The Cleveland Guardians hit seven home runs and collected 19 hits in a 13-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night at Progressive Field, keeping the pressure on the first-place White Sox in an AL Central race that now runs through this head-to-head series.
Petey Halpin hit the first two home runs of his major league career, both to right-center, in the second and fourth innings, and finished 3-for-5 with three RBI in his 40th big-league game. Rhys Hoskins also homered twice, giving him 11 on the season. Travis Bazzana — whose walk-off homer beat Pittsburgh on Saturday — went deep for his ninth, Patrick Bailey hit his fourth during a 4-for-5 night, and Brayan Rocchio added his ninth. Chase DeLauter didn’t homer and still had the best night at the plate: 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. Per the Associated Press, the seven homers matched Cleveland’s franchise record for a home game.
For a lineup that spent the first half near the bottom of the league in slugging — the front office’s stated reason for shopping for bats before August 3 — this was the kind of complete offensive night the roster hadn’t produced all year. Tanner Bibee made it stand up with six innings of two-run ball, striking out five to improve to 4-9. Cleveland sits at 53-48, one game behind Chicago, with two more against Minnesota before the schedule turns back to the division leaders.
The other side of the box score is the story Minnesota didn’t want written. Joe Ryan allowed six home runs in four innings — tying the major league record for a single game and setting a Twins franchise mark, per the AP — along with 10 hits and eight earned runs, lifting his ERA from 2.85 to 3.38. It came days after Yankees and Rays scouts watched him at Wrigley Field, and with Mick Abel and David Festa done for the season, every Ryan start now doubles as a deadline audition. The Twins have lost three straight and sit 49-52, three games out of the final wild card.
For fantasy purposes, hold Ryan — one disaster start doesn’t change a profile built on 131 strikeouts and elite control, though a trade to a tougher home park would. Halpin is worth a speculative add in AL-only formats now that he’s hitting for power in an everyday outfield role, and DeLauter keeps trending toward must-start status in all league sizes.
