Will Brennan's rare homer against Sonny Gray gives Guardians a 4-2 win over Twins
Will Brennan hit the first homer allowed this season by Sonny Gray in the seventh inning and Logan Allen pitched six strong innings for the Cleveland Guardians in a 4-2 win against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night.
Brennan drove in three runs and Andrés Giménez and Gabriel Arias each reached base three times in front of him. Steven Kwan added a solo homer in the ninth for Cleveland, which had lost three of four — including the first two games of the four-game series in Minnesota.
Allen (3-2) allowed a leadoff homer to Jorge Polanco in the first and then settled in, giving up seven hits and two runs. The 24-year-old left-hander hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his first eight major league starts.
James Karinchak, Enyel De Los Santos and Emmanuel Clase each pitched an inning of relief with one total hit allowed. Clase earned his MLB-leading 18th save.
Gray (4-1) gave up a season-high 10 hits and tied a season high with three runs allowed, including Brennan's homer. Gray was the only pitcher in the majors with enough qualifying innings to not allow a homer this season and was the fifth pitcher in the wild-card era (since 1995) to allow no homers in their first 11 starts of the year.
Gray started the day with an AL-best 1.94 ERA, but saw it rise to 2.15.
TRAINERS ROOM
Guardians: SS Amed Rosario was pulled in the fourth inning with left knee soreness. He was replaced by Tyler Freeman at shortstop. ... RHP Michael Kelly had his contract selected from Triple-A Columbus and RHP Hunter Gaddis was optioned to Triple-A. ... RHP Peyton Battenfield (right shoulder inflammation) was transferred from the 15-day to 60-day injured list.
Twins: Slugger Joey Gallo was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. OF Kyle Garlick was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul. ... OF Byron Buxton and SS Carlos Correa were both out of the lineup for the second straight game. Buxton has sore ribs from being hit by a pitch Thursday. Correa (plantar fasciitis) said he still feels the pain, but is better and hopes to return Sunday.
UP NEXT
Guardians: RHP Triston McKenzie will be activated to make his season debut and start for Cleveland in the series finale Sunday. McKenzie has been out all season with a right teres major strain. He had a 4.35 ERA in three rehab games for Columbus, striking out 13 in 10 1/3 innings.
Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (7-2, 2.77 ERA) starts for Minnesota. He's coming off his worst start of the season, allowing five runs in four innings at Houston.