Steven Kwan led off the game with a 3-pointer and scored to help the Cleveland Guardians get off to a terrific start to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
Hours before first pitch, the Tigers fired general manager Al Avila, ending a seven-year run with the team without a postseason appearance.
Cleveland entered the day tied with Minnesota for atop the American League Central Division. The Guardians are 16 games ahead of the rank-and-file Tigers in the sector.
Aaron Civale started the game for Cleveland following coming off the disabled list, which he had entered with wrist inflammation. He withdrew the first nine enemies from him.
He allowed two runs and three hits with four strikeouts in four innings of work.
James Karinchak and five other relievers, including Bryan Shaw (5-2), combined to pitch five scoreless innings. Emmanuel Clase gave up one hit in the ninth before recording his 26th save.
Kwan scored in the first inning on José Ramírez’s single. Will Benson had an RBI single, his first major league hit, and Myles Straw grounded out another run to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Drew Hutchinson (1-6) allowed three runs on eight hits and gave up one walk in five innings.
For the Guardians, the Dominicans Ramírez 4-1 with an RBI; Amed Rosario 3-0; Oscar Gonzalez 1-0. The Venezuelan Andrés Giménez 4-2 with a run scored.
For the Tigers, Venezuelans Harold Castro 4-2 with one produced; Victor Reyes 2-0. Puerto Rican Javier Báez 3-0 with a run scored. The Dominican Jeimer Candelario 4-0.
