Twins sweep doubleheader to stretch Guardians' skid to 7 straight, close AL Central gap to 1½ games

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Matt Wallner hit the go-ahead three-run homer for the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning of the nightcap to spoil Cleveland starter Alex Cobb's season debut, fueling a 6-3 victory for a doubleheader sweep on Friday that gave the Guardians their seventh straight loss and further tightened the AL Central race.

Bailey Ober pitched six shutout innings and Carlos Santana and Ryan Jeffers hit solo homers to win the opener 4-2 for the surging Twins (65-50), who cut their deficit to 1½ games behind the Guardians (67-49).

That's the closest defending division champion Minnesota has been since May 13 to Cleveland, which has held first place for all but seven days in April.

Cobb (0-1), who was acquired for prospects on July 30 in a trade with San Francisco, surrendered three consecutive two-out hits in the fifth after Josh Naylor's three-run homer gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead in the top of the frame.

Wallner's soaring 106.9 mph drive to right field, his fourth home run in his last 10 games, was the first homer on a 3-0 count for the Twins this season and the last pitch for Cobb. The 36-year-old had offseason hip surgery after making his first All-Star game last year for the Giants.

The Guardians, who hadn't lost more than three games in a row all season until this skid started last weekend, went hitless against relievers Cole Sands (6-1), Caleb Thielbar and Trevor Richards after tagging Twins starter Louie Varland for eight hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Richards recorded his first save, after Jhoan Duran notched his 16th save in the opener by striking out the side in the ninth inning.

The Guardians, swept in their second doubleheader in three days, got a little sloppy in the nightcap. Willi Castro scored on a delayed steal of home in the first inning, after Wallner sprinted to second on a walk by Royce Lewis to draw a throw by catcher Austin Hedges. That's when Castro bolted home, and the throw to the plate was too late.

Twins backup catcher Christian Vázquez hustled home from second base, after a throwing error by shortstop Brayan Rocchio on an infield single skipped past Naylor at first.

Vázquez later scored on a balk by reliever Tim Herrin, after dancing down the third-base line to try to distract him. Herrin didn't think he did it, charging at home plate umpire Jim Wolf to yell his disgust. Rookie manager Stephen Vogt came out to protect his pitcher and shout his piece, drawing his first career ejection.

OBER IS LIGHTS OUT

Ober (12-5) has elevated himself into a legitimate ace at just the right time for the Twins, who shelved starting pitcher Joe Ryan with a shoulder injury before the game that puts his availability in question for the remainder of the regular season.

“It’s tough when guys go down, especially with how they’ve been doing," Ober said. "We’re hurting for them. We’re hoping they can get as healthy as they can. We’re just going to try to go out there and play our baseball.”

The 6-foot-9 right-hander, in his fourth year in the major leagues, dominated with just two hits and two walks allowed and nine strikeouts in a career-high 106 pitches against a lineup loaded with eight left-handed hitters. Ober logged his ninth consecutive quality start with three runs or fewer allowed and six innings or more completed, keeping the Guardians repeatedly guessing — late on his fastball and ahead on his changeup.

“I think we could’ve done a better job today, I really do, but at the same time he had his ‘A’ stuff,” Vogt said. “He kept us off balance.”

Joey Cantillo (0-2), who was recalled from Triple-A as the 27th player for the doubleheader, gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings in his third major league start for the Guardians.

Rocchio's two-run homer in the seventh off Jorge Alcala brought the Guardians within 3-2, but Griffin Jax and Duran finished strong out of the bullpen for the Twins.

UP NEXT

Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (1-4, 4.91 ERA) starts on Saturday night. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-2, 3.87 ERA) pitches for the Twins.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor, left, tags out Minnesota Twins' Jose Miranda at first base during the first inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Joey Cantillo delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins' Manuel Margot runs the bases after hitting a double against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana, center, celebrates his solo home run with teammates Willi Castro, left, and Christian Vázquez, right, in the dugout during the second inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor celebrates after his three-run home run with third base coach Rouglas Odor as he runs the bases during the fifth inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins' Matt Wallner, left, celebrates after his three-run home run with third base coach Tommy Watkins, right, during the fifth inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins' Matt Wallner, left, hits a three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the fifth inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — Apocalyptic-looking plumes of smoke dotted skies over parts of Southern California on Tuesday as firefighters continued to battle at least three major wildfires that erupted amid a blistering heat wave and were threatening tens of thousands of homes and buildings.

In Orange County, firefighters used bulldozers, helicopters and planes to control a rapidly spreading blaze that started Monday and spread to about 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) in only a few hours. The blaze was ignited by a spark from heavy equipment being used by public workers, officials said.

