Ben Lively had another strong start, David Fry knocked in two runs early, and the Cleveland Guardians secured their fourth consecutive victory, defeating the New York Mets 3-1 on Monday night. This win spoiled Francisco Lindor’s return to Progressive Field.
The Guardians have now won seven of their last eight games, showing they’re more than just a surprise team from the early season. Fry noted, “We’re kind of past the beginning phase now. After the first couple of weeks, the novelty of the new season wears off. We just have a really good attitude, and everyone is having a lot of fun right now.”
Lindor, who played six seasons with Cleveland before being traded to New York in 2021, had a tough night, going 0 for 4 with strikeouts, groundouts, and a flyout, dropping his batting average to .193.
Lively pitched well, giving up only one run — a homer — and six hits over 5 2/3 innings before manager Stephen Vogt handed things over to the bullpen. The relief pitchers, including Nick Sandlin and Scott Barlow, shut down the Mets’ offense to secure the win.
Cleveland’s relievers have been outstanding this season, with Emmanuel Clase earning his 14th save. The Guardians’ offense, however, went quiet after the fourth inning, but they managed to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Mets.
New York struggled at the plate, striking out 11 times and making mistakes on the basepaths, including a rundown that resulted in a double play after a missed opportunity.
