Power Surge in the Second
Cleveland Guardians visitors from Texas found themselves in a difficult spot early on Wednesday night at Progressive Field, but three home runs turned the tide. Two of those long balls came from Hedges, who provided the offensive spark alongside Fry.
The scoring began in the second inning when Hedges hit a sacrifice bunt that allowed Rocchio to score. Arias then crossed the plate on a wild pitch by Texas Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore. Gore struggled to contain Cleveland’s bats, as Arias scored again on another wild pitch. The inning culminated with Fry homering to right center, a 380-foot shot that drove in Hedges and Schneemann, giving Cleveland a 5-0 lead.
Guardians Extend Lead
Cleveland continued to apply pressure in the third inning. After Higashioka walked, Foscue scored on a play that involved a challenge by the Guardians. The call on the field was upheld, extending the lead to 5-1. The Rangers attempted to rally in the sixth inning. Díaz grounded out to second, allowing Higashioka to score. Lopez then doubled to left, bringing Osuna home to make it 5-3.
DeLauter singled to right in the seventh, scoring Kwan. Hoskins walked, and DeLauter scored on a wild pitch by Winston Santos, pushing the score to 7-3. The Rangers finally got on the board in the eighth inning when Díaz homered to left center, a 402-foot shot. However, Hedges responded with his second home run of the game, a 400-foot blast to left center that also scored Watson, sealing the 9-4 victory for Cleveland.