Despite another mediocre outing by right-hander Slade Cecconi, the Cleveland Guardians earned their 18th win of the season after besting the Athletics 14-6 at Sutter Health Park, in Sacramento. After losing four in a row earlier this week, Stephen Vogt and his men have now managed to string together three straight victories.
The Guardians are now 18-16, and they will wake up on Sunday at the top of the AL Central division.
Had the runs and won our third-straight!#GuardsBall | #GuardiWWWins pic.twitter.com/9SHLKmo3Oi
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 2, 2026
Cecconi, however, was again shaky, allowing five runs (all earned) in 5.1 innings. He conceded ten hits (two of them home runs) and no walks, striking out three. His ERA is now at a horrible 6.56, as he has been the only liability in the Guardians rotation so far.
The Athletics ambushed Cecconi in the first inning, with a two-run home run by Shea Langeliers. Austin Hedges’ first long ball of the season cut the deficit to one run in the third, though.
Jeff McNeil drove in Brent Rooker with a single in the bottom of the fourth to put the game 3-1, with the Athletics still on top. Cleveland, however, would put together a four-run rally at the top of the fifth.
Steven Kwan plated Hedges with the Guardians’ second run, and moments later, Jose Ramirez would hit a long two-run double to put Cleveland on top 4-3. A sac fly by Rhys Hoskins sent J-Ram home with the fifth run.
Langeliers went yard again in the bottom of the fifth to put the A’s one run behind, but a David Fry solo homer would re-establish a two-run lead for Cleveland in the sixth.
McNeil’s sac fly would, again, bring the home team within a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Guardians’ offense had more in store for the Athletics. They scored three runs in the seventh, with Fry driving in one with a bases-loaded walk and rookie Travis Bazzana punching in two more with a single, his first as a major leaguer.
Then, in the eighth, Kyle Manzardo hit his second home run of the year as a pinch-hitter and put the game out of reach for the Athletics, 12-5.
After Matt Festa and Tim Herrin delivered scoreless outings, Vogt sent the struggling Hunter Gaddis to the mound, and he was shaky again. He faced four hitters, and three of them reached on a couple of singles and a walk. The A’s scored a run off Colin Holderman, charged to Gaddis after he departed.
Cleveland would score two more at the top of the ninth with an RBI single by Brayan Rocchio and Hedges scoring on a double play ball by Kwan.
Bazzana had his first MLB hit and also walked and drove in two runs, while Kwan scored three runs and drove in one. Chase DeLauter continued his hot streak, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored.
Hedges, however, was the player of the game with three hits, including a homer and two doubles, three runs, and an RBI.
It was an impressive showing by the suddenly surging Guardians’ offense.
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