Tyler Freeman and Steven Kwan had back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the eighth and the Cleveland Guardians held on for a 2-1 win against the visiting Texas Rangers in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday evening.
Kwan, Josh Naylor and Jose Ramirez had two hits each for Cleveland (71-78), which has won each of the first two games three of four overall.
Guardians starter Tanner Bibee departed with one out in the sixth with hip tightness. He allowed one run and five hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
Enyel De Los Santos, Sam Hentges and Reynaldo Lopez (3-7) combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his 41st save.
Rangers starter Dane Dunning scattered six hits over five shutout innings for the Rangers (82-66), who lost the series opener 12-3 on Friday night to end their six-game losing streak. Dunning struck out five and walked three.
Ramon Laureano lined a base hit to left with one out in the eighth off Will Smith (2-6). He rounded first aggressively and continued to second when rookie left fielder Evan Carter threw the ball to third, getting credit for a double.
Bo Naylor then walked, prompting Texas manager Bruce Bochy to summon Jose Leclerc from the bullpen. Leclerc got Myles Straw to pop out but Freeman looped a single to shallow left and Laureano came home to tie the score 1-1.
Kwan followed with another RBI single to drive in Naylor for a 2-1 lead.
The Guardians were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position before Freeman’s at-bat.
After Bibee gave up a two-out single to Carter in the fifth, Marcus Semien doubled a hanging 1-2 slider high off the wall in left-center field to score Carter from first and give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
Bibee came up limping after throwing a 2-0 pitch to Mitch Garver with one out in the sixth and left the game.
Cleveland pitchers had retired 10 in a row when Nathaniel Lowe singled off Clase to start the ninth, but he was quickly erased with a double play.
–Field Level Media