The Cleveland Guardians have rebounded nicely from getting thumped by the visiting Minnesota Twins to open the current four-game series.
On Thursday, the Guardians will look to take the series from the Twins with a third consecutive victory.
Cleveland dropped the final two contests of a three-game home series against the Boston Red Sox before falling 11-1 versus the Twins on Monday.
However, after Kyle Manzardo’s ninth-inning, walk-off homer sent the Guardians to a much-needed 2-1 victory on Tuesday, Bo Naylor’s second home run in as many nights, a three-run shot well over the right field wall, highlighted their four-run seventh in 4-2 win on Wednesday.
“We’re gonna have our ups and downs,” said Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, whose team is 5-4 on a season-high, 10-game homestand. “(But) I really like the direction this team is going.”
Minnesota, meanwhile, totaled 32 runs during its season-high four-game winning streak prior to Tuesday. However, the Twins’ bats were held in check while recording just 13 combined hits over the last two nights after pounding out a season-high 17 on Monday.
The Twins, just 4-12 on the road this season, also struck out 13 times on Wednesday.
Despite the Twins cooling off at the plate, Minnesota’s Trevor Larnach had two hits on Wednesday, and he is batting .324 (11-for-34) with nine RBIs in his past nine games.
Scheduled Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson (2-2, 4.07 ERA) has earned a winning decision in two of his past three starts. On Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, the right-hander allowed one run, four hits and no walks while striking out a season-high seven batters over 5 1/3 innings of the Twins’ 5-1 victory.
“I just have to go with the game plan and execute,” Woods Richardson said. “It’s still 60 feet, 6 inches, and you’ve still got to go about your game plan.”
Woods Richardson was solid against the Guardians last season, posting a 2.12 ERA in three starts despite Minnesota losing all three matchups. Those were the only times he has opposed the Twins in his career.
Cleveland star Jose Ramirez is 0-for-8 versus Woods Richardson, but he had two hits on Wednesday after going 1-for-7 in the first two games of the series. Naylor, Steven Kwan and Manzardo have all homered against Woods Richardson.
Scheduled Cleveland starter Ben Lively (1-2, 4.40 ERA) looks to be more efficient than on Game 1 of a Saturday doubleheader against Boston, when he allowed four runs — on a three-run homer and solo shot — four other hits and three walks over five innings during a no-decision.
Though the right-hander has yet to record a quality start in any of his six outings this year, the Guardians are 4-2 in those contests.
“I just got to get aggressive and throw competitive pitches no matter what,” Lively said. “You just got to dig. Of course I want to go deeper. … Just got to bear down and get as much as you can.”
Lively has never made a start vs. Minnesota, but owns a 9.00 ERA in two relief appearances against the Twins.
Minnesota’s Edouard Julien and Christian Vazquez are a combined 4-for-5 against Lively.
–Field Level Media
