MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — Tanner Bibee allowed two runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the Cleveland Guardians hit three home runs Sunday afternoon to beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 at Target Field and take the rubber match of a three-game weekend series.

The Guardians improved to 79-75, while the Twins fell to 70-80. Bibee earned the win and moved to 6-15 on the season. Minnesota starter Joe Ryan took the loss and dropped to 6-10. Cleveland entered the day in the middle of a crowded American League playoff chase, and the victory kept the Guardians in position to pressure Chicago in the AL Central and hold off several clubs in the wild-card race. The White Sox lost at St. Louis on Sunday, leaving Cleveland a half-game behind Chicago before the teams begin a crucial three-game series at Progressive Field on Monday. Cleveland will then play its final home series of the regular season against the Athletics.

Cleveland wasted little time giving Bibee support. Steven Kwan led off the game with a home run to right field, his third of the season, to put the Guardians ahead. Joe Ryan retired the next two batters before Jo Adell reached on a fielding error by Minnesota third baseman Brooks Lee. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a single to center that sent Adell to third, but Angel Martínez popped out to shortstop Ryan Kreidler to end the inning. The Twins went quietly in the first against Bibee, managing only a two-out walk by Kody Clemens before Ryan Jeffers flew out to right fielder Chase DeLauter.

Adell added to the lead in the third with a home run to left field, his 21st of the season. Minnesota answered in the bottom of the inning when Kody Clemens doubled to left field and drove in Luke Keaschall. Ryan Jeffers then flew out to left fielder Angel Martínez, ending the Twins’ threat. Bibee had struck out Ryan Kreidler and Brooks Lee in the inning before Clemens delivered, and he kept Minnesota from building a larger rally.

The Guardians rebuilt their cushion in the fourth. Brayan Rocchio was hit by a pitch, and Kwan doubled to right field to score him. Chase DeLauter grounded out to move Kwan to third, and Travis Bazzana lined a single to right field that brought Kwan home. The two-run inning made it 4-1 and forced Minnesota to chase from behind. Patrick Bailey flew out to start the inning, and Jo Adell grounded out softly to first baseman Royce Lewis to end it.

Bibee kept the Twins quiet through the middle innings. He worked around a walk in the second and a single in the third, then retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth. Minnesota’s best chance against him came in the seventh, when Trevor Larnach homered to right field, his 13th of the season, to cut the deficit to 6-2. Bibee finished his outing with seven strikeouts and gave Cleveland’s bullpen a manageable lead. He allowed four hits and did not let the Twins string together consistent pressure.

Cleveland’s offense broke the game open late. Bazzana struck the biggest blow in the sixth, hitting a two-run homer to right-center field after Rocchio singled and Kwan walked. The home run, Bazzana’s 12th, gave the Guardians a five-run advantage and took momentum away from Minnesota. The inning began with Rocchio’s sharp single to right field, and Kwan walked before Chase DeLauter grounded into a double play that moved Rocchio to third. Bazzana then drove a Ryan pitch over the fence to right-center.

Minnesota turned a double play of its own in the fifth to stop a Cleveland threat. Nathaniel Lowe singled and Angel Martínez doubled to put runners on second and third with one out, but Angel Genao popped out and Patrick Bailey lined into an unassisted double play that retired Lowe at third. Bibee also worked a scoreless sixth, striking out Kody Clemens and Jeffers around a Brooks Lee groundout.

The Guardians added insurance in the ninth. DeLauter singled to right field, and Petey Halpin entered as a pinch runner. Bazzana walked, and Adell lined a ground-rule double to right field that scored Halpin and moved Bazzana to third. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Bazzana, and Angel Martínez doubled to center field to drive in Adell. The three-run inning stretched the lead to 9-2. Genao walked later in the inning, but Bailey and Rocchio struck out swinging to end the rally.

Kwan finished 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Bazzana went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Adell was 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Angel Martínez added two hits and one RBI. For Minnesota, Larnach went 2 for 3 with a home run and one RBI. Clemens doubled and drove in the Twins’ other run. Luke Keaschall had two hits, including a bunt single in the eighth, and Ryan Kreidler and Jeffers were held without much production.

Matt Festa pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Cleveland and struck out two. Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis each added scoreless relief work, combining to allow one hit and strike out two. Minnesota reliever Travis Adams worked three innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Joe Ryan was charged with the loss after Cleveland’s early pressure and three home runs. The Twins’ bullpen kept Cleveland off the board in the seventh and eighth, but the ninth-inning runs removed any doubt.

The game took 2 hours, 42 minutes and drew an announced attendance of 17,676 to Target Field. The Guardians finished with 14 hits, while the Twins had six. Cleveland’s pitchers combined to hold Minnesota to two runs, and Bibee’s 6 2/3-inning start proved to be the difference in the rubber match. The Guardians will return home to face the White Sox, while the Twins will open a series against the New York Yankees. Minnesota’s final chance in the ninth ended when Larnach doubled, Victor Caratini grounded out, and Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins struck out.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland Guardians 5, Minnesota Twins 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Cleveland with a 52.7 percent probability to win. Minnesota had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 11 went under the over/under line of 7.5.