Sept. 17—Rookie Kyle Manzado hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins 4–3 on Monday night.
Minnesota reliever Griffin Jaquez (4-5) broke up a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning as the Twins took a 3-2 lead, but the American League Central-leading Guardians (87-64) then held them for a run.
After Josh Naylor’s two-run homer and Ryan Thomas’s strikeout, Manzardo hit his third career major league home run – and his 43rd of the game – into the right-field seats, ultimately giving Cleveland three consecutive victories.
After three innings, the Guardians fell behind 3-0, with starter Matthew Boyd only pitching 2 2/3 innings. However, five relievers combined to allow just three hits and the Guardians regained the lead.
Angel Martinez had three hits and an RBI to pace Cleveland’s offense.
Meanwhile, Twins starter Pablo López allowed eight hits and two walks but just two runs in 6 1/3 innings as the Twins (79-79) finished third and last in the AL despite falling to 9-18. López struck out four.
Things got worse for Boyd and the Guardians in the third quarter.
Boyd allowed a double to Carlos Correa and then struck out Carlos Santana. However, the left-hander loaded the bases via back-to-back walks.
Correa came home on a pass and Byron Buxton’s solo shot to center scored two more. Kyle Farmer ended the night with a single and Boyd had three runs (earned) and five hits. Boyd walked three and struck out five.
With two outs in the fifth, López hit Brayan Roscio with a pitch, Martínez smashed a two-run hit down the right field line, and then Andrés Gimenez’s infield single moved Roscio to third and gave the home team a 3–1 lead.
Martinez had an RBI single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to make the score 3–2.
Emmanuel Class tied Cleveland’s single-season franchise record with his 46th save of the year.
——Visual-level media
