Joe Ryan didn't even bother to try to scoop up the ball and make the out at first. Nor did he pause in his stomp toward the dugout.
The Twins starting pitcher, who struck out five batters and allowed just one run in five innings Tuesday afternoon against Cleveland, took a line drive by Myles Straw off his right wrist — his pitching hand — in the top of the sixth. The rookie left no question about whether he could continue the game. He beelined straight for the tunnel back to the clubhouse, tossing his glove down in frustration on his way.
The Twins went on to lose the first game of a doubleheader 3-1 in seven innings in front of an announced Target Field crowd of 15,319.
Cleveland broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh off reliever Danny Coulombe. Harold Ramirez reached on a ground ball to center that escaped second baseman Jorge Polanco. Ramirez advanced on Ben Rortvedt's passed ball, and Bradley Zimmer walked ahead of Austin Hedges' RBI double to the left field corner. Third baseman Luis Arraez then bobbled Yu Chang's infield bouncer, allowing another run to score.
The Twins scored in the third inning when Rortvedt singled and Andrelton Simmons smacked a double to left field. Cleveland leveled the score in the fifth, with Zimmer lasering a 113.4 mph homer 451 feet off the right field upper deck back wall.
Charlie Barnes will start the second game today against Cleveland's Logan Allen, with first pitch at 6:40 p.m.
