Guardians blanked by Braves

CLEVELAND — The Atlanta Braves had hit rock bottom and came into Friday's 2-0 win over the Guardians 15 games under .500 and in fourth place in the National League East Division. Cleveland had won seven of its previous nine games and 23 of its last 32. None of that mattered, as the Guardians were handcuffed by rookie right-hander Hurston Waldrep (3-0), who was making just his fifth major league appearance and third of the season, before 33,571 at Progressive Field. Waldrep lowered a sterling 1.54 ERA to 1.02. Waldrep allowed just two hits, both by Cleveland leadoff hitter Steven Kwan. The Guardians posed little threat to Waldrep, who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Aug. 3. The 2023 first-round draft pick went six innings and allowed two hits, no runs and two walks while striking out seven. He threw 95 pitches, 55 for strikes. Atlanta scored the first run in the fourth inning, when Cleveland's Joey Cantillo suddenly couldn't find the strike zone. Cantillo walked Nacho Alvarez with the bases loaded to force in Ozzie Albies for a 1-0 advantage. With the count 3-1, a spectator jumped over the wall in center field and was escorted off the field by two policemen. Cantillo (3-3) pitched five innings and suffered the loss. He surrendered four hits, one earned run and four walks while striking out five. The left-hander threw 96 pitches, 56 for strikes. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is now 1-3 on the season when pitching on five days' rest. He's allowed 22 walks in his last eight starts since July 3, tied for fourth in the majors during that stretch. The Braves scored an insurance run in the ninth off reliever Carlos Hernandez when Michael Harris' single drove in pinch-runner Eli White. Harris has now amassed seven consecutive multi-hit games, the longest active streak in baseball, after going 2-for-4 on Friday. Cleveland's defense saved a run in the third, when center fielder Daniel Schneemann perfectly played a carom off the wall by Matt Olson and hit cutoff man Gabriel Arias. The shortstop's throw to catcher Bo Naylor nailed Jurickson Profar at the plate. Naylor was also instrumental in keeping the Braves from scoring more than they did by throwing out two would-be base stealers. The last was overturned by instant replay for the third out of the seventh. The Guardians hadn't been shut out since losing 1-0 to Detroit on July 5. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com.