BALTIMORE — Josh Naylor homered, had a career-high four hits and drove in six runs to highlight a rare power display by the Cleveland Guardians in a 12-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
Josh Bell and Gabriel Arias also went deep for the Guardians, who had gone 264 consecutive plate appearances without a long ball before Naylor went deep in the fourth inning. Cleveland notched season highs in runs and hits (17) while scoring in double figures for the first time in a nine-inning game.
Naylor doubled in the third inning, hit a two-run homer in the fourth, added a three-run double in the fifth and tacked on an RBI single in the seventh.
Steven Kwan had three hits and scored three runs for the Guardians, who took two of three from Baltimore to win successive series for the first time since the start of the season. Prior to coming to Baltimore, Cleveland captured a three-game series against St. Louis.
Anthony Santander homered for Baltimore and Aaron Hicks had two hits and scored twice in his Orioles debut before leaving with muscle cramps. But Baltimore blew leads of 4-1 and 7-6 while dropping a second straight series for the first time in 2023.
Cleveland trailed 5-3 in the fourth inning before Naylor connected off Cionel Pérez, and Bell followed with another long ball.
Santander's two-run drive in the bottom half put the Orioles up 7-6 before the Guardians took control with a five-run fifth. After Cleveland loaded the bases against Mychal Givens (0-1), Naylor doubled in three runs and Arias homered to make it 11-7.
Xzavion Curry (2-0), the second of seven Guardians pitchers, pitched the fifth inning and got the win.
José Ramírez hit two doubles to move into a tie for fifth place with Ken Keltner for most extra-base hits by a Cleveland player (538).
