Rookie Jhonkensy Noel hits a 430-foot homer for the go-ahead run as the Guardians edge the Cubs 2-1

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Jhonkensy Noel hit a 430-foot solo homer in the sixth inning off Drew Smyly, providing the go-ahead run for the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

Noel’s drive onto the left field porch was his ninth home run in 32 games since making his major league debut on June 26. He had his first two-homer game Monday in the series opener, a 9-8 win by Cleveland.

“I don’t know about being in a groove, but I know I’m a good hitter and I just try to do damage to the pitcher every game,” Noel said through an interpreter. “Every game is the same mindset.”

The Guardians took sole possession of the best record in baseball at 71-49 with their fourth straight victory. They also own the top home mark in the majors, going 37-20 at Progressive Field.

Pedro Avila (4-1) retired two batters for the win, while Emmanuel Clase earned his fourth save in four days — for the first time in his career — to tie St. Louis’ Ryan Helsley for the major league lead with 37.

“Emmanuel is just incredible, and I’m so thankful for him,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s unbelievable how hard he works to keep himself available to pitch every day. The fact that he loves to pitch just magnifies it.”

Guardians starter Matthew Boyd pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed one run in his first MLB game since June 26, 2023, with Detroit. The left-hander gave up three hits and struck out six without a walk in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Boyd signed with Cleveland on June 29, then went 1-0 with a 0.83 ERA in five rehab starts. He threw 80 pitches, 61 of them strikes, before walking off the mound with a broad smile.

“Today was awesome — a milestone — but this was just the beginning,” Boyd said. “The energy in this ballpark has always been palpable and the opportunity that sits here with this ballclub is special.”

Smyly (3-6) gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings for the Cubs, who are 4-3 in their ongoing stretch of 14 straight games against AL teams. They have won 20 of 34 overall since July 4, the third-best record in baseball during the timeframe.

“Two tough losses here, for sure,” Chicago second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “We had some opportunities, but didn’t take advantage of them.”

The Cubs opened the scoring in the second on a sacrifice fly by Dansby Swanson. Right fielder Noel caught the ball deep in foul territory, but Hoerner beat the throw home.

Cleveland tied it in the bottom half on Brayan Rocchio’s bunt single that brought in Andrés Giménez. Javier Assad mishandled the ball, accounting for the only run he allowed in 4 2/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks ( right oblique strain ) completed a successful bullpen session following his first start on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa.

Guardians: DH David Fry (right elbow inflammation) has only played catcher once since being hurt while throwing to second base on June 23 against Toronto.

UP NEXT

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (8-6, 3.50 ERA) takes on Guardians RHP Alex Cobb (0-1, 7.71) in the series finale. Cobb went 4 2/3 innings in his season debut on Aug. 9 at Minnesota.

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

Chicago Cubs' Drew Smyly pitches in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad (72) is checked out after being hit with a line out hit by Cleveland Guardians' Bo Naylor in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, front, advances to third base in front of Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes, rear, on a fly ball by Josh Naylor to center field for an out in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, left, gestures at second base in front of Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, right, after hitting a double in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago Cubs' Javier Assad pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez, rear, scores behind Chicago Cubs catcher Christian Bethancourt, front, in the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago Cubs' Isaac Paredes singles in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson celebrates in the dugout after hitting a sacrifice fly in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Matthew Boyd pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel hits a home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel gestures as he crosses home plate with a home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

LONDON (AP) — Daniel Dubois didn't have to dethrone anyone to become a world heavyweight champion. So he has something to prove when he makes his first title defense before one of the biggest crowds in British boxing history.

If he successfully defends his IBF belt on Saturday by beating fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois might just transform himself into boxing’s next big thing.

“I’m getting used to the idea that I’m the world champion but I think I need to legitimize it by beating AJ," Dubois told The Associated Press in an interview. “That’s the way I do it and cement my name, cement my legacy in the sport of boxing.”

The 27-year-old Dubois was awarded the belt in late June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine relinquished it.

He knows that most boxing fans — the British ones in particular — want to see Joshua become a three-time champion to set up a long-anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.

But the hard-punching Dubois — a south London native who has been boxing since the age of 7 — has plans of his own.

“Make him quit, break him down, unleash hell on him,” Dubois said of his strategy for fight night.

Nicknamed “Dynamite,” the 6-foot-5 (1.95-meter) Dubois has had obstacles to overcome on his path to Wembley.

He hopes to make the 34-year-old Joshua quit but Dubois himself had to answer questions about quitting after he took a knee and was counted out in the 10th round against Joe Joyce on November 2020. That was his first professional loss.

Dubois' left eye had been swollen shut — there was an orbital bone fracture and nerve damage.

He bounced back by winning four straight bouts to earn a title shot at Usyk last summer. The fight was held in Poland, where many Ukrainians have taken refuge because of Russia's invasion of their country.

With huge support from his compatriots, Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round. Boxing is never far from controversy and this fight had its share: Dubois had dropped the champion in the fifth round but the referee ruled it a low blow and allowed Usyk several minutes to recover.

Since then, Dubois responded with two knockout victories. Despite being comfortably ahead of 333-pound Jarrell Miller, Dubois piled on the pressure in the final round, getting the stoppage in the final seconds of the bout. Dubois bloodied Filip Hrgovic early and stopped the Croatian in the eighth round.

The impressive win over Hrgovic in early June gave Dubois the “interim” title weeks before Usyk relinquished the belt. It also means 20 of his 21 wins have come via knockouts. The only time he went to points was six years ago in his eighth professional fight.

Back in 2017, it was then 27-year-old Joshua who spectacularly knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in a title fight at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans.

Dubois says it's his turn.

“This is my time now, and I’m ready to take it with both hands, show the world what I’m all about," he said, pointing to a Usyk rematch as his next goal even though the Ukrainian has talked about returning to cruiserweight after his Dec. 21 rematch with Tyson Fury.

He also wants to make his family proud. His father, Dave Dubois, raised 11 children in a household where sports and music dominated. Dubois says he doesn't play any instruments or sing though. His younger sister Caroline Dubois is also a successful pro boxer.

Officially, it’s the first time they’ll square off but Dubois and Joshua had a much-debated sparring session about a decade ago. It seems clear that Dubois caught Joshua — who two years earlier had won gold for Britain at the London Olympics — with a good punch, but beyond that it’s just rumors. Promoter Frank Warren has said that sparring session led him to sign Dubois.

“Sparring is sparring, this is a fight. It bears no relevance to today,” Dubois said. “It was good for me at the time, but I’m a new man, a new fighter now. I’ve put that behind me. I’m the man of the future.”

He suspects most of the crowd — and perhaps many of those watching on DAZN's streaming service — will be on AJ’s side.

“They probably will be overlooking me," he said. "It’s up to me to prove them wrong."

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

British boxer Anthony Joshua arrives at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

FILE - Britain's Daniel Dubois, left, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk during their world heavyweight title fight at Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)

FILE - British former world champion Anthony Joshua, right, and MMA fighter Francis Ngannou fight during the heavyweight boxing showdown at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo, file)

British boxer Daniel Dubois arrives at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

British boxer Daniel Dubois arrives at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)