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Angel Genao delivered an MLB debut to remember for the Cleveland Guardians Wednesday night.
Cleveland’s top-rated prospect, Genao was called up for his first MLB game at home against the New York Mets. He logged four straight hits to start his MLB career and knocked in a go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning. He also committed two errors on the same play.
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Unfortunately for the Guardians, the lead from his go-ahead knock didn’t stand, and the Mets went on to a 6-5 win in extra innings. Genao made a strong first impression regardless of the outcome of the game.
Genao, a shortstop, joined the Guardians as the 39th-ranked prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Cleveland called him up in the midst of a heated playoff race and entered Wednesday night in control of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
In his first big-league at-bat, Genao hit a single to right field in the bottom of the third inning. In his second, he hit a leadoff single in the fifth inning and eventually came around to score as the Guardians tied the game at 3-3.
In the sixth, Genao made it 3-for-3 with another single that didn’t result a run. And in the seventh, he took the plate in a leverage situation, with two outs and runners on the corners in a 4-4 game.
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Dedniel Nunez delivered a 97 mph fastball on the outside corner, and Genao drove it down the left-field line for a go-ahead RBI to give the Guardians a 5-4 lead.
The lead stook with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. But a fielding error by Brayan Rocchio on a ground ball with the bases loaded allowed the Mets to tie the game at 5-5.
Genao then had a chance to make it 5-for-5 at the plate with a shot at a walk-off victory. But with a man on second and two outs, he hit a fly ball to center field to send the game to extra innings.
The Mets then scored in the top of the ninth to secure the one-run victory.
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Genao’s night wasn’t without flaws. A fielding error in the fourth inning allowed New York’s Carson Benge to reach safely with one out. A throwing error by Genao on the same play allowed Benge to reach second. Benge came arround to score on a Jared Young double on the next at-bat.
But the errors can be forgiven considering Genao’s remarkable night at the plate. He finished 4-for-5 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI. And he may have played his way out of the nine hole in his first MLB game.
