Slade Cecconi pitches Guardians to 3-0 win over Athletics

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Slade Cecconi pitched a career-high seven innings and Emmanuel Clase escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to lead the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-0 victory over the Athletics in the rubber game of their series Sunday.

Cecconi (3-3) allowed six hits and a walk in his seventh start for Cleveland after making 17 for Arizona over the previous two seasons. Clase gave up a walk and singles to Tyler Soderstrom and JJ Bleday to load the bases before finishing for his second straight save and 18th in 21 opportunities.

The Guardians grabbed a 2-0 lead against A’s starter JP Sears (5-7) in the second. Angel Martínez walked, stole second and scored on a single by Gabriel Arias. Nolan Jones doubled in Arias.

Steven Kwan singled and scored on a two-out base hit by David Fry in the fifth for the final run.

Sears allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. He is 1-5 in his last eight starts.

Jack Perkins made his big league debut in the seventh for the A’s and pitched three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out two.

Cleveland (39-37) finished 4-5 on its West Coast trip.

Clase loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before striking out pinch-hitter Max Muncy on three pitches and retiring Lawrence Butler on a groundout.

Cecconi had a 5.28 ERA after three May starts. He has allowed just five runs in four June starts covering 22 innings for a 2.05 ERA.

The Athletics will start RHP Luis Severino (2-7, 4.42 ERA) on Tuesday in Detroit against LHP Tarik Skubal (8-2, 2.06), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.

The Guardians will start LHP Logan Allen (5-4, 4.21 ERA) on Tuesday against the visiting Blue Jays, who hadn’t announced a scheduled starter.