The Cleveland Guardians offense showed up on Friday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, scoring eight runs, including five in the first inning. That same unit was kept under control on Saturday, though.
Cleveland managed nine hits but just three runs in a 5-3 loss to the Jays in the second game of the series at Rogers Centre. Joey Cantillo, the Guardians starter, was solid but was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs in five innings of work, surrendering six hits and a walk while striking out four.
The Blue Jays’ starter, Kevin Gausman, held Cleveland to just two runs in 6.2 frames, while their bullpen did its job to seal the win despite a late Guardians charge, when they scored one in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a pinch-hit double by Kyle Manzardo. It wasn’t enough, though, as Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio struck out with the bases loaded to finish the game.
Cleveland is now 15-13 on the season, still at the top of the AL Central.
Rubber match tomorrow.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/0DuvLtfmow
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 25, 2026
The Guardians opened the scoring in the third frame, when Juan Brito hit a leadoff double and went on to score on a fielder’s choice by Rocchio. Kazuma Okamoto hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the fourth, though.
Cantillo allowed the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the sixth to reach base, and he was immediately removed. Both men came around to score and were charged to his final line, though, as Daulton Varsho hit an RBI single and former Guardians Andres Gimenez contributed the dagger: a two-run double that made it a three-run game against Matt Festa.
In the top of the seventh, David Fry would cut the deficit to two with his first home run of the year, but the home club would re-establish the three-run gap when Peyton Pallete walked Okamoto with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.
Festa and Pallette each conceded a run in an inning of relief, but Connor Brogdon did keep the Jays off the scoreboard. The damage, however, was already done.
In the ninth, Cleveland put two men on base with one out, which is when manager Stephen Vogt called Manzardo and gave him a pinch-hit at-bat. He responded with the run-scoring double, but the Guardians couldn’t tie the game.
No member of the Guardians logged more than one hit. Fry went yard, Brito and Jose Ramirez doubled, and Angel Martinez added a stolen base in an otherwise lackluster offensive showing, particularly with runners in scoring position.
The Guardians will try to win the series on Sunday with Slade Cecconi facing left-hander Patrick Corbin.
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