CLEVELAND — Rookie Bo Naylor scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a throwing error, Gavin Williams pitched 5 2/3 innings in his major league debut and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Wednesday night.
The Athletics, who have the lowest batting average and highest ERA in the majors, lost their seventh in a row and have the worst record in baseball at 19-57.
Ryan Noda hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run third inning that opened the scoring.
Oakland had taken a 6-4 lead in the seventh on run-scoring singles from rookie Esteury Ruiz and Seth Brown off Trevor Stephan. Ruiz went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and stole two bases to increase his MLB-best total to 39.
“The offense got us the lead and unfortunately, we were unable to hold onto it,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “Tito (Francona) fights and his team plays the game the same way, fighting for everything they get.”
Cleveland cut it 4-3 in the bottom half when Bo Naylor, Fremont’s Steven Kwan and Amed Rosario reached to open the third and came around. Rosario and Andrés Giménez each drove in runs. Naylor singled for his first hit in the majors — snapping an 0-for-19 drought — and came home on Kwan’s one-out double. Myles Straw was the first to score on Kwan’s hit, which turned into a two-run play when right fielder Ramón Laureano wildly flung the ball back to the infield.
Cleveland tied it at 4 in the fifth when Naylor singled off Athletics starter Paul Blackburn, plating Ramírez, then pulled to 6-5 in the seventh on Josh Naylor’s solo homer. Josh Naylor was 4 for 4.
José Ramírez had three hits, giving him 1,236 in his career and passing Larry Doby for 17th place in Cleveland history.
Josh Naylor’s solo homer pulled the Guardians within 6-5 in the seventh.
Mark Kotsay reacts to Aledmys Díaz’ ninth-inning strikeout after a pitch-clock violation pic.twitter.com/JHltveaZJ5
— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 22, 2023
Eli Morgan (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win, and Emmanuel Clase finished for his MLB-leading 22nd save – with a little help from a controversial pitch-clock violation on Aledmys Diaz that resulted in a strikeout after Tony Kemp led off the ninth with a walk.
After falling behind 0-2, Diaz appeared to ask home plate umpire Brock Ballou for a time out as the pitch clock was still at 15 seconds. But Ballou signaled a violation when Diaz stepped in the box but wasn’t ready to hit when the clock hit eight seconds, as per MLB rules.
Mark Kotsay reacts to Aledmys Díaz’ ninth-inning strikeout after a pitch-clock violation pic.twitter.com/JHltveaZJ5
— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 22, 2023
Austin Pruitt (1-5) gave up two runs, one earned, in one inning for Oakland.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Zach Jackson (right flexor strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for RHP Angel Felipe, who was claimed off waivers from San Diego. Kotsay said Jackson has not suffered a setback.
UP NEXT
Athletics LHP JP Sears (1-4, 4.24 ERA) takes on Guardians LHP Logan Allen (3-2, 3.95 ERA) in the series finale Thursday.
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