Pinch hitter Jhonkensy Noel hit a two-run tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning as the Cleveland Guardians snapped a three-game skid with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
With the score tied at 2, pinch hitter Tyler Freeman singled off reliever Garrett Cleavinger (5-2) with one out in the eighth. Noel followed by blasting an 0-1 slider 424 feet deep into the bleachers in left-center for his fourth home run in 35 major league at-bats.
Angel Martinez homered, Josh Naylor had two hits and a walk and scored a run, Andres Gimenez had two hits and an RBI and Jose Ramirez also had a double and two hits for Cleveland, which won for just the third time in its last 11 road contests.
Nick Sandlin (6-0) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Emmanuel Clase pitched around a one-out single in the ninth to garner his 29th save.
Yandy Diaz extended his hit streak to seven with an RBI double, Richie Palacios tripled and scored twice, Isaac Paredes doubled and had two hits and Jose Caballero had two hits and a walk for the Rays, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the third when Palacios led off with a walk and came around to score on Diaz’s double into the left field corner.
Cleveland bounced back to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Martinez tied it when he lined his second home run of the season 398 feet into the bleachers in right. One out later, Naylor singled and then advanced to second when catcher Ben Rortvedt was called for catcher’s interference on a David Fry swing. Gimenez then singled to right to drive in Naylor.
The Rays tied it at 2 in the bottom of the fifth when Palacios led off with a triple to the wall in right-center and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Daniel Schneemann, setting the stage for Noel’s game-winner three innings later.
–Field Level Media
