The Minnesota Twins came back from behind to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 at Target Field on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in a tight division rivalry game that went the distance. Emmanuel Rodriguez supplied the biggest swing of the night with a solo home run, and a bullpen quartet of Andrew Morris, Kody Funderburk, Jeff Hoffman, and A.J. Minter combined to shut Cleveland down over the final 3.2 innings, preserving a one-run win that required every out the Twins could squeeze out.

Twins Score 4 Runs on Cleveland Reliever Franco Aleman in Comeback Win

The turning point arrived when Cleveland turned to Franco Aleman. The Guardians reliever lasted just two-thirds of an inning and allowed five hits and four earned runs — all the damage the Twins needed. That outburst flipped a deficit and handed Minnesota the lead it would not relinquish. Aleman was tagged with the loss.

Rodriguez delivered the signature blow of the rally with his solo home run, finishing 1-for-4 on the night with one RBI. It was the kind of big swing that changes the shape of a ballgame. Brooks Lee added a steady 2-for-3 performance at the plate, giving the Twins consistent contact when they needed it most.

Connor Prielipp Earns the Win Despite Allowing Three Earned Runs

Starting pitcher Connor Prielipp worked 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs while walking nobody and striking out one. The outing was uneven — Cleveland got to him for all three of their runs — but Prielipp logged enough innings to collect the win. When he exited with one out in the sixth, the Twins led and the bullpen took over.

Twins Bullpen Dominates the Final 3.2 Innings Against Cleveland

What followed was about as clean a bullpen performance as Minnesota could ask for in a one-run game:

  • Andrew Morris: 1.0 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 strikeouts
  • Kody Funderburk: 0.2 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk
  • Jeff Hoffman: 1.0 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk
  • A.J. Minter: 1.0 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 strikeouts — save

Hoffman and Funderburk combined for six strikeouts across 1.2 innings, and Minter closed it out with a clean ninth — two strikeouts, no baserunners — to earn the save. Cleveland managed nothing against that group. The bullpen held the Guardians to zero hits over the final 3.2 frames, which made all the difference in a game decided by a single run.

Cleveland Starter Joey Cantillo Struck Out Eight But Did Not Factor in Decision

Cleveland got a strong stretch from Joey Cantillo, who struck out eight Twins hitters across four innings while allowing just one hit and one walk with zero earned runs. That performance kept the Guardians in the game through the middle innings, but the damage done by Aleman before Cantillo entered — and the Twins' ability to cash in against that relief appearance — proved decisive.

What's Next for the Minnesota Twins

The Twins and Guardians continue their series at Target Field. With September baseball in full swing and division implications on the line, Minnesota will look to build on Saturday's result and keep the pressure on Cleveland. The pitching staff will need to replicate the kind of late-inning execution the bullpen delivered Saturday if the Twins want to string wins together in this division series.