Game Recap 5/31/23 | Guardians Win 12-8 at Orioles

Observations from the Game

3 things about Guardians’ 12-8 Winner over the Orioles:

1 – Offensive explosion 

Twelve runs!  Guards hit their high water mark of the year so far with twelve runs scored led by Josh Naylor’s 6 RBI day with 4 hits including a 2-run home run in the 4th inning.  Also with big days were Jose Ramirez (3 for 6), Steven Kwan (3 for 6), and Andres Gimenez (4 for 5).

2 – Bullpen saves Bieber 

Shane Bieber had a rare bad outing only 4 innings giving up 7 earned.  But the bullpen saved the day with five innings of relief while only giving up one additional run.  Finally, Emmanuel Clase came in for a 1, 2, 3 ninth-inning appearance, back-to-back good appearances for Clase.

3 – Back-to-back series wins. 

The Guardians get back-to-back series wins for the first time since the opening two series against Seattle and Oakland. 

Game Summary

In a remarkable display of power, Josh Naylor led the Cleveland Guardians to a 12-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Naylor had an outstanding performance, hitting a career-high four hits, including a home run, and driving in six runs. The Guardians, who had been struggling to hit home runs, broke their dry spell with Naylor’s fourth-inning blast. It was a game of milestones for Cleveland, as they recorded season highs in runs and hits (17) and reached double figures in scoring for the first time this season.

Naylor’s contributions were not limited to his home run. He doubled in the third inning, hit a two-run homer in the fourth, delivered a three-run double in the fifth, and added an RBI single in the seventh. Steven Kwan also had an impressive game, contributing three hits and scoring three runs. The Guardians’ success continued a positive trend, as they won consecutive series for the first time since the beginning of the season. Prior to their series against Baltimore, they had also won a three-game series against St. Louis.

On the Orioles’ side, Anthony Santander hit a home run, and Aaron Hicks had a solid debut for the team with two hits and two runs scored before leaving the game due to muscle cramps. However, Baltimore squandered leads of 4-1 and 7-6, marking their first back-to-back series losses in 2023.

Cleveland found themselves trailing 5-3 in the fourth inning, but Naylor’s home run off Cionel Pérez sparked a comeback. Josh Bell followed suit with a home run of his own. Santander briefly gave the Orioles a 7-6 lead with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning, but the Guardians took control in the fifth, scoring five runs. With the bases loaded against Mychal Givens, Naylor’s double brought in three runs, and Gabriel Arias added to the lead with a home run, making it 11-7.

Xzavion Curry, the second of seven Guardians pitchers used in the game, pitched the fifth inning and earned the win. José Ramírez also had a notable performance, hitting two doubles and moving into a tie for fifth place with Ken Keltner for the most extra-base hits by a Cleveland player (538).

Up Next

Thursday 6/1 7:40 PM EST – Game 1 at Minnesota Twins.