⚾ The Corner Rundown: Twins 2, Guardians 1 — May 9, 2026
Final Score: Minnesota Twins 2, Cleveland Guardians 1 — 11 innings
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Location: Progressive Field — Cleveland, Ohio
The Guardians had chances. Plenty of them. But Saturday night turned into one of those frustrating extra-inning losses where the pitching was good enough to win, the opportunities were there, and the offense just could not cash in.
After a rain delay of more than two hours, Minnesota beat Cleveland 2-1 in 11 innings behind Byron Buxton, who accounted for both Twins hits, both Twins runs and basically the entire Minnesota offense.
⭐ Key Performers
- Tanner Bibee: Six strong innings, nine strikeouts, and only one run allowed — a leadoff homer to Buxton.
- Kyle Manzardo: Drove in Cleveland’s lone run with an RBI single in the fourth inning.
- José Ramírez: Added pressure on the bases with his 15th stolen base of the season.
- Travis Bazzana: Swiped his seventh base of the year as Cleveland tried to manufacture offense in a low-hit game.
📖 Game Summary
Buxton wasted no time putting Minnesota in front, leading off the game with his 13th home run of the season. From there, Bibee settled in and gave the Guardians exactly what they needed, punching out nine and keeping the Twins quiet.
Cleveland tied it in the fourth when Manzardo came through with an RBI single, but that was all the Guardians could squeeze out. The rough part? Cleveland had real chances late. The Guardians loaded the bases in both the ninth and tenth innings with one out, but came away empty both times.
That opened the door for Minnesota in the 11th. With automatic runner Matt Wallner on second, Buxton doubled off the wall in left-center to give the Twins a 2-1 lead. Cleveland could not answer in the bottom half, and Minnesota escaped with a game the Guardians will feel like they let slip away.
📊 Notable Stats
- The Guardians and Twins each finished with just two hits.
- Buxton had both Minnesota hits and both RBIs.
- Bibee struck out nine over six innings.
- Cleveland stole three bases: Ramírez, Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio.
- The Guardians left too many key runners stranded, especially in the ninth and tenth innings.
🎥 Watch the Highlights
💰 The Betting Corner
Saturday’s result was a tough one for Guardians backers. Cleveland closed as a home favorite on FanDuel at +1.5 (-136) on the run line and +132 on the moneyline, while Minnesota was listed at -1.5 (+102) and -170 on the moneyline. The Twins won outright, 2-1, but Cleveland did cover the +1.5 run line.
For Sunday’s matchup, FanDuel has the Guardians and Twins total sitting at 7.5 runs. The over is listed around -115, with the under around -105. Based on Saturday’s pitching-heavy, low-offense game, the total will be one to watch closely.
🔜 Next Game
Matchup: Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians
Date/Time: Sunday, May 10, 2026 — 1:40 PM ET
Location: Progressive Field — Cleveland, Ohio
Probable Pitchers: Andrew Morris, RHP, for Minnesota vs. Gavin Williams, RHP, for Cleveland
The Guardians will look to bounce back quickly and take the series finale behind Williams, who enters the matchup at 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA.