2020 virtual ALDS: Twins vs. Indians
By Bill Felber
Game 1: The ERA champion
In the series opener at Target Field, Clevinger showed the stuff that brought him that ERA title. He had to because his mound opponent, Berrios, was virtually as good.
Neither team did anything through the first three innings, Clevinger holding the Twins to one baserunner – a walk – and Domingo Santana’s second inning single being the only hit. Finally in the bottom of the fourth, the Twins broke through. Jake Cave punched a base hit into right field, and RBI champion Josh Donaldson showed off Minnesota’s power, sending a Clevinger fastball into the left field seats.
Berrios was still working on his one-hit shutout into the sixth when the Indians offense awoke. Delino DeShields Jr. singled into center, and one out later Jordan Luplow got him home with a double into the right field gap. The next batter was Francisco Lindor, and he lifted a home run to right that put the Indians in front 3-2.
It was all the Indians would get and all they would need with Clevinger on the mound, A double play ball killed a budding threat in the bottom of the seventh, and Clevinger retired the last seven Twins he faced, four of the final five on strikeouts. That gave him a dozen whiffs for the game against just three Twins hits.
Cleveland 000 003 000 — 3 6 0
Minnesota 000 200 000 — 2 3 0
W: Clevinger. L: Berrios.