The Twins have the longest of long shots to qualify for the postseason, but at least they have this: the team edged the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Saturday to win the season series over the Guards for the first time since 2021.
And it took another top prospect to make it happen.
The Twins called up outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, and for his first major league hit, he smacked a third-inning home run to pace a four-run attack in that frame.
Starter Connor Prielipp did just enough for the win, but it was the bullpen that bounced back after Friday’s lackluster showing.
The relief corps gave the Twins three-plus innings of scoreless relief with eight strikeouts, and A.J. Minter picked up his first save. He is one of 13 pitchers on the Twins this season who have at least one save.
The Twins go for the series win on Sunday. A starter has not been named.
Extra innings…
–One more time: The Twins are 70-78, now six games back in the division and 4.5 games back in the wild card race.
–The head-to-head records for the Twins/Guardians since 2021:
- 2026: 7-5, with one game to play on Sunday.
- 2025: 4-9.
- 2024: 3-10.
- 2023: 6-7.
- 2022: 6-13.
- 2021: 11-8.
–Funny moment while listening to the game on Saturday.
Ex-Twin Dan Gladden took issue with a ball boy at the game who apparently wouldn’t leave his chair to make plays on balls hit toward him.
You don’t need talent for effort and hustle, as Gladden has been known to say, so he was disappointed in the lack of effort shown by the youngster.
“Unacceptable,” he said, adding that he was going to talk to the boy’s parents.
–Prielipp’s line: Three runs allowed on five hits with one strikeout across five-plus innings. Connor improves to 5-7 with a 5.24 ERA.
–One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post: The Milwaukee Brewers clobbered the Reds on Friday, 20-0.
The Brewers’ No. 8, 9, 1 and 2 hitters went a combined 14-for-19 with 11 runs scored and 10 RBI.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott served up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits, including two home runs, on just 43 pitches.
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