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Looking to tighten grip on playoff spot, Twins face Guardians

A C Gazette
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MLB: Minnesota Twins at Cleveland GuardiansSep 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder Willi Castro (50) and center fielder Byron Buxton (25) celebrate a win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
While the Cleveland Guardians are on the verge of clinching a postseason berth, the Minnesota Twins continue their fight to remain in playoff position.

Looking to build on a needed win and attempting to level the current four-game series, the visiting Twins will try to end their season struggles against the Guardians’ Tanner Bibee on Wednesday night.

Minnesota (80-71) failed to hold a late 3-1 lead in a series-opening 4-3 loss on Monday, but the Twins added to a late 2-1 advantage on Tuesday. After Matt Wallner gave the Twins that lead with RBI singles in the third and fifth innings, Willi Castro clubbed a two-run homer in the eighth to pave the way for a 4-1 victory.

“Always go out there, trust yourself and enjoy the game,” Castro told Bally Sports North.

The Twins are 10-18 since Aug. 18, but they still hold a 1 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the final American League wild-card spot.

“Everyone’s aware of the standings,” Minnesota pitcher Pablo Lopez said. “We can’t let that give us self-inflicted pressure.”

Cleveland (87-65), meanwhile, could be officially playoff-bound by the time the series ends Thursday.

The Guardians have won all three times that Bibee (11-8, 3.60 ERA) has started against the Twins this year. Bibee went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 18 innings of those games. The Twins’ three runs came on solo homers from Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda and Byron Buxton.

The right-hander, however, is 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA in his past five starts, having allowed six home runs and nine walks in 27 2/3 innings. On Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Bibee gave up three runs on two of those homers, plus six other hits, while striking out nine in six innings of Cleveland’s 3-1 loss.

“Six innings, three runs — we’ll take that 100 out of 100 times,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He battled through it … I think that just shows again how Tanner’s progressing and the type of pitcher that he is.”

Castro, who is batting .313 (10-for-32) during an eight-game hitting streak vs. Cleveland, is 3-for-9 in his career against Bibee.

Scheduled Minnesota starter Bailey Ober (12-7, 3.90 ERA) has recorded personal bests for wins and starts (28) this year.

In his most recent outing, on Friday at home against the Cincinnati Reds, Ober allowed a run through the first six innings. Then the right-hander ran into trouble in seventh, when he was charged with four more runs scored. He was pulled with two outs in the frame, and the Twins lost 8-4.

Ober allowed five runs and eight hits over four innings of Minnesota’s 11-4 loss at Cleveland on May 18. But he yielded just two hits, two walks and struck out nine over six scoreless innings of the Twins’ 4-2 home victory against the Guardians on Aug. 9.

In seven career starts vs. Cleveland, Ober is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA.

Cleveland star Jose Ramirez, who is batting .300 (12-for-40) during a 10-game hitting streak, has a .313 average (5-for-16) with two doubles and a homer vs. Ober.

Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas is 0-for-3 against Ober, but he is hitting .317 (19-for-60) with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 16 games this month. He hit his second homer in four games on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

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