This afternoon’s contest under the Ohio sun began in about the way you’d expect if you’ve been following the Twins for the past week: Cleveland leadoff batter Tyler Freeman chopped a ball to third base, which Jose Miranda could not corral. Three Chris Paddack pitches later, Andres Gimenez lofted a no-doubt home run to CF?2-0 Guardians.

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Miranda achieved a measure of revenge in the 3rd by bombing a Tanner Bibee offering over the fence to cut the deficit in half.

Gifted a lead-off two-bagger in the fifth when Willi Castro’s deep fly was dropped by Cleveland LF Estevan Florial, the Twins promptly?went 1-2-3 and the Willi never wandered from 2B.

Similarly, the 7th saw Max Kepler double into the RF corner with the help of some fan interference. Did Max move from 2B? No?no he did not.

Meanwhile, as the bats continued to stagnate, Paddack was turning in the longest start of his career?and longest Twins start of the 2024 season?in keeping the Guardians off the scoreboard since their first inning ambush.

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As per the usual in the 216 area code, it was closer time for Cleveland?but this time Clase wasn’t in session.

After two quick outs, Ryan Jeffers got knicked in the elbow guard and trotted to first base?where he was replaced with Byron Buxton. Almost immediately, Buck beat CLE second baseman Giminez to the bag on a Castro chopper up the middle and after a long replay was confirmed safe.

The last gasp rally looked to be for naught when Alex Kirilloff grounded harmlessly to 1B and Josh Naylor fed Clase?but the closer dropped the ball! With Buxton flying around third, Naylor tried to back-pick him and end the game. But Byron thought “a footrace, eh?” and instead broke for home?beating the return throw easily and tying the game!

The Twins would live to fight on!

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Well, for another few batters at least.

In the bottom of the ninth, Twins closer Jhoan Duran walked Giminez and set off another chain of tomfoolery. After retiring Jose Ramirez, Duran uncorked a wild one to Josh Naylor and Giminez gained second and was looking for another 90 feet as newly-inserted Twins C Christian Vazquez chased the slippery sphere.

Caught in no-man’s land between second and third, Giminez made it back to 2B a split second before Vazquez’s throw to Carlos Correa’s tag. Another review?safe?and the Guardians were still alive. After Rocco Baldelli intentionally passed the rest of Naylor’s potentially-dangerous AB, it set up a clean count for the more pedestrian Will Brennan.

Such cleanliness lasted exactly one Duran 97 mph fastball as Brennan blasted the ball deep over Kepler’s head and into the Progressive Field bleachers for a walk-off Cleveland Guardians victory.

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Your final: Cleveland Guardians 5, Minnesota Twins 2 .

A six-game losing streak. A week without winning. Two consecutive sweeps. However you want to slice and dice it, the Twins are a tough ball club to watch at the moment?the rewards of the glorious 12-game win streak disappearing in the rear-view mirror.

Studs

• Denard Span in the TV booth?good to see a old fan-favorite again.
• Paddack: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K.
• Buxton’s blazing speed.

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Duds

• All the bats: a whopping four hits and two runs (one of the ultimate Mickey Mouse-variety)
• Duran: Walked the potential winning run in the 9th and turned potential into reality with Brennan’s bomb.

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Comment of the Game

• Uncle Lincoln invoking the apparition of a previous MN crazy-eyed catcher as B9 unravelled.