September 17 – The Cleveland Guardians continue their success against the Minnesota Twins and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot.
The Guardians fought back to beat the visiting Twins in the first of a four-game series and were looking for their fourth straight win on Tuesday night.
Kyle Manzardo, making his second trip to the majors in his first major league season, hit a two-run lead in the eighth inning against Griffin Jax on Monday, a home run that gave the American League Central-leading Guardians (87-64) a 4-3 victory. The magic number for Cleveland to clinch a playoff spot is two games.
“These guys step up night after night,” said an emotional Guardians head coach Stephen Vogt when speaking to the media following Monday’s win.
“They want to win.”
Meanwhile, Manzado is playing in his 43rd career game. All three of his major league home runs were hit this month.
“It’s a great series, a division rivalry,” Manzado said. “Let it continue.”
The Guardians are 8-2 on the season after beating the Twins (79-71). Minnesota currently holds the final wild-card spot in the American League but is stuck at 9-18.
On Monday, the Twins scored all of their runs in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. However, they stranded 10 base runners that night and allowed three hits to five Cleveland relievers.
“Obviously, overall, it was a tough game,” Minnesota coach Rocco Baldelli said. “We have to do more.”
Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (3-9, 5.23 ERA), who won 2-1 on the road on Aug. 10, allowed four hits and walked one over six innings.
However, the right-hander is looking to avoid a third consecutive loss after allowing eight runs, nine hits and five walk-offs in six innings over his previous two starts. In a 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay last Thursday, Williams allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
“When Gavin gets hit hard in a game, it’s usually when he’s behind in the count,” Vogt said. “In those games he’s really shown what he’s capable of, being able to hit and execute on all of his pitches.”
If Williams runs into trouble, he will likely be set up by MLB’s best bullpen, Cleveland, which threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Monday and has a 3-0 ERA in its past seven games. The points allowed rate is 0.28. Leading the way is Emmanuel Class, who tied a franchise record with his 46th save on Monday.
The Guardians will have their first look at Minnesota starter Zebbie Matthews (1-3, 7.11 ERA), who pitched in his first three games after debuting on August 13. His record as a major league starter was 1-1 with an ERA of 3.00, giving up 15 earned runs (including 6 home runs) on 25 hits.
Against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, Mathews hit two solo home runs, hit three more and drove in two runs before leaving the game with 3 1/3 to go in the Twins’ 6-4 win.
Minnesota’s Kyle Farmer had two hits Monday and is 10 of 23 in his last eight games.
Angel Martinez, another promising Cleveland player, had three hits in the series opener. Recalled from the minors over the weekend after star prospect Steven Kwan (due to injury) missed the previous four games, Martinez has gone 5 for 7 in the last two games.
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