The Cleveland Guardians remain a persistent pest
One of the best lines from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope comes when once-Jedi-apprentice-turned-Sith-Lord Darth Vader meets his old master Obi-Wan Kenobi…
“When I left you I was but the learner—now I am the master”
Derek Falvey—President of Baseball Operations for the Minnesota Twins—has likely been waiting for his own “now the circle is complete” moment since the Twins hired him away from the Cleveland Guardians following MN’s Total System Failure (TM) of 2016.
In terms of AL Central flags above Target Field or Progressive Field, the tally is 4.0 for Cleveland & 2.5 (the .5 being 2020) for Minnesota. Not necessarily a wide gulf.
But one could argue that only by 2022 had Falvey finagled the pitching pipeline here in Twins Territory that he excelled at in CLE. During those past three seasons—and now into a fourth—the Twins have not only struggled to beat the Guardians whatsoever, but lost so many games in dramatic, late-inning fashion that fans could be forgiven for squinting and seeing pinstripes on the Clevelanders.
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Let’s take a look—painful as it may be—at the ways in which MN hopes have been dashed by Guardian gallantry of late. I’ve limited the scope to contests in which Cleveland took a lead or won the contest in the 8th inning or later—arguably the worst type of gut-punch defeat.
2022
Overall: 6-13 vs Guardians
- 5/14: T10; Myles Straw 1B off Jharel Cotton
- 6/21: T11; Andres Gimenez 1B off Griffin Jax
- 6/22: T9; 4-run rally off Jax & Emilio Pagan
- 6/28: B8; Amed Rosario 1B off Pagan
- 6/29: B10; 3-run rally off Cotton & Pagan
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
- 6/30: B9; Andres Gimenez HR off Tyler Thornburg
- 9/16: B8; Jhoan Duran wild pitch
- 9/17: B15; Amed Rosario reaches on E off Dereck Rodriguez
2023
Overall: 6-7 vs Guardians
- 8/30: T10; Kole Calhoun HR off Kody Funderburk
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
2024
Overall: 3-10 vs Guardians
- 5/17: B8; Jose Ramirez HR off Duran
- 5/19: B9; Will Brennan HR off Duran
- 9/16: B8; Kyle Manzardo HR off Jax
Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images
- 9/18: B10; 3-run rally off Ronny Henriquez & Michael Tonkin
- 9/19: B10; Andres Gimenez 1B off Thielbar
More recent heartbreak can be re-lived here, here, and here should you want further PTSD.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Like I said, the Twins aren’t that far behind Cleveland when it comes to Central champagne-spraying. I also do not fully put this burden on the GM tier, as the last year-and-a-half has seen a complete ownership check-out.
The last two weeks have proven the Twins will compete in 2025, but the fact remains: Right now they not only can’t beat their biggest division rival, but the losses are so deflating as to seem to count for more than one L in the standings. Next Monday-Wednesday will bring the next opportunity for a Cleveland coup.