By Tuesday, it had charred more than 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) and was heading over mountainous terrain into neighboring Riverside County with no containment, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi. It burned some communications towers on top of a peak, though so far officials said they did not have reports of the damage disrupting police or fire communication signals in the area.

Two firefighters who suffered heat-related injuries and a resident who suffered from smoke inhalation were treated at a hospital and released.

Sherri Fankhauser, her husband and her daughter set up lawn chairs and were watching helicopters make water drops on a flaming hillside a few hundred yards away from their Trabuco Canyon home on Tuesday.

They didn’t evacuate even though their street had been under a mandatory evacuation order since Monday. A neighbor did help Fankhauser's 89-year-old mother-in-law evacuate, Fankhauser said. The flames died down last night but flared up again in the morning.

“You can see fire coming over the ridge now,” Fankhauser said Tuesday afternoon. “It's getting a little scarier now."

She said she trusted the crews would get things under control and that firefighters were keeping them informed.

Meanwhile, in the San Bernardino National Forest, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, some 65,600 homes and buildings were under threat, including those under mandatory evacuations and those under evacuation warnings, nearly double the number from the previous day.

Three firefighters have been injured since the blaze was reported Thursday, state fire managers said.

The blaze had charred about 41 square miles (96 square kilometers) of grass and brush and blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke Tuesday. The acrid air prompted several districts in the area to close schools through the end of the week because of safety concerns.

The fire was 5% contained and was affecting small mountain towns where Southern California residents ski in the winter and mountain bike in the summer.

Other major fires were burning across the West, including in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada, where about 20,000 people had to flee a blaze outside Reno.

Firefighters hope to gain the upper hand as cooler weather moves into California later in the week.

An excessive heat warning issued for the Los Angeles area will expire Tuesday night.

Another blaze in Southern California’s Angeles National Forest, north of the city of Glendora, in Los Angeles County, grew to more than 4 square miles (12 square kilometers) and wasn't contained at all as of Tuesday.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department ordered visitors at a campground and residents of an adjacent river community to evacuate, the U.S. Forest Service said.

In Northern California, a fire measuring less than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) that started Sunday burned at least 30 homes and commercial buildings and destroyed 40 to 50 vehicles in Clearlake City, 110 miles (117 kilometers) north of San Francisco, officials said. Roughly 4,000 people were forced to evacuate by the so-called Boyles Fire, which was about 40% contained Monday afternoon.

In Nevada, the uncontained Davis Fire burning about 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) outside Reno grew to about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) after igniting Sunday. It originated in the Davis Creek Regional Park in the Washoe Valley and was burning in heavy timber and brush, firefighters said.

An emergency declaration issued for Washoe County by Gov. Joe Lombardo on Sunday noted that about 20,000 people were evacuated from neighborhoods, businesses, parks and campgrounds. Parts of south Reno remained under the evacuation notice on Monday and some homes, businesses and traffic signals in the area were without power.

In Idaho, fire managers were prepared for an active day, with warm, dry and windy conditions and even more challenges on Tuesday. The Boulder and the Lava Fires are burning in western Idaho.

In central Oregon, several blazes prompted evacuation warnings, including one west of Mount Bachelor in the Deschutes National Forest.

Rodríguez reported from San Francisco.

Ken Motonishi walks his dogs as the Airport Fire burns near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke rises from the Airport Fire as Cizar Moon works out at the driving range at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Airport Fire near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire billows over a mountain as the sun sets Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People watch from a hilltop under a layer of smoke from the Airport Fire as the sun sets, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

An Orange County Sheriff's officer escorts a man on a scooter out of a closed area as the Airport Fire burns, behind, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Firefighting hand crews cut lines against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A man watches flames from the Airport Fire as it envelops a hill behind homes Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Smoke from the advancing Line Fire rises above a ridge in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters work against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighter Gus Laws extinguishes flames on a home as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Gaudencio Ortiz douses water on a destroyed structure adjacent to his friend's home during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A Cal Fire Sikorsky S70i Firehawk helicopter performs a water drop on a hot spot during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A contract firefighter from Colorado Springs, Colo., douses water on a damaged structure during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

An airplane drops retardant on the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water on a garage scorched by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter passes a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residents watch as firefighters mop up at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A plume of smoke from the Line Fire is seen Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, outside of Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Members of the Mill Creek Hotshots monitor the Line Fire Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Line Fire burns in the mountains Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters stage under a plume of smoke set by the Line Fire, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters battle the Airport Fire along Trabuco Creek Road in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke from the Airport Fire rises behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Aidan Thomas wears a Smokey Bear t-shirt as he watches smoke from the Airport Fire rise behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)