CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Byron Buxton doubled off the wall in left-center with one out in the 11th inning, scoring automatic runner Matt Wallner, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Saturday night at Progressive Field.

Buxton also drove in Minnesota’s first run and had its only other hit, belting his 22nd career leadoff homer on the third pitch of the game from Tanner Bibee. The Twins and Guardians each finished with two hits.

Cleveland loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and 10th, but Eric Orze worked his way out of both jams in his 1 2/3 innings. Luis García pitched the 11th for his first save.

The game was a pitchers’ duel from the outset, with Joe Ryan matching Bibee through six innings. Ryan allowed two hits and one earned run while striking out five and walking three. Bibee struck out nine and allowed one hit and one earned run over six innings, but took a no-decision.

Buxton’s leadoff homer in the first inning gave the Twins a 1-0 lead. He drove a 1-0 fastball from Bibee over the wall in left field. Minnesota added a second run in the first when Trevor Larnach was hit by a pitch, but a groundout by Josh Bell and a strikeout by Luke Keaschall left him stranded. The Twins would not score again until the 11th.

Cleveland tied the game in the fourth. José Ramírez led off with a single to center, and Kyle Manzardo followed with a single to right that scored Ramírez. Daniel Schneemann walked, and Travis Bazzana was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. But Ryan struck out Angel Martínez and Austin Hedges to escape the jam.

The Guardians threatened again in the fifth, putting runners on base but failing to score. Brayan Rocchio walked with one out, but Steven Kwan flied out and Chase DeLauter struck out on a foul tip. Ryan ended his outing by retiring the side in order in the sixth.

Bibee worked through the Twins’ lineup efficiently after the first. He allowed only a two-out walk to Keaschall in the fourth and a two-base error on his own throwing error in the sixth, but stranded the runner. He struck out the side in the eighth before exiting.

The game entered the ninth inning tied 1-1. Minnesota went quietly in the top of the ninth against Cleveland reliever Erik Sabrowski, who struck out Brooks Lee and Josh Bell around a lineout by Austin Martin.

Cleveland had its best chance to win in regulation. In the bottom of the ninth, Schneemann walked and Bazzana walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Angel Martínez attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the Twins challenged the call at first base and won, ruling Martínez out. Orze then intentionally walked David Fry to load the bases with one out. Rocchio hit a grounder to second baseman Keaschall, who threw home to force out Schneemann at the plate. Kwan grounded out to first, ending the inning.

In the 10th, with the automatic runner at second, Keaschall walked for Minnesota, but Kody Clemens struck out, Victor Caratini lined out and Wallner struck out to leave two aboard.

Cleveland again loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th. Orze intentionally walked Ramírez after DeLauter lined out. Rhys Hoskins walked to load the bases, but Schneemann lined out to shortstop and Bazzana lined out to left field to end the inning.

Minnesota finally broke through in the 11th. Wallner started at second as the automatic runner. Royce Lewis grounded out, moving Wallner to third. Buxton then doubled to center, scoring Wallner and giving the Twins a 2-1 lead. Brooks Lee grounded out to move Buxton to third, but Austin Martin struck out to end the threat.

García took over in the bottom of the 11th. He retired Martínez on a flyout to left, Fry on a flyout to left and Rocchio on a groundout to shortstop to secure the win.

Orze earned the victory, improving to 1-1. He allowed no hits over 1 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out one. García got his first save. Peyton Pallette took the loss for Cleveland, falling to 1-2. He allowed one hit and no earned runs over two innings, striking out three.

The Twins improved to 17-23, while the Guardians fell to 21-20. The victory evened the three-game series at one game apiece, with the rubber match scheduled for Sunday.

Minnesota had lost four of its previous five games entering Saturday, including a 6-4 defeat to Cleveland on Friday. Cleveland had won three of its last four.

Buxton’s two-hit night was his second multi-hit game of the season. He entered the contest hitting .231 with 12 home runs. The 22nd leadoff homer of his career moved him into second place on the Twins’ all-time list behind Jacque Jones.

Ryan’s outing was his longest since April 28, when he allowed two earned runs in six innings against Seattle. He had lasted only one-third of an inning in his previous start on May 3 against Toronto, giving up no hits.

Bibee’s nine strikeouts matched a season high. He had struck out nine in a start against Houston on April 21.

The attendance was 28,230. The time of game was 3 hours, 27 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland 5, Minnesota 3, and its ELO system gave Cleveland a 62.9 percent probability to win. Minnesota was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of three runs went under the over/under line of 7.5.