolan Jones drove in two runs with a triple, cutting the deficit in half. However, Trout answered with an RBI double in the fifth, marking his third hit of the game and restoring a 5-2 lead for Los Angeles.
Cleveland chipped away again at the bottom of the fifth. José Ramírez launched a solo home run, his 17th of the year, and in the following inning, Steven Kwan added another solo shot. Kwan finished the day with three hits and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
Hendricks exited with two outs in the sixth after allowing Kwan’s homer. His final line included four earned runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings and a season-high six strikeouts. Zeferjahn entered in the seventh and retired the first two batters he faced before surrendering back-to-back hits and the eventual game-winning double to Arias.
Cleveland’s bullpen stabilized the game after starter Slade Cecconi was tagged for five runs in 4 1/3 innings. Relievers Hunter Gaddis, Nic Enright, Logan Allen, and Cade Smith each delivered scoreless appearances, with Allen credited with the win to improve to 3-3. Closer Emmanuel Clase secured the victory with a clean ninth inning, earning his 12th season save in 14 opportunities.
Despite the loss, the Angels extended their streak of hitting a home run in a road game to 14, tying a franchise record. They will attempt to claim their first series win in Cleveland since 2013 in Sunday’s finale.
Los Angeles is expected to send Jack Kochanowicz (3-6, 5.07 ERA) to the mound against Cleveland’s Gavin Williams (4-3, 4.27 ERA) in the rubber match of the three-game series.
