Gavin Williams matched a season high with 11 strikeouts and the Cleveland Guardians belted three solo homers in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Williams (10-4) allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings to halt a five-start winless skid. His career high is 12 strikeouts for a game, set during his rookie campaign in 2023 and matched last season.
Gabriel Arias went deep in the second inning, rookie Chase DeLauter added the go-ahead blast in the sixth and Patrick Bailey homered in the ninth.
Brayan Rocchio ripped a two-run double with two outs in the seventh inning for the Guardians, who snapped a four-game skid by salvaging the finale of a three-game series.
Cleveland produced six hits in the game — three home runs and three doubles.
Minnesota’s Royce Lewis scored on Tristan Gray’s RBI single in the fifth inning and led off the seventh with a homer.
The Twins mustered little else against Williams en route to seeing their four-game winning streak come to a halt.
Hunter Gaddis retired the side in order in the eighth inning and Cade Smith struck out a pair in the ninth to secure his majors-leading 27th save of the season.
Cleveland seized a 2-1 lead after DeLauter deposited a 2-1 fastball from Kendry Rojas (1-1) over the wall in right field. DeLauter’s homer was his ninth of the season and second in his last four games.
Rojas issued a pair of one-out walks in the seventh inning. After a Travis Bazzana fly out, Rocchio brought home both runners after his double down the left-field line caromed off the side wall.
Rojas permitted three runs on two hits with three walks in two innings.
He relieved starter Bailey Ober, who allowed one run on three hits in five innings after being reinstated him from the 15-day injured list earlier on Thursday. He was placed on the IL on May 31 with right elbow inflammation.
Arias sent a first-pitch slider from Ober over the wall in center field to open the scoring with two outs in the second inning. Arias’ homer was his fifth of the season.
The slim advantage stood up until Gray’s single to right field plated Lewis in the fifth inning. Minnesota stranded the bases loaded, but did not strand any additional runners during the game.
Lewis (2-for-3) had two of the Twins’ three hits.
–Field Level Media
