New-look Twins pitching staff pieces it together for one-run victory over Guardians

CLEVELAND – After Erasmo Ramírez recorded the final two outs Sunday, earning the sixth save of his major league career, the Twins finally had something to celebrate after their eternity of a week.

The Twins dealt away 10 major league players at the trade deadline, including five of their best relievers, and their new ragtag bullpen secured a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

It was the Twins’ first victory in six days, ending a four-game losing streak, and the first time the Twins won a one-run game in Cleveland since Aug. 24, 2020. The Twins had lost 14 consecutive one-run games in Cleveland, including the first two games of this weekend series.

“We needed something to go our way, for sure,” said Kody Funderburk (2-1), who pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory. He stranded two runners in the fifth inning when he induced an infield pop-up against Kyle Manzardo, the guy who had a walk-off hit against him Friday night.

Justin Topa and Cole Sands both struck out two batters in scoreless innings before Michael Tonkin entered in the ninth with a three-run lead. Tonkin walked his first batter before giving up two hits: a double to C.J. Kayfus for the prospect’s first career hit and a two-run single to pinch hitter Brayan Rocchio.

Tonkin retired Steven Kwan before Ramírez, 35, entered to pitch in his first major league game in nearly a full year.

Ramírez, pitching with the tying run on first base, ended it with two flyouts. His last batter, José Ramírez, popped up a sinker in a 2-0 count, a pitch Erasmo Ramírez told catcher Christian Vázquez he wanted to challenge him with during a mid-at-bat mound visit.

The Twins greeted Guardians lefthander Joey Cantillo with four hits, two runs and zero outs on his first 16 pitches. Austin Martin lined a single into right field and Ryan Jeffers dropped a fly ball in center before Matt Wallner grounded an RBI single up the middle — somehow, Wallner’s first run-scoring hit all season when batting with two or more runners on base. Royce Lewis followed with an RBI double down the left-field line.

Cantillo struck out the next two batters, but then Trevor Larnach lined a two-run, two-out single into right field. The Twins had three hits with a runner in scoring position during their four-run first inning, their highest total in a game since July 22.

“There is no other choice but to put your head down, work and move on,” Larnach said. “I thought we’ve done a good job doing that.”

It wasn’t until the eighth inning when the Twins had another runner in scoring position. Wallner was awarded a triple when Angel Martínez dropped a ball against the center-field wall. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who failed on three attempts to drop a sacrifice bunt in Saturday’s loss, entered as a pinch runner and scored on a squeeze bunt from Kody Clemens.

Clemens called the bunt on his own.

That was enough run support for the new-look Twins bullpen. José Ureña, who has already pitched for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers this season, learned he was starting Sunday after he made six appearances at Class AAA St. Paul.

The lead was immediately cut in half. José Ramírez launched a sinker that didn’t sink into the right-field seats for a two-run homer in the first inning.

Ureña, who turns 34 next month, has pitched in the majors for 11 seasons. Sunday’s outing was his second longest this season. He completed four innings and yielded five hits and the two runs.

“After the homer, [Ureña] became a beast,” Erasmo Ramírez said. “After that, he showed what he can bring and what he can give. I feel like that’s what won the game. Not my closing. It was him holding the game that was the winning part.”

BOXSCORE: Twins 5, Cleveland 4

Hip-hop music thumped through the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field afterward. When Ramírez completed his save, he didn’t have any outward celebrations. The last out, he said, just gave him a chance to take a deep breath.