Steven Kwan hit a home run on the second pitch of the game, and Bo Naylor also homered for the Cleveland Guardians in their 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night. This victory ended the Guardians’ seven-game losing streak and provided some breathing room in the tight AL Central race.
The win increased Cleveland’s lead over defending division champion Minnesota to 2 1/2 games, and it marked the end of their longest losing streak since April 22-28, 2022. Starter Gavin Williams (2-4) pitched six strong innings, making it the right night for him to shine.
Williams caught manager Stephen Vogt’s attention with his focused approach before the game after the Twins had swept a doubleheader to start the series.
“I could tell he was ready. The way he got on the bus, the way he got here, it just seemed like a different demeanor out of him,” Vogt said. “Not that it’s bad normally, but just something a little different today. Man, he was special.”
Williams gave up one run on four hits with no walks, making it his best outing of the season in his eight starts.
“He has good stuff,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “If he’s going to throw most of his pitches in the zone and force you to swing, it’s tough.”
Kwan, an All-Star and Gold Glove left fielder who leads off for the Guardians, hit a fastball from Simeon Woods Richardson into the seats above right-center field for his 11th home run, which matches his total from his first two seasons in the majors.
“It electrified the dugout,” Vogt said. “It got everybody into the game.”
Woods Richardson (3-3) matched Williams with a strong performance, pitching a career-high seven innings and allowing only two singles besides the homers. The rookie threw just 89 pitches.
“It’s really what we were looking for from him,” Baldelli said. “He gave it to us.”
The Twins also played excellent defense behind him, with first baseman Carlos Santana and second baseman Austin Martin making two diving stops each, and third baseman Jose Miranda making a basket catch on a foul popup with his back to the infield.
