Bradley Zimmer of the Cleveland Indians scores the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Jose Ramirez off Anthony Castro of the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning during Game 2 of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on May 30, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Blue Jays 6-5.Ron Schwane/Getty Images
Tyler Chatwood forced in the tying run with his fourth-straight walk in another wild outing, Jose Ramirez followed with a game-ending sacrifice fly and Cleveland rallied for two runs in the seventh inning without a hit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 Sunday and gain a doubleheader split.
Teoscar Hernandez and Rowdy Tellez homered in the fourth inning off Aaron Civale to lift Toronto to a 4-1 win the opener, and Blue Jays led 4-0 in the sixth inning of the nightcap of the twin-bill of seven-inning games under pandemic rules.
Cleveland’s rally began when third baseman Santiago Espinal booted leadoff hitter Yu Chang’s grounder for an error. Rene Rivera hit an RBI double off Matz and scored on Rosario’s single off the pitcher’s glove as Cleveland cut its deficit to 4-2.
Toronto brought in Chatwood, who last Sunday walked two batters in the ninth against Tampa Bay, and Travis Bergen followed with three straight bases-loaded walks in the Blue Jays’ 6-4 loss.
This time, Chatwood (0-2) allowed Jose Ramirez’s RBI single and Harold Ramirez’s run-scoring double, then walked Eddie Rosario before pinch-hitter Jake Bauers lined out.
Marcus Semien’s RBI single off Emanuel Clase (3-2) gave Toronto a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh, but Chatwood walked Chang on five pitches with one out in the bottom half, pinch-hitter Bradley Zimmer on four and Cesar Hernandez on five, then walked Rosario on a 3-1 count.
Anthony Castro relieved after Chatwood threw 25 of 32 pitches for balls, and Jose Ramirez followed with a fly to right fielder Randall Grichuk as Zimmer slid home with the winning run and Toronto was prevented from a three-game sweep.
Matz allowed four runs – two earned – and four hits in five innings. Sam Hentges gave up four runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings.
In the opener, Ross Stripling (1-3) held Cleveland to one run and two hits in five innings, winning for the first time since he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last Aug. 31. Rafael Dolis and Jordan Romano finished a four-hitter, with Romano getting his third save.
The teams played through rain and wind gusts of 45 miles an hour (72 km/h) Friday night before the game was called in the bottom of the seventh with Toronto winning 11-2. Cleveland postponed Saturday’s game owing to high winds.
Both teams are in a stretch of playing five straight seven-inning games – Toronto had a makeup doubleheader Thursday at the New York Yankees, and Cleveland hosts the Chicago White Sox in a makeup twin-bill on Monday.
Civale (7-2) allowed four runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.
Cleveland bench coach DeMarlo Hale filled in for manager Terry Francona, who attended his youngest daughter Jamie’s wedding in Newport, R.I.
The Blue Jays start their second year of home games at their Triple-A affiliate’s home in Buffalo on Tuesday night against Miami. Manager Charlie Montoyo planned to visit Sahlen Field on Sunday night, and to have players to work out their on Monday. Forced from home by Canadian government coronavirus restrictions, the Blue Jays were 17-9 in Buffalo last season and were 10-11 this season at their spring training site in Dunedin, Fla. Toronto also hopes to be playing finally having a home crowd advantage, which wasn’t the case in Florida. The Jays’ starter on Tuesday is left-hander Robbie Ray (2-2).