Following a highly successful homestand, the Minnesota Twins hope to carry that solid play over to the road, where they’ve struggled out of the gate.
Perhaps they’re catching the suddenly struggling Cleveland Guardians at the right time Monday night, when the Twins aim for a fourth consecutive victory.
After winning just seven times in its first 22 games, Minnesota went 5-1 against the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels at home during the week. Though both opponents sit last in their respective divisions, it’s a big step for the Twins, who outscored the two 31-13.
Twins starter Joe Ryan struck out 11 over seven innings, Carlos Correa went 3-for-4 and Ty France had two RBIs during Sunday’s 5-0 win over the Angels.
“We’re a really good team,” Minnesota catcher Ryan Jeffers told the Pioneer Press. “We’ve started to show that we are that team that everybody thinks we can be.”
The challenge to sustain that success begins with four games in Cleveland. Minnesota has been outscored 57-38 while 3-10 on the road, where it has dropped four straight.
The Twins have totaled just 22 runs while losing seven of their last eight at Cleveland since September 2023.
The Guardians, much more recently, were outscored 20-6 in dropping the last two at home over the weekend versus the Boston Red Sox and have lost three of four while 3-3 on a 10-game homestand.
Scheduled Twins starter Bailey Ober (2-1, 5.04 ERA) has a 2.20 ERA while going 2-2 in eight career starts versus Cleveland.
The right-hander allowed eight runs, including two three-run homers, over 2 2/3 innings of his season debut March 30 at St. Louis. However, he’s 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts since.
Ober eyes a fourth straight quality start after yielding eight hits but only one run while striking out six in six innings of Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the White Sox.
“He finds ways, and different ways to attack hitters and get weak contact and get a swing and miss when he needs it,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Cleveland star Jose Ramirez is 6-for-19 with a homer in his career versus Ober. However, fellow star teammate Steven Kwan, currently batting .400 during a 10-game hitting streak, is 0-for-12 all-time against the Twins’ hurler.
The Guardians look to bounce back after they committed four errors and had two runners thrown out on the bases during Sunday’s 13-3 loss to the Red Sox.
“Everyone in that clubhouse knows that is not us,” said Cleveland outfielder Nolan Jones, who clubbed a three-run homer on Sunday. “That’s why we play 162. Come back (Monday) with a fresh slate.”
Scheduled Guardians starter Gavin Williams (2-1, 4.15) has a 2.38 ERA while winning both 2025 home starts. He’s 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA in three on the road.
The right-hander allowed a two-run homer and six other hits while striking out eight over 6 1/3 innings of a 6-4 home win against the New York Yankees on April 21.
“It’s a big confidence boost, not just for (that start), but the rest of the season,” Williams said.
Williams is 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA in four career starts against the Twins. However, he has completed six innings in only one of those outings.
Minnesota’s Byron Buxton is batting .306 with four home runs, nine RBIs and 12 runs scored in his last 12 games, and he’s 2-for-5 with a double in his career against Williams. Correa went 6-for-11 against the Angels.
–Field Level Media
