The Twins also put him ahead when Willi Castro stole a run by running home. As Wallner ran to second base after a 3-2 pitch, Cleveland starter Alex Cobb threw the fourth ball to Royce Lewis. However, catcher Austin Hedges threw the ball to second base and Castro, standing at third base, ran home before the Guardians could get the ball back to Hedges.

Leading 2-0 in the fifth, Varland allowed two more singles and, with two outs and two strikes against Naylor, dropped a curveball over the middle of the plate. It landed in the right-field seats, Naylor’s 26th of the season, and Varland eventually dragged himself to the dugout, trailing 3-2.

However, the Twins immediately responded with a two-out rally. Castro and Trevor Larnach scored singles and Wallner thrilled the 28,605 spectators with a home run just a few rows away from Naylor’s home run.

They scored another run in the seventh inning when Jose Miranda was awarded a home run after umpire Jim Wolf awarded a balk to Cleveland relief pitcher Tim Herrin. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt protested and was rewarded with the first ejection of his career.

In the first game, longtime Cleveland hitter Carlos Santana hit a home run against his former teammates and Ryan Jeffers contributed his team-best 17th at-bat to support Ober, who recorded his ninth consecutive good start with six or more innings and three or fewer runs.

“It’s pretty cool. Every time I step on the field, that’s what I try to do,” Ober said of the longest winning streak by a Twin since Johan Santana won 21 in a row in 2004. “I’m blessed and lucky to have that streak, but right now, it’s not on my mind that much. I just try to pitch as well as I can every day.”