Nick Gordon of the Twins gets a high-five from Ryan Jeffers after hitting a home run in the third inning Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. Craig Lassig/Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Nick Gordon hit a third-inning home run that stood up for Minnesota starter Devin Smeltzer, and the Twins dodged a sweep, cooling off the Cleveland Guardians with a 1-0 win on Thursday.
Gordon, subbing for star Byron Buxton in center field, drove a 1-2 curveball from Zach Plesac (3-4) into the grass berm beyond the wall in center.
The Guardians failed to score against Minnesota’s struggling bullpen after loading the bases with no outs in the seventh inning, getting a man to second base with one out in the eighth, and putting a runner on second with one out in the ninth. Caleb Thielbar recorded his first save by striking out pinch-hitter Steven Kwan to end the game.
Cleveland lost for just the fifth time in its last 22 games. The Guardians (36-29) lead by percentage points in the AL Central race, having played six fewer games than the Twins (39-32). The two teams have a five-game series next week.
MARINERS 2, ATHLETICS 1: Frankie Montas took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, but reliever A.J. Puk threw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches with two outs in the ninth that gave Seattle a win at Oakland.
The Mariners loaded the bases with three walks and rallied on Puk’s wayward tosses to complete a three-game sweep.
Montas didn’t allow a hit until Adam Frazier lined a single to left field with two outs in the eighth. Montas gave up another hit and was pulled after the inning.
Montas struck out eight in a season-high eight innings, and exited with a 1-0 lead. He has received either one or zero runs of support in 11 of his 15 starts.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BRAVES 7, GIANTS 6: Dansby Swanson hit two home runs and Atlanta built a big lead early before holding off visiting San Francisco for its 18th win in 21 games this month.
Swanson, who homered to begin a three-run rally in the ninth inning for a 4-3 win over the Giants a night earlier, had three hits and drove in three runs.
Swanson hit a leadoff home run in the first and connected again in the fourth, his 12th, for a 7-1 lead. It was his seventh career multihomer game, the last coming Aug. 14, 2021, at Washington.
Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run single in a five-run second inning as the Braves tagged Alex Wood (5-6).
DODGERS 10, REDS 5: Freddie Freeman homered and drove in three runs ahead of what’s sure to be an emotional weekend, leading Clayton Kershaw and Los Angeles to a win at Cincinnati that completed a sweep of the season series.
Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, Will Smith and Justin Turner also homered for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who outscored the Reds 52-18 in winning all seven games this year.
The Dodgers now travel to Atlanta, where Freeman was the longtime face of the franchise and helped the Braves win the World Series last year. He then became a free agent and signed a $162 million, six-year deal with the Dodgers.
Cincinnati has lost seven straight and is an NL worst 23-46.
Kershaw (5-1) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings. He struck out seven, leaving after 80 pitches as he lowered his ERA to an even 2.00.
BREWERS 6, CARDINALS 4: Tyrone Taylor hit a three-run homer, Willy Adames added a solo shot and Milwaukee won at home to split a four-game series with its NL Central rival.
Taylor’s drive to left field on a 2-1 sinker from Dakota Hudson (5-4) in the fourth inning gave the Brewers a 4-2 lead and snapped a streak of 46 1/3 innings without allowing a homer by the Cardinals right-hander.
The Brewers, who have won five of seven, moved back into a first-place tie with the Cardinals atop the division.
PIRATES 8, CUBS 7: Michael Chavis hit a tying home run in the eighth before pulling off a defensive gem and delivering a game-ending single in the 10th, sending Pittsburgh to a win at home.
Chavis’ solo homer made it 7-all after the Cubs scored five times in the top of the eighth.
In the 10th, Chavis charged a slow grounder by Jason Heyward toward first base and threw out Patrick Wisdom at the plate. The call stood after a Chicago challenge.
In the bottom half, Chavis blooped a single to right off Scott Effross (1-3), and automatic runner Ke’Bryan Hayes scored in a collision with catcher Wilson Contreras.
MARLINS 3, ROCKIES 2: Avisaíl García drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder’s-choice grounder in the eighth inning, and Miami completed a three-game sweep against visiting Colorado.
Four relievers combined to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the Marlins, including Steven Okert (5-0), who pitched a scoreless eighth to pick up his second win of the series.
NOTES
TRADE: The San Francisco Giants acquired Willie Calhoun from the Texas Rangers for Steven Duggar in a swap of outfielders who both bat left-handed and throw right-handed.
It will be a homecoming for Calhoun, who requested a trade a couple of days after being sent to the minors by the Rangers on May 1. The 27-year-old was born in the East Bay city of Vallejo, California.
Calhoun has spent all five-plus years of his major league career with the Rangers, playing 253 games and hitting .241 overall. He had a .136 average with a homer and two RBI over 18 big league games this year.
Duggar batted .194 with four RBI in 12 games for the Giants this year before being placed on the injured list April 22 because of a left oblique strain.
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