Inside The Twins

Twins start fast, collect season-high 17 hits in blowout win over Guardians

Edouard Julien hit a first-pitch homer and Minnesota never looked back in Monday's victory.
Nolan O'Hara|
Minnesota Twins left fielder Harrison Bader reacts after walking in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on April 28, 2025.
Minnesota Twins left fielder Harrison Bader reacts after walking in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on April 28, 2025. | David Richard-Imagn Images

It took all of one pitch for the Minnesota Twins to take a lead on Monday.

Edouard Julien sent the game's first pitch 403 feet into center field at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and the Twins never looked back in an 11-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in the first of a three-game series between the division rivals.

The Twins (13-16) also got singles from Carlos Correa and Ty France in that opening inning, plus an RBI double from Ryan Jeffers that made it a 2-0 advantage. The hits kept coming in the second inning, including a two-run single from Byron Buxton that made it 4-0, and Minnesota successfully chased Guardians starter Gavin Williams out of the game after two.

Williams gave up seven hits, four runs and issued two walks while fanning just two and taking the loss.

Meanwhile, Twins starter Bailey Ober was dealing, and he limited the Guardians (15-13) in 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Ober gave up just the one run off eight hits and fanned a pair, throwing 94 total pitches. It marked Ober's fourth straight quality start.

Minnesota kept tacking on runs, too, getting RBI singles from Jonah Bride and Harrison Bader in the fifth inning, and a two-run double from France and an RBI single from Mickey Gasper in the sixth. Kody Clemens, whom the Twins acquired on Saturday, pinch hit for Correa in the eighth inning as Minnesota had a commanding 9-1 advantage and doubled as the Guardians turned to shortstop Will Wilson to preserve their bullpen. Jeffers later hit a 412-foot two-run shot to left-center.

It was Jeffers' first home run of the season on a night the Twins collected a season-high 17 hits, matched a season high with the 11 runs and went 8 for 14 with runners in scoring position. Minnesota left eight runners on base. The hits were coming from all around the lineup. Jeffers was 2 for 4 with three RBIs; France was 2 for 4 with two RBIs; Buxton was 2 for 5 with two RBIs; and Gasper, Bride, Bader and Julien each drove in a run, with Bride finishing his night 3 for 5 at the plate.

Cleveland's lone run came in the fifth inning when Jhonkensy Noel hit an RBI single off Ober.

Jorge Alcala relieved Ober with two on in the eighth inning, and while he walked Wilson to load the bases, he struck out Gabriel Arias to get the Twins out of the inning unharmed. Alcala followed up with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close it out.

The Twins and Guardians meet again for a 5:10 p.m. CT first pitch Tuesday in Cleveland.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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