Twins Video
Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan, 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (89 pitches, 60 strikes, 67.4%)
Home Runs: none
Bottom 3 WPA: Max Kepler (-.177), Jorge Polanco (-.139), Carlos Correa (-.139)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
A rain delay likely takes a toll on Ryan’s start
Looking to continue his return to form, Joe Ryan took the mound this afternoon after having posted a 1.64 ERA in his two starts since coming off the Injured List. However, things didn’t look promising for him to begin this game. Though he kept Cleveland off the scoreboard in the first, it took him 28 pitches to conclude the inning.
Ryan gave up a leadoff ground-rule double to Andrés Giménez, and the Guardians second baseman would wind up scoring after moving to third on a flyout and being driven in by a Will Brennan single. Fortunately, for the first portion of the game, that was all the damage Cleveland was able to do against Ryan.
Meanwhile, the offense was having a tough time finding its groove against rookie Gavin Williams. It was a tall order for the bats to maintain the same kind of productivity they’ve had in the first two games of the series – but you also wouldn’t expect them to look so uninspired.
Williams no-hit Minnesota’s offense through four, and all Twins hitters could muster were three walks in that span. Granted, the Guardians' defense made a pair of impressive defensive plays during the second inning that might’ve stolen a run from Minnesota.
The game went into an hour-long rain delay with two outs in the bottom of the third, but both starters remained in the game. Williams was all over the place when he returned to the mound, but home plate umpire Paul Clemons made a few really wild strike calls in the top of the fourth, allowing Williams to catch a big break.
The bottom of the fourth would be Ryan’s last frame, as his pitch count continued to rise. Giménez and Brennan teamed up to score another run for Cleveland, with the former hitting a one-out single and the latter pushing his teammate across with a two-out double.
Williams’ no-hit bid continued in the fifth, but Willi Castro’s leadoff walk would come back to haunt him. During Ryan Jeffers’ at-bat, Castro stole second for his 30th stolen base of the season, the most by any Twin since 2012 (Ben Revere, 40). He becomes the ninth Twin in history to steal at least 30 bases in a season. Andrew Stevenson hit a grounder to left to drive in Castro and put the Twins on the board.
Varland has a hot start, but bats can’t come alive
Making his first big-league relief appearance and first big-league appearance overall since mid-June, Louie Varland looked as solid as ever. He delivered three perfect innings on only 30 pitches, throwing 70% strikes and striking out two. But things changed in the bottom of the eighth, as he gave up a leadoff single, followed by a walk and his departure from the game.
Kody Funderburk came into the game, and he managed to retire the side, making it four innings of scoreless ball provided by the Twins bullpen. However, the great relief effort wasn’t enough for Minnesota. Since Stevenson’s RBI single in the fifth, the offense went 1-for-11 heading into the top of the ninth. Then, reliever Emmanuel Clase had no trouble against the cold Twins bats, retiring the side on only ten pitches.
Postgame interview
What’s Next?
The Twins have a day off on Thursday (Sep 7), and they head back home to begin a weekend set against the New York Mets at Target Field. The series opener is scheduled for Friday (Sep 8) at 7:10 pm CDT, with Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 5.06 ERA) toeing the rubber for Minnesota and Kodai Senga (10-7, 3.08 ERA) making the start for New York.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
| SAT | SUN | MON | TUE | WED | TOT | |
| Headrick | 15 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 61 |
| Varland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 43 |
| Pagán | 24 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 36 |
| Funderburk | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 34 |
| Jax | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 24 |
| Floro | 8 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Durán | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Thielbar | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| Winder | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
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