Pablo López’s strong start spoiled late as Twins fall to Guardians

CLEVELAND — Pablo López threw 89 pitches on Wednesday, but it was the last ball to leave his hand that the starting pitcher would like back the most.

Locked in a scoreless game, López fielded a slow tapper and slung the ball well past first baseman Ty France, allowing Guardians star José Ramírez to score all the way from second. That play ended Lopez’s night.

The inning further unraveled when 39-year-old Carlos Santana took off from first and catcher Ryan Jeffers’ attempted throw to second hit reliever Brock Stewart on his non-throwing elbow. Santana advanced to third on a wild pitch and, after a walk to Gabriel Arias, Bo Naylor launched a three-run home run to put the Twins in a 4-0 hole.

The Twins added a couple of late runs Wednesday but fell, 4-2, at Progressive Field, in a game that got away after six innings of a pitchers’ duel.

López cruised through the first six innings, allowing just two hits, a pair of doubles to batters he stranded. He had little run support to speak of, though, because while López was dealing for the Twins, so, too, was Guardians starter Luis Ortiz.

Trevor Larnach got the only Twins hit through the first five innings and he was quickly wiped off the basepaths by a double play.

Byron Buxton, who hit an infield single and advanced to third on a stolen base — the 100th of his career — and error, represented the Twins’ first runner in scoring position, and that didn’t happen until the sixth.

The Twins, who scored just a lone run a day earlier, got on the board in the eighth with a solo home run from Brooks Lee. They scored a run an inning later, too, off Cleveland closer Emmanuel Close, but that was the closest they’d get.

Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez, right, scores as Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers takes the throw in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa lies on the ground after falling over while backing away from a pitch in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)