Will Brennan’s 3-run walkoff blast gives Guardians 5-2 win and weekend sweep of Twins
Updated: May. 19, 2024, 9:35 p.m.|Published: May. 19, 2024, 4:03 p.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — An eerie silence had settled over the ballpark Sunday after the Guardians stumbled in the top of the ninth and allowed Minnesota to tie the score.
Will Brennan told David Fry in the dugout that things had gotten so quiet “you could hear a pin drop.”
Brennan turned up the volume in the bottom of the inning when he launched a three-run walk-off home run to give the Guardians a 5-2 win against the Twins at Progressive Field.
With the game tied at 2-2, Andrés Giménez drew a one-out walk and advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Twins closer Jhoan Duran (0-2). Duran then intentionally walked Josh Naylor and set the stage for Brennan’s heroics.
“I knew as soon as (Giménez) got to second they were going to walk Josh,” Brennan said. “It’s been that situation all year where I haven’t taken advantage of it, and I kind of took it personal. That’s what (Naylor) always tells me to do, and it paid off. I got a good pitch and ripped one.”
It was Brennan’s second career walk-off plate appearance and the fourth walk-off win for Cleveland in 2024.
The Guardians remain in first place in the American League Central Division, increasing their lead over the third place Twins to 5 1/2 games. Kansas City has won three straight and sits 1 1/2 games behind the Guards in second place.
Emmanuel Clase (3-1) had a chance to slam the door in the ninth, but suffered his first blown save in his last 10 chances when he hit Ryan Jeffers with two out. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli sent Byron Buxton out to run for Jeffers at first, and then Willi Castro bounced a grounder up the middle that was fielded by Brayan Rocchio.
Rather than throw to first, Rocchio tried to tag second base, but the speedy Buxton beat him to the bag with a feet-first slide.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt challenged, but the call was upheld on review. Alex Kirilloff then grounded to Josh Naylor at first; however, Clase dropped Naylor’s underhanded flip and Buxton was caught in a rundown between third and home.
Naylor’s throw went to Gabriel Arias at third and Buxton slid home with the tying run. Clase had successfully converted nine straight save opportunities prior to Buxton’s run crossing the plate.
Brennan said despite the wild top of the ninth, Guardians players remained confident they would come away with a win.
“We kind of knew that that was going to happen,” Brennan said. “We really believe in each other and we’re here to pick each other up. This is what really good teammates do, and our guys pitched their tails off today. It was the least we could do to play good defense and come out with a W.”
Vogt said his team has won enough games coming from beind or being down early that they know to never quit.
“That’s what’s powerful,” Vogt said. “They love each other and they know that we can get it done. And the belief didn’t stop even after the chaotic top of the ninth.”
Guardians hitters jumped on Twins starter Chris Paddack, but were unable to add on after scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning.
Tyler Freeman smashed a grounder to third base that Jose Miranda could not handle for an infield single. Three pitches later Giménez drilled his third home run to the bullpen in right center. The blast gave Giménez 27 RBI and extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Paddack settled in after that, retiring 24 of the next 25 batters he faced. He surrendered only a one-out double to Arias in the fifth that snapped an 0-for-11 skid for Arias. But Paddack stranded him at second when he retired Austin Hedges on a ground ball to third and got Rocchio on a pop to center.
“He had everything working,” Vogt said. “His slider works a little more like a cutter crowding the lefties. He was getting his fastball to the top and painted at the bottom, so we had to honor that, which forced us to swing at some changeups down.”
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee, meanwhile, worked around some traffic on the bases in an electrifying seven innings. After Carlos Correa opened the fourth with a base hit, Bibee fanned Max Kepler and got some help from his defense when Rocchio and Giménez turned a double play on a grounder up the middle off the bat of Jeffers.
Rocchio stopped the ball with a dive and flipped it backward to Giménez, who threw to first and got Jeffers by a step.
In the fifth, Willi Castro found himself at second base to open the inning after Estevan Florial could not catch his fly ball into the left field corner. Florial was charged with an error, but Bibee picked up his defense by striking out Kirilloff and getting Carlos Santana on a liner to right and Miranda on a pop to center.
Kepler opened the seventh with a double, but went no farther. Bibee retired Jeffers and Castro, before a walk to Kirilloff. When Vogt went to the mound, it looked like Bibee’s day was over, but the manager turned the tables and told him he was staying in the game to face Santana.
“That one was pretty different,” Bibee said. “First time he’s done that to me. He gets out there and he goes, ‘You’re not leaving this mound,’ and I was kind of shocked at first. Then I kind of locked it back in and he says, ‘You’re going to strike this (blank) out’”
Bibee proceeded to ring up the ex-Cleveland infielder on a fastball over the inside corner of the plate that was framed beautifully by Hedges.
Bibee bounced off the mound in exuberance after the punchout, exhorting the crowd as he made his way toward the dugout. Brennan said afterward that Bibee deserved the moment.
“The guy’s preparation is unbelievable,” Brennan said. “Everyone saw it last year and he wants to carry it over this year and it’s exactly what he is doing. He’s given us the opportunities to go out there and take ball games and that’s what we’re doing for him.”
In his last two starts, Bibee has 11 strikeouts and three walks over 12 1/3 innings. Sunday’s outing matched his season high with seven innings. He has allowed two earned runs in 12 1/3 innings across two career starts against Minnesota.
Cleveland picked up its fourth series sweep of 2024 and moved to 5-0 against the Twins. It’s the Guards’ first three-game sweep of the Minnesota since September of 2022. Brennan said the Guards prioritize winning divisional matchups.
“I think they kind of stuck it to us last year and that’s one thing that we weren’t going to let happen again this year,” Brennan said. “We own this division, and there’s nothing like beating Minnesota. So, we’re going to keep that going.”
Next
The Guardians open a three-game series Monday against the Mets at Progressive Field. It marks New York’s first appearance in Cleveland since 2017 and the return of ex-Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was traded to New York after the 2020 season. Right-hander Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians, while the Mets will send righty Trevor Megill (0-1, 2.25) to the mound. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. The game will air on Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF 1350 AM (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network.
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