Guardians stun Baltimore, rally for wild 9-8 walk-off win

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians flipped the script after giving up another late lead Friday, rallying for two runs in the bottom of the ninth and a wild 9-8 walk-off win against playoff-bound Baltimore.

David Fry’s two-run double off Orioles reliever Yennier Cano scored Andrés Giménez with the tying run and Will Brennan with the winning tally after Emmanuel Clase surrendered the lead in the top of the inning.

Fry belted the first pitch he saw from Cano to the wall in left center and Brennan, who had been intentionally walked after seeing one pitch, raced all the way home from first. Giménez, who made a pair of dazzling defensive plays in the final two innings, doubled to open the frame.

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Fry said he understood why Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde put the winning run on base to face him when he walked Brennan, but part of him still took it personally.

“They wanted to set up the double play, and Will already had a huge hit earlier in the game and they don’t want to pitch to him,” Fry said. “So I mean, yeah, you take it personal, but you’ve just got to kind of stay within your approach and to try to get a hit.”

It was Fry’s second career walk-off plate appearance following a July 4 game winner against Atlanta, and it snapped an 0-for-12 skid for the rookie catcher, who entered the game when Bo Naylor exited in the fifth with a right thumb contusion. Fry is the only Guardians hitter with multiple walk-offs this season.

Manager Terry Francona told Fry he has made the most of every opportunity he has gotten this season.

“I was like, ‘David, think about where you’ve been in your career, where you are now kind of carving out a nice little niche for yourself,’” Francona said. “Guys can have a pretty good career like that.”

Brennan’s RBI single with two out in the seventh inning put Cleveland in front by a run, but Clase suffered his major league-leading 12th blown save two innings later when he gave up a pair of runs with two out. He hit Anthony Santander with a pitch before allowing an infield single to Ryan O’Hearn. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position before Aaron Hicks slapped a 2-2 cutter down the left field line to put Baltimore in front by a run.

Enyel De Los Santos allowed the tying run to score in the seventh, but struck out Cedric Mullins with the bases loaded to keep the score tied at 6 before Brennan put Cleveland in front in the bottom of the inning. Brennan said Cleveland’s refusal to surrender even when things look bleak is a credit to his manager.

“It starts at the top with Tito,” Brennan said. “That’s been instilled in us since day one. I know that we’re rookies, but almost a full season under our belts. That’s the first thing we learned ... You just don’t quit until the 27th out is made.”

Friday marked Cleveland’s seventh walk-off win and 21st in their final at-bat. It was the longest nine-inning game of the season at 3 hours, 26 minutes, and stretched the Guards’ home winning streak to six.

Cleveland’s defense stepped up late, led by Gold Glove Award winner Giménez at second base. With the tying run on board in the eighth, Gimenez started a double play that got Reynaldo Lopez out of the inning.

Giménez slid to his left to stop a ground ball off the bat of Ramon Urias before flipping to Gabriel Arias at the bag. Arias gunned out Urias by a step. In the ninth, Giménez made a diving stop on a grounder by Adley Rutschman and threw the All-Star catcher out at first.

Giménez, who leads all American League second basemen with 20 defensive runs saved this season, said his approach is to try and cover as much ground as possible.

“I know Clase keeps you busy normally when he pitches and I’m happy about that,” Giménez said via interpreter Agustin Rivero. “It’s always to try and create a good angle to get deep. And this thing in particular, I was extra aware because I knew something might come my way after that (double) play.”

The Guardians continued to make life difficult for the playoff-bound Orioles, who missed an opportunity to increase their lead in the American League East Division over Tampa Bay after the Rays lost to Toronto earlier in the day. The Orioles lead the Rays by 1 1/2 games with eight to play.

Cleveland, meanwhile, denied Minnesota a chance to back into clinching the AL Central Division. The Twins nonetheless scored four times in the seventh inning and held on to defeat the Angels, 8-6, giving Minnesota its third division title in the last five seasons.

Shane Bieber, pitching in a big league game for the first time since July 9, allowed five runs, including four earned, on six hits and a walk in five innings. The right-hander struck out five and threw two wild pitches after missing 71 days with right elbow inflammation.

With a pitch limit of 80, Bieber entered the fifth inning with a one-run lead and having thrown 69 pitches. He got Rutschman on a fly ball to center before striking out Santander and retiring O’Hearn on a groundout. Bieber said getting through the inning was important.

“Once we regained the lead, and that allowed me to find that aggression to inevitably just compete,” Bieber said. “I think that inning meant a lot to me and like I said, it’s another step in the right direction.”

Cleveland scored its first six runs off Baltimore starter Dean Kremer, chasing the right-hander from the game in the fourth when Naylor reached on a fielding error by Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

Baltimore jumped in front early, scoring twice against Bieber in the first on an RBI double by Anthony Santander and a wild pitch from Bieber that allowed Santander to score from third base.

But the Guardians answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Kole Calhoun and a sacrifice fly by Gimenez. The Orioles scored three more in the third when Bieber made a throwing error on a smash back to the mound by Rutschman and Santander drilled an RBI single.

Cleveland benefitted from some sloppy defense by the Orioles in the fourth when Santander slipped in right field, allowing a fly ball by Straw to drop in for a two-base error. Jose Ramirez followed one batter later with an RBI single that cut Baltimore’s lead to two.

Next: The series continues Saturday with a 6:10 p.m. first pitch from Progressive Field. Right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.26) will start for Cleveland while the Orioles send lefty John Means (0-1, 3.60) to the mound. The game will air on Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM and the Guardians Radio Network.

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