The Cleveland Guardians will look to complete their first three-game sweep since April when they wrap up an interleague series against the host San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon.
The Guardians have made the most of 13 total hits in the first two games of the set, getting a key home run from Gabriel Arias in a 3-2 win in the opener and a three-run shot from Daniel Schneemann during a 4-2 triumph in the rematch.
The wins improved the Guardians to just 12-14 in interleague play. Three of those victories came April 18-20 at Pittsburgh in the club’s most recent three-game sweep.
The victories over the Giants were especially pleasing to Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan, even though he’s 0-for-6 with two walks. For him, returning home to the San Francisco Bay Area is a less-frequent event now that the Athletics have moved to West Sacramento.
Kwan was born in the West Bay suburb of Los Gatos, then played his high school ball on the Oakland side of the Bay in Fremont.
He credited the Guardians’ defense — including his own throw to double up a Giants baserunner at second base in the eighth inning Tuesday — with being the difference in the series.
“Defense never slumps, is what my dad said,” Kwan noted. “But you have to keep working at it every day. I have to work hard every day to try to help the team. And it’s not natural talent. It’s (outfield and baserunning coach) JT (Maguire) keeping us accountable and working hard.”
Kwan has never batted against the Giants’ scheduled starting pitcher in Thursday’s series finale. Then again, that starter — right-hander Logan Webb (6-5, 2.58 ERA) — has never faced the Guardians in his seven-year career.
Cleveland is the only team — other than his own Giants — that has never seen Webb, who owns at least one win over 20 of the 28 teams he’s faced.
Giants batters will be only slightly more familiar with Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams (5-3, 3.89 ERA), who is undefeated in three June starts, having allowed five earned runs in 16 2/3 innings.
The third-year major-leaguer has faced the Giants just once but didn’t get a decision in a 5-4, 10-inning defeat at San Francisco in 2023 in which he allowed three runs in six innings.
The Giants have outhit the visitors 16-13 in the first two games of this series, but only one hit has come in their 19 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
“We’ve got to do a little better job with the starter,” San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said. “We didn’t have nearly as many opportunities (Wednesday) as we did (Tuesday). Still, when it’s a low-scoring game and those opportunities come up … It’s something we were a little bit better at earlier in the season.”
Giants newcomer Rafael Devers went 0-for-3 with a walk on Wednesday, making him 2-for-8 since joining the team in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
“I thought his swings were good,” Melvin said of Wednesday’s performance. “There’s nothing to be concerned about. His swings were aggressive and on time.”
– Field Level Media
