Cleveland Guardians defeat Toronto Blue Jays in front of sellout at Progressive Field

CLEVELAND — The Guardians took care of business against the Toronto Blue Jays, prevailing 6-3 smack-dab in the middle of a three-game series Saturday in front of the sixth sellout crowd this season at Progressive Field.

The Guardians (48-26) lost a three-game series 2-1 in Toronto (35-41) from June 14-16. Cleveland then rebounded with a 2-1 series win over the visiting Seattle Mariners spanning Tuesday through Thursday. The Guardians also defeated the Blue Jays 7-1 in the series opener Friday night.

The Guardians are 16-6-2 in series this season, including 9-1-1 at home. The Guardians have won their past four games and sit atop the American League Central standings. The Blue Jays are in last place in the AL East.

First pitch occurred at 4:11 p.m. Saturday. Here are our updates as they unfolded throughout the game.

Emmanuel Clase gets the save and Ben Lively gets the win for the Guardians

Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase worked a one-two-three ninth inning for his AL-leading 23rd save of the season.

Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively got the win, improving to 7-3 this season. Blue Jays starting pitcher José Berríos fell to 6-6 this season.

Blue Jays cut deficit to 6-3 vs Guardians in eighth inning

The Guardians had their lead trimmed to 6-3 in the eighth inning, when the Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a 357-foot solo home run to left field off reliever Scott Barlow.

Now Kiner-Falefa has the first multi-homer game of his career. His second homer had an exit velocity of 93.5 mph.

The Guardians and Blue Jays combined to hit seven home runs. Cleveland hit four homers in a game for the third time this season.

Guardians and Blue Jays make pitching changes in sixth inning

Cade Smith relieved Lively in the sixth inning. Lively allowed three hits (two solo home runs), two walks, hit a batter and struck out four in 5⅔ innings. He threw 82 pitches (57 strikes).

The Blue Jays took their starting pitcher, Berríos, out of the game to start their half of the sixth inning.

Unfortunately for Toronto, reliever Génesis Cabrera allowed a home run against the first batter he faced, Daniel Schneemann. Schneemann's solo homer to center field gave the Guardians a 6-3 lead. It was Schneemann's second homer this season. It traveled 389 feet and had an exit velocity of 103 mph.

In five innings, Berríos allowed six hits (three homers), five runs and one walk. He hit two batters and struck out three. He threw 86 pitches (54 strikes).

Guardians earn 5-2 lead with their third home run of the game, this time by Steven Kwan

Steven Kwan led off with a home run to right field, giving him six homers this season and matching the career high he set as a rookie in 2022.

Kwan's 362-foot home run off Berríos had an exit velocity of 97 mph and put the Guardians ahead 5-2 in the fifth inning.

Kwan finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, an RBI and a run. He conceded he heard Guardians fans serenade him with MVP chants during the game.

"It's all surreal," he said. "It just adds another layer to it."

Guardians' defensive highlights keep Blue Jays at bay in the fifth inning

Toronto's offense slowed after the first three innings.

But Lively received some notable help in the fifth inning.

Jose Ramirez backhanded a line drive down the third-base line to steal a would-be hit from Davis Schneider.

And Schneemann made a leaping catch against the Phantom Fireworks sign in center field to end the top half of the inning by robbing Kevin Kiermaier.

Guardians regain lead vs Blue Jays, going ahead 4-2 on a Jose Ramirez home run amid a slugfest

Don't blink because you might miss a home run.

A five-time All-Star, Ramirez hit a two-run homer to right field off Berríos to give the Guardians a 4-2 lead in the third inning. Ramirez's 19th homer this season traveled 377 feet, had an exit velocity of 107.1 mph and drove in Andres Gimenez, who had hit a single during the previous at-bat.

Through three innings, there were four homers. Each team had two apiece.

Blue Jays tie score 2-2 with their second home run of the game

With two outs in the third inning, Kiner-Falefa hit a solo home run to left field off Lively. The 391-foot homer tied the score 2-2 and had an exit velocity of 96 mph.

It was the Blue Jays' second homer of the game and Kiner-Falefa's fifth this season.

Guardians seize 2-1 lead in second inning vs Blue Jays

After Will Brennan led off in the second inning with a single and Schneemann sent Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho crashing into the left-field wall to catch a fly ball, Guardians catcher Bo Naylor hit a one-out, two-run home run to center field, giving the Guardians a 2-1 lead.

Bo Naylor's 435-foot homer off Berríos had an exit velocity of 105.1 mph. Bo Naylor's fourth home run this season could be interpreted as a nice birthday present for his older brother, Guardians standout Josh Naylor.

Blue Jays take 1-0 lead vs Guardians in second inning

With two outs, Schneider hit a solo home run to right field off Lively to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead. Schneider's 10th homer this season traveled 378 feet and had an exit velocity of 101.4 mph.

Guardians squander Steven Kwan's leadoff double in the first inning

After Lively worked a one-two-three inning to start the game, the Cleveland offense immediately went to work against Berríos. However, the Guardians didn't score.

Kwan led off with a double to right field and Gimenez drew a walk. The Blue Jays got Gimenez out at second base on a grounder by Jose Ramirez, who beat the throw at first. Meanwhile, Kwan advanced to third. Then Josh Naylor grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Here is some pregame information:

How can I watch, listen or stream the Cleveland Guardians game today?

The game will be televised locally by Bally Sports Great Lakes and out of market by MLB Network. It will be broadcast on the radio by WTAM (1100-AM), WMMS (100.7-FM) and WARF (1350-AM, Spanish broadcast).

Cleveland Guardians lineup and batting order vs the Toronto Blue Jays

1. Steven Kwan, LF

2. Andres Gimenez, 2B

3. Jose Ramirez, 3B

4. Josh Naylor, 1B

5. Will Brennan, RF

6. Daniel Schneemann, CF

7. Bo Naylor, C

8. Brayan Rocchio, SS

9. Angel Martinez, DH

Cleveland Guardians prospect Angel Martinez making his MLB debut

The 22-year-old Martínez will make his MLB debut. He batted .333 (20-for-60) with four doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs and a .988 OPS in 17 games this season with Triple-A Columbus. The switch-hitting infielder began this season on Cleveland’s 10-day injured list with a right foot contusion suffered March 14, played three games with Columbus in early April on a rehab assignment and then suffered a left hamate fracture on April 13, resulting in his placement on the 60-day injured list.

Cleveland signed Martínez as an amateur free agent on July 2, 2018. He is the son of former catcher Sandy Martínez, who played 218 MLB games from 1995-2004, including one for Cleveland in 2004.

The Guardians recalled Martínez on Friday from Columbus. They also placed infielder Gabriel Arias on the family medical emergency list.

Toronto Blue Jays lineup and batting order vs the Cleveland Guardians

1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS

2. Spencer Horwitz, 1B

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., DH

4. George Springer, RF

5. Daulton Varsho, LF

6. Davis Schneider, 2B

7. Ernie Clement, 3B

8. Alejandro Kirk, C

9. Kevin Kiermaier, CF

Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan is receiving national attention

Guardians leadoff hitter and left fielder Kwan is in the midst of an All-Star-caliber season.

Kwan, who missed a few weeks this season with a hamstring injury, is now 11 plate appearances away from qualifying for the batting title race. He is batting .387. The number of plate appearances in a season required to qualify for a batting title is 502.

Kwan had a 14-game hitting streak snapped Friday.

Cleveland Guardians news: Steven Kwan flirting with .400 season, chasing history and Ted Williams

Guardians vs Blue Jays pitching matchup

Lively took the mound opposite Berríos.

The right-handed Lively entered this weekend 6-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 59⅔ innings this season. In 11 starts, he has struck out 52 and walked 18.

The right-handed Berríos was 6-5 with a 3.13 ERA in 92 innings this season. In 15 starts, he has struck out 65 and walked 22.

It's Josh Naylor bobblehead day

Saturday is a date many fans should have had circled on the Guardians promotional schedule.

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor is receiving bobblehead treatment. The Guardians will distribute his bobblehead to 15,000 fans.

But there's more ...

Shaquille O'Neal returns to Cleveland

Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal spent his penultimate NBA season (2009-10) with the Cavaliers, and now the big man is back in Northeast Ohio.

Shaq is scheduled to perform Saturday night during a postgame concert at Progressive Field as part of his "DJ Diesel" act.

Shaq returns to Cleveland: Shaquille O'Neal brings his 'DJ Diesel' concert to Progressive Field and gets Guardians players on stage

What's next for Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams?

Gavin Williams earned a win Friday night in a rehab start for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks. Williams threw 66 pitches in five innings, allowed four hits and one earned run and struck out four without surrendering a walk.

On Saturday, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said the franchise has yet to decide whether Williams will make another rehab start before returning to Cleveland's rotation.

"All the reports I've heard so far, he's feeling great," Vogt said. "Getting the five innings, 66 pitches, the velo was up to 98 [mph], so feeling really good and obviously working through today, evaluating him, see how he feels when he throws to determine what comes next.

"We've just got to see how he's feeling, what comes next and then we will have to make our decision as we move forward. But ideally we'd like to see him built up to be ready to start full go, but at the same time, we're taking it a day at a time and we don't know.”

Williams opened this season on the injured list. He had been dealing with a right elbow impingement.

More Guardians coverage: Andres Gimenez youth camp gives opportunity for kids to interact with the Cleveland standout

Next game on Guardians schedule

The Guardians are scheduled to face the Blue Jays in the third and final game of the series beginning at 1:40 p.m. Sunday.

Then the Guardians will hit the road for three games against the Baltimore Orioles (Monday through Wednesday) and four against the AL Central foe Kansas City Royals (Thursday through Sunday).

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians defeat Blue Jays: Live game score and highlights