Travis Bazzana has belted a solo homer and had three hits and fellow rookie Parker Messick has thrown five 2/3 scoreless innings to lift the visiting Cleveland Guardians to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Steven Kwan had three hits as American League Central Division leader Cleveland won for the eighth time in nine games, putting it 14-4 since May 6. It has won back-to-back series at Philadelphia for the first time, taking two of three this weekend.

Bazzana, who made his major league debut on April 28, was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft. The Australian native went deep in the eighth against Jonathan Bowlan, restoring the Guardians’ two-run lead at 3-1.

Messick (6-1) struck out six in lowering his earned run average (ERA) to 2.24, allowing five hits and a pair of walks. The left-hander has a 0.6 ERA over 30 career innings of interleague action, the lowest in franchise history.

Cade Smith pitched a clean ninth for his major league-leading 18th save in 20 opportunities.

Andrew Painter (1-5) worked six 1/3 innings for the Phillies, giving up two runs on six hits. The right-hander struck out three and walked two in his 10th appearance in the majors.

Philadelphia fell one game below .500, and has lost four of its last five games.

Kwan had an RBI single in the fifth, scoring Daniel Schneemann, and Rhys Hoskins doubled home Chase DeLauter in the sixth to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

Hoskins, who was drafted by Philadelphia and played his first six seasons with the Phillies, is batting just .188 in his first year with the Guardians.

Philadelphia got on the board in the seventh when Brandon Marsh tripled to the warning track in centre, and later scored on Bryce Harper’s sacrifice fly off Tim Herrin.

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber went two for four, snapping a 13 at-bat hitless streak that included 11 strikeouts.

Reuters