Game 32 Recap 5/5 | Guardians Lose 0-2 vs. Twins

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3 Observations from the Game

1 – 3 hits

That’s it, three hits for the Guardians today.   Guardians are not only hitting into outs, but their outs are quick, easy, and soft.  How bad is it getting, JRAM tried to score from second on an infield single from Oscar Gonzalez, getting thrown out at home with ease.  Clearly, Rameriz was feeling the pressure of needing to score.

2 – Peyton Battenfield

Battenfield got the first 17 batters out and added 7 strikeouts in a great start. Battenfield only made one mistake, the home run to Kepler, but outside of that was unhittable for most of the game. 

3 – Mike Zunino more issues

Another passed ball for Zunino, who continues to have struggles behind the plate.  It is uncomfortable watching him defensively, and the Guardians need to start planning an alternative for a catcher, like now.  

Game Summary

On Friday night, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-0, thanks to Max Kepler’s two-run homer and Bailey Ober’s exceptional pitching performance. Ober, who improved to 2-0, allowed only three hits and one walk in seven innings while striking out six batters, resulting in a combined three-hitter. Jorge López handled the eighth inning with ease, and Jhoan Duran secured his seventh save by pitching the ninth inning.

The Guardians’ starting pitcher, Peyton Battenfield, did not allow any baserunners until the sixth inning when Christian Vázquez singled with two outs. Kepler then smashed a 440-foot home run to right field, scoring the only runs of the game. Despite striking out seven batters without issuing a walk, Battenfield, who dropped to 0-3, surrendered two hits over seven innings in his fifth big-league appearance.

The Twins set a franchise record by homering in 17 consecutive games, and Kepler has hit 15 of his career home runs at Progressive Field since 2016, the most by any visiting player. Cleveland’s best opportunity to score came in the seventh inning when Oscar Gonzalez reached on an infield single, but José Ramírez was thrown out at home plate when attempting to advance. The Guardians have been shut out four times.

Byron Buxton of the Twins, who had an eight-game hitting streak and had reached base multiple times in six straight games, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Minnesota currently leads the AL Central by 4 1/2 games over the Guardians, and the teams will play each other 12 more times this season. The game took 2 hours and 11 minutes to complete and featured a total of six hits.

Up Next

Saturday – Game 2 vs. Minnesota Twins 6:10 PM EST.