SAN FRANCISCO — Tyler Freeman hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth moments after San Francisco starter Sean Manaea exited with the bases loaded, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-6), the former Stanford pitcher who sat out a month earlier this season due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder, allowed one run on five hits over six innings to win for the first time in nine starts since beating Minnesota on May 7.
Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase reached 40 saves for a second straight season, getting a huge catch from center fielder Myles Straw on the wall to steal an extra-base hit from Blake Sabol.
After giving up the run in the first, Manaea retired 15 straight batters before a one-out single in the sixth by José Ramírez. Josh Naylor reached on a groundout then Manaea hit David Fry with a pitch before Kole Calhoun got aboard on first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr.'s fielding error. Manaea left to a standing ovation, acknowledged the crowd with a tip of his cap then Ryan Walker relieved and surrendered the hit to Freeman.
Manaea (5-6) returned to the rotation following a nearly four-month stint pitching out of the bullpen. He struck out five and walked two pitching into the sixth in his first start since May 10 against Washington, having previously been unbeaten in five career games against Cleveland.
Sabol had tied the game with a home run in the fifth for San Francisco. Giants third baseman Wilmer Flores took a foul tip off his left inner foot in the first but stayed in the game.
San Francisco had won four in a row following a six-game losing streak and a win in Wednesday afternoon's series finale would give them consecutive series victories for the first time since winning three straight series at home from July 25-Aug. 3 against Oakland, Boston and Arizona.