Gavin Williams struck out a career-best 13 over seven strong innings and was supported by three homers Tuesday night as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 6-1.
Williams (13-7) held the Blue Jays to one unearned run on two hits and one walk in the opener of an important three-game series.
The Guardians (70-68) lead the Blue Jays (68-71) by 2 1/2 games in a tight race for the third American League wild card. The Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers are close behind Cleveland, too.
Patrick Bailey, Angel Genao and Angel Martinez each socked a two-run homer for the Guardians. Martinez and Jo Adell had two hits apiece.
Spencer Miles and Ricky Tiedemann each pitched a scoreless inning for the Blue Jays before listed starter Spencer Arrighetti (7-8) took over in the third. Arrighetti lasted 3 2/3 innings, yielding two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Williams struck out the side in the seventh to surpass his previous career-best strikeout total of 12, accomplished three times.
The Guardians added to their lead in the bottom of the seventh against Joe Mantiply. Martinez led off with a single and trotted home when Genao, pinch-hitting for Travis Bazzana, clubbed a home run to left on a first-pitch sinker.
Adell singled in the eighth against Michael Lorenzen, and Martinez homered to right-center on a 2-0 curve.
Cleveland’s Matt Festa pitched around a ninth-inning single to close the game in a non-save situation.
