The weekend started off on the wrong foot for the Cleveland Guardians after being swept by the Minnesota Twins on a doubleheader on Friday.
At that point, their losing streak had reached seven games: it was a new season low for Stephen Vogt and his squad, as the Twins were now just a game and a half behind in the quest for the division.
But Cleveland fought back and showed some of the fire that makes it so competitive.
They won Saturday’s game and, on Sunday, earned a series split with a 5-3 victory.
The most important part of their victory on Sunday is that they earned the season tiebreaker against the Twins.
“Guardians win the season series now with the Twins, should it come down to it,” Guardians reporter @JL_baseball tweeted.
Guardians win the season series now with the Twins, should it come down to it. https://t.co/YWSgzqB9aW
— Justin L. (@JL_Baseball) August 11, 2024
The Guardians are now 7-2 against the Twins on the season.
There is only one series left between the two teams this year: four games from September 16-19.
Even if the Twins win all four contests, the best they can aspire is a 6-7 finish against Cleveland this year.
Winning the season tiebreaker is important because there is no “Game 163” anymore.
If a tie needs to be resolved for standings or seeding purposes, the Guardians will be favored as long as that tie comes against the Twins.
The team showed determination and resilience to come back in the weekend series and not only avoiding a sweep, but earning a split.
It shows what this squad is made of: it’s definitely not perfect, but it won’t quit easily.
NEXT: Guardians Starter Making Strides In Triple-A
