Tanner Bibee, Guardians relievers strike out 15 in a 4-2 victory over the Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tanner Bibee and the Cleveland bullpen had 15 strikeouts to put the clamps on Minnesota's bats, Steven Kwan had three hits and the Guardians spoiled the Twins' home opener with a 4-2 victory Thursday.

Bibee (1-0) matched his career high with nine strikeouts, allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings. Four relievers followed, with Emmanuel Clase working a perfect ninth for his third save.

Carlos Correa had three hits and Edouard Julien homered for the Twins. Minnesota, which averaged more than 10 strikeouts per game to lead the majors last year, fanned the 15 times and stranded nine runners — eight in scoring position.

The eighth inning was emblematic of the Twins' struggles. With Minnesota down by two runs, Correa led off with a double. But he remained stuck at second as Scott Barlow struck out Carlos Santana, Manuel Margot and Willi Castro in order to end the threat.

“We, obviously, didn’t get the job done when we had the opportunity,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We put ourselves in pretty good spots. Punchouts do hurt you with runners in scoring position. At least giving yourself a shot and putting it in play is probably a better scenario for us.”

Twins starter Pablo López (1-1) gave up four runs — three earned — in 5 2/3 innings.

After retiring the first nine hitters he faced, López ran into trouble in the fourth. Kwan led off with the first of three straight singles to start the inning, and Cleveland ended up scoring three runs.

“They were still staying with their approach, putting the ball in play, trying to make some things happen,” López said. “One hit after the other, they compounded.”

The Twins put runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings but came up empty each time. Julien finally broke through when he led off the fifth with an opposite-field homer, a towering fly that got up in the stiff north wind and carried into the left-field stands.

“Tanner really made a good adjustment there,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Little erratic early but was able to navigate through five-plus innings, which was huge for us today. Kept us in the game the whole time, gave us a chance to win.”

Cleveland tacked on an unearned run in the sixth on Correa's two-out error.

The Twins cut it to 4-2 in the seventh on a wild pitch by Hunter Gaddis, but they left two more runners in scoring position.

UP NEXT

Guardians: On Saturday, RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his second start in his return to Cleveland after three seasons with the Mets. Carrasco gave up three runs in five innings against the Athletics on Sunday.

Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (0-0, 1.69) gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings in his first start of the season on Saturday at Kansas City. Ryan was 0-3 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts against Cleveland last year.

Former Minnesota Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer delivers the ceremonial first pitch before the baseball team's home-opener against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Kody Funderburk reacts after issuing a walk to Cleveland Guardians' David Fry during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Alex Kirilloff hits a triple during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

A moment of silence is held for the Burnsville First Responders killed in the line of duty last month before the Minnesota Twins' home opener baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan (38) hits a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee winds up to deliver during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) and relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase, right, hug after their win over the Minnesota Twins of a baseball game Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

HOUSTON (AP) — Floodwaters closed some Texas schools on Monday after days of heavy rains pummeled the Houston area and led to hundreds of rescues including people who were standed on rooftops.

A 5-year-old boy died after riding in a car that was swept away in fast waters, authorities said.

Although forecasters expected storms to begin tapering off in southeastern Texas, high waters continued to close some roads and left residents facing lengthy cleanups in neighborhoods where rising river levels led to weekend evacuation orders.

Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues.

In one soggy area of Houston, school officials in Channelview canceled classes and said a survey of their employees found many of them had experienced circumstances that would prevent them from coming to work.

“These folks have suffered much, people," Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said Sunday during a Facebook livestream as he rode a boat through a rural flooded neighborhood. Partially submerged cars and street signs peeked above the water around him.

Areas near Lake Livingston, located northeast of Houston, received upwards of 23 inches (58 centimeters) of rain over the past week, National Weather Service meteorologist Jimmy Fowler said.

In Johnson County, south of Fort Worth, a 5-year-old boy died when he was swept away after the vehicle he was riding in became stuck in swift-moving water near the community of Lillian just before 2 a.m. Sunday, an official said.

The child and two adults were trying to reach dry ground when they were swept away. The adults were rescued around 5 a.m. and taken to a hospital, while the child was found dead around 7:20 a.m. in the water, Johnson County Emergency Management Director Jamie Moore wrote in a social media post.

Storms brought 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain in a span of six to eight hours in some areas from central Texas to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Stalley said.

Since last week, storms have forced numerous high-water rescues in the Houston area, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.

Greg Moss, 68, stayed put in his recreational vehicle on Sunday after leaving his home in the community of Channelview in eastern Harris County near the San Jacinto River. A day earlier, he had packed up many of his belongings and left before the road to his home flooded.

“I would be stuck for four days,” Moss said. “So now at least I can go get something to eat.”

Moss moved his belongings and vehicle to a neighbor’s home, where he planned to stay until the waters recede. The floodwaters had already gone down by a couple of feet and he wasn’t worried his home would flood because it’s located on higher ground, Moss said Sunday.

Stengle reported from Dallas and Associated Press reporter Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report.

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A heron stands as water flows over N. Houston Road, making the road impassible on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Humble, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Dorothy and Earl Blevins' temporary home sits off its foundation after it was moved by flooded water and into the new home they are building on property once owned by Dorothy's mother on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Spendora, Texas. "We've never flooded like this," said Dorothy. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Clouds amass over power lines follow days of storms on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Humble, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Dorothy Blevins dries out photos from her home after it was flooded by the East Branch San Jacinto River on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Spendora, Texas. "These mean the most to me, everything else can be replaced," she said. Two weeks ago, her husband, Earl, closed their storage rental and put everything in their new home. "The timing of this is terrible," he said. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A mobile home in an unincorporated area in east Harris County near Houston on Sunday morning, May 5, 2024, is surrounded by flood waters caused by the nearby San Jacinto River, which overflowed due to heavy rainfall earlier this week. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

A mobile home in an unincorporated area in east Harris County near Houston on Sunday morning, May 5, 2024, is surrounded by flood waters caused by the nearby San Jacinto River, which overflowed due to heavy rainfall earlier this week. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

A mailbox is partially submerged on a flooded street in an unincorporated area in east Harris County near Houston on Sunday morning, May 5, 2024. The nearby San Jacinto River, overflowing due to heavy rainfall earlier this week, caused the flood waters. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

Overflow from the swollen Trinity River fills James Smart's backyard as wades the floodwaters to make preparations to his chicken coup to ensure the safety of his livestock, Sunday, May 5, 2024, near Liberty, Texas. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Alvaro Trevino pulls a canoe with Jennifer Tellez and Ailyn, 8, after they checked on their home on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Spendora, Texas. The family has lived on the property in a rental trailer for two years. "It's really bad," said Tellez, who says they stayed dry during the most recent flooding in February. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)