The Cleveland Guardians have a prime opportunity to enhance their playoff positioning with a day-night doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on March 15, 2024, in Minneapolis. Following a convincing 6-2 victory in the series opener, the Guardians (82-71) are now just 2.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers (85-69) for first place in the American League Central. This marks a remarkable turnaround for the Guardians, who trailed the Tigers by as much as 15.5 games on July 8.
With the Twins (66-87) already out of playoff contention, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt emphasizes the importance of maintaining focus. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” Vogt stated. “We know that we have to play flawless baseball to win. Records are not indicative of how good or poor a team is, so our guys are ready to go in there.”
The afternoon game serves as a makeup for a previously postponed contest from May 20. Right-hander Slade Cecconi (6-6, 4.39 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Guardians, facing off against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (13-8, 3.35). Cecconi is on the cusp of reaching a personal milestone, needing just two more strikeouts to hit the 100 mark for the season. Meanwhile, Ryan boasts an impressive 180 strikeouts over 161 innings this year.
Cecconi, 26, has never faced the Twins in his career, while Ryan holds a 3-4 record with a 2.62 ERA in 11 appearances against Cleveland. This season, Ryan has notched no decisions and has a 4.09 ERA in two starts against the Guardians.
Evening Clash and Team Dynamics
In the nightcap, Guardians left-hander Logan Allen (7-11, 4.36 ERA) will be up against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (5-8, 5.12). Allen is eager to secure his first win since July 29 against the Colorado Rockies, having gone 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA in his last seven starts. In his previous four encounters with the Twins, Allen has maintained a perfect 2-0 record and a solid 2.61 ERA.
On the other hand, Ober is looking to recover from a recent loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he allowed four runs on four hits over six innings. In 11 career starts against Cleveland, Ober holds a 3-2 record with a 2.52 ERA, including a 1-0 mark with a 3.45 ERA in three starts this year.
Vogt explained his decision to start Cecconi in the afternoon game and Allen in the evening, saying, “They’re both going to pitch (Saturday), so it doesn’t really matter. Slade’s going well in day games, but there’s really no rhyme or reason.”
One player to watch for the Twins is left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk. He has shown promise recently, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings on Friday, which lowered his ERA to 3.89. In his last seven outings, Funderburk has not allowed any runs, giving up just three hits over seven innings, while striking out ten batters and walking one. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised Funderburk’s potential, stating, “He’s got the stuff to do it. He can consistently make good pitches and throw strikes to both right-handers and left-handers.”
With both teams motivated for different reasons, the doubleheader promises to be an exciting matchup, as the Guardians strive to close the gap in the standings while the Twins look to play spoiler.
