Andres Gimenez delivers big hit in Guardians' comeback win over Tigers
CLEVELAND — Josh Naylor drove in two runs and Andrés Giménez delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, lifting the Guardians to a 6-5 victory over the struggling Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Giménez, a first-time All-Star, hit a two-out flare to left field off Michael Fulmer (2-4) that scored rookie Steven Kwan from second base. One batter earlier, Naylor knocked in Myles Straw with a sacrifice fly to tie it 5-5.
Bryan Shaw (4-1) pitched two scoreless innings and Trevor Stephan worked the ninth for his second save. Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, whose 19 saves are tied for most in the American League, was unavailable after pitching the previous two days.
Prized rookie Riley Greene homered and tied his season high with three RBIs for the Tigers, who have lost seven of eight. Harold Castro had two doubles and a single.
Greene hit a solo homer in the third to pull the Tigers to 3-1, then gave them a 5-3 lead in the fourth with a two-run double off Zach Plesac. The Tigers scored four times in the fourth, with Harold Castro and Willi Castro driving in the first two.
Greene, who made his major league debut on June 18, has three multi-RBI performances in 26 games with the Tigers. All three have come against the Guardians, along with two of his seven two-hit games.
The Guardians went in front 3-0 in the first when their first three batters reached and scored. All-Star José Ramírez singled in Kwan, Naylor brought home Amed Rosario, and Owen Miller’s first career triple plated Ramírez.
Ramírez leads the AL with 70 RBIs. Giménez went 2 for 3 to raise his batting average to .299.
Tigers starter Drew Hutchison gave up four runs in five innings in his second outing against the Guardians in 11 days. The right-hander is 1-0 against the Guardians and 0-4 against the rest of the majors.
Plesac matched his shortest outing of the year at 3⅔ innings, allowing five runs, three of them unearned because of an error by Ramírez at third base. The right-hander remained winless since June 5 against the Baltimore Orioles, a span of seven starts.
Cause for concern
Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo, who is on the taxi squad, has been shut down with a sore right hip and will be examined by a specialist. A rookie, Faedo lasted only 1⅔ innings Monday in his start at Kansas City. “Any time you start seeing specialists and are flying around the country, it’s never a good sign,” manager A.J. Hinch said. The Tigers' first-round draft pick in 2017, Faedo earned his first big league victory at Cleveland on May 22.
Trainer's room
Tigers: Right-hander José Cisnero (right shoulder strain, swollen Achilles) was activated from the 60-day injured list and transferred to the bereavement list. Cisnero was in Cleveland, preparing for his season debut, when he received word of a family emergency.
Guardians: Right-hander Aaron Civale (right wrist sprain), who exited his start Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox after one scoreless inning, will undergo a CT scan this weekend before consulting with an orthopedist. Civale is on the IL for the second time in 2022.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Andres Gimenez caps Guardians' rally for win over Tigers