Mother’s Day at Progressive Field did not go the way Cleveland needed it to go.
The Guardians dropped the series finale to the Minnesota Twins 5-4 on Sunday afternoon, falling to 21-21 on the season. It was a game defined by a four-run fifth inning against Gavin Williams that proved too much for Cleveland’s offense to fully overcome, despite a spirited late rally that came up just short.
Williams had his moments Sunday. He struck out six batters, and worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning. But the fifth inning proved too much to overcome, and by the time Williams was done for the day, he had allowed a career-high 10 hits and five earned runs across six innings.
“New series on deck,” the Cleveland Guardians posted.
New series on deck.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/yxoVtxzsEW
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 10, 2026
Brayan Rocchio was the offensive standout of the afternoon, going 4-4 with two runs scored, and was doing everything possible to keep Cleveland in the game. Chase DeLauter continued to be the most reliable bat in the lineup, driving in two runs and extending his hit streak to 14 of his last 16 games while entering Sunday leading all American League rookies in batting average at .295. DeLauter has now reached base safely in 12 of his last 13 games, a run of consistency that has made him the heartbeat of this offense.
Since 2024, 18 of the 29 games between these two franchises have been decided by two runs or fewer. Sunday fit that pattern exactly, and the margin of error between Cleveland winning this series outright and splitting it came down to one chaotic fifth inning and one rally that ran out of runway.
The Guardians open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at Progressive Field. Joey Cantillo gets the start at 6:10 PM ET.
Time to move on.
NEXT: Stat Behind Guardians Catching Duo Is Almost Unbelievable.
