Alan Roden's walk-off single lifts Twins over Guardians
Alan Roden hit a walk-off RBI single off the center-field wall in the ninth inning Wednesday, giving the Minnesota Twins a 6-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field. Called up after Byron Buxton landed on the injured list, Roden also tied the game in the fourth during his season debut and clinched the Twins' second straight win over Cleveland.
Key Takeaways
- Roden delivered the game-winning hit in his first major league appearance of 2026, capping a 6-5 walk-off win.
- The outfielder tied the score in the fourth and won it in the ninth after the Guardians blew a late lead.
- Minnesota clinched its first home series victory over Cleveland at Target Field since May 2022.
- Connor Prielipp battled through a tough fourth inning before the bullpen and lineup rallied twice.
- Bailey Ober is scheduled to return Thursday in the series finale against Gavin Williams.
How did Alan Roden win the game for the Twins?
With the score tied and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Alan Roden lined a fastball from Guardians reliever Matt Festa off the center-field wall. The hit scored the winning run and gave Roden his first career walk-off RBI.
Minnesota set up the rally with an infield single, a ground ball misplayed by Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana, and a walk. Roden worked a nine-pitch at-bat before driving the decisive hit, then tossed his helmet aside as teammates mobbed him in shallow right field.
Roden had been recalled Tuesday when Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day injured list with a hip issue. One of the final cuts in spring training, he had spent six weeks on the minor league injured list earlier this season with a labrum tear in his right shoulder.
Why did the Guardians lose a late lead again?
Cleveland carried a two-run edge into the seventh inning at Target Field, but the advantage unraveled quickly. Twins reliever Eric Orze walked two of three batters before Taylor Rogers allowed an RBI single to Chase DeLauter and a run on a squeeze bunt from Brayan Rocchio.
Minnesota answered without putting a ball in play in the bottom half. Guardians relievers Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski combined to issue five walks, including two with the bases loaded to Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens that tied the game at 5-5.
Both teams left runners stranded in the eighth before Roden ended it in the ninth. As Cleveland.com reported, the Guardians blew a late lead again in a 6-5 walk-off defeat at Target Field.
What sparked the Twins' comeback earlier in the game?
The Guardians jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the fourth against Twins starter Connor Prielipp. Brayan Rocchio crushed a two-run homer and Rhys Hoskins followed with a solo shot on the next pitch, Cleveland's first back-to-back homers of the season.
Minnesota answered immediately in the bottom half. Singles from Brooks Lee, Kody Clemens, and Josh Bell loaded the bases before Royce Lewis drew a walk and Luke Keaschall hit a sacrifice fly.
With two outs, Roden lined a tying RBI single to center in his season debut. Prielipp recovered with a scoreless fifth, finishing one out shy of matching his career-high in professional innings pitched.
What is next for the Twins against Cleveland?
Wednesday's walk-off gave Minnesota a 6-5 win and its second consecutive victory over the Guardians, securing a series win at home. The Twins had not taken a home series from Cleveland at Target Field since May 13-15, 2022, according to the Star Tribune.
Bailey Ober (6-3, 4.59 ERA) is scheduled to come off the injured list Thursday and start the series finale. He will face Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.89 ERA) in what shapes up as the rubber match of a tightly played division series.
For more live sports and market-moving alerts, follow our Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage hub.