BALTIMORE — Logan Allen allowed three hits in seven outstanding innings, and the Cleveland Guardians broke through for four runs in the seventh on their way to a 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
Will Brennan had three hits for the Guardians, who have won three of four. The Orioles will need to win their next two games against Cleveland just to go .500 on this six-game homestand — after they went 5-1 on a trip to play the Blue Jays and Yankees.
Allen (2-2) struck out a career-high 10 in his seventh big league start. The rookie left-hander also set career marks for innings pitched and fewest hits allowed — and this was his first scoreless outing.
Allen is the second pitcher in franchise history to have eight-plus strikeouts in at least three of his first seven career games. Herb Score did it in five of his first seven.
Enyel De Los Santos and Trevor Stephan finished a five-hitter, Cleveland's fifth shutout this season. Baltimore has been blanked four times, all in May.
Tyler Wells (3-2) allowed a run and four hits in six innings, striking out seven without a walk, but the moment he exited, the game fell apart for the Orioles. With the Guardians up 1-0, Myles Straw reached on a one-out infield chopper in the seventh, and then the next three batters — Brennan, Cam Gallagher and Steven Kwan — hit grounders that found holes.
Gallagher's single brought in a run, and Kwan's grounder to the right of second base slipped through for a double that made it 3-0. Amed Rosario hit a grounder at second baseman Adam Frazier, but his throw home was poor and got past catcher James McCann, allowing two runs to score. Frazier was charged with an error.
Gallagher opened the scoring with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: The day went from bad to worse for Baltimore when OF Cedric Mullins pulled up to a near-stop while running out an infield grounder in the eighth. Mullins appeared to have something wrong with his right leg and left the game. ... C Adley Rutschman had the day off. It was the first time this season he's missed a full game.
UP NEXT
Kyle Gibson (6-3) starts for Baltimore on Tuesday night against Cleveland's Cal Quantrill (2-3).
More from 3News: