Guardians bats fall silent in 5-0 loss to Blue Jays

TORONTO — The Guardians were missing something in Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Center, as Cleveland was without the bat of perennial All-Star José Ramírez.

Ramírez left the club after the series opener Friday to await the arrival of his third child in Cleveland. With Ramírez’s absence from the lineup, manager Stephen Vogt’s team struggled to get big hits against a Toronto pitching staff that waited until a few hours before the game to name a starter, and ultimately decided to throw a bullpen game behind right-hander Trevor Richards.

Toronto used three relievers, including Richards, before going to Bowden Francis in the fourth for most of the game. The strategy worked as Francis (3-3) held the Guardians’ lineup scoreless for four frames with two strikeouts for his third win in nine appearances.

Blue Jays hitters beat Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (2-6) in the second for three runs. Carrasco walked Justin Turner to start the inning and Daulton Varsho’s double put two runners in scoring position for George Springer.

Springer delivered an RBI single that scored Turner, and with runners on first and third, Carrasco twisted his ankle on the mound during a putout attempt. Vogt, pitching coach Carl Willis and the Guardians coaches checked on Carrasco, who remained in the game. But two pitches later, Addison Barger hit a line drive single to center for a two-run Toronto advantage.

Carrasco fanned Kevin Kiermaier after Isiah Kiner-Falefa put Barger and Springer in scoring position, but an RBI from Danny Jansen gave the Jays a three-run lead.

Cleveland had at least one hit in every inning between the second and sixth, but failed to push a run across the plate. Steven Kwan recorded his 10th game of the season with at least three hits.

Kwan singled and moved to second on a hit by Andres Gimenez in the third, but Toronto manager John Schneider called on right-hander Zach Pop, who allowed David Fry to ground out. a fielder’s choice as Addison Barger walked to third for an inning-ending run. get out by force.

Josh Naylor opened the fourth with an infield hit and moved to second on a Tyler Freeman groundout, but Bowden Francis retired the next two batters to strand Naylor, who has three hits in the series. Fry led off the sixth with a single, but was erased when Naylor hit a double play.

Toronto added a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Kiner-Falefa and another in the fifth when Varsho hit a double play with the bases loaded. Carrasco lost for the fourth time in his last five starts and allowed at least five runs in three of those outings.

Following: The series concludes with a Father’s Day game at Rogers Center scheduled for 1:37 p.m. Right-hander Ben Lively (6-2, 2.59 ERA) will start for Cleveland while the Blue Jays will send right-hander Jose Berrios (5 -5, 2.93) to the mound. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM and Guardians Radio Network will broadcast the game.