Guardians edge Tigers behind eighth-inning run

Josh Naylor chopped a two-out, tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning and the Cleveland Guardians overcame the exit of ace Tanner Bibee to cramping, earning a 2-1 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.Bibee, locked in a pitchers’ duel with Detroit’s Jack Flaherty, went out for the sixth in a 1-1 contest, but after hopping over the third base line, he began limping to the mound and didn’t start the inning. The team announced Bibee, who allowed only Matt Vierling’s first-inning homer and one other hit, was dealing with lower-extremity cramping.He walked one and struck out four.However, Guardians relievers Scott Barlow, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis (4-2) and Emmanuel Clase (31st save) didn’t yield a hit and allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings.In the eighth, Cleveland’s Bo Naylor drew a leadoff walk from Beau Brieske (1-1), stole second, then made third on a grounder that resulted in the second out.After Jose Ramirez was intentionally walked, Josh Naylor’s bouncer was just out of second baseman Colt Keith’s reach. The hit wound up producing a second straight victory for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who lost 8-2 on Monday in the opener of the four-game set — their seventh loss in nine at the time.

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