Bo Naylor hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning and drove in all three Cleveland runs as the Guardians completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Chicago White Sox with a 3-2 victory on Sunday.
Naylor also had a two-run double for Cleveland (78-71), which has won four straight and nine of its last 10 games to remain in the American League wild-card chase.
The White Sox (57-93) were held to five hits and lost for the 11th time in 13 meetings with the Guardians this season. Chase Meidroth extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a solo homer.
Naylor put the Guardians ahead with one out in the seventh inning when he deposited the first offering from Brandon Eisert (3-6) just over the glove of right fielder Mike Tauchman for his 12th homer of the season.
Matt Festa (5-3) struck out the side in the seventh inning for the win. Hunter Gaddis followed with a scoreless eighth inning before Cade Smith worked out of a jam in the ninth for his 15th save in 20 opportunities.
With runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth, Cleveland secured the victory when second baseman Brayan Rocchio made a diving stop on Andrew Benintendi’s grounder and threw him out at first.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Miguel Vargas capped a nine-pitch at-bat against Slade Cecconi with a run-scoring double to center field.
The Guardians moved ahead in the bottom half of the fourth against Yoendrys Gomez on Naylor’s two-out, two-run double.
Gomez pitched five innings, giving up two runs on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Meidroth tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth inning. The 371-foot shot was Meidroth’s fifth homer of the season.
Cecconi allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in his first start since coming within six outs of throwing a no-hitter.
–Field Level Media
