Guardians spark another huge inning, hang on for 8-6 win against Nationals
Updated: May. 07, 2025, 4:31 p.m.|Published: May. 07, 2025, 3:05 p.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
WASHINGTON — Through five innings against Washington starter Mike Soroka on Wednesday, the Guardians looked like a team struggling to find the energy to finish off a stretch of 22 games in 23 days that included two doubleheaders.
Soroka had retired 12 out of the first 15 Cleveland hitters he faced with six strikeouts and appeared to be locked in during his first start after a stint on the 15-day injured list.
But that’s when the spark plugs at the top of their lineup ignited a patented Guards Ball inning, flipping a three-run deficit and holding on for an 8-6 win at Nationals Park.
Soroka’s three-run advantage disappeared in a blink after back-to-back singles by Steven Kwan and Daniel Schneemann. The Nats righty hit José Ramírez with a pitch to load the bases and Carlos Santana cleared them with a double into the right field corner.
Ramírez steamed around third, scoring the tying run well ahead of Luis Garcia Jr.’s relay throw to the plate.
The Guardians, who scored six times in the seventh inning of a losing effort during the opening game of Tuesday’s twin bill, kept adding on as Gabriel Arias singled and Bo Naylor drew a walk from Nats reliever Jorge Lopez.
Angel Martínez ripped the first pitch he saw into center for a two-run single that chased Lopez from the game, all before the Nationals recorded an out in the inning.
Washington skipper Dave Martinez summoned lefty Andrew Chafin from the bullpen to face Nolan Jones. Jones laid down a sacrifice bunt that Chafin fielded while moving toward the first base line and extended his arms to tag Jones, who tumbled to the grass behind the bag.
Jones and Chafin exchanged words as the Guardians right fielder gathered himself and began walking back to the dugout. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt hurried to separate the two and get Jones under control before things escalated.
Vogt said he calmly reminded Jones that he had accomplished his job and it was time to get off the field.
“All we can control is ourselves, and I didn’t want anything to escalate in that situation,” Vogt said. “We had them on the ropes and I wanted to keep it that way.”
When play resumed, Chafin threw a slider in the dirt that got past Keibert Ruiz for a wild pitch, allowing Naylor to score from third and Martinez to move up a base.
Brayan Rocchio’s RBI ground out plated Martinez to cap an eight-run rally — Cleveland’s largest single scoring frame of the season, and the third time the Guards have scored five or more runs in an inning this year.
The last time Cleveland scored eight times in an inning was Sept. 17, 2023, against Texas. In all, the Guardians sent 13 batters to the plate with six hits, three walks, two wild pitches, a stolen base and a hit batter.
“When we smell blood, we go,” Vogt said. “Our guys really feed off each other. When we get on base, we make really good things happen, and so that’s all we try to do. We try to get on base and then keep the line moving.”
Santana posted back-to-back games with at least three RBI for the seventh time in his career. He extending his streak of reaching base safely to 11 games.
Arias finished with a career-high four hits, including a double. He has reached base safely in 11 of his last 12 games and is 9 for 15 across his last four games. Wednesday was his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
Arias said preparation has been the key to him finding success in an everyday role.
“It comes down to the mindset,” Arias said via Guardians interpreter Agustin Rivero. “That allows you to have that preparation because that’s important when you play every day, just being able to have the same preparation. That’s what has helped me perform the way I have.”
The offensive outburst took Cleveland starter Logan Allen off the hook after Allen allowed three runs on seven hits with four walks in a season-low four innings.
Joey Cantillo stepped in for a scoreless inning after Allen walked the first two batters he faced in the fifth, and Tim Herrin combined with Hunter Gaddis to make sure there was no response from Washington in the sixth before turning things over to Matt Festa in the seventh and Kolby Allard in the eighth.
Allen allowed a run in the second on an RBI double by Jacob Young and two more in the third on a base hit by ex-Cleveland outfielder Alex Call and Garcia’s RBI sacrifice fly.
Call, released by the Guardians in August 2022, finished with two hits while ex-Cleveland infielder Amed Rosario added three, including a two-run double off Festa in the seventh that cut Cleveland’s lead to two.
But Emmanuel Clase picked up his eighth save with a scoreless ninth when he struck out Rosario and got James Wood on a line drive to left that Schneemann caught with a dive.
It was Clase’s fourth straight save conversion and third on the road trip.
Cleveland scored 26 runs in the series, marking the first time since Sept. 19-21, 2022 that they have scored at least eight runs in three consecutive games
The Guardians head home at 22-15, matching Detroit for the most wins in the American League and a game behind the Tigers, who face the Rockies in Colorado on Wednesday night.
Next:
Cleveland is off Thursday before opening a three-game weekend home series Friday against the Phillies at Progressive Field. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. Right-hander Gavin Williams will start for the Guardains. Philadelphia has not announced a starter. The game will air on CLEGuardians.TV, WTAM 1100 AM, WARF 1350 AM (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network.
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