CLEVELAND — Joe Ryan pitched shutout ball for the second straight outing and become only the second Minnesota starter to reach the eighth inning this season to lead the Twins over the AL-Central leading Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Sunday.
Jake Cave hit a solo homer in the second off Cody Morris (0-2) and AL batting leader Luis Arraez added a two-run single in the ninth against Enyel De Los Santos as third-place Minnesota stopped an eight-game losing streak against Cleveland. The second-place Chicago White Sox moved within 3½ games of the Guardians.
Cleveland had won the first three games of the five-game series, which ends Monday, The third-place Twins trail the Guardians by six games.
Ryan (12-8) allowed three hits in 7 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked two in his first start since being pulled after seven hitless innings and 106 pitches against Kansas City. The only prior Minnesota starter to reacg the eighth tis year was Dylan Bundy on June 18 at Arizona.
Center fielder Gilberto Celestino made a running catch near the warning track of José Ramirez's drive to end a threat in the sixth. The Twins' infield also turned three double plays.
Ryan was pulled after Myles Straw's two-out single in the eighth. Jovani Moran retired Andrés Giménez on a flyout. and Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth for his eighth save. Ramirez drew a one-out walk, but Duran struck out the final two hitters.
RECORD BOOK
Giménez was hit by a pitch for the 21st time this season, one more than the previous club record set by Ryan Garko in 2007.
Amed Rosario had eight hits Saturday, tying the Cleveland record for most hits in a doubleheader. Rosario had four hits in each game. Nap Lajoie (1910), George Burns (1924) and Earl Averill (1933) also had eight hits in a doubleheader.
ROSTER MOVE
Minnesota called up right-hander Ronny Henriquez from Triple-A St. Paul. He would become the first Twins player who was born in the 2000s to appear in a game. Henriquez was born on June 20, 2000.
Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez, who pitched the final 3 2/3 innings and got the loss in Saturday's second game, was designated for assignment.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: 2B Nick Gordon was out of the lineup after playing both games Saturday, but walked as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. He was removed from Friday's game after fouling a ball off his foot and was hit on the arm by a pitch in Saturday's second game.
UP NEXT
RHP Sonny Gray (8-4, 2.83 ERA) will start for Minnesota in the series finale. Gray is 1-0 with a 2.93 ERA in three starts against the Guardians this season. RHP Cal Quantrill (12-5, 3.51 ERA) will pitch for Cleveland. Quantrill is 12-0 in 41 career games at Progressive Field and has gone 33 straight home starts without a loss.
More Sports Headlines on WKYC.com: