Bo Naylor helps Guardians slip past Astros 4-2
Bo Naylor homered among his three hits as the Cleveland Guardians snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon.
It was the second three-hit game of the season for Naylor and seventh of his career. Gabriel Arias doubled twice and scored a run for Cleveland.
Cade Smith (2-2) struck out three during 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. Emmanuel Clase pitched around two singles in the ninth to pick up his 14th save.
Jake Meyers went 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and Cam Smith had a two-run double for Houston, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Steven Okert (1-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk over one inning while striking out two.
Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Naylor's eighth home run of the season, a 429-foot drive to right, two batters after Arias doubled. It was Naylor's first extra-base hit against a left-handed pitcher this season.
Houston tied it 2-2 in the seventh on a two-run double into the gap in left-center by Smith, driving in Yainer Diaz and Meyers, who singled.
The Guardians went back in front 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, taking advantage of a throwing error by Okert in the process.
Johnathan Rodriguez led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Nolan Jones. Naylor followed with a bloop single to left to put runners at first and second. Will Wilson then laid down a sacrifice bunt but Okert threw wildly to first allowing Jones to score what would prove to be the winning run and Naylor to advance to third.
Steven Kwan followed with a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Naylor.
Houston got the tying runs on base in the ninth against Clase with back-to-back one-out singles from Diaz and Meyers. But Clase bounced back to get Smith on a fly out and Jacob Melton in a ground to first to earn the save.
--Field Level Media