TORONTO (Interstat) — Angel Martínez hit two home runs and drove in four runs, and the Cleveland Guardians built an early five-run lead and held off the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6 on Friday night at Rogers Centre in front of 41,671 fans.

The game lasted 2 hours, 42 minutes.

Cleveland improved to 15-12, while Toronto fell to 10-15.

Gavin Williams earned the win for the Guardians, improving to 4-1. He allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out three and walking two. Max Scherzer took the loss for the Blue Jays, falling to 1-3. Scherzer surrendered seven runs on six hits over five innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. Cade Smith recorded his sixth save of the season, working a scoreless ninth inning despite allowing two hits.

The Guardians sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning, erupting for five runs against Scherzer. Daniel Schneemann led off the game with a home run to right field, his third of the season. After a groundout and a walk to José Ramírez, Kyle Manzardo popped out for the second out. Rhys Hoskins kept the inning alive with a single to center, moving Ramírez to third. George Valera doubled to right-center, scoring Ramírez and Hoskins. Martínez followed with a home run to right-center, his fourth, driving in Valera and putting Cleveland ahead 5-0.

Toronto answered in the bottom of the first. Nathan Lukes doubled to right, and after Ernie Clement flied out, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to score Lukes. Jesús Sánchez then homered to center, his third, trimming the Cleveland lead to 5-2.

The Blue Jays pulled within 5-3 in the second inning when Kazuma Okamoto led off with a home run to center, his fourth. Andrés Giménez followed with a single, but the next two batters were retired.

Cleveland restored its five-run cushion in the third. Hoskins walked leading off, then Valera grounded out, advancing Hoskins to second. Martínez hit his second home run of the game, a fly ball to right-center, scoring Hoskins to make it 7-3. Martínez’s two-homer game gave him five for the season.

Toronto chipped away in the fifth. Davis Schneider walked leading off, and Ernie Clement doubled to left, scoring Schneider to cut the lead to 7-4.

The Guardians added a run in the sixth. Brayan Rocchio singled, and Schneemann doubled to center, putting runners at second and third. Chase DeLauter reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Rocchio to make it 8-4.

Toronto mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Lenyn Sosa singled. After Daulton Varsho lined out, Okamoto walked to put runners at first and second. Andrés Giménez doubled to left, scoring Sosa and Okamoto, bringing the Blue Jays within 8-6. But Tyler Heineman flied out to end the inning.

The Blue Jays threatened again in the ninth against Smith. Okamoto singled to left, and Giménez singled to right, putting runners at first and second with no outs. Eloy Jiménez grounded into a double play, third baseman José Ramírez to second baseman Schneemann to first baseman Manzardo, with Okamoto advancing to third on the play. Davis Schneider then popped out to second base to end the game.

Martínez finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. He was named the top star for Cleveland. His recent performances include a 2-for-4 game with a home run and an RBI on April 21 against Houston, but he was 0-for-1 on April 22 and 0-for-4 on April 19.

Schneemann went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, one RBI and two runs scored. He led off the game with a homer and also doubled in the sixth.

For Toronto, Giménez had three hits in four at-bats with a double and two RBIs. Okamoto homered and doubled, scoring twice.

Cleveland outhit Toronto 10-9. The Guardians collected five runs on five hits in the first inning and two more on Martínez’s second homer in the third. Toronto’s bullpen kept the game close after Scherzer departed. Mason Fluharty pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, Joe Mantiply worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout, Tommy Nance struck out three in a perfect inning, and Spencer Miles allowed one run on two hits over two innings with two strikeouts.

Cleveland’s relief corps also held firm. Hunter Gaddis pitched a scoreless seventh, and Erik Sabrowski worked a scoreless eighth with one strikeout. Smith earned the save despite allowing two hits.

Attendance was announced at 41,671.

The teams continue their three-game series Saturday at Rogers Centre. Cleveland sends its rotation to the hill against Toronto’s. The Guardians then return home to face Tampa Bay on Monday, while the Blue Jays host Boston on Monday.

The game’s most important sequence occurred in the first inning when Cleveland batted around and scored five runs, setting the tone with Schneemann’s leadoff homer and Martínez’s two-run blast. The Guardians never trailed, even after Toronto pulled within two in the sixth.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland 5, Toronto 4. The Interstat ELO system gave Toronto a 55.20 percent probability to win. Cleveland was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 14 runs went under the over-under line of 8.