Sports
Twins, Guardians each seek cleaner baseball entering series
Jul 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) strikers out during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins and Guardians will look to play a better brand of baseball when they open their four-game series on Monday in Cleveland.
The Twins were taken to task during the rubber match of their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, dropping a 10-1 decision.
“This game got out of hand early and stayed out of hand, and we weren’t able to do anything,” Minnesota manager Derek Shelton said. “So we just flush it and move on to the next series.”
Luke Keaschall, who was playing his eighth major-league game in center field, misplayed a ball, resulting in three runs crossing the plate. That turned a three-run deficit into a six-run hole.
“I wanted to catch it,” Keaschall said, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I got a good read on it, but then it started to die a little bit. I tried to let up, got caught in between and just tried to get my body in front of it. It bounced to my left and got by me.”
Keaschall and Minnesota will look to atone on Monday against Cleveland. The Twins have won four of the six meetings between the teams this season.
Like Minnesota, Cleveland committed many costly miscues in its 7-1 setback to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Gabriel Arias and Patrick Bailey miscommunicated on a pickoff attempt, and the former also failed to retag second base, which resulted in one of five outs on the bases for Cleveland.
“We’re a young team and we’re going to make mistakes,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve talked about it the whole year. That’s where our coaches and I need to step up and teach more. We need to get our players better.”
Steven Kwan had two singles, giving him 11 hits during his six-game hitting streak. He is just 3-for-18 in six games this season against Minnesota
The series opener features a battle of right-handers, as All-Star Joe Ryan (6-5, 2.85 ERA) of the Twins will square off against Tanner Bibee (3-9, 3.90) of the Guardians.
Ryan struck out a pair of batters during one scoreless inning of work in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
He also was dominant leading into that game, going 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA after allowing six earned runs with 36 strikeouts over his previous five outings (28 innings).
Ryan, 30, allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts in six innings in his one appearance against Cleveland this season. He received a no-decision in that contest on May 9, however he is 3-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) versus the Guardians.
Bibee enjoyed a rare positive moment in his last outing, yielding one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on July 11. That victory was his first in nearly one month.
He pitched well in his lone appearance against both Ryan and Minnesota this season. He permitted one run on one hit and struck out nine in six innings of a no-decision.
Bibee, 27, is 2-0 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 career appearances (all starts) versus the Twins.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals star SS Bobby Witt Jr. (back tightness) exits vs. Giants
Jul 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) makes a diving stop during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. left Kansas City’s game against the San Francisco Giants after four innings Monday due to low back tightness.
Witt, who has dealt with back issues of late, returned to the lineup Monday after he was given the day off Sunday against the San Diego Padres. He went 0-for-1 with a walk before exiting the contest.
Nick Loftin replaced Witt at shortstop.
An All-Star for each of the past three seasons, including the starting shortstop for the American League in last week’s Midsummer Classic, Witt is batting .279 in 94 games with 13 home runs, 39 RBIs and an AL-high 30 stolen bases. He has been durable since reaching the majors in 2022, playing at least 150 games in every season.
Meanwhile, San Francisco starting pitcher Trevor McDonald came out for the bottom of the fifth, but never threw a pitch in the inning as he exited with a trainer. His injury was not yet known. The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits, walked two and struck out three on 67 pitches.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians go deep seven times as they club Twins
Jul 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Rhys Hoskins (8) celebrates his solo home run in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Rookie Petey Halpin hit his first two home runs and Rhys Hoskins had his 14th career multi-homer game as the Cleveland Guardians went deep a season-high seven times, rolling to a 13-4 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
Travis Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio also cleared the fence against Twins starter Joe Ryan (6-6), who allowed a franchise- and ballpark-record six homers in four innings — the most in the majors this season — in his first appearance since the All-Star Game.
Patrick Bailey belted Cleveland’s seventh homer off Woo-Suk Go in the seventh, tying the club’s mark for most ever at home. It was the second-most home runs for any team in a game this season.
Rookie Chase DeLauter had four hits and three RBIs, Bailey totaled four hits and drove in a pair, and Halpin had three hits and three RBIs.
The Guardians scored in each of the first seven innings, hitting six homers in the first four for the initial time since the franchise was founded in 1901. They moved within one-half game of the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central Division.
Tanner Bibee (4-9) won his second consecutive start, working six innings and giving up two runs on six hits. The right-hander struck out five and walked one to post his second victory in 12 home outings this season.
Minnesota lost its third straight, falling 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the final wild-card spot in the AL. The Twins got as close as 3-2 in the second on Brooks Lee’s RBI triple and a sacrifice fly by Alan Roden.
All-Star Byron Buxton went 2-for-3 in his return from the injured list with a right hip strain for Minnesota. Backup catcher Alex Jackson pitched a scoreless eighth.
Ryan, who entered the contest with a 1.72 ERA in six starts in Cleveland, gave up eight runs on a career-high 10 hits with three strikeouts and zero walks. Halpin had a two-run homer in the second for his first blast in 68 at-bats in the majors.
The Guardians’ three runs in the first came on Rocchio’s two-run homer and Hoskins’ solo shot, both after Kody Clemens failed to turn an inning-ending double play on a routine grounder.
Cleveland took its largest lead at 13-3 in the seventh on DeLauter’s two-run double off Go. Its 10 extra-base hits, 13 runs and 19 hits were season bests.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rays end losing streak, shut down struggling Jays
Jul 20, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez (28) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins and Nick Fortes socked solo home runs Monday night and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1.
Junior Caminero was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, and two RBIs in the opener of a four-game series to support Nick Martinez, who pitched six effective innings.
Martinez (9-2) allowed one run, six hits and one walk with no strikeouts to help Tampa Bay go to 6-1 against Toronto this season.
Helped by three Toronto errors, the Rays snapped a five-game losing streak and are 1-4 on their eight-game road trip. Toronto is 1-3 on a six-game homestand and fell 11 1/2 games behind the first-place Rays in the American League East.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead against Dylan Cease (6-5) with one out in the second when Mesa Jr. homered for the third straight game, belting a 2-2 sinker to center.
Tampa Bay scored again in the third. Taylor Walls led off the third with a double to right and moved to third on Cease’s errant pickoff throw. Jonathan Aranda grounded a single to right past a drawn-in second baseman Ernie Clement.
Toronto cut the lead to 2-1 when George Springer singled, stole second and scored on Alejandro Kirk’s two-out single to right.
The Rays scored two unearned runs in the fifth. Fortes reached first base on third baseman Kazuma Okamoto’s throwing error, took second on Walls’ sacrifice bunt and scored when shortstop Andres Gimenez committed an error on Yandy Diaz’s grounder. Diaz stole second and sprinted home on Caminero’s single to left.
Mullins led off the sixth with a homer to center on a first-pitch knuckle curve.
Cease allowed five runs (three earned), seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in six innings.
Braydon Fisher replaced Cease in the seventh and allowed a run on an infield hit by Diaz and a two-out RBI double by Caminero to center.
Cam Booser replaced Martinez and pitched a perfect seventh.
Fortes homered to left-center on a 2-1 slider to lead off the ninth against Brendon Little.
Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker worked around a walk and a single in the bottom of the ninth.
–Field Level Media
Royals star SS Bobby Witt Jr. (back tightness) exits vs. Giants
Guardians go deep seven times as they club Twins
