Rookie Tanner Bibee strikes out seven as the Guardians rally to beat the Brewers 4-2

CLEVELAND -- — Josh Naylor and David Fry had RBI singles in a two-run sixth inning, rookie Tanner Bibee struck out seven and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Saturday.

Cleveland trailed 2-1 after five innings and tied the game on Naylor’s single off Hoby Milner that scored Amed Rosario. Fry delivered the go-ahead run with a two-out hit to left off Elvis Peguero that scored José Ramírez.

“Hoby made a real good pitch to Naylor and, unfortunately, it got through,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “We still had a chance to get out of that inning, and Fry got a slider down and got a base hit. It’s tough giving up the lead at that point.”

Bibee (4-2) worked six innings, allowing two runs, one earned, in his 11th start since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus on April 26. The right-hander gave up three singles while matching his season high with 105 pitches.

Emmanuel Clase earned his MLB-high 23rd save as four Guardians pitchers combined on the four-hitter. Cleveland improved to 4-1 on its six-game homestand.

“It’s definitely nice because if I don’t finish the sixth, I’m probably pretty upset,” Bibee said. “That’s the goal, every single time. At least getting to six, especially after a couple of mediocre starts, I think was definitely good.”

Rosario and Ramírez reached in the sixth against Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (5-7), who remained winless since May 21 at Tampa Bay. The right-hander allowed three runs in five innings, losing his fourth decision in a row.

“I felt really good and comfortable, but in the sixth I could have had better pitches,” Peralta said. “I was confident in myself to get it done.”

Christian Yelich scored both runs and stole a base for Milwaukee, which had won four straight over Cleveland by a margin of 31-5. The Brewers are 1-1 on a 10-game trip that continues with the Mets and Pirates.

The Guardians tacked on an insurance run in the eighth against Matt Bush when Andrés Giménez knocked in Tyler Freeman.

Milwaukee went up 1-0 in the first when Yelich led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an error by right fielder Fry.

Rowdy Tellez hit a liner to Fry, who allowed the ball to whistle past him without making contact. It was the first outfield appearance in the majors for Fry, the third-string catcher.

“The more positions, the better,” Fry said. “We’ve got a good group out there playing every day, but those guys are getting tired, so the more positions I play, the more opportunities there are to get in and kind of help the team win.”

William Contreras singled in Yelich in the third, but the Guardians pulled within 2-1 in the fourth when Steven Kwan scored on a double play with the bases loaded.

ON HIS WAY

Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff, who is on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder subscapular strain, threw before the game for the first time since being hurt in his April 7 start against St. Louis.

Woodruff only used two- and four-seam fastballs in his 20-pitch session in the visiting bullpen at Progressive Field, but was pleased to be back in uniform for the afternoon.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to put a jersey on and throw off a mound, so today was fun,” said Woodruff, who is 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA in two starts this season. “This was the first step and it was good. Everything felt clean and had good intent.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Guardians: OF Will Brennan (left shoulder soreness) saw action as a defensive replacement after missing the previous two games. Brennan landed hard on his left side Wednesday while making a diving catch in right field to rob Oakland’s Jace Peterson.

UP NEXT

Brewers RHP Corbin Burnes (5-5, 3.96 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Aaron Civale (2-2, 2.67 ERA) in the series finale. Burnes combined with closer Josh Hader to throw a no-hitter in his last appearance in Cleveland on Sept. 11, 2021.

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