Guardians 3, Twins 2 (10 Innings): The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

[Matt Braun]

Image courtesy of © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Box Score
Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Alan Roden (-.252), Kody Funderburk (-.193), Mickey Gasper (-.189)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Still reeling from the Great Restructure of 2025, the Twins had to play ball. Though emotions still ran high from the day prior, these games nonetheless must be played—even if the team most closely resembles a zombie, or perhaps an organism controlled by a parasite long after it died. So, bring on your huddled masses—your Austin Martins, Edouard Juliens, and Erasmo Ramírezs—because these games matter to them. And someone has to play them.

Friday’s opponent was the Cleveland Guardians. Hey, at least the inevitable heartbreak will feel numb this time. No need to re-explore the third track off Elton John’s Honky Château.

Joe Ryan appeared disinterested initially. And a little lethargic. His stuff was fine, yet his typical calm demeanor read more aloof than usual; no play exemplified this more than when José Ramírez stole second off him in the game’s opening frame with a cartoonish jump so large he could have run safely to Dayton. Cleveland scored runs in the first and second off the righty.

Fortunately, the malaise was short-lived, as Ryan settled into a scoreless groove for four frames, eventually allowing him to walk off the mound with a respectable two-run, six-inning start under his belt. He whiffed four.

Ryan Jeffers, Matt Wallner, and their Merry Men of Hitters Still on the Team had their hands full with Guardians starter Gavin Williams. A practitioner of stuff, not command, the tall righty overpowered the Twins with his assortment of high-velocity fastballs and sweeping breakers. They were utterly baffled; Williams shut them out for six frames with two threats—a close attempt by Brooks Lee to score on a hit to the outfield in the third, and a base-loaded opportunity in the fourth—serving as the only real threats to his dominance. 

Yet, providence evidently deemed the Twins a useful vessel for her unusual methods. With Williams gone, Minnesota placed two men on base, coaxing Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to call on Hunter Gaddis out of the bullpen. Gaddis elicited a meager check-swing by Martin that dribbled the ball in front of the plate. The pitcher pounced. He saw a vision. There he is, Jeter-ing the ball to first in miraculous fashion. The ESPN Top 10 would certainly include his play. 

 

 

The Not Top 10, it turns out. Gaddis hurled the ball beyond Carlos Santana, who awkwardly tipped it into no-man’s land, allowing the eventual game-tying run to score.

The game sat at two a piece for a time. Neither side looked vigorous in their scrap to score again. Twice, a Cleveland batter flew out to right field the warning track in the ninth. Matt Wallner was unenthused both times. 

The game lurched into extras with the Twins' offense still stuck in neutral. They couldn't score their Manfred runner. The Guardians did. This time, Kyle Manzardo was the hero. With a great lacking in clutchness, the Twins reminded us that, though the players may change, the jerseys still restrain them from being able to win a close game against the Cleveland Guardians

Notes:

Joe Ryan's four strikeouts give him an Ozzy-inspired 666 in his career, good for 16th in team history. He's 49 behind Eric Milton.

Austin Martin set an MLB career-high with three hits in a game.

José Ramírez became the 17th player in MLB history with 275+ homers and 275+ steals in his career. 

Post-Game Interview:

 

What’s Next?
The Twins and Guardians play again on Saturday, with the highly-anticipated TBD (likely Bailey Ober) is set to pitch against Tanner Bibee with first pitch arriving at 3:10 PM.

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

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[Vanimal46]

Gestures broadly at Rocco Baldelli. Are we doing a reset or not? Once again he gets schooled by Stephen Vogt when it comes to manufacturing runs in Manfred Ball. 

[Vanimal46]

Also, seeing Duran’s entrance replicated in Philly hit me in the gut tonight. Really sad. 

[bunsen82]

Tank mode has started off well. Ryan was solid, Martin looked great. Topa and Sands looked Ok. Racked up another loss. For the lottery sitting at 6th best odds. 
 

Baltimore, A’s and Pirates all are playing pretty well. The other team we want to get on a hot streak is the Braves. Colorado, National and Angels can’t pick above pick 9 with anti tanking rules. 

[Western SD Fan]

"Joe Ryan appeared disinterested initially." -  This makes sense for a player who is likely confused why he is still in Minnesota when everyone else of any intrinsic value to another organization was traded off in the last 48 hours.

[USAFChief]

28 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Tank mode has started off well. Ryan was solid, Martin looked great. Topa and Sands looked Ok. Racked up another loss. For the lottery sitting at 6th best odds. 
 

Baltimore, A’s and Pirates all are playing pretty well. The other team we want to get on a hot streak is the Braves. Colorado, National and Angels can’t pick above pick 9 with anti tanking rules. 

Seriously?

Go be a **** somewhere else. 

[CharlieDee]

Top of the 10th, the lead off batter must bunt that free runner to 3rd. C'mon Rocco!

[Vanimal46]

17 minutes ago, CharlieDee said:

Top of the 10th, the lead off batter must bunt that free runner to 3rd. C'mon Rocco!

Especially when that lead off batter is Mickey Gasper. 

[h2oface]

Article forgot to mention the lost run when Jeffers feel asleep on that wild pitch. Wake up Jeffers. You are going to to have to take every break you can. 
 

why is Funderburk even in this organization anymore?

[S Bart]

Confirmed: Cheap Pohlads Ordered MN Twins’ Deadline Demolition

Click link above to good synopsis of situation.

[KirbyDome89]

Disinterested or not, Ryan gets out of the 1st unharmed as well if Julien doesn't botch that double play ball.

