Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins Box Score on Aug 16, 2021

Jorge Polanco doubled home Max Kepler from second base with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to give the Minnesota Twins their second consecutive walk-off victory, 5-4 over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night in Minneapolis.

Polanco lined reliever Nick Wittgren's first pitch down the right field line to drive in Kepler, who had been intentionally walked earlier in the inning. It was Polanco's sacrifice fly that drove in Kepler in the bottom of the ninth Sunday to end the Twins' 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kepler, who walked three times and scored twice, and Ryan Jeffers each homered and Josh Donaldson had three hits for Minnesota, which overcame four errors to win its third straight game. Polanco and Luis Arraez each had two hits while Caleb Thielbar (5-0), who struck out two during a 1-2-3 10th, picked up the win.

Bradley Zimmer went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs and Amed Rosario had two hits and a run for Cleveland. Wittgren (2-6) was charged with the loss.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Kepler led off with a home run for the second time in three games. The 392-foot drive into the second deck in right-center was his 16th of the season.

Cleveland took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on Zimmer's fifth home run of the season, off the middle of the batter's eye in dead center. The 446-foot drive drove in Franmil Reyes, who opened the inning with a walk.

The Twins tied it in the third on a two-out single to right-center by Donaldson, driving in Jorge Polanco, who ran through a stop sign as he came around third after starting at first base. Minnesota then took a 3-2 lead an inning later on a fielder's choice by Kepler, driving in Jake Cave, who had doubled.

The Indians tied it 3-3 in the fifth. Rosario lined a double to center and advanced to third when the ball rolled under Cave's glove for an error. Jose Ramirez then singled to drive in Rosario.

Cleveland then took a 4-3 lead in the sixth with an unearned run. Owen Miller reached base on a two-out fielding error by shortstop Andrelton Simmons and advanced to second on a walk to Andres Gimenez. Austin Hedges then singled down the left field line to drive in Miller, but Gimenez was cut down at the plate on a good relay from Brent Rooker to Simmons to Jeffers.

Jeffers then tied it 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth with a 427-foot home run into the bullpen in center. It was the 11th homer of the season for Jeffers, breaking the team's record for a rookie catcher set by Butch Wynegar in 1976.

--Field Level Media