Victories in spring training are meaningless, but after a 1-5 start, The Cleveland Guardians had to feel good about a second win.

Cleveland beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 on Friday afternoon in Goodyear, Ariz.

LIVELY START

Ben Lively made a strong case for a spot in the Guardians’ starting rotation. He pitched three shutout innings, striking out three.

Lively’s performance came one day after Triston McKenzie took a step backwards by walking five batters in a loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Koby Allard, a candidate for a long relief role, pitched the next three innings and gave up a run on four hits.

Doug Nikhazy pitched the seventh and eighth innings and picked up the win. Mason Hickman struck out two in the ninth for the save.

JUST ENOUGH OFFENSE

Steven Kwan put the Guardians on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Johnathan Rodriguez scored, as he is looking for a roster spot as a backup outfielder.

Angel Martinez got the start at second base in the wide-open competition to replace Andres Gimenez, who was traded to Toronto in the off-season.

Milan Tolentino, a minor-league shortstop, delivered the game-winning hit for the Guardians. He singled with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to score Dayan Frias and Micah Pries.

Cleveland’s Cactus League schedule will continue today against the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Ariz. The game will start at 3:05 p.m. Eastern time.