Trevor Larnach singled in two runs to cap a four-run first inning as the visiting Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 Sunday.
The first four Minnesota batters scored to start the game and help the Twins salvage a win in the three-game series.
Twins starter Jose Urena went four innings in his spot start. The right-hander reliever gave up two runs and five hits, while walking one and striking out three in 69 pitches.
Kody Funderbuck (2-1) picked up the win for the Twins. The left-hander relieved Urena and threw two scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out two.
Erasmo Ramirez earned his first save in his first appearance of the season. The 35-year-old came on in the ninth to get two outs after the Guardians scored two on Michael Tonkin.
Ramirez induced Jose Ramirez to fly out to end the game with the tying run on first.
Pinch-hitter Brayan Rocchio stroked a two-run single earlier in the ninth for the Guardians.
Cleveland also started a reliever in Joey Cantillo (2-2). After giving up the four runs in the first, he settled to go 5 2/3 innings, giving up six hits, walking two and striking out nine in 91 pitches.
The Twins came out smoking off Cantillo as Austin Martin, Ryan Jeffers and Matt Wallner all singled. Wallner’s hit drove in Martin for a 1-0 Twins lead.
Royce Lewis kept the inning rolling with a double that scored Jeffers for a 2-0 lead.
Cantillo almost escaped with just the two runs, but Larnach singled to center with two outs to score both Wallner and Lewis to give Minnesota a 4-0 lead.
Cleveland didn’t wait long to get back into the game.
In the bottom of the first, Daniel Scheemann singled with one out and Ramirez hit a bomb deep into the right-field stands to cut the lead to 4-2. The home run was Ramirez’ 23rd and his ninth first-inning home run this season.
The Guardians threatened in the third and the fifth, but could not push any runs across.
Scheemann singled with one out in the third and went to second when Ramirez walked.
He was thrown out attempting to steal third, however, as Kyle Manzardo fanned for a strike-out, throw-out double play.
Scheemann made it back-to-back three-hit games with a two-out single in the fifth and went to second when Ramirez singled. Manzardo popped out to short, however, to end the threat.
The Twins scored an insurance run in the eighth when Wallner led off with a triple. With one out, Kody Clemens laid down a perfect bunt for a single as Wallner scored easily for a three-run lead.
–Field Level Media
