Tanner Bibee leaves after 5 innings with leg cramps but gets win as Guardians beat Blue Jays 5-4

TORONTO — Tanner Bibee pitched five innings before leaving because of leg cramps, Gabriel Arias had three hits and two RBIs, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Sunday.

Six-time All-Star José Ramírez was back in the lineup for Cleveland, two days after leaving in the third inning because of a right ankle sprain. Ramírez went 0 for 4 with a walk.

Bibee (3-2) improved to 3-0 in three career starts against Toronto. He allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits.

Bibee came to the mound to warm up for the bottom of the sixth but appeared to be in discomfort, lifting his legs several times and calling the trainer out of the dugout.

Tim Herrin replaced Bibee, and Cade Smith worked the seventh. Hunter Gaddis allowed runners to reach second and third with one out in the eighth, but retired Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes to preserve a one-run lead.

Carlos Santana extended Cleveland’s edge to two with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half but Emmanuel Clase finished for his seventh save in nine chances, stranding the tying run at third base.

Toronto right-hander Bowden Francis (2-5) allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Francis has won once in six starts.

Key moment

Daniel Schneemann hit an RBI single in the fourth and Arias followed with a two-run single.

Key stat

Toronto batters had three hits with runners in scoring position against Bibee, one more than he’d allowed in his first six starts combined.

Up next

Guardians: RHP Luis Ortiz (2-3, 4.78 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday at Washington against Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (2-1, 4.01).

Blue Jays: Toronto had not named a starter for Tuesday’s game at the Angels. LHP Tyler Anderson (2-0, 2.67 ERA) will start for Los Angeles.