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Guardians blanked, 2-0, by Johnny Cueto and Chicago; keep 1-game lead in AL Central

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Rain delayed the start of Saturday night’s game between the Guardians and White Sox by almost three hours. The long delay did nothing to take the luster off a pitching duel between Shane Bieber and Johnny Cueto.

The decision went to Cueto and the White Sox as they beat the Guardians, 2-0, at Progressive Field. The White Sox moved to within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Guardians in the AL Central. Cleveland maintained its one-game lead over the Twins, who lost to Texas, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the sixth on Jose Abreu’s one-out double to the wall in center. Luis Robert, who reached on a leadoff single that was almost caught by second baseman Andres Gimenez, scored from first. Bieber created more problems for himself when he wildly pitched Abreu to third, but he threw a called third strike past Yoan Moncada and retired Gavin Sheets on a grounder to second.

Abreu entered the game hitting .282 (11-for-39) with one double, three homers and four RBI against Bieber.

The White Sox, who ended a three-game losing streak, added an insurance run in the seventh on a fly ball by Josh Harrison and a throwing error by rookie right fielder Will Benson. Benson caught Harrison’s fly ball at medium depth with Elvis Andrus at third. Andrus was holding the bag, but when Benson threw home, the ball short-hopped catcher Luke Maile as Andrus scored.

Andrus, a thorn in the Guardians’ side throughout his career, entered the game hitting .338 (113-for-334) against them. Andrus, signed by the White Sox just before this series after being released by Oakland, singled off Bieber with Yasmani Grandal at second in the seventh. Grandal was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Myles Straw to keep Chicago’s lead at 1-0.

When Grandal tried to avoid Maile’s tag, he injured his left knee and had to be helped off the field. James Karinchak relieved Bieber as Grandal was being helped to Chicago’s locker room. When play resumed Andrus stole third to put himself in position to score on Harrison’s fly ball.

Bieber (8-7, 10-3) allowed two runs, one earned, in 6 1/3 innings. He saw his four-start winning streak end. Bievber is 2-2 with a 2.96 ERA in four starts against Chicago this season. He’s 7-4 in his career against the White Sox.

Cueto (6-5, 2.58) improved to 5-0 in his career against Cleveland. He has never lost at Progressive Field, going 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA. The 36-year-old right-hander allowed five hits over 8 2/3 innings. He struck out two, walked one and had the Guardians hitting enough harmless fly balls to fill their quota for the next week or so.

Liam Hendriks got the final out for his 29th save.

Bieber and Cueto were at the top of their game through the first five innings.

Steven Kwan opened the first with a single past third, but nothing came of it as Amed Rosario bounced into a double play. Oscar Gonzalez was the only other Guardian to reach base in the first four innings as he walked with two out in the second.

Bieber, who walked just three batters in his last four starts, had some early control issues. He issued a two-out walk in the first and consecutive walks to Robert and Eloy Jimenez with two out in the third. The walks did not hurt Bieber as Abreu hit into a force play to end the first and went down on a fly ball to center to end the third.

Sheets presented a problem in the second when he beat the shift and doubled to left field with one out. Bieber came back to strike out Grandal and retire Andrus on a liner to right.

Bieber, after the consecutive walks to Robert and Jimenez in the third, retired seven straight before Robert’s leadoff single in the sixth. He was assisted by Kwan who made a nice running catch toward the line of Moncada’s liner to left to start the fourth.

Cueto retired nine straight after walking Gonzalez in the second. Gonzalez ended the streak with a one-out single in the fifth. Cueto retired Benson on a pop up, but Maile reached on an error by second baseman Josh Harris to give the Guardians their first scoring chance.

It ended when Straw was retired on a grounder over second base on a nice pick and throw by Andrus. Straw came into the game hitting .093 (5-for-54) in August.

The start of the game was delayed for 2 hours and 55 minutes by rain.

Next: RHP Aaron Civale (2-5, 5.63) vs RHP Dylan Cease (12-5, 2.09) on Sunday at 12:05 pm Peacock will televise the game. WTAM, WMMS and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game as well.

Guardians merchandise for sale: Here’s where you can order new Cleveland Guardians gear, including T-shirts, hats, jerseys, hoodies, and much more.

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