Cleveland Guardians’ Will Brennan (17) and Tyler Freeman celebrate Freeman’s two-run home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Joe Boyle during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2024, in Cleveland.
AP Photo | Nick Cammett
CLEVELAND — Tyler Freeman hit a two-run homer and Steven Kwan and Andrés Giménez each drove in a pair, sending the Cleveland Guardians to a 10-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
The Guardians and rookie manager Stephen Vogt are tied with the Yankees for the best record in the American League at 14-6 — marking the franchise’s best record through 20 games in 25 years.
“It’s just a testament to these guys and how hard they play,” said Vogt, who was hired on Nov. 6 following the retirement of Terry Francona. “That’s the way these guys play, putting pressure on teams. We’re going to go hard.”
Josh Naylor added a solo homer and Estevan Florial had a career-best three hits for Cleveland, which has won five of its last six.
Triston McKenzie (2-2) allowed one run in five innings and struck out a season-high six. The right-hander had just five strikeouts in his first three starts after missing much of last season with a sprained elbow.
“I’d say it’s the best execution I’ve had,” McKenzie said. “Our bats are hot, so it’s easy to lean on that and be able to count on the rest of the guys to get the job done.”
A’s third baseman Abraham Toro hit his first career leadoff home run and Brent Rooker tacked on a homer in the ninth off Scott Barlow. Oakland is 7-5 after opening the year with seven losses in eight games.
Right-hander Joe Boyle (1-3) allowed seven runs in six innings, five of them scoring in the fifth. The Cleveland resident walked four and surrendered five hits in his seventh start in the majors.
“It’s hard because most of the time when you learn a lesson, it’s to the detriment of the team,” Boyle said. “Freeman put a pretty good swing on a pretty good pitch, but I thought it came down to the walks. It was hard to stop them after that.”
Freeman’s wind-aided homer hooked inside the foul pole in right, scoring Will Brennan to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead in the second. The Guardians blew the game open in the fifth, highlighted by Kwan’s two-run double and Giménez’s two-run single.
Oakland began a 10-game trip that included a series with the Yankees and Orioles. The A’s have another stretch of 10 straight road games from May 10-19.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: OF Brent Rooker (ribcage cartilage) was activated from the injured list after missing nine games, entering as a pinch hitter in the sixth. Manager Mark Kotsay said he will start Saturday.
Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (right elbow inflammation), who has been on the IL since March 25, is slated to throw three innings in a simulated game Saturday in Goodyear, Arizona.
UP NEXT
A’s LHP Alex Wood (0-1, 8.10 ERA) has the third-highest ERA in the majors among pitchers with at least 15 innings. Wood will face Guardians LHP Logan Allen (2-0, 5.06 ERA), who defeated Oakland and Seattle in his first two starts, but has given up nine runs over 9 2/3 innings in his past two outings.
