CLEVELAND — Against the worst team in baseball, the Guardians saved their best for last.
Andrés Giménez's soft single in the 10th inning brought home José Ramírez from third base, lifting Cleveland to a 3-2 win Tuesday night over the bottom-feeding Oakland Athletics, who lost their sixth straight.
With the bases loaded and none out, Giménez dropped his single off Trevor May (2-4) just inside the right-field line for Cleveland's fourth walk-off win this season.
“Our guys did a really good job,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. "We didn’t knock the ball over the ballpark, for sure, but we were competitive and we hung around, and we found a way to win.”
Following his clutch single, Giménez was mobbed by his teammates, who were blanked for six innings before rallying to tie it in the seventh on Amed Rosario's RBI single and Ramírez's run-scoring double.
With the game on the line, Giménez said it's imperative for a hitter to change his approach.
"I feel like in those situations your focus narrows it down to be a little more selective with what you can do,” Gimenez said through a translator. “Obviously, you want to win the game, so I wanted to make sure I was able to get a good pitch to win the game.”
Enyel De Los Santos (3-1) kept the A's from taking the lead in the 10th and got the win.
Oakland dropped to 19-56, the club's worst record since the 1920 Philadelphia A's started with the same mark.
The A's have lost three straight one-run games — two in extra innings — and are 11-15 in one-run games this season.
“Another tough loss,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “These one-run games, you try to dissect the game and look at what we could have done better, but some of it is pure luck."
Ramírez began the 10th as the runner on second and the A's chose to intentionally walk the red-hot Josh Naylor to face Tyler Freeman, who dropped a bunt in front of the plate. Ramírez was safe on a close play at third before Giménez ended it.
Tony Kemp connected for his second homer — and first since April 21 — in the seventh inning off Cleveland's Aaron Civale to give the A's a 2-0 lead.
The Guardians did nearly nothing on offense for six innings — and Civale was in line for a tough loss — before Cleveland tied it in the seventh on the hits by Rosario and Ramírez.
Myles Straw doubled leading off and Kotsay pulled Luis Medina, who came on in the second and held the Guardians to four hits over 4 1/3 innings. Sam Moll got two quick outs before Rosario's single cut Oakland's lead to 2-1.
Ramírez fell behind 1-2 before ripping a ball toward left fielder Seth Brown, who tried to snare the sinking liner with a dive. But the ball got by him and rolled to the wall, allowing the speedy Rosario to score from first.
“He thought he had a chance to catch the ball,” Kotsay said. “Again, a different outcome if we make that play.”
CRAZY CATCH
Kemp also made the game's best defensive play, racing into to short right-center and snaring Will Brennan's blooper in the eighth with his back to the plate and while falling down.
TOP GUN
The Guardians brought up top pitching prospect Gavin Williams, who has dominated hitters in the minors the past two seasons. The right-hander will make his major league debut on Wednesday against the A's.
On the strength of a 100 mph fastball, Williams has blasted through Cleveland's system since being drafted in the first round in 2021.
“It's exciting,” Francona said, “We told him, ‘Hey, just go pitch and if we have to start making adjustments, we will. But let’s see. You pitch first.’”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Drew Rucinski (knee sprain) was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to make room for RHP Yacksel Rios, who was acquired from Atlanta on Sunday for cash.
Guardians: RHP Cal Quantrill (shoulder sprain), who has recently been in Arizona during his recovery, is scheduled to make a 60-pitch rehab start in Columbus on Friday before the team decides whether to activate him.
UP NEXT
Williams is expecting more than 50 relatives and guests to be at his debut. “You’re going to definitely hear them,” said Williams, who will face Athletics right-hander Paul Blackburn (0-0, 3.48 ERA).
