The Cleveland Guardians couldn’t beat the Minnesota Twins for the second night in a row and dropped Tuesday’s game 4-1.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams wasn’t at his best, but did give his team an opportunity to win with just two runs allowed in five frames.
He conceded five hits and two runs, striking out seven.
Two RBI hits by Matt Wallner, however, sealed his fate, and the Guardians offense couldn’t get any closer after being dominated by rookie Zebby Matthews and the Twins’ relief corps.
A solo home run by trade acquisition Lane Thomas represented the only run scored by Cleveland, but it was enough to keep things close until the top of the eighth.
That’s when reliever Nick Sandlin surrendered a two-run home run by Willi Castro.
The Twins badly needed a win to keep defending their third and last Wild Card spot from the advances of the Detroit Tigers, winners of their game against the Kansas City Royals.
That spot is in legitimate danger because the Tigers, one of the best teams in baseball in the last few weeks, are 1.5 games behind.
The outlook is much more favorable in Cleveland.
Even with the loss, the Guardians lead the AL Central by five games with an 87-65 record.
They can clinch a postseason spot on Wednesday if they beat the Twins in the finale and the Tigers lose against the Royals.
.@CleGuardians fans:
🔟games left
🪄Magic No.🪄 menu #ForTheLand2️⃣: Playoff spot
*earliest clinch: 9/18DET @ KC
SEA v NYY6️⃣: AL Central
*earliest clinch: 9/21DET @ KC
MIN @ CLE7️⃣: Top 2 seed
HOU @ SDCurrent AL playoff seeding:
1) NYY
2) CLE, 1.5 GB pic.twitter.com/qJxXMxiUOd— Jensen Lewis (@JLEWFifty) September 18, 2024
That’s how close to the postseason they are: they have been playing rock-solid baseball all year long and are about to achieve their first goal.
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