Josh Naylor, Ramon Laureano help Guardians outlast Braves 4-2 in 11 innings in meeting of top teams

ATLANTA (AP) — Josh Naylor and Ramon Laureano had RBIs in the 11th inning and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Saturday night in a game featuring the teams with the two best records in the majors.

Scott Barlow (1-2) escaped a bases loaded, no-out jam in the 10th inning, retiring Michael Harris II, Chadwick Tromp and Jarred Kelenic, to earn the win. Nick Sandlin pitched a perfect 11th to record his first save of the season.

“We’ve played a couple of these that have been exciting, but this one was fun,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “Two really good pitchers gave us seven innings of beautiful baseball. The back and forth, and the amount of talent on that field, it was a beautiful baseball game tonight.”

Naylor was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Steven Kwan was 3-for-5.

Tanner Bibee threw seven shutout innings for Cleveland, allowing just two hits to go along with nine strikeouts and no walks in his first career start against Atlanta. Bibee has thrown five or more innings with three or less runs allowed in 27 of his first 31 career starts, joining Matt Harvey as the only pitchers in MLB history to accomplish the feat.

“Throwing in a 0-0 game is always what you want to do,” said Bibee, who saw Braves starter Charlie Morton also throw seven scoreless. "You always want to have that adrenaline rush no matter how many innings you are going. He was awesome tonight. He held us to zero, I held them to zero and its just good baseball.

Barlow gave the Guardians a chance in the 10th, getting Harris to hit a tapper to the mound, striking out Tromp and inducing a grounder to second from Kelenic.

“When guys get out of big jams like that, that is the most exciting thing for us (in the bullpen),” said Sandlin said. “For him to do it with the bases loaded and a tie game, that was impressive.”

Dylan Lee (0-1) took the loss for the Braves, allowing one hit and one earned run. Morton surrendered four hits, one walk and struck out seven. The veteran threw 63 strikes on 93 pitches. Morton continued a string of quality starts for the Braves. In the last five games, Atlanta starters have given up just two runs in 36 2/3 innings.

The win was the seventh in the last nine games for the Guardians, who own the best record in the American League at 19-8. The Braves saw a four-game winning streak snapped.

Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis gave up his first two runs of the season in the eighth inning after the Guardians had taken a 2-0 lead.

Travis d'Arnaud hit a double that bounced on the left field foul line and scored Marcell Ozuna. Kelenic followed with a bloop single that scored Michael Harris II, but pinch runner Luke Williams was thrown out at the plate by Tyler Freeman.

The Guardians pushed two runs across in the eighth inning without hitting a ball out of the infield. Two infield hits and a bunt loaded the bases for José Ramírez. He grounded to second base and beat out the double play, allowing Bo Naylor to score. The Guardians then executed a double steal, with Ramírez just beating the throw at second base to give the Guardians a 2-0 lead.

“I can’t talk about (Ramírez) enough or find the words to describe what he does,” Vogt said. “He’s the epitome of a professional and the epitome of a baseball player.”

The Guardians nearly broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning. With two outs and Ramírez on first, Naylor hit a double down the right field line. Ronald Acuña Jr. fielded it before it reached the wall, threw it to first baseman Matt Olson, who nailed Ramirez at the plate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (left middle finger swelling) threw 17 pitches at Triple-A Columbus on Friday as he gets closer to being activated, throwing 2/3 of an inning and allowing a hit and walk with one strikeout. Guardians manager Steven Vogt said he has at least one more rehab appearance with Columbus and then the team will reassess.

UP NEXT

The three-game series wraps up with Braves RHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00) making his second start of the season against Guardians RHP Ben Lively (0-1, 2.38) on Sunday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia (11) tags out Cleveland Guardians outfielder Estevan Florial (90) in the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia (11) throws to first base after the game in the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) hits a double against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton (50) works in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves Second Baseman Ozzie Albies (1) moves away from a close pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

KOLKATA, India (AP) — Indian Premier League leaders the Kolkata Knight Riders became the first playoff team after beating Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in a rain-shortened match on Saturday.

A nearly two-hour delay reduced the game to 16 overs per side, and Kolkata put up 157-7 then restricted Mumbai to 139-8.

Kolkata confirmed a spot in the final four. Five other teams, including defending champions the Chennai Super Kings, were in realistic contention for the remaining three spots. Five-time champion Mumbai was already eliminated from contention.

Put into bat, Kolkata's in-form openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine were out cheaply at 10-2. Jasprit Bumrah bowled Narine for a golden duck.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer was out for 7, and Venkatesh Iyer stepped up to resurrect the innings.

Venkatesh Iyer scored 42 off 21 balls, including six fours and two sixes. He shared 37 with Nitish Rana, who scored 33, and was out caught off wrist spinner Piyush Chawla.

Andre Russell (24) and Rinku Singh (20) hit two sixes each in cameos that helped Kolkata cross 150. Ramandeep Singh added an unbeaten 17 off eight balls.

Mumbai's chase lost momentum.

Ishan Kishan gave them a cracking start with 40 off 22 balls, including five boundaries and two sixes. But his opening partner Rohit Sharma labored to 19 off 24 balls.

They put on 65 off 42 balls, then wickets fell in a heap. Kishan holed out off Sunil Narine, and Sharma was dismissed within six deliveries by Varun Chakravarthy.

Defeat was certain when Suryakumar Yadav on 11 was caught in the deep off Russell, 2-34.

Russell also accounted for hard-hitting Tim David, who was out for a three-ball duck.

Skipper Hardik Pandya’s batting woes continued when he was out caught for 2.

Tilak Varma scored 32 off 17 balls and Naman Dhir offered a six-ball cameo for 17 at the death, but Mumbai fell to a ninth defeat in 13 games.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Kolkata Knight Riders' Varun Chakaravarthy celebrates the wicket of Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine and Phill Salt celebrate the wicket of Mumbai Indians' Ishan Kishan during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Nitish Rana plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Venkatesh Iyer plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)