Cleveland Baseball Insider

Gonzalez Homers, Guardians Grind To Beat Dodgers 5-3

The Guardians defeated the Dodgers 5-3 on Sunday in the finale to take the series.

Adrienne Goehler

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The Cleveland Guardians wrapped up their three-game series in Los Angeles on Sunday night with a 5-3 victory. This would be their sixth straight series win. 

The Guardians were first on the board after a shaky start in the field by the Dodgers. Oscar Mercado reached on an error to a ball hit to right and hustled to second to start the inning.

Ernie Clement would drop in a ball to right and advanced to second on the throw, giving the Guardians second and third with one out. Austin Hedges brought in Mercado on a sac-fly to right, making it 1-0.

The Dodgers responded in the home half. With two outs, Gavin Lux doubled to score Chris Taylor, making it 1-1. Freddie Freeman would give the Dodgers the 2-1 advantage the following inning with a solo shot to left field.

In the sixth, Oscar Gonzalez would tie the game up with a swing of the bat with his first Major League home run. The Guardians would then get the bases loaded with two outs, but couldn't push another run across.

In the seventh, Eddy Alvarez would hit a one-out single to end Shane Bieber's day. Eli Morgan came and struck out Lux for the second out, and it looked like the Guardians were in pretty good shape.

But, Trea Turner would hit a tapper to short, and a wide throw on a tough play by Andrés Giménez would skip past Owen Miller at first, giving the Dodgers the go ahead run. 

Bieber's final line would be 6.1 innings pitched, seven hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and nine strikeouts. 

The Guardians came right back in the eighth with a single by Steven Kwan to leadoff the inning. Giménez would move Kwan to second on a sac-bunt.

With two down, Richie Palacios pinch-hit for Hedges and smoked one down the right field line to once again tie the game up at 3-3.

Morgan would come back out in the eighth for a one-two-three inning, and the Guardians would get another crack at in the ninth.

Gonzalez would work a one-out walk, and Josh Naylor doubled to right to give the club second and third. Kwan would be intentionally walked to load up the bases.

Giménez came through with a single to center, scoring Gonzalez to give the Guardians the 4-3 advantage. The club would tack on another run with a sac-fly by Clement to make it 5-3.

Emmanuel Clase would come in to lock down the final inning, giving the Guardians their sixth straight series win. The club has Monday off, and will start a three-game series in Minnesota with the Twins on Tuesday.

With Sunday's win, the Guardians are now one game back of the Twins for first place in the AL Central -- setting the stage for the upcoming head-to-head. 

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Adrienne Goehler
ADRIENNE GOEHLER

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