Jhonkensy Noel continued his impressive rookie campaign by homering for the second consecutive game, and Matthew Boyd pitched six solid innings to secure his first win in over a year, leading the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Noel, who has been a standout performer for the Guardians, launched a solo home run in the second inning against Cody Bradford, sending a towering 413-foot drive to center field. This homer was Noel’s 12th since his major league debut on June 26, tying him with Russell Branyan for the most home runs by a Cleveland player in his first 41 games. The 23-year-old rookie attributed his success to the guidance of teammate José Ramírez, saying, “I just follow the advice of the best player in the world, José Ramírez. I know the type of hitter that I am, but I’m still adjusting and learning and trying to put the ball in play.”
In addition to his offensive contribution, Noel made a key play in the seventh inning. He hustled down the line after a wild pitch on a third strike, reaching base and eventually scoring on a throwing error by reliever Jose Leclerc. Noel’s aggressive base running provided the Guardians with an important insurance run. “If you hustle down the line and do things like that, it makes it easier for the team and shows the right thing,” he remarked.
The Guardians’ victory allowed them to extend their lead in the AL Central division to three games over both the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins. The Royals are set to start a four-game series against the Guardians with a doubleheader on Monday.
On the mound, Matthew Boyd (1-0) delivered a strong performance, giving up just one run and three hits over six innings. This outing marked Boyd’s first win since returning from Tommy John surgery, and his first victory since June 21, 2023, when he was with Detroit. Boyd humorously noted that he didn’t initially realize he had secured a win until his father texted him about it. “It kind of skipped my mind that it was a win until my dad texted me,” Boyd said with a chuckle. “He told me to make sure to get a ball, so I did.”
In addition to Noel and Boyd, David Fry contributed with a home run in the eighth inning, while José Ramírez added a sacrifice fly and two stolen bases. The Guardians are currently 2-1 in their ongoing 10-game homestand and have maintained an unbeaten record in season series against the Rangers since 2016.
Closer Emmanuel Clase earned his AL-high 38th save by striking out the side in the ninth inning. This save marked Clase’s 25th consecutive successful conversion, and Fry praised Clase’s skill, saying, “It’s honestly fun because having caught Clase a bunch, I get to explain, yeah, he’s going to throw a back-foot fastball, which isn’t a thing. He throws them at 102 mph and we get to see why he’s the best in the world.”
The Rangers, meanwhile, experienced a tough game. Cody Bradford suffered his second consecutive loss, allowing two runs in six innings and making a throwing error that contributed to an unearned run scored by Steven Kwan. Corey Seager homered for the Rangers, and Jonah Heim added an RBI double. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy expressed frustration with his team’s performance, stating, “It probably was our worst game fundamentally. We just did not execute today with the fundamentals.”
In terms of injury updates, Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom is scheduled to make his second rehab appearance on Tuesday with Triple-A Round Rock, having pitched two innings and allowed one run in his first outing with Double-A Frisco. For the Guardians, pitchers Alex Cobb (right fingernail tear) and Carlos Carrasco (left hip strain) are set to throw live batting practice this week at Progressive Field as they work their way back from the injured list.
Looking ahead, the Rangers will have Andrew Heaney (4-13, 4.04 ERA) pitching against the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet (6-9, 3.64 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday. The Guardians will feature Nick Sandlin (7-0, 3.88 ERA) and Logan Allen (8-4, 5.56 ERA) as their starters in a split doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
