BALTIMORE — If the Cleveland Guardians hitters keep doing this, they’re going to spoil Zach Plesac.
Plesac has experienced some of the lowest run support in the big leagues in his first nine starts this season. Imagine how he felt when Andres Gimenez hit a three-run homer in the first inning Sunday against Baltimore at Camden Yards?
It would have been nice if the Guardians added a few more runs, but at this point Plesac will take what he can get. That’s exactly what he did as the Guardians beat the Orioles, 3-2, to win their first series in Baltimore since 2018.
Gimenez became the first player this season to reach Eutaw Street behind the right field wall at Camden Yards with a home run Saturday. His homer on Sunday didn’t reach the street, but it still counted.
It barely cleared the right field scoreboard, but it gave Plesac and the Guardians the only runs they’d get all afternoon. For Plesac, who received an average of 2.74 runs of support per game in his first nine starts, it had to feel like Christmas in June.
“It’s definitely huge to take the mound with the lead,” said Plesac.
Plesac retired the Orioles on eight pitches in the first inning. He needed only 12 to get through the second. Gimenez’s homer was the gift that kept on giving.
The Orioles started right-hander Dean Kremer (0-1, 6.23) Sunday. They activated him from the injured list before the game for his first start of the season.
He opened the game by striking out Myles Straw, but Amed Rosario singled and Owen Miller drew a two-out walk. Gimenez turned Kremer’s 1-1 pitch into his seventh homer of the season. Six of those homers have come on the road.
The homer extended Gimenez’s hitting streak, a career high, to eight games.
“I really like this ballpark,” said Gimenez, through interpreter Agustin Rivero. “There are a lot of good memories here. I hit my first homer in the majors here with the Mets in 2020. But the most important thing is I was able to help the team win.”
The Orioles made it 3-2 in the fourth on a two-run homer by Ryan Mountcastle. Plesac found trouble again in the fifth when Rougned Odor beat the shift with a single past third and Ryan McKenna doubled him to third to start the inning.
Plesac rallied by striking out Jorge Mateo and Austin Hays. The inning ended when Trey Mancini lined out to left on a 3-2 fastball. Plesac followed the fifth by retiring the side in order in the sixth to end his afteroon.
“When he got tested in the fifth, he reached back and got some fastball that we haven’t seen,” said manager Terry Francona. “But he wasn’t just throwing, he was commanding it and competing. I think that’s going to do him a world of good because I know that’s been on his mind.”
Plesac hit 93 mph against Mateo and Hays. In his duel with Mancini, he was hitting 94 mph and flirting with 95 mph.
“Those are big moments,” said Plesac. “I needed to step up and make some pitches…(Catcher) Luke Maile made some great pitch calls and I was able to execute and get out of there.”
In six innings Plesac (2-4, 4.72) struck out a season-high eight batters with no walks, while allowing two runs on 99 pitches. It was his first win since April 21 against the White Sox. It also atoned for his only other start against Baltimore, a 13-0 loss on June 29, 2019.
Plesac’s escape in in the fifth did was not the last example of clutch pitching for the G’s.
Eli Morgan relieved Sam Hentges in the seventh with one out and runners on first and second base. He retired pinch-hitter Cedric Mullins on a foul pop to third and Hays on a pop to second. Morgan pitched a scoreless eighth, retiring three of the four batters he faced.
“Somebody asked me about Eli in spring training and I said he could be a weapon for us,” said Francona. “And that’s what he’s become, a weapon.”
Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his ninth save, and second of the series, in 11 chances. A 4-5-3 double play helped keep the Orioles at bay. Making the pivot on the play was Jose Ramirez, who had shifted into the shortstop spot from third base.
“No. 1, we’re turning that with a third baseman and not many can do that, but Josie can,” said Francona. “Owen (Miller) made a really good pick at first. If that ball goes by, we’ve got one out and a runner on second…That was really clutch.”
The Guardians, 3-1 in June, have won five of their last six games to move within one game of breakeven at 24-25. They’ve won six of their last seven games against the Orioles.
