Tanner Bibee allowed two hits over 5 2/3 innings, and Jose Ramirez’s two-RBI single highlighted a six-run eighth as the Cleveland Guardians beat the visiting San Diego Padres 7-0 on Friday night.
Back from the All-Star break, Bibee (8-4) walked three and struck out three to outduel San Diego’s Matt Waldron (5-9), who lasted six innings and struck out five without a walk, but one of the six hits he surrendered was a fifth-inning RBI double by rookie Daniel Schneemann.
David Fry added three hits, two runs and an RBI, and Steven Kwan singled twice to raise his average to majors-best .354 for AL Central-leading Cleveland. The Guardians entered the break on a 7-11 rut, but improved to 31-11 at home.
Luis Arraez and Jake Cronenworth each had two hits to account for all four by the Padres, who have been outscored 45-17 while losing seven of the last eight. Waldron pitched into the seventh and completed at least six innings for the 11th time in 20 starts this season.
Bibee and Waldron posted zeroes for the first four innings, as each club struggled to generate any significant offense. Then the Guardians opened the scoring in the bottom of the fifth.
Fry opened the inning by reaching on an infield single when Padres third baseman Manny Machado couldn’t handle the ground ball. Fry went to second on Andres Gimenez’s sacrifice bunt, then to third via Waldron’s wild pitch before scoring when Schneemann split the right field gap.
Things remained quiet until the bottom of the eighth when San Diego’s Stephen Kolek loaded the bases with nobody out. Ramirez then bounced a hit through the drawn-in Padres infield and into center field to make it 3-0.
Austin Davis entered and hit Josh Naylor to load the bases, and his walk to Fry forced in a run. One out later, Brayan Rocchio added a two-run single and Tyler Freeman delivered a sacrifice for a 7-0 lead.
Cleveland relievers Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Nick Sandlin yielded two singles over 3 1/3 innings.