Fry and Ramírez go deep, Guardians beat Twins 5-3 to earn split of four-game series

MINNEAPOLIS -- — David Fry and José Ramírez homered, and the Cleveland Guardians held on to beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Sunday to earn a split of the four-game series between the top two teams in the AL Central.

The Guardians won their second straight after losing seven in a row, and now lead Minnesota by 3 1/2 games. Kansas City is four games back.

Emmanuel Clase pitched a shaky ninth for his 35th save as Minnesota loaded the bases with no outs, but Willi Castro struck out on a full count and Trevor Larnach grounded into a double play that began with a ranging backhand stop by second baseman Andrés Giménez.

“In that AB I wanted to get a ground ball to him. I was lucky to get it, and I always have 100% confidence in him,” Clase said through an interpreter.

Facing adversity for one of the rare times this season, Cleveland bounced back nicely in the series after being swept in Friday’s doubleheader.

“To come back and win the next two, even that last inning where they get bases loaded and no outs to get out of it was really cool,” Fry said.

Byron Buxton homered twice for Minnesota, which fell to 2-7 against Cleveland this year.

Manager Rocco Baldelli likes how the Twins played over the four games.

“We had several innings where we whacked the ball all around the ballpark and we end up scoring no runs," he said. "Stuff where you think it’s almost impossible not to score. The vast majority of them it’s not like our guys did anything too wrong, they just hit the ball too hard and hit the ball right at people. If one or two of those runs come into play, we’re in a good spot.”

The Guardians broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. With one out, Fry lined a home run off Caleb Thielbar (2-3) for just his third extra-base hit in 27 games. Prior to the 405-foot shot to the left of the bullpens, the American League All-Star was in a 4-for-32 slump.

“He’s a warrior, he’s been playing through a lot of things,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “When he’s at his best he’s driving the ball up the middle and you make a mistake he pops one. That was a huge moment for us.”

A broken bat single by Brayan Rocchio and a seeing-eye single through the hole by Steven Kwan each drove in runs, as did a double by Will Brennan for a 5-1 lead. It is the first time in six games Cleveland scored more than three runs.

Tanner Bibee (10-4) made his first start in 13 days for the Guardians, missing his last turn in the rotation with right shoulder soreness. In 5 2/3 innings he scattered six hits and struck out five. Cleveland is 18-5 this season when Bibee starts.

Buxton, 3 for 35 in his previous 13 games against Cleveland since June 29, 2022, homered in the second, but Ramírez lofted a home run to the second row of seats in right to tie the score in the fourth.

Buxton added a two-run homer in the eighth off Nick Sandlin for his third multi-homer game this year.

In his sixth career start, Minnesota’s David Festa allowed one earned run and three hits in 3 1/3 innings, but he walked three and was pulled after 70 pitches. Last Monday against the Cubs, he allowed two hits and struck out a career-high nine in five innings.

DEEP IN THE COUNT

After Fry’s home run, Giménez had a 14-pitch walk and Daniel Schneemann followed with an eight-pitch walk.

“We’d been getting away from that as of late and making guys work and have to make pitch after pitch after pitch. That was one of the best at-bats Gimi’s had all year,” Vogt said.

UP NEXT

Guardians: RHP Ben Lively (10-7, 3.59) is set to start Monday’s home game against Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (9-2, 3.06).

Twins: RHP Pablo López (10-8, 4.74) is scheduled to start Monday at home against Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (8-7, 3.03).

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