Hedges and Halpin hit sac flies in the 6th, Guardians beat Twins 5-2 for third straight victory

By: The Associated Press Posted: 8:55 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 21, 2026

CLEVELAND (AP) — Austin Hedges and Petey Halpin hit sacrifice flies in the sixth inning as the Cleveland Guardians, a night after hitting seven homers, used small ball to beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Tuesday for a third straight victory.

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Cleveland starter Parker Messick allowed two runs — one earned — on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter before leaving with a runner on second. Colin Holderman (5-2) got the final out in the inning to qualify for the win.

Hunter Gaddis pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings before Cade Smith closed it out in the ninth for his 29th save — tops in the majors.

Cleveland Guardians' Parker Messick pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Ryan Jeffers hit his ninth homer, a two-out shot off Messick in the first for a 1-0 lead.

Hedges walked leading off the third against Kendry Rojas and scored on a double by Steven Kwan to tie it. Mike Paredes (0-3) replaced Rojas and surrendered an RBI single to Brayan Rocchio to put Cleveland up 2-1.

Josh Bell doubled and scored when Messick mishandled a comebacker from Royce Lewis to tie it 2-all in the fourth.

Cleveland loaded the bases in the sixth and Paredes yielded a go-ahead sac fly to Hedges. Taylor Rogers entered and surrendered a sac fly to Halpin after Travis Bazzana and Arias pulled off a double steal for a 4-2 lead.

Rogers also gave up a two-out RBI single to Bazzana in the seventh.

Rojas allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings on a hit and two walks for Minnesota, which has lost four straight. Paredes gave up two runs on six hits in three innings. Rookie Jack Anderson pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings in his Twins debut.

Up next

Twins RHP Bailey Ober (7-3, 4.32) starts Wednesday opposite Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (4-6, 4.55).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb