CLEVELAND, Ohio — There was no rally Tuesday night, only frustration.
If it wasn’t Nick Sandlin allowing another home run, it was newly arrived Myles Straw getting picked off first base on his first appearance in a Cleveland uniform this season.
If it wasn’t watching the Twins score all their runs with two out on the way to a 4-1 win over the Guardians at Progressive Field, it was watching catcher Bo Naylor clip reliever Eli Morgan on the top of his head on a throw to second base.
It was that kind of night for the Guardians, whose magic number stayed at seven to clinch the AL Central. while waiting on the outcome of Kansas City’s game against the Tigers.
Willi Castro, the former Cleveland farmhand, hit a two-out, two-run homer off Sandlin in the eighth inning for the final margin of victory. The Guardians trailed, 2-1, when Sandlin allowed his 11th homer of the season.
The Guardians, 8-3 against the Twins, saw their modest three-game winning streak end. The Twins, meanwhile, won for just the fourth time in their last 11 games to keep their hold on the third and final AL wild card spot.
The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the third on Matt Wallner’s two-out single off Gavin Williams (3-10, 5.12). Ryan Jeffers opened the inning with a slow-rolling single to third. Williams struck out the next two batters, but walked Byron Buxton.
Wallner, in an 0 for 17 slump, singled to right to score Jeffers from second. Williams struck out Carlos Santana to end the inning.
Twins starter Zebby Matthews, making just his seventh big league start, held the Guardians scoreless through the first three innings. Lane Thomas changed that with a line drive home run into the bleachers in center field in the fourth to tie the score a 1-1.
It was Thomas’ 13th homer of the season and fifth in September.
The Twins quickly retook the lead as they stung Williams for another two-out run. Williams retired the first two batters in the fifth, but Buxton doubled to center and Wallner singled to right to take a 2-1 lead.
Williams finished the inning by striking out Lewis, but he was done for the night. He struck out seven and walked two in five innings.
Matthews, who started this season in A ball for the Twins, came into the game having allowed eight homers in 25 1/3 innings. The opposition was hitting .325 against him, but the Guardians managed to score just one run off him on five hits.
Here’s how Cleveland’s night went against Matthews. Bo Naylor started the fifth inning with a single. Brayan Rocchio, batting ninth, tried twice to advance Naylor with a bunt. Both times he bunted foul.
Then he twisted the knife a little more by hitting into a double play. When Angel Martinez reached on his second straight single, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli replaced Matthews with Cole Irvin.
In the sixth, with Morgan on the mound, Castro reached on a single. He stole second as Bo Naylor’s throw glanced off the top of Morgan’s head. Morgan had knelt down to avoid Naylor’s throw, but still got clipped.
Morgan, who threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, stayed in the game until Tim Herrin relieved him in the seventh.
The Guardians made a series of moves before the game. One of them involved promoting Straw from Class AAA Columbus for the first time this season. He had been outrighted to Columbus late in spring training.
Straw made his return in the seventh when he pinch ran for Kyle Manzardo, who opened the inning with a single. Minnesota right-hander Ronny Henriquez picked him off first to take the steam out of the inning. Straw was originally called safe by first base umpire Chad Fairchild, but the Twins challenged and the safe call was overturned.
It was Manzardo whose two-run homer in the eighth inning spurred the Guardians to a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Twins on Monday night.
The night ended for the Guardians when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth only to have Bo Naylor ground out to end the game against Griffin Jax, who allowed Manzardo’s game-winning homer on Monday night. It was his ninth save.
Williams in four career starts against the Twin has a 2.12 ERA (four earned runs in 17 innings).
Next: RHP Tanner Bibee (11-8, 3.60) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (12-7, 3.90) Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM, WMMS, WARF and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.
