Josh Naylor's 3 RBIs sends Guardians to 6-2 win, sweep of A's and continues best start since 1999

CLEVELAND (AP) — Josh Naylor delivered a clutch, three-run double in the seventh inning as the Guardians continued their best start in 25 years with a 6-2 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

With the Guardians up 3-2, Naylor, who celebrated a two-run homer on Saturday by bashing the top of his helmet with his bat before rounding the bases, fell behind 0-2 in the count before doubling with the bases loaded off left-hander T.J. McFarland.

Naylor is batting .406 (13 of 32) with 14 RBIs in nine home games.

“He’s something else right now,” said Guardians first-year manager Stephen Vogt.

The surprising Guardians have won four straight, seven of eight and improved the AL’s best record to 16-6. This is the club’s best start since Cleveland had the same mark through 22 games in 1999.

Naylor has been a rowdy ringleader, with his passion impacting Cleveland's entire roster.

“It just gives energy to the other guys, right?” Vogt said. “When he gets going you can’t help but smile and laugh and you get fired up with him. That's what he brings on top of being a great player and great teammate.

"He shows his personality and gets everybody fired up.”

Vogt joked that he's no longer watching when Naylor comes up big.

“I've started to look away after that stuff happens, just so I don’t see it,” he cracked.

Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (2-0) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander gave up a two-out RBI single in the sixth before Vogt dipped into his bullpen, which came in with a 2.19 ERA.

Tim Herrin, Nick Sandlin, Cade Smith and closer Emmanuel Clase held the A's scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings.

Will Brennan homered for the Guardians, who finished off the A’s while All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez got a day off.

Oakland has lost seven straight games in Cleveland and the A's have gone 3-17 against the Guardians in the past three years.

The way the Guardians are playing right now, there's little margin for error. A's manager Mark Kotsay bemoaned chances his team missed.

“That's what really good teams do,” he said. “They capitalize on mistakes. From a hitting standpoint, you make mistakes and they end up taking advantage of it. They put the ball in play. They don’t strike out a ton. And that’s where we really battled today with getting ahead of guys and just not being able to finish.”

Brennan's homer in the second came off Ross Stripling (0-5), who is 0-10 over the last two seasons with Oakland and San Francisco. He's the first A's pitcher to lose his first five starts since Mike Morris dropped six straight in 1979.

Stripling was solid, allowing three runs and five hits in five innings.

“He just couldn’t finish,” Kotsay said. “We played good defense overall. They found holes. He still gave us an opportunity to be in the game, be competitive. Back-to-back days at 3-2 in the seventh and we let it get away from us.”

Brent Rooker homered for the A's.

Brennan, who hit a pinch-hit homer in Boston earlier this week, connected with one out in the second — just the 13th homer allowed by Oakland's staff this season. The A's gave up a team record 213 homers in 2023.

Athletics: Oakland has nine players on the injured list. The A's have had at least eight players on the IL since June 16, 2023.

Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (elbow) flew to Cleveland after pitching three innings in Arizona on Saturday. He'll be checked by the team's medical and training staffs before making the next step in his return. Williams got hurt while throwing a weighted ball in training camp and essentially had to restart his pitching program.

Athletics: Open a four-game series at Yankee Stadium with JP Sears (1-1, 4.35 ERA) facing LHP Carlos Rodón.

Guardians: Following an off day, start a three-game series against Boston with RHP Ben Lively (0-1, 3.60) pitching the opener against RHP Tanner Houck (3-1, 1.35), who blanked Cleveland on three hits last week at Fenway Park.

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Cleveland Guardians' Bo Naylor, left, celebrates after hitting a double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase, right, and Bo Naylor (23) celebrate after their win over the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor runs out a three-run double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Ramón Laureano catches a fly ball hit by Oakland Athletics' Lawrence Butler during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Andrés Giménez hits an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Gabriel Arias runs out an RBI single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, top, covers as Oakland Athletics' Zack Gelof, bottom, steals second base during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Will Brennan celebrates after hitting a solo home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Ross Stripling during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Will Brennan hits a solo home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Ross Stripling during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor celebrates after hitting a three-run double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor starts to run out a three-run double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)

NEW YORK (AP) — Kodai Senga's injury-delayed season debut for the New York Mets was cut short after 5 1/3 innings and 73 pitches when he strained his left calf while pitching against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

After inducing Austin Riley to pop up leading off the sixth, Senga pointed toward Pete Alonso and began sprinting off the mound to clear room for the first baseman. The 31-year-old right-hander grabbed his left calf and bounced for a couple steps before falling.

Senga held his calf as he was surrounded by catcher Francisco Alvarez, manager Carlos Mendoza, his interpreter and an athletic trainer. Senga and the trainer rubbed Senga’s calf before Senga got up, exchanged hugs and handshakes with teammates on the infield and limped off.

Senga, who missed the first 102 games with a right shoulder capsule strain, allowed just two hits — including Adam Duvall’s two-run homer in the second inning — while striking out nine. He retired his final 10 batters.

Runner-up to Arizona's Corbin Carroll for NL Rookie of the Year last season, Senga was 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts after signing a $75 million, five-year contract.

Senga began a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment on July 3 and went 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts, three for Triple-A Syracuse and one for Class A Brooklyn.

Right-handed reliever Eric Orze was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and emerging reliever Dedniel Núñez was put on the 15-day injured list with a right pronator strain. Right-handers Adrian Houser and Shintaro Fujinami were designated for assignment.

Núñez, 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA and one save in 24 games, had an MRI that didn't reveal any elbow ligament damage, manager Carlos Mendoza said. The 28-year-old right-hander began feeling tightness following back-to-back appearances at Miami last Saturday and experienced discomfort again Wednesday,

Houser, acquired from Milwaukee with outfielder Tyrone Taylor on Dec. 20, was 1-5 with a 7.84 ERA and one save in seven starts and 16 relief appearances. He opened 0-3 with an 8.16 ERA in his first six starts before working himself into a late-inning bullpen role by going 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 appearances from May 10 through June 30.

Hauser was scored upon in all five of his outings this month with a 9.00 ERA.

“Even when we put him in the bullpen, he was always willing to take the baseball and do whatever the team needed,” Mendoza said. “He was such a professional. It was just hard for him to find that consistency.”

Fujinami signed to a $3.35 million, one-year deal and opened the season with Syracuse. He was recalled and placed on the 15-day injured list on May 13 with a strained right shoulder, then walked eight in 8 2/3 innings over nine rehab appearances since June 25.

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New York Mets' Kodai Senga, right, high-fives Luis Severino while walking into the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga gestures while walking into the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga (34) reacts as he leaves the field due to an injury during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga grabs his leg as he reacts to an injury during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)