Heartbreak in Cleveland 
Another tough loss for our Minnesota Twins as they came up just short against the Cleveland Guardians, losing 5-4 in extra innings. Despite a strong start and some clutch hitting, we couldn't hold on. Here's the recap from a rollercoaster of a game.Early Momentum 
We came out swinging in the 1st! Willi Castro led off with a double to left, followed by Matt Wallner reaching on an infield single. Carlos Correa then drove in Castro with a fielder's choice, thanks to a fielding error by their shortstop Brayan Rocchio. 1-0 to the Twins! On the defensive side, our pitching was solid early on. The Guardians couldn't get anything going in the 1st or 3rd innings.
Trading Blows 
The Guardians tied it up in the bottom of the 2nd with a solo homer by Josh Naylor. But we responded in the 5th with Carlos Correa singling in Castro again to regain the lead at 2-1. 
Unfortunately, Josh Naylor struck again with another homer in the 7th to tie it at 2-2. Our bullpen kept us in the game, especially with Louie Varland and Jhoan Duran throwing solid innings.
Extra-Inning Drama 
The tension was high in the 10th. With Royce Lewis pinch-hitting and getting on board, followed by Castro getting hit by a pitch, it set the stage for Carlos Correa's clutch single that scored two runs, putting us up 4-2! Sadly, the Guardians rallied in the bottom half. Despite Jhonkensy Noel striking out, a single by pinch-hitter Kyle Manzardo scored Naylor. Then, Will Brennan's single tied it up at 4-4 as errors and hit placement worked against us.
Ultimately, a single from Brayan Rocchio sealed the game for the Guardians with Andres Gimenez crossing home plate for the walk-off win.
Final Thoughts 
It's a tough loss to swallow, but the team showed fight throughout. Clutch moments from Carlos Correa and solid pitching from our bullpen keep us hopeful for the future! Let's bounce back in the next game and get that win! Go Twins! 
Scoreboard for Twins @ Guardians (September 18th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |