Guardians snap 5-game losing streak with 5-1 win over Twins
MINNEAPOLIS -- — Gavin Williams pitched six strong innings and José Ramírez had three more hits to extend his hitting streak to 14 games as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 on Wednesday.
Steven Kwan was 3 for 5 with two doubles and Carlos Santana added his second home run of the day in the eighth inning as the Guardians snapped a five-game losing streak by earning a split on the day. Earlier Wednesday, the Twins won the completion of a suspended game 6-5 on Kody Clemens’ walk-off double.
Williams (4-2) finished with six strikeouts against two walks and two hits in six innings. He's 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four May starts.
The Twins got on the board first as Willi Castro led off the third with a walk. Castro moved to second on an infield grounder and scored on Ryan Jeffers’ single, Minnesota’s first hit of the game.
Twins starter Chris Paddack (2-4) cruised through the first five innings without allowing a run. But Ramírez — who extended his hitting streak with a fourth-inning single — led off the sixth with another base hit. One out later Paddack walked back-to-back hitters to end his day.
Reliever Louis Varland came on and walked Gabriel Arias to bring home the tying run. Nolan Jones then hit a sacrifice fly to put the Guardians on top 2-1.
Paddack allowed two runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
With a steady but light rain falling, Varland and Arias had a nine-pitch battle in the sixth. Arias fouled off three straight two-strike pitches before taking a knuckle-curve just inches off the outside corner to earn his game-tying walk.
Paddack has allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last eight starts.
The Guardians visit Detroit on Thursday with RHP Tanner Bibee (3-4, 4.06 ERA) facing the Tigers' Jack Flaherty (2-5, 4.44) Minnesota is back in action Friday when RHP Pablo López (4-2, 2.40) faces Kansas City LHP Noah Cameron (1-1, 0.71) at Target Field.
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Regular Season Series
CLE leads 4-2
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Shane Livensparger
- First Base Umpire - Nate Tomlinson
- Second Base Umpire - Mark Wegner
- Third Base Umpire - Steven Jaschinski
2025 American League Central Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit | 33 | 17 | .660 | - | W2 |
Minnesota | 27 | 22 | .551 | 5.5 | L1 |
Kansas City | 28 | 23 | .549 | 5.5 | W1 |
Cleveland | 26 | 22 | .542 | 6 | W1 |
Chicago | 15 | 35 | .300 | 18 | L1 |