Minnesota’s three-game winning streak ended Saturday night with a 3-2 home loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
The Twins were leading 2-1 until Will Brennan unloaded on a Sonny Gray curveball for a two-run homer to put the Guardians in front 3-2 in the seventh inning. Brennan had an RBI double earlier in the game to get Cleveland on the scoreboard.
Bird Boy!#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/55odyb7Sju
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 4, 2023
In the ninth, Steven Kwan took Jorge Lopez deep for a solo home run and a 4-2 lead.
Steven Kwan, insurance agent.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/1PCKPfbHNP
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 4, 2023
It was the latest in a string of difficult outings for the 2022 All-Star reliever. In his past six appearances, Lopez has pitched 3.1 innings and allowed nine runs on 10 hits and four walks/hit by pitch. Five of the hits off him in that span were homers. Since May 20, Lopez’s ERA has ballooned from 1.31 to 4.56.
The Twins scored their two of runs on a leadoff homer to start the bottom of the first by Jorge Polanco and then an RBI double by Donovan Solano in the fifth.
A leadoff blast from Jorge Polanco gets the @Twins on the board first! pic.twitter.com/x4uvvaFKVa
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 3, 2023
Carlos Correa (foot) and Byron Buxton (ribs) were both held out for the second consecutive game after they left with injuries in Thursday’s game against Cleveland.
Note: Twins manager Rocco Baldelli wasn’t available at the start of the game due to a stomach illness. He was seen on the bench later in the game but bench coach Jayce Tingler handled the primary managerial duties.
Up next: Twins vs. Guardians, Sunday at 1:10 p.m.
