The streaking Cleveland Guardians hit a speed bump in Baltimore Wednesday night, though the end of the torrid seven-game win streak only set the table for another impressive run.
The dangerous Orioles, who were doubly motivated as they entered the fray on a five-game losing skid, prevailed 4-2.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco was solid, allowing only two runs and six hits over five innings.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, though obviously not happy with the end of the winning streak, was pleased with his starter’s effort on the mound.
Vogt called his performance “outstanding” in an interview on Bally Sports Cleveland and praised Carrasco for giving the team a “much-needed” five innings of solid pitching.
"We were in the game the whole way and Cookie was a part of that."
Stephen Vogt commends the team for a hard fought game, and acknowledges the Orioles are not an easy team to match up against. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/cAshQNF4Jj
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) June 27, 2024
The manager added that “he held them down…We were in that game the whole way and Cookie was a big part of that, he made some great pitches when he needed to.”
The tight game started well for Cleveland, which celebrated as Jhonkensy Noel became only the fourth player in the storied franchise’s history to belt a home run in his first major league at-bat.
Noel is the first Guardian to accomplish this feat since Kevin Kouzmanoff in 2006, and his second inning shot put the Guardians up 1-0.
Cleveland went back up 2-1 in the fifth on another solo dinger, this time by Gabriel Arias, only to see the Orioles answer in the bottom of the frame.
Then it was Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins who deep with a solo shot in the seventh to put the home team up for the first time.
In the eighth, Ryan O’Hearn added the night’s final run with a homer.
NEXT: Jhonkensy Noel Joins Exclusive Club In Guardians History
