Game Recap 6/22/23 | Guardians Win 6-1 vs. A’s

Observations from the Game

3 things about Guardians’ victory over A’s:

1 – Sweep!

The Guardians get their first sweep of the 2023 season with a victory today 6-1.  Cleveland has won four in a row, five out of seven, and is only two games under .500 at 36-38.

2 – Bottom of the 5th

The bottom of the 5th was the key inning as the Guards got a home run from Josh Bell, a 430-foot bomb to deep left, to make it 1-1 and Myles Straw put the Guards up for good with a triple scoring Andres Gimenez.

3 – Logan labored

Guardians starter Logan Allen only made it through four innings making 89 pitches, but not giving up a run.  For the first time in his career, Allen had back-to-back starts where he could not make it into the 5th inning as he only went three in his last start in San Diego.

Game Summary

The Cleveland Guardians completed a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics with a decisive 6-1 victory on Thursday. Josh Bell launched a 430-foot home run in the fifth inning, hitting the “Ohio” sign beyond the left-field wall. This powerful shot tied the game, and Myles Straw followed suit with a two-out RBI triple to give Cleveland the lead.

The Athletics, who have now lost eight consecutive games, currently hold the worst record in baseball at 19-58. Their mark through 77 games is the poorest in the majors since the Detroit Tigers started the 2003 season with an 18-59 record.

Despite trailing by just one run (2-1) in the eighth inning, the A’s bullpen struggled. Reliever Yacksel Rios allowed four runs on two wild pitches and two bases-loaded walks, extending Cleveland’s lead.

Nick Sandlin earned the win (3-3) after pitching two hitless innings in relief of Cleveland’s starting pitcher, Logan Allen. Enyel De Los Santos contributed two innings of work, including a crucial double play to end the seventh, while Eli Morgan completed the combined three-hit effort.

JP Sears, the Athletics’ pitcher, kept Cleveland without a baserunner until the fourth inning. However, José Ramírez broke that streak with a two-out single, only to be thrown out trying to steal by catcher Carlos Pérez.

Sears had a strong outing overall, allowing just four hits and striking out eight batters in seven innings of work.

The Athletics took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Tony Kemp’s speed helped them capitalize on Aledmys Diaz’s sacrifice fly. Kemp drew a leadoff walk and showcased his base-running skills, advancing from first to third on a ground ball hit by Esteury Ruiz. Diaz then drove him home with a deep fly ball to center field.

Logan Allen, the Guardians’ starting pitcher, had a challenging time and needed 89 pitches to complete only four innings. He found himself in a jam in the fourth inning after issuing three walks to load the bases. However, Allen displayed his composure and struck out Shea Langeliers with a changeup to escape the threat unscathed.

TRAINER’S ROOM

As expected, OF Will Brennan (left shoulder soreness) got the day off after he fell hard while making a diving catch on the warning track in the fourth inning Wednesday night. Brennan is batting .327 (34 of 104) since May 16.

Up Next

Friday 6/23 7:10 PM EST – Game 1 of 3 Game Series vs Brewers