CLEVELAND — José Ramírez’s two-run single highlighted a six-run eighth inning, Tanner Bibee and three relievers combined for four hits, and the American League center-leading Cleveland Guardians defeated the San Diego Padres 7-0 on Friday night -fair.
Cleveland got five hits and a bases-loaded walk from David Fry in the eighth, but the big hit was a single up the middle by Ramírez that gave him 79 RBIs – second most in the majors, behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (86).
Brayan Rocchio added a two-run single and Tyler Freeman had a sacrifice bunt in the inning for the Guardians, who have the best home record in the majors at 31-11. Their overall mark of 59-37 is second only to Philadelphia (62-35).
Bibee (8-4) worked 5 2/3 innings, limiting San Diego to two hits and not allowing a runner past second base. Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Nick Sandlin finished off Cleveland’s ninth loss of the season.
The Padres, who played an MLB-record 100 games, fell to .500. They are 1 1/2 games out of the final NL wild card spot.
Luis Arraez led off and served as San Diego’s designated hitter, going 2 for 4. The third All-Star sat out the Midsummer Classic in Texas this week to rest his injured left thumb.
“I know he wanted to play, but being the team guy that he is, Luis decided to hold back,” coach Mike Shildt said before the game. “I think it did the thumb a lot of good.”
The Guardians took a 1-0 lead in the fifth after Daniel Schneemann’s double off Matt Waldron (5-9). Fry scored on the play to make it 3-3, three days after scoring a run home in his All-Star Game debut.
Waldron gave up six hits, did not draw a walk and struck out six. The right-hander was drafted by Cleveland and traded to the Padres in a nine-player deal that included Josh Naylor.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (stress reaction in right leg) missed his 18th consecutive game but is swinging the bat and playing ball. “It’s still there — the true stress reaction — but the swelling and fluid are gone,” Shildt said. “That’s obviously positive.”
Guardians: LHP Matthew Boyd (Tommy John surgery) struck out seven in three innings, allowing one unearned run, in his initial rehab appearance for the Arizona Complex League Guardians. Boyd is targeting mid-August for his return to the majors.
NEXT
Padres RHP Dylan Cease (8-8, 3.99 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (0-1, 3.77 ERA) in the second game of the series. Cease threw 1,078 balls in his 20 starts, most of them in the majors.
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This story has been corrected to show that the Guardians scored six runs in the eighth inning, not the ninth.
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