Travis Bazzana hits first home run in Guardians' 6-4 win over Twins

CLEVELAND — Those in attendance at Progressive Field on Friday night witnessed the first "Bazzana Bomb." The first No. 1 overall draft choice in team history, second baseman Travis Bazzana hit his first home run in a decisive opening inning as Cleveland began a three-game series against Minnesota with a 6-4 victory. Bazzana's two-run shot an estimated 424 feet to center capped a four-run first off left-hander Connor Prielipp. Bazzana shouted as he ran to first and pointed toward the Guardians bullpen as he circled the bases. "I don't remember exactly (what I shouted), but I was basically telling the ball to go," he said. "I did that same (thing) that got caught on the track in Game 2 against the Rays (on April 29), so I was just hoping. Today, there was no wind so it carried out, but I got it good. I just hustled and tried to yell it out." Bazzana also stole two bases to get into position to score an insurance run in the eighth. "He's been pushing the pace since he's gotten here," manager Stephen Vogt said. "He looks comfortable, looks like he belongs, and he crushed that ball tonight. It was a really fun night for Travis, getting his first home run." It looked as though it was going to be another fun night for rookie left-hander Parker Messick, who allowed a leadoff double to Byron Buxton but only one more hit through five innings. But after striking out Buxton to start the sixth, Messick gave up a bloop double to Austin Martin followed by four straight singles. Only a run scored after center fielder Petey Halpin cut down Ryan Jeffers at the plate on a Josh Bell base hit and reliever Matt Festa struck out Victor Caratini with the bases loaded. "Play of the game," Vogt said of Halpin's throw and catcher Austin Hedges' tag. "It really stopped all their momentum in that inning." Messick, who pitched in the cold and rain during the early portion of his outing, wound up allowing only a run. He has surrendered more than a run only twice in eight starts. "That's not easy to pitch in that environment, but I thought Parker was really good," Vogt said. "He looked like he couldn't get a feel for his change-up the first couple innings, but he and Hedgie stayed stubborn to getting it and he found it. He battled. He pitched extremely well, gave us a chance to win." "Being from Florida, I've thrown a lot of rain games, so it's just how it goes," Messick said. "It changes a little bit. Mound's wet, but it's going to happen. You got to deal with it, got to be able to have your best stuff even with it. "When you throw the first couple (change-ups) of the game, you're always trying to settle in with all your pitches, especially games where I'm going to throw all six of my pitches. So the odds that you're going to walk out there on the mound every game and have everything right out of the gate are very, very low. It's just one of those things. You know it's going to come. It's the best pitch. I'm going to throw it regardless of whether it's on. Just got to find the right release point, especially with all the exterior factors, and we found it." Jose Ramirez extended his hitting streak against the Twins to 12 games with a two-out base hit in the fifth before shooting a two-out single through the left side of the infield to score Steven Kwan, who doubled for his second hit of the night. Ramirez reached the 1,700 mark in career hits, trailing Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau (1,706) for sixth place in team history. Bazzana's six stolen bases are the most in the majors since May 2 and the most by a Cleveland player over the first nine games of his career since Alex Cole (10) in 1990. He is only the second player in MLB history to record one or more homers, seven or more walks and six or more stolen bases in his first nine games, joining the Marlins' Quilvio Veras in 1995. "I try to be the best I can at every part of the game and when there's good opportunities to run, I'm going to take them," Bazzana said. "Just trying to be athletic and the healthiest out there everyday version of myself, and I can take advantage of good times to run like that." Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.