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Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins recap; Cleveland wins on Jose Ramirez home run
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- Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins recap; Cleveland wins on Jose Ramirez home run
CLEVELAND — The first-place Guardians begin a key three-game stretch against the Minnesota Twins Friday night at Progressive Field.
The Guardians have leveled off a bit after a red-hot start but have maintained their first-place standing in the American League Central over the Kansas City Royals and the Twins, who remain the favorite to win the race by season's end.
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Friday's game is the beginning of a six-game homestand that will feature series against the Twins and then the New York Mets from Monday to Wednesday.
Check back here for updates, analysis and highlights throughout the game.
May 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias (13) turns a double play beside Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda (64) in the third inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Guardians beat the Twins 3-2
The Guardians have taken the first game from the Twins, as Emmanuel Clase throws a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close it out.
The Guardians are now 3-0 against the Twins this season.
Jose Ramirez home run gives Guardians back the lead over Twins
Of course it was Jose Ramirez.
Ramirez belted a solo home run to right field off Twins reliever Jhoan Duran, and the Guardians have retaken the lead, 3-2.
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It was Ramirez's 226th career home run, which puts him into a tie for fourth place on the franchise's all-time list with Earl Averill. Here's a projection of when Ramirez will pass each hitter ahead of him on the team's all-time list, including Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome .
And Emmanuel Clase is entering the game in the ninth inning to close it out.
Kyle Farmer , Twins tie Guardians in the 8th inning
The Twins have tied it against the Guardians bullpen in the eighth inning.
With a runner on and lefty Tim Herrin on the mound, Kyle Farmer hit a double into the left-center gap to bring home a run and tie it 2-2.
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Triston McKenzie finished his night with one earned run on two hits and five strikeouts, though he did also walk four.
David Fry home run puts Guardians on top over Twins in sixth inning
May 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry (6) hits a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
All David Fry does it hit clutch home runs, it seems.
Fry just launched a two-run home run to the Home Run Porch in left field to give the Guardians a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning.
Fry now has an OPS of 1.013 and has been, arguably, the Guardians' MVP of the season thus far.
Also, a sidenote: these Guardians City Connect uniforms should really just become their regular jerseys. The color scheme is just a little stronger, the sandstone touches are nice, the numbering is a bit different and the Guardian logo is without question better.
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Hunter Gaddis escapes jam in 7th inning; Guardians lead Twins 2-1
Hunter Gaddis continues to be one of the real bright spots for the Guardians in 2024.
With two runners on, he just struck out Carlos Santana to end the inning and hold the Guardians' one-run lead.
He also has a killer warmup song (Hoist the Colours, essentially the pirate theme)
Simeon Woods Richardson hit by another comebacker, but has thrown five scoreless innings
The Guardians have been better at literally hitting Simeon Woods Richardson than they have at collecting actual hits.
Tyler Freeman hit Woods Richardson with the second comebacker of the day, this one with an exit velocity of 105.8 mph. Luckily, Woods Richardson again was able to get his glove up, and he's OK.
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As for actual hits, the Guardians have collected only three through the first five innings and still trail 1-0.
Guardians, Twins score: Alex Kirilloff home run gives Minnesota the lead
And the Twins scoring drought is over.
Alex Kirilloff turned on a Triston McKenzie offering and belted it for a solo home run to right field to put the Twins up 1-0 in the top of the third inning. McKenzie threw a fastball that was up and in the middle of the zone, and Kirilloff didn't miss it.
Simeon Woods Richardson has comebacker hit at him, stays in the game
Simeon Woods Richardson was nearly drilled by a comebacker off the bat of David Fry.
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Though as Woods Richardson fell to his left, he was actually close to catching the ball, which had a 94.9 mph exit velocity.
He remained in the game and smiled as the Twins trainer came onto the field.
Twins scoring drought reaches 28 innings
The Twins are now in the third-longest scoring drought in club history at 28 innings.
Minnesota was shut out in back-to-back games by the Yankees and have now been blanked in the first two innings by Triston McKenzie tonight in Cleveland.
Tyler Freeman highlight reel catch goes for the first out of the game
Two pitches in and this game probably has its top highlight of the night.
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Edouard Julien , leading off the game, drilled a ball into the left-center gap. Tyler Freeman ranged to his right and snagged it with a full-out dive. It's a heck of a way to record the first out of the night.
Triston McKenzie went on to later get a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Below is some pregame information.
Brayan Rocchio , Tyler Freeman collision; Both players are OK after scary incident
Center fielder Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio remain all right after their collision in shallow center field in Texas earlier this week. Freeman actually made the catch despite the heavy contact.
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Guardians City Connect uniforms make their debut Friday night versus the Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Guardians and Nike unveil their new City Connect uniforms.
Friday night's game is the debut of the Guardians' City Connect uniforms, designed in coordination with Nike, which aim to celebrate the history of both the city and the team. You can see images and read about the design here .
Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins pitching matchup
Triston McKenzie takes the mound opposite Twins right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 3.24 ERA, 23 strikeouts).
McKenzie enters 2-3 with a 3.54 ERA and 35 strikeouts, and it'll be notable to follow his velocity and pitch count, which have both been a touch lower, in general, this season than in the past.
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Where are the Guardians in the American League Central standings?
The Guardians (27-17) enter Friday night with a 1.5-game lead over the Kansas City Royals (26-19) in the American League Central. The Minnesota Twins (24-19) are 2.5 games back, and the Detroit Tigers (21-22) are sliding and falling behind.
How can I watch, listen or stream the Cleveland Guardians game tonight?
The game will be available via Apple TV+. It'll be broadcast on the radio by WTAM (1100-AM) and WARF (1350-AM, Spanish broadcast).
Guardians schedule, next game
The Guardians continue their three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at 6:10 p.m. Saturday and 1:40 p.m. Sunday. Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets then come to town for a three-game series Monday-through-Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians game score tonight vs Twins live highlights
