Daniel Schneemann showcased a remarkable performance by hitting his first career grand slam and adding a solo homer, which propelled the Cleveland Guardians to a thrilling 5-3 comeback victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
The Blue Jays held a 3-1 lead with two outs in the ninth inning when Schneemann made a pivotal play. He hit an 0-1 pitch from Yimi García deep into the stands in right field, marking his first multi-homer game and bringing his season total to four home runs. Earlier in the game, Schneemann contributed to the scoreboard with a solo homer off Chad Green in the eighth inning.
Kolby Allard earned the win for Cleveland with an impressive performance, allowing just one run over four innings. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Clase secured his sixth save of the season. For Toronto, Bo Bichette made his mark by hitting his first home run of the year, but the Blue Jays were unable to capitalize on a strong outing by right-hander Kevin Gausman, who pitched six shutout innings, allowing only one hit while striking out nine.
Gavins Williams, the Cleveland right-hander, faced early difficulties, surrendering a home run to Bichette on the very first pitch he delivered. This marked the second consecutive outing where Williams gave up a first-pitch homer. Despite these challenges, he managed to complete four innings while allowing two runs and setting personal season highs with five walks and nine strikeouts.
Notably, the Guardians played without their star slugger, José Ramírez, who is recovering from a right ankle sprain sustained the previous day.
A key moment in the game was Steven Kwan’s leadoff single in the ninth, followed by walks from Carlos Santana and Bo Naylor, which set the stage for Schneemann’s dramatic two-out grand slam.
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays are set to face the Guardians again with RHP Bowden Francis on the mound, while Cleveland will start RHP Tanner Bibee.
This victory highlights the Guardians’ resilience as they come from behind, showcasing their fighting spirit and ability to seize crucial moments in the game. It will be exciting to see if they can continue this momentum in future matchups.