Kahlil Watson singled up the middle off Sean Newcomb in the 10th inning, scoring Steven Kwan to give the Cleveland Guardians a 4-3 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Travis Bazzana led off with a single, moving automatic runner Kwan to third. Watson, a 23-year-old rookie, followed with Cleveland’s second consecutive walk-off hit to open the four-game series.
The Guardians took a one-game lead over Chicago in the American League Central.
Erik Sabrowski (3-1) pitched a clean 10th for Cleveland, preventing pinch runner Luisangel Acuna from leaving second base. Newcomb (0-2) failed to record an out.
The Guardians tied the game 3-3 in the seventh inning on back-to-back, two-out RBI singles from Austin Hedges and Kwan against Bryan Hudson.
Shortstop Colson Montgomery got a glove on Hedges’ hit, but deflected it. Left fielder Sam Antonacci fumbled Kwan’s sharp liner for an error.
Rhys Hoskins and Brayan Rocchio scored on the singles by Hedges and Kwan, respectively, after both reached on walks issued by Seranthony Dominguez.
Chicago had gone ahead 3-1 in the fifth when Miguel Vargas hit a three-run homer off Gavin Williams — ending a 10-pitch at-bat — immediately before a two-hour rain delay.
Tristan Peters and Antonacci came around on Vargas’ 374-foot shot to left. Williams threw two strikes to begin the duel, which saw thousands of fans seek shelter as it played out.
As soon as Vargas’ ball cleared the fence, third base umpire Vic Carapazza called for the tarp to be placed on the infield.
The Guardians managed only one hit off Anthony Kay in the first four innings, an RBI single by Bazzana in the third that plated Gabriel Arias.
Kay exited following the delay with two strikeouts and two walks. Dominguez was charged with two runs in one-third of an inning.
Williams worked 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked a pair.
