Angel Genao’s big-league debut gave the Guardians plenty to cheer about Wednesday night, but the rookie’s four-hit performance ended up buried under another painful finish in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Mets at Progressive Field.
Promoted from Triple-A Columbus before the game and starting at third base in place of Jose Ramirez, who missed his second straight game with a sore left hand, Genao immediately made his presence felt. He shook off a double error at third and finished with four hits, the most in franchise history for a player making his major league debut. His fourth hit put Cleveland in front 5-4 in the seventh inning.
That lead didn’t last.
Cade Smith, who is 30 for 35 in save chances, let the Mets back in during the ninth when shortstop Brayan Rocchio misplayed a two-out bouncer by A.J. Ewing with the bases loaded.
That opened the door for a tie, and Bo Bichette finished the job in the 10th with a single off Matt Festa (2-3) that scored Francisco Lindor, the automatic runner from second base. Daniel Duarte shut the door from there and earned the save.
The Guardians had chances throughout and left 15 runners on base while going 4 for 19 with runners in scoring position. They also put two on in the 10th, but couldn’t cash in.
For much of the night, Cleveland was trying to dig out of an early hole. Tanner Bibee had not given up a home run in his previous four starts, but the Mets snapped that streak fast with back-to-back blasts to open the third. Brett Baty sent a 0-2 pitch over the left-field wall for his seventh homer, and Jorge Polanco followed on a 1-1 pitch to right for just his second homer of the season.
The Mets added another run in the fourth, and Genao’s first real defensive miscue helped make it happen. He bobbled Carson Benge’s one-out grounder and then threw wildly past first, leaving Benge at second. Bibee escaped further trouble by retiring the next two hitters.
Cleveland answered in the fourth and fifth. Travis Bazzana’s single in the fifth scored Jo Adell, who had walked and advanced on Nathaniel Lowe’s double.
The Guardians then pulled even at 3-3 on Lowe’s two-run single after singles from Genao and Steven Kwan and a walk by Chase DeLauter loaded the bases. Scott struck out Adell, but Lowe lined a hit to right that brought in Genao and Kwan.
The inning still had life, but Bazzana struck out and Rocchio lined out to right.
Then Benge struck again. With two outs in the fifth, he homered to right to put the Mets back ahead 4-3.
Cleveland got its game-tying and go-ahead runs in the seventh. Patrick Bailey’s one-out single scored Rocchio to make it 4-4, with Angel Martinez moving to third. Genao then punched a single past third off Dedniel Nunez to score Martinez and give the Guardians a 5-4 lead.
The sixth inning brought more frustration. Cleveland loaded the bases for the second straight inning on singles by Bailey and Genao and a walk by Kwan, but lefty Jefry Yan kept them off the board.
DeLauter was called out on a check swing by third base umpire Chad Fairchild, and Stephen Vogt was ejected after arguing the call. It was Vogt’s first ejection of the season and the second of his Cleveland tenure.
The inning ended when Adell grounded into a force play at second.
Bibee’s final line was a mixed bag: four runs, three earned, in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 10 without issuing a walk, his first outing of the season with 10 or more strikeouts and the fifth such game of his career.
The loss was Cleveland’s 10th in its last 13 games and left the club 6-12 since the All-Star break.
Thursday’s matchup is set for 1:10 p.m., with RHP Foster Griffin (12-3, 3.06) facing RHP Nolan McLean (7-7, 3.29).
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