The Cleveland Guardians continue to thrive at home. Most recently, that good fortune has come at the expense of the reeling Minnesota Twins.
Looking to maintain that home success, the Guardians can complete a three-game series sweep by handing the Twins their sixth straight loss Sunday afternoon.
The American League Central-leading Guardians have lost just six times in 20 home games this season and have won six of the seven series they've played in Cleveland.
Tyler Freeman had a career-high four hits with three RBIs, and Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer for one of his three hits during Saturday's 11-4 rout of the Twins.
"We were just on go the whole time (Saturday)," Freeman told Bally Sports Cleveland.
Batting leadoff with Steven Kwan injured, Freeman is 8-for-17 with six runs scored in the past five games.
"He's found a really good stride, and this is all a credit to him," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said of Freeman.
Meanwhile, Ramirez, whose eighth-inning, tiebreaking homer was the difference during Cleveland's 3-2 victory in Friday's series opener, is batting .340 with six home runs and 16 RBIs in his past 13 games.
Cleveland's scheduled Sunday starter, Tanner Bibee (2-1, 4.34 ERA), allowed three hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings of Monday's 7-0 win at Texas to drop his ERA to 1.69 in five 2024 road starts. However, the right-hander owns an 8.05 ERA while going 1-1 in four home starts this season.
But Bibee is 1-0 with a 3.54 ERA in four career starts against the Twins. On April 4 at Minnesota, he yielded a solo homer to Edouard Julien, four other hits, and struck out nine without a walk in 5 1/3 innings of the Guardians' 4-2 victory.
"These games inherently mean the most," Bibee said of facing a Central opponent such as the Twins. "The division can decide whether we go to the playoffs or not, so it's important to win these games."
This season, Cleveland is 4-0 against Minnesota, which has been outscored 28-7 during its five-game slide that followed a 17-3 stretch. The Twins have batted .181 and struck out 48 times in those four 2024 games vs. Cleveland.
"It's one of those stretches, show up tomorrow and keep doing more of the same and hopefully we end up with a win," star Carlos Correa, who is 5-for-12 against Cleveland this season, told the Twins' official website.
Scheduled Minnesota starter Chris Paddack (4-2, 4.89 ERA) won four straight starts before he gave up five runs, 12 hits and two walks in five innings of Tuesday's 5-1 home loss to the New York Yankees.
The right-hander continues to toy with the balance of his pitch arsenal, notably regaining confidence in his changeup. However, even with his most recent outing, Paddack said he's close to feeling comfortable with everything being thrown.
"(My teammates) were like, ‘Man, your stuff's biting. Your curveball's there. It's sharp. Your fastballs at the top are great. Changeups below,'" Paddack said.
"There's a lot of positives to take away."
Though Paddack has never faced the Guardians, Cleveland's Ramon Laureano is 3-for-8 with a double against him.
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