Joe Ryan scattered three hits over 7 2/3 scoreless innings as the visiting Minnesota Twins snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Cleveland Guardians with a 3-0 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Ryan (12-8), who was pulled after throwing seven no-hit innings in his previous start against Kansas City, picked up where he left off before Tyler Freeman had a single in the fifth. That ended a streak of 12 no-hit innings for Ryan dating back to his Sept. 7 start at the New York Yankees when he retired the final two batters he faced.
Ryan walked two and struck out five on Sunday while throwing 95 pitches, 64 for strikes. Jhoan Duran picked up his eighth save in as many opportunities while striking out two during a scoreless ninth.
Jake Cave belted a solo homer and Luis Arraez had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins (73-73), who closed to within six games of the first-place Guardians in the American League Central.
Carlos Correa had three hits and Matt Wallner also had two hits for Minnesota.
Myles Straw doubled among his two hits for Cleveland (79-67), which lost just the third time in 14 games. The Guardians saw their AL Central lead over the Chicago White Sox shrink to 3 1/2 games. Those teams open a three-game series on Tuesday in Chicago.
Cody Morris (1-1), making his fourth major league start, took the loss despite allowing one run on six hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out six.
Minnesota had five hits in the first two innings but managed just one run, Cave’s lead-off homer into the left-field corner in second inning. The 379-foot drive was Cave’s fifth home run of the season.
The Twins tacked on two runs in the ninth against reliever Enyel De Los Santos.
Gilberto Celestino walked, Mark Contreras singled and Nick Gordon walked to load the bases. Arraez then bounced a single to center to drive in Celestino and Contreras.
Cleveland second baseman Andres Gimenez was hit by a pitch by Ryan while trying to bunt in the sixth inning. It was the 21st time Gimenez was hit by a pitch this season, breaking the franchise single-season record of 20 set by Ryan Garko in 2007.
–Field Level Media
