MINNEAPOLIS -- On Friday the Guardians rested. They earned it.
The Guards are 6-2 on this 10-game season-opening trip. Manager Stephen Vogt said his players welcomed the first day off of the regular season.
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“They are dragging, but they don’t show it,” said Vogt after Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Twins. “It’s a testament to our medical staff and our strength and conditioning staff for keeping them fresh and keeping their bodies going. And it comes down to players’ hard work and bringing the energy, even when they don’t feel 100%. They do that day in and day out.”
Said catcher Bo Naylor, “Whenever you have an off day, you want to take advantage of it and make sure you spend it the right way. You want to make sure you come to the park ready for the next game. It has been fun. The group has been great. The energy has been really good. "
The Guardians started this trip with four straight games in Oakland. Then it was three straight in Seattle. Thursday’s game at Target Field made eight straight road games.
“That’s what this game is, a grind,” said Naylor. “It will take a lot out of you. As long as we come prepared each and every day, I think we’ll take care of business whenever we can.”
Well noted
- The 6-2 Guardians are off to their best start after the first eight games of the season since they opened the 2011 season at 6-2. They finished 80-82 that year under Manny Acta.
- Cleveland is 17-7 in the last 24 games against the Twins. In that stretch they’re 8-3 at Target Field.
- Reliever Scott Barlow, in his last six appearances against the Twins, has 13 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
- Steven Kwan, following his 3 for 5 game Thursday, is a career .347 (25 for 72) hitter with an .903 OPS in 17 games at Target Field.
Thursday’s game
Tanner Bibee struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings as the Guardians opened this three-game series with a 4-2 win to ruin the Twins’ home opener.
Bibee (1-0, 3.86) pitched into and out of trouble most of the game. He stranded a runner on third in the first and left the bases loaded in the second while allowing just one run.
“Tanner was electric,” said Bo Naylor. “The fastball had life and I pretty much felt he could put the off-speed stuff wherever he wanted. He made my job of calling the pitches really easy.”
Four relievers were needed to close the deal, with Emmanuel Clase pitching the ninth for his third save. Clase is 18 for 18 in save opportunities against Minnesota.
The Guards sent seven men to the plate while taking a 3-0 lead in the fourth off Pablo Lopez. Steven Kwan, Andrés Giménez and José Ramírez started the inning with consecutive singles.
Trivia question: After eight games the Guardians lead the big leagues with a +30 run differential. What was their run differential at the end of last season? Answer below.
What’s next
Here what’s next for the Guardians following Friday’s off day.
- The Guardians will start RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 5.40) Saturday, while the Twins start RHP Joe Ryan (0-0, 1.69) Saturday. Game time is 2:10 p.m. ET. Bally Sports Great Lakes and WTAM will carry the game.
- The Guardians will start RHP Triston McKenzie (0-1, 10.80) Sunday. The Twins will start RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 54.00) on Sunday. Game time is 2:10 p.m. ET. Bally Sports Great Lakes and WTAM will carry the game.
- The Guardians open the home season on April 8 with a three-game series against the White Sox. RHP Shane Bieber (2-0, 0.00) will start the home opener for Cleveland. The game will start at 5:07 p.m. to allow the solar eclipse to come and go.
- The Yankees come to Progressive Field for a three-game set starting April 12.
Trivia answer: The Guardians at the end of last season had a minus-35 run differential. They scored 662 runs, while allowing 697.
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