Quantrill, bullpen pitch 1-hitter in Cleveland win

CLEVELAND -- Cal Quantrill combined with three relievers for a one-hitter, rookie center fielder Will Benson made a pair of terrific leaping catches at the wall, and the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Ramon Urias singled in the second inning off Quantrill (11-5) for the Orioles' lone hit.

Josh Naylor belted a two-run homer and rookie Steven Kwan had a two-run double for Cleveland, which is 14-7 since Aug. 6.

"We're playing our best baseball now and I don't think teams like facing us," Quantrill said. "I just throw some strikes and let the guys go, and our bullpen is pitching their butts off."

Quantrill worked six innings and extended his career-best winning streak to seven. The right-hander is 12-0 in 39 career games at Progressive Field and has gone 31 straight home starts without a loss, the second-longest streak in MLB history behind Kenny Rogers' 38 from 1997-2000.

"I love Cleveland," Quantrill said, smiling. "When everything clicks, it's pretty easy."

Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and closer Emmanuel Clase completed the gem with one inning apiece. Baltimore totaled six baserunners on Urias' hit, four walks and a fielding error.

"It's tough to win when you've only got one hit," Baltimore Manager Brandon Hyde said. "And Quantrill obviously pitches very well here."

Spenser Watkins (4-5) retired the first 11 batters before All-Star Jose Ramírez beat the shift with a single to left in the fourth. Naylor followed with a wind-aided two-run homer to center, giving the Guardians a 2-1 lead.

Kwan's two-run double and Amed Rosario's sacrifice fly in the fifth put Cleveland up 5-1. Watkins gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings and lost his fourth start in a row.

"In the first three innings, their guy used his cutter to get right through us," Guardians Manager Terry Francona said. "But all along, Cal holds his end up. Good for him, man, and good for us."

All-Star Andres Gimenez singled twice for Cleveland, which has only lost one of its past 13 series. The Guardians opened a six-game homestand that features three games apiece against postseason contenders Baltimore and Seattle.

"Those guys are so impressive with the pitching they have," Hyde said. "I like their young position players, as well, because they get on base and don't strike out. It's a fun team to watch."

Ryan Mountcastle, dropped to seventh in the Baltimore batting order for the first time this season, had a sacrifice fly to score Urias.

MARINERS 9, TIGERS 3 Cal Raleigh sparked a six-run third with a home run and capped it with a sacrifice fly as visiting Seattle rolled past Detroit.

TWINS 10, RED SOX 5 Nick Gordon hit his first-ever grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as host Minnesota beat Boston.

ASTROS 4, RANGERS 2 Jose Altuve homered to back Framber Valdez, who won his sixth straight decision as Houston beat host Texas.

ROYALS 9, WHITE SOX 7 Rookie Nick Pratto hit two home runs to highlight a career-high four-hit performance and visiting Kansas City sent Chicago to its fifth straight loss.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

DODGERS 4, METS 3 Gavin Lux drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning, as Los Angeles defeated host New York. Heath Hembree, making his Dodgers debut, earned the win by stranding two runners in the sixth, when he struck out James McCann (Arkansas Razorbacks) for the final out.

REDS 5, CARDINALS 1 Austin Romine hit a two-run homer as host Cincinnati roughed up Dakota Hudson and beat St. Louis, ending the Cardinals' three-game winning streak. Albert Pujols went 0 for 2 and remained at 694 home runs, two behind Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time list.

ROCKIES 3, BRAVES 2 C.J. Cron drove in two runs, Jose Urena outpitched Max Fried, and visiting Colorado handed Atlanta its third straight loss.

PIRATES 4, BREWERS 2 Oneil Cruz went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as visiting Pittsburgh downed Milwaukee.

INTERLEAGUE

ATHLETICS 10, NATIONALS 6 Sean Murphy's sixth-inning grand slam broke open a one-run game and Oakland beat host Washington. Murphy added two singles and drove in five runs.

RAYS 7, MARLINS 2 Jose Siri homered, doubled and drove in two runs as visiting Tampa Bay beat Miami.

BLUE JAYS 5, CUBS 3 Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run homer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also went deep and host Toronto defeated Chicago.

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