Guardians 4, Twins 3: Turning a key win into a crushing loss

Missed opportunities haunt Twins in pivotal series

A costly blown save and a missed chance in extra innings doom Minnesota in a pivotal series against the Cleveland Guardians.

The Minnesota Twins had a chance to gain valuable ground in the AL Central on Tuesday night, but a blown save in the ninth inning and a missed opportunity in extra innings cost them a crucial 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

The Twins took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning but couldn’t hold on. Guardians’ outfielder Steven Kwan singled with one out and stole second base. Amed Rosario followed with an RBI single, and José Ramírez tied the game with a double.

In the 10th inning, the Twins had a chance to win the game with runners on first and second and one out. But Carlos Correa struck out, and Gio Urshela grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The loss was a tough one for the Twins, who are now 11-16 this season. The Guardians, meanwhile, improved to 16-10 and moved into a tie for first place in the AL Central.

Missed opportunities

The Twins had several chances to win the game, but they came up short each time.

• In the ninth inning, the Twins had a chance to get out of the inning with a double play, but they couldn’t turn it.
• In the 10th inning, the Twins had a chance to win the game with runners on first and second and one out, but they couldn’t get a hit.

“We had our chances tonight, but we didn’t take advantage of them,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “That’s frustrating, but we have to learn from our mistakes and move on.”

Blown save

Twins closer Emilio Pagán blew his first save of the season in the ninth inning. Pagán allowed two runs on three hits and walked one batter.

“I didn’t make good pitches tonight,” Pagán said. “I left the ball up in the zone, and they hit it hard. I need to be better.”

Missed opportunity

The Twins had a chance to win the game in the 10th inning with runners on first and second and one out. But Correa struck out, and Urshela grounded into a double play to end the inning.

“We had a chance to win the game right there,” Correa said. “I didn’t get the job done, and that’s on me.”

Conclusion

The Twins’ loss to the Guardians was a tough one to swallow. They had several chances to win the game, but they came up short each time. The Twins need to learn from their mistakes and move on.

The Twins will have a chance to bounce back on Wednesday when they face the Guardians in the second game of their series.