[Mike Sixel]

Why is gasper on a team auditioning players for next year? What's the damn plan?

[FlyingFinn]

Was a big Julien fan but that is dwindling. Same Julien - bad fielding and too many strikeouts.

[USAFChief]

Nothing says rebuild quite like "1B Kody Clemens"

[knothole61]

2 hours ago, CharlieDee said:

Top of the 10th, the lead off batter must bunt that free runner to 3rd. C'mon Rocco!

Charlie, 100% of the time when the "batter" is Gasper. 

[knothole61]

My portly friend Bill had the same look on his face that Gasper did tonight whenever he had to face the pitching machine in Little League tryouts. The big difference: Bill was very bad and never made the team and Gasper is actually getting paid to look and perform like a deer in the headlights. Unreal!

Gasper and Funderburk...for the love of God, why? 

[h2oface]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Also, seeing Duran’s entrance replicated in Philly hit me in the gut tonight. Really sad. 

Kruk was saying the Twins helped their production crew get it set up. 5 pitches - 3 outs. Made me sick. Not as sick as listening to that scum Falvey during the game, though. 

[h2oface]

2 hours ago, S Bart said:

Confirmed: Cheap Pohlads Ordered MN Twins’ Deadline Demolition

Click link above to good synopsis of situation.

Above Link doesn’t work. Try this one:

Don’t try it. Site doesn’t let it paste at all. 

[h2oface]

This one might. 
 

https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/pohlads-ordered-trade-deadline-demolition/

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, CharlieDee said:

Top of the 10th, the lead off batter must bunt that free runner to 3rd. C'mon Rocco!

Especially when it's a non hitter like Gasper

[Nshore]

4 hours ago, CharlieDee said:

Top of the 10th, the lead off batter must bunt that free runner to 3rd. C'mon Rocco!

The announcer defended Gasper not bunting by saying he "hadn't done it all year" or some such nonsense - like he was being asked to split the atom.  Gasper plays baseball for a living, but apparently doesn't know how to bunt.  The Twins have to find players who know how to play baseball.

[Lasorda_This_Out]

Noooo! We lose after the Great Restructure?

Say it ain't so Joe!?

Bob Casey: "The Totals On The Board Are Correct"

                       "Goodnight"

 

 

[mikelink45]

Thank you Joe Ryan - without his effort there would be no room for a positive comment.  Julien Ks twice and is replaced with Gaspar who Ks twice.  Shouldn't we have Keaschall back?  

How can you not be excited when 5 of the players in the Box score are hitting under 200.  I remember when it was the Mendoza line and would be embarrassing. Two more were under 225!

Funderburk 7.27 closer - who needs Varland, Duran, Jax, Stewart, Columbe?

 

[Peter]

Ugly gut wrenching loss!!! Just livid losing 🤬😡😤👎😭You must must must bunt in extras!!! We would’ve scored on sac fly and won. Why is gasper/funderburk on team??? Ill still watch and support our twins but It’s going to be long 2 months and 3 year rebuild!!! Still in shock with massive fire sale!!! 

[The Great Hambino]

22 minutes ago, Peter said:

Ugly gut wrenching loss!!! Just livid losing 🤬😡😤👎😭You must must must bunt in extras!!! We would’ve scored on sac fly and won. Why is gasper/funderburk on team??? Ill still watch and support our twins but It’s going to be long 2 months and 3 year rebuild!!! Still in shock with massive fire sale!!! 

Peter man, the other team gets to hit too.  That ain't a winning run

I generally would rather not bunt in the top of the tenth (bottom is a different story).  But with a nonfactor at the plate ... sure, lay one down

And I'm not ready to complain about Funderburk being on the team as long as Erasmo Ramirez is on the team

[rv78]

Gasper doesn't bunt because he doesn't know how? When you are a prolific hitting machine like he is, you don't throw away an at-bat by bunting. LOL! The guy has a career .125 batting average in the majors. WTF is he even doing on a major league roster and who put him there? And if he isn't capable of bunting, shouldn't the Manager replace him with someone who can? Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Falvey and Rocco are the problem.

[jorgenswest]

Competitive game of baseball. I appreciate the players that made it possible. I am not going to slam any of these men who have worked so hard to get here. They just need to fight and play competitively every day. I think Baldelli put out the best players he had and the players are playing for their future. That’s not tanking. I have no interest in competing for a draft spot. There are two months of baseball left. Those games matter. Keep battling.

They Pohlad’s stopped fighting to win in 2023. They hurt this franchise and community with every day that they remain. I have no respect for people that won’t battle.

[William K Johnson]

7 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Nothing says rebuild quite like "1B Kody Clemens"

And batting cleanup

[William K Johnson]

Random thoughts - 

- The ninth slot in the lineup goes 0-4 with four strikeouts.   And I thought Vasquez was bad in the nine hole.

- Funderburke O/U on losses now at seven and a half.

- Agree with earlier poster, with a major league second baseman in the game last night, Ryan gets out of the first without a run.

- Roden did not have a good game, but, and this may sound crazy, but his long foul ball had a loud crack off the bat.

- Falvey's interview was an insult to all Twin fans.  However, my hats off to Corey Povus for asking the same questions I would have asked.   Falvey spun away from all of them but appreciate the attempt.

- Anyone aware of a Buxton press conference today?

 

[Doctor Gast]

9 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Also, seeing Duran’s entrance replicated in Philly hit me in the gut tonight. Really sad. 

I know