Santana homers and Guardians hold on for 3-2 win over White Sox in unusual finish

CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Santana homered and the Cleveland Guardians held off the Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Wednesday night in a game that ended on a bizarre play.

The White Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth inning when Miguel Vargas singled through the hole at shortstop. Jacob Amaya scored and it seemed Mike Tauchman was going to tie the game before he appeared to injure himself while rounding third base.

Tauchman, who just came off the injured list after a right hamstring strain, was tagged out by catcher Austin Hedges for the final out after the throw from left fielder Steven Kwan.

Emmanuel Clase got his first save of the season, despite allowing three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Paul Sewald (1-1) got the win.

One day after celebrating his 39th birthday, Santana drove a low slider from Sean Burke (1-2) on a full count into the stands in right-center to give Cleveland a 3-1 lead in the third.

Jhonkensy Noel had two hits, including an RBI single in the first inning to snap an 0-for-15 skid.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first when Lenyn Sosa lined a base hit to left-center. The inning was extended earlier when Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez bobbled a potential double-play ball for his sixth error of the season.

Ramírez scored on a wild pitch from Burke to give the Guardians a 2-1 lead with two outs in the first. Burke's changeup went through catcher Korey Lee's legs. The ball got only 5 feet away from Lee, who was able to throw it quickly to Burke at home, but Ramírez beat the tag.

Santana, in his third stint with Cleveland, is batting .286 (12 for 42) with two home runs and four RBIs.

Chicago right-hander Jonathan Cannon (0-1, 3.12 ERA) faces Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (0-0, 4.50) on Thursday afternoon in the series finale.

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Chicago White Sox's Andrew Vaughn is congratulated in the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox's Sean Burke pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Logan Allen pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox's Lenyn Sosa (50) loses his batting helmet as he strikes out in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox's Korey Lee grimaces after injuring himself at first base in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Carlos Santana, right, gets a high five from teammate Kyle Manzardo (9) after hitting a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke falls over Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, right, as Ramirez slides into home plate to score in the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke reaches for the ball as Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, center, slides into home plate to score in the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Carlos Santana gestures as he runs to home plate with a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)