José Ramírez hit two home runs and kicked off a streak of three consecutive homers in the fourth inning, helping the Cleveland Guardians secure a 10-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Ramírez hit two two-run homers beyond the center field fence at Angel Stadium in the third and fourth innings. It marked his 24th game with multiple homers in his career and his first since last July against the Chicago White Sox.
In addition to Ramírez’s homers, Josh Naylor and David Fry also hit home runs in the fourth inning, making the Guardians the first team in the league this season to hit three consecutive homers.
“I keep talking about José almost every night,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “But seeing José, Naylor, and David hitting back-to-back-to-back, it’s special. It’s not something you see often, so it’s exciting to celebrate when it happens.”
Logan Allen (6-2) earned his third consecutive win, allowing three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The left-handed pitcher recorded seven strikeouts for the second game in a row and threw a season-high 99 pitches.
Although the Guardians have won seven straight games in May for the first time since 2001, they haven’t been able to widen the gap in the AL Central. With a record of 34-17, Cleveland remains 1 1/2 games ahead of the Kansas City Royals, who have also won seven consecutive games.
Luis Rengifo contributed three hits, including a home run in the second inning, as the Angels continued to struggle at home. Despite winning four of their last six games on the road, they have a 6-17 record at Angel Stadium.
Jo Adell added two solo homers in the sixth and eighth innings, but Patrick Sandoval had a tough outing, allowing a career-high eight runs, all earned, in 3 2/3 innings. Sandoval now holds a 2-7 record with a 5.60 ERA in 11 starts this season.