TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Will Brennan hit a solo home run and scored twice, Logan Allen pitched five innings for his first career win over Toronto, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Blue Jays 3-1 on Friday night for their fourth win in five games.
Brennan and Andr茅s Gim茅nez had two hits apiece as the Guardians improved to 31-7 when scoring first.
鈥淲hen Will is on the fastball, he鈥檚 a really good hitter,鈥� Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. 鈥淭hat limits the chase and you start to see the hard contact.鈥�
Cleveland has won 11 of its last 16 road games. The Guardians improved to 23-15 away from home.
Allen (7-3) allowed one run and three hits. The 25-year-old left-hander walked three and struck out three.
鈥淟A threw the ball phenomenal tonight,鈥� Vogt said. 鈥淗e was just missing the inside corner, but I think it kind of kept them off balance and allowed him to open up the rest of the zone.鈥�
Allen is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his last six starts.
鈥淟ogan is a stud and we鈥檙e going to need him,鈥� Brennan said.
Five Cleveland relievers followed Allen鈥檚 outing with four hitless innings.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been great, they鈥檝e been awesome,鈥� Allen said of his relievers. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e definitely picked up us starters. We really appreciate it.鈥�
Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings, losing for the second time in three starts.
Toronto has lost two straight and three of its last four. The Blue Jays are 8-29 when scoring three or fewer runs, often forcing their pitchers to be nearly perfect.
鈥淎s much as you try to block it out, it鈥檚 really hard to,鈥� Gausman said of the lack of run support. 鈥淭he reality is if we don鈥檛 pitch well we probably lose.鈥�
Coming off his first career shutout in a victory at Oakland on Saturday, Gausman (5-5) allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and struck out six.
鈥淚 thought we took advantage of the few mistakes that he made,鈥� Vogt said.
Brennan and Daniel Schneemann hit back-to-back doubles off Gausman in the second, and Cleveland extended its lead on Brennan鈥檚 one-out homer in the fourth, his sixth of the season.
Brayan Rocchio hit a leadoff double in the fifth and scored on a two-out hit by Gim茅nez.
Toronto got on the board in the sixth. Ernie Clement hit a leadoff double and Davis Schneider chased Allen with an RBI single.
Right-hander Cade Smith replaced Allen and retired the next three batters.
Cleveland鈥檚 Scott Barlow got two outs in the seventh and Sam Hentges came on to strike out pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk.
Hunter Gaddis pitched the eighth and Emmanuel Clase finished for his 21st save in 24 chances.
ROSTER MOVES
The Blue Jays recalled INF/OF Addison Barger from Triple-A Buffalo and designated DH Daniel Vogelbach for assignment.
UP NEXT
RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-5, 5.50 ERA) is scheduled to start for Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. Toronto had not named a starter.
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
