Logan Allen and the Guardians entered Saturday looking for a rebound against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field, and found it with a 5-4 win.
It's been a tough season for Allen. After a strong rookie season a year ago, Allen had stumbled to a 5.75 ERA in 17 starts entering Saturday, further sending the Guardians starting rotation into inconsistency and uncertainty.
That inconsistency in the rotation — Triston McKenzie has struggled with his command to the point the Guardians had to option him to Triple-A, and while Gavin Williams returned from the injured, he was roughed up in his season debut — might lead Cleveland to making some significant moves before the trade deadline, should they be able to find the right deal.
The Guardians, meanwhile, had cooled off a bit recently coming into te game and were fresh off Friday's 4-2 loss .
Check back here for live score updates, highlights and analysis from Saturday's game.
Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth inning and earned his AL-leading 26th save of the season, as the Guardians held off the Giants 5-4. Noel's solo home run ended up being the difference.
Hunter Gaddis' absolutely terrific season continued with a scoreless eighth inning capped by a strikeout. His ERA is down to 1.31.
The Guardians announced Saturday's game is the ninth official sellout of the season, which is already the most since 2018.
Michael Conforto had a two-run double in Friday's game, and he added an RBI double off Sam Hentges in the seventh inning that has trimmed the Guardians lead to 5-4.
The man known as "Big Christmas" has three home runs in eight games since being called up to the big leagues.
Noel hit a solo shot to the Home Run Porch in left field to make it 5-3 in the sixth inning.
Logan Allen had one of the best outings of his season today, at least while he was still standing on the mound.
Allen ran into trouble in the fifth and was quickly taken out by manager Stephen Vogt with the Guardians leading 4-0.
Scott Barlow entered and found a bit of bad luck, as Giants first baseman Tyler Fitzgerald hit a broken-bat single up the middle to score two runs and cut Cleveland's lead in half at 4-2. Both runs were credited to Allen.
The Giants later "stole" a run. Fitzgerald, with Matt Chapman on third base, stole second. Catcher Bo Naylor threw to second, and Chapman broke for home and beat the throw to the plate to make it 4-3.
Logan Allen has been scrambling a bit at times today, but he's also done enough to escape any damage each time thanks to eight strikeouts.
Through four innings, Allen has given up two hits and walked three but kept the Giants scoreless with a series of nicely timed punchouts, and the Guardians have maintained their 4-0 lead.
Steven Kwan's power surge continues.
After never hitting more than six home runs in a season, Kwan already has nine this year with a solo shot to center field in the second inning, which has given the Guardians a 4-0 lead.
The Guardians jumped all over Giants starter Kyle Harrison in the first inning.
Hits by Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez, along with a walk by Angel Martinez, loaded the bases with nobody out. A Josh Naylor groundout, a Jhonkensy Noel sacrifice fly and a Tyler Freeman single all scored one run apiece to put together a three-run rally.
Below is some pregame information.
Prior to Friday's game, the Guardians completed a trade to boost their pitching depth by acquiring right-handed pitcher Spencer Howard from the Giants in exchange for cash considerations.
Howard will join the Guardians in the next few days. Right-handed pitcher Wes Parsons was designated for assignment.
Howard, 27, owns a career 6.93 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 139 innings across five seasons in the major leagues, which includes stints with the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and the Giants this year. This season, he has a 5.63 ERA in 24 innings.
Howard was originally a second-round pick by the Phillies in the draft.
2024 MLB Trade Deadline preview with Guardians targets, needs
The trade deadline is under a month away. The Guardians find themselves in an enviable position, as they're in first place in the division and have the No. 1 pick in the draft. In terms of the trade market, we broke down their top needs and targets .
Breaking down the top 7 candidates for Guardians to select with No. 1 overall pick in MLB Draft
The Guardians have the No. 1 overall selection in next week's MLB Draft after they won the league's lottery system. Here's a look at the top seven candidates who could be taken with that pick .
Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan named 2024 American League All-Stars
During ESPN's live show Wednesday night, third baseman Jose Ramirez and outfielder Steven Kwan were named starters for the American League in the 2024 All-Star Game .
Guardians option Triston McKenzie to Triple-A Columbus
WIth starting pitcher Triston McKenzie dealing with command issues, the Guardians sent him down to Triple-A as Gavin Williams returned from the injured list earlier this week.
How can I watch, listen or stream the Cleveland Guardians game today?
The game will be televised locally by Bally Sports Great Lakes. It will broadcast on the radio by WTAM (1100-AM) and WMMS (100.7-FM).
Next game on Guardians schedule
After this three-game series with the Giants at Progressive Field, the Guardians then travel to Detroit and Tampa for a seven-game road trip that will lead into the All-Star break.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians, San Francisco Giants recap: Guardians hold on, even series
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