Kyle Manzardo launched his first two major league home runs, and Alex Cobb was flawless through six innings as the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians secured a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Manzardo, recently called up from Triple-A Columbus, homered in the fourth and sixth innings off Pirates starter Mitch Keller. Earlier this year, Manzardo had struggled, hitting just .207 in 30 games during his initial MLB stint.
Reflecting on his milestone, Manzardo said, “I knew I hadn’t hit one yet since coming back, so it was definitely on my to-do list. Getting it done was a relief.”
José Ramírez and Andrés Giménez also went deep, contributing to the Guardians’ total of four solo homers. Ramírez’s home run marked his 250th career homer, all with Cleveland. The Guardians, who hold the best home record in the AL at 43-25, extended their division lead to 3 1/2 games over Kansas City and Minnesota. Pirates manager Derek Shelton praised the Guardians, saying, “They’re talented, athletic, and their bullpen is outstanding, making the game shorter. And the guy at third (Ramírez) is arguably the best player in baseball, though not enough people recognize it, which is unfortunate.”
Cobb (2-1) lost his bid for a perfect game when Isaiah Kiner-Falefa led off the seventh inning with a sharp single off Cobb’s glove. He allowed one more hit to Bryan Reynolds before being pulled from the game.
Cobb commented, “I feel like I should have caught that one since it hit the meat of my palm.”
Cobb, making his first start since August 14 due to a broken fingernail, allowed just one unearned run, struck out six, and issued no walks. The 36-year-old, acquired by Cleveland in a July 30 trade with San Francisco, showed strong form in his return to the mound.