CLEVELAND (Interstat) — José Ramírez launched two solo home runs and Brayan Rocchio delivered a crucial three-hit, three-RBI performance as the Cleveland Guardians outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 8-4 on Sunday to claim the series victory at Progressive Field.

A crowd of 17,408 watched the Guardians improve to 13-10, taking three of four games in the weekend set. The Orioles fell to 10-12.

The game’s pivotal sequence unfolded in the middle innings, transforming a pitchers’ duel into a back-and-forth offensive contest. Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo and Baltimore’s Trevor Rogers traded zeroes through the first two frames before the Guardians broke through in the third. Austin Hedges reached on a Rogers fielding error, advanced to third on a Rocchio single, and scored on Steven Kwan’s sacrifice fly.

Ramírez then ignited the Cleveland offense in the fourth, crushing his fifth home run of the season to left-center field to tie the game. The rally continued as David Fry singled and Daniel Schneemann walked. Juan Brito followed with a two-run double to the gap in left-center, giving Cleveland a 4-1 lead. Rocchio capped the four-run inning with an RBI single, plating Brito.

Baltimore answered forcefully in the top of the fifth against Cantillo. After a walk and a single, Taylor Ward connected for a three-run homer to left field, his first of the year, to suddenly tie the game at 5-5. The Orioles weren’t finished. Pete Alonso singled, Johnathan Rodríguez walked, and Jeremiah Jackson reached on a fielding error by Brito to load the bases. Dylan Beavers then hit a fielder’s choice grounder to second, bringing Alonso home to give Baltimore its first lead at 6-5.

The advantage was short-lived. Ramírez led off the bottom of the fifth and immediately hammered his second homer of the game, a solo shot to left field, to knot the score at 6-6. It was his sixth home run of the season and marked a powerful rebound after he went hitless in the previous two games of the series.

From there, Cleveland’s bullpen took control. Matt Festa (1-0) recorded the final out of the fifth inning to earn the win. Peyton Pallette and Erik Sabrowski followed with three combined hitless innings, striking out five Orioles batters.

The Guardians secured the win with two insurance runs in the eighth. Facing Baltimore reliever Tyler Wells, who had otherwise been sharp with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts, Cleveland loaded the bases on a walk and two singles. After two strikeouts, Rocchio came through again, lining a two-run single to center field to provide the final 8-4 margin.

Shawn Armstrong worked a perfect ninth to close it out.

Rogers (2-2) took the loss for Baltimore, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out five. Cantillo went 4 2/3 innings for Cleveland, surrendering five hits and three earned runs while striking out six.

Ward’s three-run homer represented the bulk of the Orioles’ offense, as they managed just five hits total. The Guardians collected eight hits, with Rocchio’s 3-for-4 day and Ramírez’s two-homer outburst leading the way.

The game time was 2 hours, 35 minutes. The result defied pregame projections, as Baltimore had been installed as a 1.5-run favorite, and the total of 12 runs sailed over an over/under line of 7.5.

Baltimore travels to Kansas City to open a three-game series on Monday. Cleveland remains home to begin a three-game set against Houston, also on Monday.