CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Travis Bazzana hit his first major league home run, rookie Parker Messick allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins 6-4 on Friday night at Progressive Field.

José Ramírez reached 1,700 career hits with a run-scoring single in the seventh inning. Byron Buxton had three hits, including a two-run homer, for Minnesota, which has lost three of four on its six-game trip.

Cleveland improved to 21-19, winning its third straight. Minnesota fell to 16-23.

The Guardians struck first with a four-run first inning against Minnesota starter Connor Prielipp. Steven Kwan singled, Angel Martínez was hit by a pitch, and Ramírez reached on a fielding error by second baseman Luke Keaschall, scoring Kwan. Rhys Hoskins followed with a sacrifice fly to score Martínez, and Bazzana then launched a two-run homer to center field for a 4-0 lead.

Minnesota could not score in the first four innings against Messick, who worked around seven hits and struck out seven. The Twins broke through in the sixth. Austin Martin doubled, Ryan Jeffers singled him home, and the Twins loaded the bases with one out, but Messick struck out Victor Caratini to end the threat with the score still 4-1.

Buxton tied the game in the seventh with a two-run homer off reliever Matt Festa, scoring Royce Lewis, who had singled. The blast was Buxton’s 12th in his last 22 games and gave the Twins a 4-4 tie.

Cleveland answered in the bottom of the seventh. Kwan hit a ground-rule double, advanced on a groundout, and scored on Ramírez’s liner to left field that gave the Guardians a 5-4 lead. The hit marked Ramírez’s 1,700th career hit.

The Guardians added an insurance run in the eighth. David Fry singled, and after a forceout, Brayan Rocchio was hit by a pitch. Austin Hedges singled off reliever Anthony Banda to score Bazzana, making it 6-4. Minnesota put runners on first and third in the ninth, but Ryan Jeffers grounded into a double play that scored Buxton and ended the threat.

Messick (4-1) allowed one earned run on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one. He rebounded from a loss at on May 3 in which he gave up four earned runs in five innings.

Prielipp (1-1) took the loss despite a solid start. He allowed four runs, one earned, on four hits in five innings, striking out six and walking two. Four of those runs came in the first inning, aided by the error.

Cade Smith earned his 11th save, pitching the ninth inning and allowing one run on two hits while striking out one.

Cleveland’s bullpen held Minnesota to one run over the final 3 1/3 innings. Tim Herrin pitched a scoreless sixth, Colin Holderman recorded two outs in the seventh, and Smith closed it out.

Minnesota’s bullpen was less effective. Kody Funderburk allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings, and Eric Orze threw two-thirds of a scoreless inning.

The Twins outhit the Guardians 13-8 but left 11 runners on base and went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

Buxton finished 3 for 5 with the homer and two RBIs. Martin had three hits, including a double. Jeffers had two hits and an RBI. For Cleveland, Kwan had two hits and two runs scored. Bazzana drove in two runs.

Attendance was 19,030. The game lasted 2 hours, 57 minutes.

Minnesota continues its six-game trip with the second game of this series Saturday. Cleveland will send left-hander Logan Allen to the mound. Minnesota’s scheduled starter is right-hander Bailey Ober.

The Twins return home Tuesday to face the Miami Marlins in a three-game series, then host the Milwaukee Brewers for three games starting Friday. Cleveland hosts the Los Angeles Angels for three games beginning Monday, then welcomes the Cincinnati Reds for a weekend series.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Minnesota 4, Cleveland 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Cleveland a 62.40 percent probability to win. Cleveland was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 10 runs went under the over-under line of 8.