There was a moment on Friday night at Progressive Field that Cleveland Guardians fans won't soon forget—Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft, crushed his first major league home run. The rookie sent a 1-1 slider from Minnesota's Connor Prielipp 427 feet into the Guardians' bullpen in center field, putting Cleveland ahead 4-0 in the fifth inning. It was a breakthrough for Bazzana, who had gone hitless in his first 12 big league at-bats before being called up from Triple-A Columbus on April 28. Since then, he's 6 for 18 with four RBIs, showing the promise that made him a top draft choice.
The Guardians rode that momentum to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins, their third straight win. Rookie left-hander Parker Messick was sharp again, allowing just one run over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six. Messick (4-0) is tied for the rookie lead in wins with Washington's Foster Griffin and ranks second among qualified rookies with a 2.30 ERA—a stat that's turning heads around the league.
In the seventh inning, veteran José Ramírez reached a milestone, notching his 1,700th career hit with a liner past Twins shortstop Brooks Lee into left field, driving in Steven Kwan. It was a small but significant piece of history on a night full of highlights for Cleveland.
Minnesota's Byron Buxton kept his hot streak alive, collecting three hits and homering for the 12th time in his last 22 games. His two-run shot off Matt Festa in the seventh cut Cleveland's lead to 4-3, but the Guardians answered with insurance runs. Cade Smith, who leads MLB with 11 saves, allowed a run in the ninth but closed out the 6-4 win.
The game started with Cleveland's first three batters reaching base. Kwan singled, Angel Martinez was hit by a pitch, and a throwing error by Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall on a Ramírez grounder allowed Kwan to score. A sacrifice fly from Rhys Hoskins made it 2-0. Prielipp (1-1) took the loss, giving up four runs (one earned) over five innings.
The Twins have dropped three of four on their six-game road trip, while the Guardians are finding their stride. These two teams meet again on Saturday, with Minnesota's Joe Ryan (2-3, 3.72 ERA) taking the mound against Cleveland's Tanner Bibee (0-5, 4.58 ERA). For fans watching Bazzana and Messick emerge, the future in Cleveland is looking bright.