After two days of watching the sky dump buckets of rain across Minneapolis, the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins are eager to play ball.
The teams hope to get their chance Wednesday as the forecast calls for drier skies with temperatures lingering in the mid-to-upper 40s.
The Guardians and Twins are scheduled to complete their suspended game from Monday starting at 12:10 p.m. CT, and they will play the regularly scheduled Wednesday game starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest.
The first game will pick up in the top of the fourth inning. The Twins led 2-1 after the end of three innings when play was suspended Monday night because of rain.
Ty France and Willi Castro had one RBI apiece for the Twins in the first three innings. Kyle Manzardo drove in a run for the Guardians.
Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (4-2, 2.42 ERA) is expected to take the mound when the game resumes in the top of the fourth. He will follow the Monday starter, right-hander Bailey Ober, who tossed three innings before the game was suspended.
Ryan is 3-4 with a 2.32 ERA in nine career starts against the Guardians.
Cleveland plans to rely on its bullpen arms to finish the final six innings of the suspended game. Left-hander Logan Allen pitched the first three innings on Monday.
In the second game, the Twins plan to give the ball to Chris Paddack (2-3, 4.05 ERA). The right-hander has won back-to-back starts against the San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles, allowing a total of one run in 14 1/3 innings.
In two career starts against Cleveland, Paddack is 0-0 with a 2.08 ERA and eight strikeouts in 13 innings.
The Guardians plan to start right-hander Gavin Williams (3-2, 4.29 ERA) in the second game. He received a no-decision in his most recent start after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 14.
In five career starts against the Twins, Williams is 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA. He walked nine and struck out 16 in 19 innings during those outings.
Twins third baseman Royce Lewis is looking to continue to adapt at the plate after an extended absence because of injury. Lewis is hitting .205 with one homer and three RBIs in his first 12 games, but he is 6-for-16 (.375) in his past four games.
“I feel great,” Lewis said. “I feel like I just had my spring training. Those first 40 at-bats, I was just trying to get back, and I still have a long way to go. There is a lot of season (left to play), thank goodness for that.”
Meanwhile, several Guardians hitters also are seeking to maintain recent success. The list is outfielder Steven Kwan, who hopes to build upon his power production after hitting .311 with four homers and 17 RBIs in his first 46 games.
“I think the biggest thing was I watched Jose (Ramirez) every day,” Kwan told MLB Network. “We’re kind of the same size. He’s a little stronger than I am, of course, but he puts up consistent power numbers. I kind of just asked myself how he does that. …
“I profile myself as a patient guy, but sometimes just trying to go out and get a pitch and do some damage, I think that can be really effective.”
–Field Level Media
