Guardians creep closer to AL Central lead by hammering Twins

Steven Kwan, Jo Adell and Travis Bazzana hit home runs in the Cleveland Guardians’ 9-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday in Minneapolis.

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Kwan was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBIs and two runs while Bazzana added a walk, three RBIs and two runs and Adell scored two and drove in two for the Guardians (76-74), who moved within a half-game of the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox.

Trevor Larnach homered and doubled and Luke Keaschall added two hits for the Twins (70-79), who have lost three of their last four.

Tanner Bibee (6-15) got the win by giving up two runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Minnesota starter Joe Ryan (6-10) allowed four runs on seven hits in four innings with a walk and a strikeout.

Kwan put the Guardians on top with a leadoff home run. He hit Ryan’s 1-0 four-seam fastball into the overhang above the right field wall for his third homer of the year.

Adell’s home run leading off the third made it 2-0. He blasted Ryan’s 0-1 four-seam fastball an estimated 451 feet into the third deck in left field. The exit velocity was 116.8 mph on Adell’s 21st homer.

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Kody Clemens’ two-out, run-scoring double in the bottom of the third put the Twins on the board for a 2-1 game.

The Guardians responded with two in the fourth on Kwan’s RBI double and Bazzana’s two-out, run-producing single to stretch their lead to 4-1.

Bazzana’s two-run homer off Travis Adams made it 6-1 in the sixth. His 12th home run sailed into the right-center-field stands.

Larnarch’s 13th home run leading off the seventh pulled the Twins within 6-2.

But Cleveland added three in the ninth on Adell’s RBI double, a sacrifice fly by Nathaniel Lowe and a run-scoring double from Angel Martinez.

Minnesota first baseman Royce Lewis left the game in the fifth with left shoulder soreness.

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–Field Level Media

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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 2:12 PM.