The Minnesota Twins defeated the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, earning a 5-4 win. After the Guardians won the first game of the series, Minnesota bounced back with victories on Saturday and Sunday. It was a big series for the last place Twins against the first place Guardians in the American League Central.
Minnesota is now 18-23 overall. The ball club is only 2.5 games behind the Guardians despite sitting in last place. Twins manager Derek Shelton commented on the win after Sunday's game, via MLB.com.
"Complete team victory," Shelton said. "We were able to add on in the one inning and continue to go… Overall really good job."
The Twins have questions as a team, but they could possibly compete in the AL Central. It is one of the weakest divisions in baseball and anything could end up happening. The team is still not expected to make a serious postseason run, but they are certainly in the conversation in the AL Central at the moment.
Twins Defeat Guardians on Sunday
The Twins got the job done against one of the better Guardians starting pitchers on Sunday, as Gavin Williams surrendered five earned runs on 10 hits across six innings of work. Josh Bell, Austin Martin, Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee all recorded multi-hit games. Clemens had three hits and two runs scored to lead the way.
Andrew Morris started the game as an opener and turned in one scoreless inning. The rest of the relievers who appeared in the game gave up a few runs, but they did enough to help Minnesota emerge with the win.
The Twins' bullpen has serious question marks, but it performed well enough on Sunday. They played a crucial role in the victory.
What's Next for the Twins?
The Twins are hoping to carry their momentum into their next series after a big series win. Minnesota has an off day on Monday. On Tuesday night, the ball club will begin a three-game series at home against the Miami Marlins.
Tuesday's game represents the first contest of a nine-game homestand for the Twins. After the Marlins series, they will host the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. The homestand could give the Twins a realistic opportunity to build serious momentum. They need to perform well during the homestand.
For now, the Twins are focused on their upcoming game against the Marlins on Tuesday night. First pitch for the contest is scheduled for 7:40 PM EST.
