The Twins promoted eight players before Friday’s game. A couple of players joked they should’ve wore nametags during batting practice.
“It is weird when your friends that you’ve been with for so long are just gone the next day,” Ryan said. “We’re obviously a small-market team, so it’s like you know that the roster is going to be pretty sturdy for the year, and then this happens with a lot of guys that you expect to be with for the next couple years. It’s just sobering.”
Despite all the changes, the results against the Guardians, particularly in close games, were the same. The Twins have lost 13 consecutive one-run games at Progressive Field. The Guardians have won 20 of their past 28 home games against the Twins despite being outscored 119-106.
In the 10th inning, Funderburk misplayed a Steven Kwan bunt, stepping in front of charging third baseman Royce Lewis. Three batters later, Manzardo deposited a slider into left field for a game-winning hit.
“We have to play good fundamental baseball,” Baldelli said. “We have to make the plays, take the outs they’re giving us. They were trying to give us an out and we weren’t able to get the out. It was a good bunt. It was a bunt that was a play that should’ve made fairly easily, and we weren’t able to make it.”
The Twins were gifted two runs in the seventh inning. Brooks Lee hit a one-out single off lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski and Christian Vázquez was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, after righthander Hunter Gaddis entered with two outs, Austin Martin hit a dribbler in front of the plate.