CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s Logan Allen held the Miami Marlins to a solo homer and struck out eight over six innings to win his major league debut Sunday, a 7-4 victory that kept the Guardians from being swept.
Allen ended the day with the game’s lineup card and several baseballs. And the requisite beer bath mixed with shaving cream.
“It was a little cold, but it was awesome,” he said with a smile. “Anytime we’re celebrating something like that, it’s amazing.”
Allen’s performance came in front of his parents, brother, girlfriend, agent and other family members. He admitted he had trouble sleeping Saturday night.
“There was definitely a lot of nerves going into the game, but once I got to the bullpen and started throwing it felt normal,” Allen said. “I took it all in and appreciated what it was.”
Called up from Triple-A Columbus before the game, the 24-year-old left hander gave up a two-out homer to Jon Berti in the third. Otherwise, he allowed five hits and walked one, and finished with a flourish by striking out three around a one-out walk in the sixth.
Allen pounded his fist into his glove after Avisaíl García took a called strike three to end the inning. He received a loud ovation as he walked off the field and was greeted by his teammates when he reached the dugout.
He’s the third rookie to start a game for the Guardians, whose rotation is missing the injured Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale.
“He had poise,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “He threw three pitches. He attacked. He did really well.”
Allen struck out Berti on a 3-2 pitch and whiffed Garrett Cooper on three pitches to start the game. Jorge Solar doubled off the left-field wall, but Bryan De La Cruz grounded out.
“Getting the first out in any inning is big, but especially for the first time it was nice,” Allen said.
“He worked quick,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “The second, third and fourth innings we wanted to disrupt him a little bit. It didn’t work. Credit to him with his composure out there. It didn’t matter what we did.”
Amed Rosario sparked Cleveland’s slumbering offense by going 4 for 5 with two singles, a triple and double while scoring three runs. José Ramírez, who had four RBIs, and Josh Bell hit back-to-back homers in the third.
Needing a home run for the cycle in the eighth, Rosario’s line drive to left hooked foul and he settled for an infield hit.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t thinking about it, but my mindset was just to get a good pitch,” he said through a translator.