That the article editor’s thumbnail selector offered two dozen images of a beaming Emmanuel Rodriguez, smiling as he jogged around the basepaths with his fist in the air, should tell you everything you need to know about the top prospect’s first major-league at-bat. A 2-1 fastball was swiftly deposited 420 into left-center field, tying the game as part of a four-run third inning, and accounting for a quarter of Minnesota’s all-important quartet of runs in a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.
Rodriguez, with his family in attendance, kicked off the third-inning rally in just about the most exuberant possible fashion. As if fired up by his sweet, welcome-to-the-show swing, Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee knocked back-to-back singles that made it possible for Kody Clemens and Royce Lewis to each drive in runs on singles of their own, later in the inning.
The karmic downside arrived when Kaelen Culpepper had to come out of the game after a HBP to the shoulder/back region caused a contusion, and presumably, some pain. But Franco Aleman, who started the inning on the mound for Cleveland, recorded only two outs, and allowed all four Twin runs, also hit Victor Caratini one batter later to move the merry-go-round through the bases, and make it a 4-1 Twins lead.
This is still the 2026 Twins, of course, so a three-run margin would not be a cakewalk to hold. Starter Connor Prielipp went 5.1 innings across 77 pitches, giving up an early RBI single to Travis Bazzana (featuring an outfield assist to retire Angel Martinez at third, courtesy E-Rod from center field), then a HBP and double which both scored in a two-run answer-back fifth inning.
From there, though, the bullpen had themselves a nice afternoon. Kody Funderburk struck out three in a shutout seventh, and Jeff Hoffman did the same in his entrusted eighth inning. A.J. Minter was given the ball in the ninth, striking out two more, including a battle-back from a 3-0 count to Bazzana.
The Twins can win the series with a victory tomorrow, and the Chicago White Sox can breathe just a tick more freely, wherever they are. There’s no way to know.
STUDS:
Bullpen (3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K)
3B Brooks Lee (2-for-3, R)
CF Emmanuel Rodriguez (1-for-4, R, RBI, HR, A)
DUDS:
NO DUDS! TWINS WIN! TWINS WIN!
