Brayan Rocchio’s game-winning single in 10th gives AL Central-leading Guardians a 5-4 win over Twins

CLEVELAND, OH – Brayan Rocchio delivered a game-winning single, bringing home Andrés Giménez as the Cleveland Guardians topped the Minnesota Twins 5-4 in a thrilling 10-inning matchup on Wednesday night. This victory further solidified their lead in the AL Central and brought their magic number for clinching a playoff berth down to just one.

The Guardians rallied for three runs in the 10th, starting with RBI singles from Kyle Manzardo and Will Brennan off pitcher Ronny Henriquez (1-1). Michael Tonkin then entered the game, only to see Rocchio hit his second career walk-off, a chopper that slipped through the infield and into right field.

With this win, the Guardians notched their major league-leading 41st comeback victory of the season. A win against the Twins on Thursday would secure their postseason spot.

Josh Naylor shone brightly for Cleveland, hitting two solo homers and scoring three times. His first blast was a 445-foot missile to right-center, marking the first time he’s reached 30 homers in a season.

The Twins initially took a 4-2 lead in the top of the 10th, thanks to Carlos Correa’s two-run single off Hunter Gaddis (5-3). Correa finished the night with four RBIs and extended his hitting streak to 16 games, matching his career high set with Houston in 2019.

Despite a strong performance from Twins right-hander Bailey Ober, who struck out a career-high 12 over seven innings, he remained winless in his last seven starts since August 9, allowing two runs without walking a batter.

With this loss, Minnesota’s lead over Detroit for the final AL wild-card spot shrank to half a game. Fortunately for the Twins, they hold the tiebreaker over the Tigers, and the two teams have completed their season series.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee delivered a solid outing, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing two runs. He improved to 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA against Minnesota this season.

**Up Next:** The Twins will send right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (5-5, 4.08 ERA) to the mound to face Guardians lefty Joey Cantillo (2-3, 4.99 ERA) in the series finale on Thursday.