*Photo from Covering the Corner*
What the Cleveland Guardians lack in high end talent, they make up for in heart and effort. Owen Miller homered to start the rally, Oscar Mercado drove in the game winning run, and the Guardians rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.
Entering the series having yet to beat a team with a record above .500, the Guardians went right to work, breaking out on offense and getting the series win, taking 3 of 4 games from the Blue Jays, who entered this series 6 games above an even record. It wouldn't have happened without Miller, who hit the game tying homer.
Miller said of hitting his home run that "I always know that that wall’s pretty big in left, but I definitely knew I hit that one pretty well. I guess you never really know. But, yeah, being able to get it up there a little bit, I could feel like that one was gone."
The Blue Jays got on the board first. Fully healthy Teoscar Hernandez dropped in a single to center field, scoring Bo Bichette and George Springer to put the Blue Jays ahead 2-0 in the first inning. In the 3rd inning, the Guardians were able to tie the game 2-2, thanks to an RBI triple from Ramirez and a sac fly from Miller.
It stayed tied until the 7th inning, when Santiago Espinal scored on a sac fly from George Springer, putting the Blue Jays ahead by a 3-2 score. In the 8th, one inning later, Miller tied the game with a solo home run to left field. A few batters later, Mercado singled to center field, scoring Franmil Reyes to put the Guardians ahead 4-3, which held up.
Guardians manager Terry Francona said of Miller that "Sometimes guys come here and maybe it doesn't click right away. Then they go home over the winter and they come back and they appear stronger even though they really may not be. But their sense of belonging, you can tell he looks like a different hitter. He really does."
It was Konnor Pilkington who got the start for the Guardians. He got a no decision, allowing two runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, lasting 3 2/3 innings. Eli Morgan provided 3 1/3 innings of one run ball in relief. Bryan Shaw got the win with a scoreless 8th inning, and Emmanuel Clase picked up his 6th save.
Alek Manoah got the start for the Blue Jays, getting a no decision after throwing 5 innings, allowing two runs on 5 hits and one walk. Yimi Garcia worked 1 2/3 innings after Manoah left, followed by Tim Mayza and Adam Cimber, with Cimber taking the loss after allowing the winning run to score.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said of the bullpen that "It’s tough to come in in one-run games. They’re human. They’re going to give up runs once in a while, and we’re talking about one run. It’s not like they’re coming in and giving up three or four and the game is over. So you know it’s going to happen."
Up next, the Guardians take on the Chicago White Sox on Monday night, with Zach Plesac getting the start. After an off day on Monday, the Blue Jays face the New York Yankees on Tuesday, with Yusei Kikuchi lined up to start.
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