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Guardians score vs. Pirates | Kyle Manzardo, Ben Lively help Cleveland beat Paul Skenes
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- Guardians score vs. Pirates | Kyle Manzardo, Ben Lively help Cleveland beat Paul Skenes
Extra-base hits by Kyle Manzardo and Daniel Schneemann helped the Guardians spoil a strong start by Paul Skenes on the Pirates All-Star's bobblehead day on April 19.
The Guardians won 3-0, as Cleveland starter Ben Lively more than held his own against Skenes.
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Lively and four relievers combined on the shutout, as Cleveland won for the second straight day against the Pirates. It was the Guardians' fourth shutout of the season.
Lively worked 5⅓ innings, striking out three. He gave up four hits and a walk.
Apr 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Skenes went seven innings, striking out four and giving up six hits and a walk. A double by Schneemann and a home run by Manzardo, though, resulted in him allowing two runs, both earned.
The Guardians scored their first run off Skenes in the third inning. Schneemann doubled to start the rally and moved to third on a groundout. Steven Kwan followed with an RBI single to right and Cleveland led 1-0.
Apr 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) hits an RBI single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
With Lively shutting down the Pirates, the score remained 1-0 until the seventh when Manzardo drilled Skenes' 86th pitch, which was down and in. Manzardo drove it out of the park to right and into the Allegheny River, the 82nd home run to end up in the river since the ballpark opened in 2001. He became the first Cleveland player to splash a home run into the river and the 51st different player to achieve that feat.
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It was Manzardo's fifth homer this season. Four of his homers have come on the road.
The Guardians added a third run against the Pirates bullpen in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by José Ramírez .
Lively retired eight straight batters entering the sixth. He didn't walk a batter until the sixth. But that walk, to Oneil Cruz to start the inning, started a Pittsburgh threat. Bryan Reynolds followed with a single, putting runners at first and third with no outs.
Apr 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively (39) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Lively regrouped and struck out Ke'Bryan Hayes looking, getting him on a 3-2 pitch for the first out of the sixth. That ended Lively's day, with Cade Smith entering from the Guardians bullpen.
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Smith walked the first batter he faced, Enmanuel Valdez , to load the bases before getting Tommy Pham to bounce to Schneemann at second to start an inning-ending double play.
After Smith yielded a one-out double in the seventh, Tim Herrin relieved him. Herrin got out of the seventh before giving way to Hunter Gaddis in the eighth with one out and no one on. Gaddis got the final two outs of the eighth.
Cleveland turned the game over to closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth. Valdez immediately greeted him with a double that he tried to stretch into a triple. However, he was injured on the play and pulled his hand from the bag to call timeout and Ramírez tagged him out before Valdez could get his hand back on the base.
Apr 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Enmanuel Valdez (48) suffers an apparent injury after sliding into third base attempting to stretch a double against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
After a video review, the call stood and Valdez was credited with a double.
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Clase then recorded the final two outs to save his second game in as many days.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians game score today vs. Pirates, Cleveland beats Paul Skenes
