The Minnesota Twins launched four home runs on Wednesday night but a rough night from their bullpen helped the Cleveland Guardians earn an 11-10 victory and put them on top of the American League Central standings.
Carlos Correa got the Twins off to a good start in the first inning, launching a 437-foot bomb into the second deck to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. Correa struck again in the third, launching his second homer of the night to make it a 3-1 game.
CARLOS CORREA LAUNCHES HIS SECOND đź’Ł OF THE NIGHT! #MNTWINS pic.twitter.com/xK6sgvWeum
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) June 23, 2022
The Twins went on to build a 5-1 lead before Cleveland battled back with three runs in the top of the fifth, but Max Kepler held off the Guardians momentarily with an opposite-field home run in the bottom half of the inning.
OPPO TACO FOR KEPLER! 🌮#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/U7EXVOVC3d
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) June 23, 2022
Despite the 6-5 advantage, it didn’t last as Jharel Cotton gave up solo home runs to Ahmed Rosario and Oscar Gonzalez to put Cleveland on top in the seventh inning.
The Twins battled back with an Alex Kirilloff RBI single and a three-run homer by Gio Urshela to take a 10-7 lead and after a 1-2-3 eighth inning for Emilo Pagan, Rocco Baldelli pressed his luck by sending him out for the ninth.
That turned out to be a bad idea as Josh Naylor drove in a run on an RBI double. After Griffin Jax came in to relieve Pagan, Gonzalez drove in two runs on an RBI single to tie the game before Owen Miller delivered a sac fly to put Cleveland ahead for good.
With the loss, the Twins are one game behind the Guardians for first place in the division. Minnesota will look to salvage the series on Thursday afternoon when Devin Smeltzer takes the mound against Zach Plesac.
