David Fry hit a three-run homer, José Ramírez added a two-run shot, and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-3 on Thursday night. This game featured two of the American League’s top teams.
Bo Naylor also contributed with a three-run home run, helping the Guardians hit more home runs than the Orioles, who lead the majors with 172 homers.
“We played a really good game,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We got to their starter and then added on with the bullpen and that’s a great recipe to win any game.”
Cleveland’s 66-42 record is the best in baseball and the team’s best mark through 108 games since the 1995 AL championship team, which started 73-35.
Fry hit his homer in the third inning off Trevor Rogers (2-10), who pitched 4 1/3 innings in his debut for the Orioles after being traded from Miami on Tuesday. The left-hander allowed five runs and six hits.
“It was definitely a whirlwind today, something I haven’t been through before,” said Rogers, who had only a brief chat with catcher Adley Rutschman before starting.
“But I’m not going to sit here and make excuses. I’ve still got to execute the game plan.”
Ramírez hit his 28th homer in the seventh inning, marking his first time with home runs in three straight games since 2021.
“You’ve got to watch every single at-bat he’s up there,” Vogt said. “You better be watching because he’s going to do something special.”
Naylor’s eighth homer capped a five-run seventh inning that allowed the Guardians to pull away.
Ben Lively (10-6) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, becoming Cleveland’s first 10-game winner. He is 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight home starts.
“Ben has taken this role, really the first time he’s been a stable source in any rotation and he’s not letting it go,” Vogt said.
This was the first of four consecutive games between the Orioles and Guardians, who might meet again in the postseason. Baltimore started its longest trip of the season, an 11-day, 10-game stretch through Cleveland, Toronto, and Tampa Bay.
