The game belonged to the long ball, but Gavin Williams made sure Cleveland kept the last swing. The Guardians defeated Baltimore 4-2 behind Williams' dominant seven-inning performance that featured 11 strikeouts and just one earned run.
Williams (3-1) carved through the Orioles lineup with precision, allowing three hits and one walk while carrying a 2.12 ERA. His 11 strikeouts matched a season high as he controlled the strike zone over 100 pitches, setting the tone for Cleveland's victory at Progressive Field.
The decisive moment came in the fifth inning when Brayan Rocchio launched a three-run homer to right field, bringing home Hoskins and Schneemann to erase Baltimore's early lead. The 357-foot blast gave Cleveland a 3-1 advantage and proved to be the difference in a tight contest.
Dean Kremer (0-1) absorbed the loss despite a solid effort, allowing three runs on two hits over six innings with seven strikeouts. Baltimore managed to cut the deficit when Gunnar Henderson homered in the eighth, but Bo Naylor answered immediately with a 397-foot shot to right that restored Cleveland's two-run cushion.
Cleveland improved to 11-10 and snapped a one-game losing streak. Baltimore fell to 10-10 after their brief winning streak ended. Cade Smith closed out the ninth with three strikeouts to secure his fifth save.