Josh Naylor chopped a two-out, tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning and the Cleveland Guardians overcame the exit of ace Tanner Bibee to cramping, earning a 2-1 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
Bibee, locked in a pitchers’ duel with Detroit’s Jack Flaherty, went out for the sixth in a 1-1 contest, but after hopping over the third base line, he began limping to the mound and didn’t start the inning. The team announced Bibee, who allowed only Matt Vierling’s first-inning homer and one other hit, was dealing with lower-extremity cramping.
He walked one and struck out four.
However, Guardians relievers Scott Barlow, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis (4-2) and Emmanuel Clase (31st save) didn’t yield a hit and allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings.
In the eighth, Cleveland’s Bo Naylor drew a leadoff walk from Beau Brieske (1-1), stole second, then made third on a grounder that resulted in the second out.
After Jose Ramirez was intentionally walked, Josh Naylor’s bouncer was just out of second baseman Colt Keith’s reach. The hit wound up producing a second straight victory for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who lost 8-2 on Monday in the opener of the four-game set — their seventh loss in nine at the time.
For the sixth time in his past eight starts, Flaherty allowed one or no runs, and the lone tally he surrendered this time was unearned. He gave up three hits and two walks while striking out six in six innings. Flaherty dropped his ERA to 2.95 and further fanned rumors that he might be dealt prior to next week’s trade deadline.
Bibee retired the first two batters of the game before Vierling sent an opposite-field drive over the wall in right for his 13th homer.
Flaherty was cruising until there were two outs in the fifth, when Bo Naylor grounded a single into center field. With Steven Kwan at the plate, Naylor went to second on catcher Carson Kelly’s passed ball. Kwan then laced a single into left-center field that scored Naylor with the tying run.
Detroit has lost three of four following a 10-2 stretch.
