CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Whatever they’re drinking in the Guardians’ dugout, hopefully they don’t run out.
Their late inning magic continues.
Andres Gimenez smacked a two out, two-run home run to right center in the bottom of the ninth to give the Guardians a 5-3 win over the Twins at Progressive Field.
“It’s a unique sensation and a reminder that we keep fighting till the end,” Gimenez said through an interpreter.
The victory pulled Cleveland within a game of the first place Twins after Cleveland took three of the five game series.
“I’m glad they’re gone, that’s a lot,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “They’re good. I thought we played them pretty tough, but they’re a good team. They’ll be around. They’re a good team.”
Wednesday night Josh Naylor left the ballpark to win it with a two-run shot in the 10th inning.
Thursday’s win was the 17th for Cleveland in their final at-bat this season and 18th of the come-from-behind fashion of the season.
“It’s a hard way to play but I give our guys credit, they keep playing, they keep fighting,” Francona said. “Today, you could tell they were a little out of gas, I get it. We had a chance in the second. They were warming up Thornburg in the second. We didn’t get to him, but we kept playing.
Because of what’s been happening, they feel like they got a chance.”
With the offense sleepwalking through most of the afternoon, someway, somehow the Guardians woke up just in time. For the first seven innings, Jose Ramirez collected the only hit, a two-out single in the first inning, for Cleveland.
Twins pitchers struggled to find the strike zone while Guardians hitters struggled to put the bat on the ball until they started running out of outs.
“You don’t see guys throwing helmets and stuff,” Francona said. “I’m sure they’re frustrated, but they just keep playing. For a young team, that’s impressive, I think, because a lot of times guys are trying to find their way through the league and they forget about the scoreboard. Our guys do a good job of knowing what the score is and what we need to do to try to win.”
The Guardians took 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to four consecutive walks with two outs by Twins starter Chris Archer, the last to Steven Kwan allowing Richie Palacios to score.
Minnesota came right back in the top of the third after Guardians starter Shane Bieber allowed a two-out single to Carlos Correa and a walk to Max Kepler to load the bases before Jose Miranda made him pay with a three-run double to the gap in right-center for a 3-1 lead.
Bieber departed after six innings and allowed those three runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen.
“I thought it was a shame,” Francona said. “He was really good and he probably wanted that fastball back to Miranda. He had thrown him some really good breaking balls and he mislocated a fastball and that was all three runs.”
Even though he didn’t factor in the decision, Bieber appreciates the never say die attitude of his young teammates.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Bieber said. “I don’t think it’s anything we take for granted… Obviously with some good vibes coming in from last night, to be able to repeat that today is pretty special.
“We’re having a good time playing winning baseball.”
In the bottom of the eighth, Twins reliever Tyler Thornburgh hit Gimenez and walked Franmil Reyes and Sandy Leon to load the bases with one out.
Myles Straw was credited with an RBI infield single to short and a throwing error by Correa wide of third allowed Reyes to get up and race home, tying the game at 3. Kwan reached on a fielder’s choice with pinch runner Ernie Clement caught in a rundown trying to score before Rosario popped out to end the inning.
“We just don’t give up,” Straw said.
“Baseball is crazy. It’s going to be something different every night.”
After Ramirez walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth, Naylor came within feet of ending it when he sent a baseball onto the second level of ‘The Corner’ bar in the right field corner, but it was foul. He ended up grounding out and Owen Miller flied out before Gimenez sent everyone, except the Twins, home happy.
