Bo Naylor hits his 1st career grand slam, Guardians beat Angels 7-1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Bo Naylor hit his first career grand slam, Austin Hedges had his first homer since June 14 and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 on Saturday night.
Naylor’s two-out blast in the sixth inning came off Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-3), who had loaded the bases on three walks. The four RBIs were a career high for the third-year catcher.
Hedges, batting .111 on the season, hit a two-run homer in the second. Ramón Laureano added a solo shot in the fourth for the Guardians, who have the second-best record in the American League at 21-12.
Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan, who leads the AL with a .353 batting average, left the game after the third inning because of left hamstring tightness.
Ben Lively (1-1) went six innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out five. The right-hander ended a nine-start winless streak that included four losses since beating Kansas City while pitching for Cincinnati on June 14.
The Angels trimmed their deficit to 3-1 in the fifth on a Zach Neto single that plated Jo Adell, but Ehire Adrianza flew out with the bases loaded to end the threat. Neto and Adell each had stolen bases in the inning.
Detmers allowed season highs of seven runs and three homers in 5 2/3 innings. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe exited in the fifth with a right hand contusion.
Los Angeles has not won consecutive games — or a series — in Cleveland since 2013, losing 24 of its last 27 at Progressive Field. The Angels beat the Guardians 6-0 in the three-game series opener.
Hedges had gone 110 plate appearances since homering as a member of the Pirates. He finished last year with the World Series champion Rangers before rejoining Cleveland as a free agent.
Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor, mired in a 4-for-33 slump, was given the night off. Cleveland is in the midst of a stretch of 16 games in 16 days that ends on May 15.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: 2B Luis Rengifo (illness) was held out of the lineup with a high fever after falling ill Friday. Rengifo has the fourth-highest batting average in the AL at .330 and is tied for second with nine stolen bases.
Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (left middle finger inflammation), who has been on the injured list since March 25, has not allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings over four rehab appearances with Triple-A Columbus.
UP NEXT
Angels RHP Griffin Canning (1-3, 7.45 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-2, 6.59 ERA) in the series finale Sunday.
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