Game Recap 6/2/23 | Guardians 1-0 loss at Twins

Observations from the Game

3 things Guardians’ 1-0 Loss to the Twins:

1 – Civale good

Aaron Civale looked good in his first outing in almost two months going five innings, no runs, and only four hits.  Sadly, Bailey Ober for the Twinsalso pitched well going six strong and also not giving up any runs.

2 – Rocchio and Freeman

With Josh Bell on the paternity list as of Friday, the Guards called up Brayan Rocchio, who got the start at shortstop, and Tyler Freeman, who has not seen the lineup consistently, got the start at third base.  Both got a single each in four at-bats. 

3 – Jhoan Duran elite 

Twins closer Jhoan Duran was throwing gas on Friday night with multiple pitches above 100 MPH, with several hitting 104.  At one point in the 9th inning, Myles Straw started laughing when he was at home plate because of the speed of his pitches.  Straw eventually did get a hit in the at-bat, the only hit Duran gave up in 1 2/3’s of work. 

Game Summary

On Friday night, the Minnesota Twins secured a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, thanks to Jorge Polanco’s RBI double in the seventh inning and Jhoan Duran’s stellar performance on the mound. The game featured a total of eight hits between the two teams.

It was Polanco’s hit off Nick Sandlin (2-3) that made all the difference. His powerful drive soared high off the right-field wall, allowing Kyle Farmer to score from second base. Prior to that breakthrough moment, both teams struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, going a combined 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Brock Stewart (2-0) played a crucial role in securing the win for the Twins. He entered the game and recorded three outs, successfully stranding two Guardians runners in the seventh inning after Jovani Moran allowed two hits.

In the eighth inning, Duran took the mound with one out and Steven Kwan standing on second base, facing the heart of the Guardians’ lineup. Duran rose to the occasion, striking out José Ramírez, intentionally walking Josh Naylor, and then striking out Andrés Giménez to end the inning.

Duran continued his impressive performance in the ninth inning, earning his eighth save in nine chances.

With this victory, the Twins have now won the first two games of the series and four out of their last five games overall.

Nick Sandlin, who had not given up a hit in his previous eight appearances, struggled in this game, surrendering two hits and a walk in just one inning.

Up Next

Saturday 6/3 7:15 PM EST – Game 3 at Minnesota Twins.