The Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins have built a budding rivalry over the last two seasons because of their similar timelines in the American League Central.
Up to this point, there hasn’t appeared to be any bad blood on the field between the two clubs; there have just been a lot of hard-fought games. However, it only takes one comment to change the narrative and provide bulletin board material for the other club.
The Guardians held a 6.0-game lead over the Twins in the division heading into Monday’s action. That’s a solid cushion with two weeks before the All-Star Break, but Minnesota’s Royce Lewis is confident that Cleveland’s lead will dwindle over the next two weeks.
Minnesota sideline reporter Audra Martin shared this note from Lewis on Tuesday’s broadcast:
“‘You know what, that’s baseball and if anything its great to have teams fighting until the very end.’ He added that, ‘The Guardians aren’t the Yankees of old, so they’re about to have a downfall eventaully,’ he said ‘so if we can keep playing and winning series the way we have, we’ll be in a very good spot’.”
Was Lewis trying to stir the pot between his team and the Guardians? Probably not. Minnesota has been playing good baseball as of late, is 7-3 in their last 10 games, and is likely trying to encourage his teammates to keep their eyes on the prize.
But if you’re the Guardians, you absolutely use that comment as motivation for the rest of the year.
Apr 6, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) congratulates Cleveland Guardians catcher David Fry (6) upon hitting a three run home run against Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland may not be the “Yankees of old,” but they do have one of the best offenses in baseball, a 24-15 record against winning teams, and have a perfect 5-0 record against the Twins this year.
It’s a long season, and anything can happen, but the Guardians have shown on multiple occasions that they are a legitimate threat against all teams in baseball.
Source link : https://www.si.com/mlb/guardians/news/minnestoa-twins-royce-lewis-appears-to-take-shot-at-cleveland-guardians-record
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Publish date : 2024-07-02 23:40:54
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