Brennan helps Guardians past Blue Jays 3-1

Will Brennan's solo home run in the fourth inning helped the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

TORONTO – Will Brennan’s solo home run in the fourth inning helped the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Daniel Schneemann had an RBI double in the second and Andres Gimenez drove in another run with a single in the fifth for Cleveland (44-23).

Logan Allen (7-3) only gave up three hits for a run, striking out three, over five innings. Relievers Cade Smith, Scott Barlow, Sam Hentges, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase preserved Allen’s win. It was Clase’s 21st save of the season.

Davis Schneider’s RBI single in the sixth was all the offence Toronto (33-36) could muster.

Kevin Gausman (5-5) struck out six over 5 1/3 innings, but allowed three runs on eight hits. Genesis Cabrera, Brendon Little and Zach Pop of Brampton, Ont., came out of Toronto’s bullpen.

Back-to-back doubles got the Guardians an early lead in the second inning.

Brennan banged the ball off the right-field wall to easily reach second, then Schneemann doubled to left to bring him home. Gausman induced a popout by Brayan Rocchio and then struck out Bo Naylor of Mississauga, Ont., to limit the damage.

It was only Schneemann’s third run batted in of the season, as he has split time between the Guardians and their triple-A affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, this year.