CLEVELAND (AP) — Gavin Williams struck out a career-high 13 and allowed just two singles in seven innings, leading the Cleveland Guardians to a 6-1 win on Tuesday night over the Toronto Blue Jays in a matchup of teams in the thick of the AL wild-card race.
Patrick Bailey, rookie Angel Genao and Angel Martinez all hit two-run homers for the Guardians, who are 11-4 since Aug. 12. Cleveland came in with a slim lead for the third wild-card spot.
Williams
(13-7) began September by dominating the Blue Jays, allowing one unearned run. The right-hander, who was coming off a shaky outing last week, didn’t give up a hit until the fourth.
Williams struck out the side in the seventh and fanned five of his last six. It was his 10th double-digit strikeout game this season.
Hunter Gaddis and Matt Festa pitched an inning apiece to finish the three-hitter.
Bailey put the Guardians up 2-1 in the fifth with his eighth homer. Martinez led off with a walk, and one out later, Bailey drove a 3-1 pitch from Spencer Arighetti (7-8) into the left-field bleachers.
Pinch-hitting for fellow rookie Travis Bazzana in the seventh, Genao made it 4-1 with a 426-foot blast over the wall in left. Martinez opened with a single before Genao connected for his second homer since debuting on Aug. 5.
Martinez hit his 14th homer in the eighth.
Toronto got some help in scoring its only run off Williams in the fifth.
Rookie Kazuma Okamoto singled and went to third when Guardians catcher Bailey threw wildly into center on a steal. Williams then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Okamoto to come home.
Blue Jays RHP Dylan Cease (9-5, 2.33 ERA) starts Wednesday against Guardians LHP Joey Cantillo (9-7, 3.70).
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