Jose Ramirez hit the go-ahead two-run double as the visiting Cleveland Guardians scored four in the fifth, beating the Athletics 14-6 on Saturday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif.
Austin Hedges, David Fry and Kyle Manzardo went deep for the Guardians, who will go for the sweep on Sunday after taking the first two games of the series.
Hedges had a three-hit game, his first since 2019 and also contributed a huge defensive play when the game was tight.
Shea Langeliers had a banner day for the A’s, hitting his team-high ninth and 10th home runs of the season. The Athletics took a 2-0 lead on the first of those Langeliers long balls, a two-run shot off Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi (1-4) in the first inning.
Hedges responded for the Guardians with a solo shot in the third, before the Athletics answered back with a run of their own in the fourth on a Jeff McNeil RBI single.
Hedges started the big rally in the fifth with a double. He scored on Steven Kwan’s bloop single, Angel Martinez followed with another single and then Ramirez’s double scored Kwan and Martinez to give Cleveland its first lead of the game.
Rhys Hoskins’ sacrifice fly completed the nightmare inning for A’s starting pitcher Jacob Lopez (2-2), who took the loss after allowing six runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.
After Langeliers and Fry traded solo shots, McNeil got his second RBI of the game with a sac fly in the sixth and the A’s were threatening to tie or take the lead with runners on the corners. Hedges came up with the defensive play of the game to end the inning, a perfectly executed back-pick of Lawrence Butler at first base.
Guardians rookie Travis Bazzana gets first MLB hit
Cleveland poured it on in the later innings. In the seventh, Fry drew a bases-loaded walk and Travis Bazzana knocked in two with a single up the middle. It was the perfect time for Bazzana’s first major league hit after he was 0-for-12 at the plate to begin his career.
Guardians center fielder Petey Halpin robs the A’s of a home run
In the bottom of the seventh, Guardians rookie center fielder Petey Halpin, in his first defensive play of the season, robbed Tyler Soderstrom of a two-run home run. That enabled the Guardians to maintain a 9-5 lead.
It soon became a 12-5 lead when Manzardo added on with a pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth. Colin Holderman gave up an RBI single to Nick Kurtz in the bottom of the inning, but he forced Langeliers to pop out to leave the bases loaded.
Cleveland plated two more in the ninth to complete the blowout win.
Nick Kurtz has walk streak end 2 games shy of tying MLB record
Kurtz went 2-for-5 but failed to walk to end his streak of 20 straight games with at least one free pass. It ties with Barry Bonds (2002-03) for second all-time behind record-holder Roy Cullenbine of the 1947 Detroit Tigers with 22 games in a row.
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Austin Hedges, Kyle Manzardo, David Fry power Guardians to win
Reporting by Field Level Media, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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