The Guardians’ Cal Quantrill extended his career-best winning streak to seven in Cleveland’s 5-1 home victory Tuesday night against Baltimore.
AP photo
CLEVELAND — Cal Quantrill combined with three relievers for a one-hitter, rookie center fielder Will Benson made a pair of terrific leaping catches at the wall and the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Ramón Urias singled in the second inning off Quantrill (11-5) for the Orioles’ only hit.
Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer and Steven Kwan had a two-run double for Cleveland.
Quantrill worked six innings and extended his career-best winning streak to seven. He is 12-0 in 39 career games at Progressive Field and has gone 31 straight home starts without a loss, the second-longest streak in MLB history behind Kenny Rogers’ 38 from 1997-2000.
Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and closer Emmanuel Clase completed the gem with one inning apiece.
Spenser Watkins (4-5) retired the first 11 batters before All-Star José Ramírez beat the shift with a single to left in the fourth. Naylor followed with a wind-aided two-run homer to center, giving the Guardians a 2-1 lead.
Kwan’s two-run double and Amed Rosario’s sacrifice fly in the fifth put Cleveland up 5-1. Watkins gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings and lost his fourth start in a row.
All-Star Andrés Giménez singled twice for the Guardians, who are 14-7 since Aug. 6 and have only lost one of their last 13 series.
Cleveland opened a six-game homestand that features three games apiece against fellow postseason contenders Baltimore and Seattle.
Ryan Mountcastle, dropped to seventh in the Baltimore batting order for the first time this season, had a sacrifice fly to score Urias.
Rough road
Guardians OF Myles Straw was not in the lineup as manager Terry Francona attempts to shake him out of an extended offensive slump. Straw is 4 for 53 (.075) over his last 15 games, dropping his average to a career-low .199.
“There is a lot to be said for confidence in this game, and it’s been a pretty tough go for him,” Francona said. “But it has never affected his center field play, ever. I value what Myles does so much.”
Benson, batting .152 with zero extra-base hits in 16 games, started in center.
Reds 5, Cardinals 1
CINCINNATI — Austin Romine hit a two-run homer as the Cincinnati Reds roughed up Dakota Hudson and beat St. Louis 5-1 Tuesday night, ending the Cardinals’ three-game winning streak.
Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols went 0 for 2 and was hit by pitch from Justin Dunn that caromed off his chest and caught his right forearm in the second inning. Pujols stayed in the game for the NL Central leaders and remained at 694 home runs, two behind Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time list.
Hudson (7-7), who had been 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three career starts at Great American Ball Park, gave up five straight hits to start a four-run burst in the third. Romine’s go-ahead liner that reached the front row of the seats in deep right-center field made it 2-1.
Hudson went 4 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and five runs with one walk.
Dunn went four innings in his fifth start after missing the first half of the season with a right shoulder strain. He yielded just three hits and one run, which came on Tommy Edman’s leadoff homer in the third, and struck out four.
Derek Law (1-1), promoted from Triple-A Louisville earlier Tuesday after signing a minor league contract with Cincinnati on Aug. 14, allowed one hit over two innings.
Trainer’s room
Reds: OF Albert Almora Jr. (right shoulder contusion) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday. Almora has been on the 10-day injured list since August 20.
Up next
Cardinals LHP José Quintana (4-6, 3.45) pitched seven shutout innings in his last start against Cincinnati, won by the Pirates 1-0 at Pittsburgh on May 15 despite being held hitless by Hunter Greene and Art Warren. Reds LHP Mike Minor (3-10, 6.10) has won back-to-back starts for the first time all season.
