CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Bazzana wasn't concerned when he began his major league career by going hitless in 12 at-bats. The Cleveland Guardians rookie felt that if he maintained his consistent approach, the hits would start coming.
That has certainly been the case over the past week.
Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 amateur draft, hit his first big league home run and stole two bases in Cleveland's 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
“I was just hoping. Today, there was no wind so it carried out. I got it good. I just hustled and tried to yell it out,” Bazzana said.
With José Ramírez on first and two outs in the first inning, Bazzana connected on a 1-1 slider from Minnesota's Connor Prielipp to make it 4-0. The 427-foot drive went into the Guardians’ bullpen in center field. It was the second-longest homer by a Guardians player this season.
Bazzana was the first Australian-born player to be the top overall pick in the draft and became the 10th Aussie to homer in the majors. According to Baseball Reference, Joe Quinn was the first in 1886 for the St. Louis Maroons. Dave Nilsson, who played eight seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers, has the most with 105 from 1992 through '99.
Bazzana is one of two Aussies currently in the big leagues. Curtis Mead is in his fourth major league season and has gone deep four times this year for the Washington Nationals.
Bazzana wasn't satisfied with just the homer. He got aboard in the eighth inning by beating out what would have been an inning-ending double-play ball. He then stole second and third base before scoring on a base hit by Austin Hedges to put the Guardians up 6-3.
“He’s been pushing the pace since he’s gotten here. He looks comfortable. Looks like he belongs and he crushed that ball tonight,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.
Bazzana is 6 for 18 with four RBIs since going hitless in his first 12 big league at-bats. He also leads MLB with six stolen bases since May 2.
The six steals are the most by a Cleveland player in his first nine games since Alex Cole had 10 in 1990.
Guardians' left-hander Parker Messick, who allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings, described Bazzana as an animal because he is not afraid to show his emotion.
“I love that he would describe me that way,” Bazzana said about Messick's comment. “So yeah, when I’m in a controlled aggression, that’s like when I'm at my best and showed a little bit of that tonight.”
Even though Bazzana is showing signs of production the past week, he said he has been comfortable since being called up from Triple-A Columbus on April 28.
“Honestly, it’s kind of felt the same from the get-go. I felt really good. I was squaring the ball up. I was taking my walks. If I’m swinging at good pitches and squaring the ball up, over time, good things are going to happen,” he said. “I felt like I was in control of my at-bats early on, so everything’s kind of felt the same.
“I finally got a ball kind of in the air where I wanted it today, but I’m in a good place offensively and just sometimes balls go at guys and just got to stick with it, stay healthy and keep finding my ball flight and I’ll be good.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana celebrates his first Major League home run, a two-run blast off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Connor Prielipp during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana heads to first base after hitting his first major league home run off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Connor Prielipp during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama plays with an agility and a gracefulness beneath his daunting wingspan that can make his dominance for the San Antonio Spurs on both ends of the floor appear almost effortless.
Fresh cuts and bruises on those long arms after fighting for paint position and jockeying for rebounds all night with the Minnesota Timberwolves made clear Wembanyama had to put in plenty of work to compile 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a 115-108 victory in Game 3 on Friday that gave the Spurs a 2-1 lead in their second-round NBA playoff series.
“It's going to happen," Wembanyama said. “They're Wolves, after all.”
The Spurs stayed unbeaten on the road in this postseason with their first win in a truly close game, after four victories in the first round over the Portland Trail Blazers with margins between 12 and 21 points.
“They just continue showing growth,” coach Mitch Johnson said.
Starting with Wembanyama. The 22-year-old phenom from France in his first NBA postseason has played in only seven playoff games, but he has wasted no time writing quite a legacy.
The only other players in NBA history to hit the 35-point, 15-rebound, five-block thresholds in a playoff game? Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O'Neal. And only Wembanyama has now done it while shooting better than 70% from the floor. The 7-foot-4 star was 13 for 18 — and 10 for 12 from the line.
“It’s good to be along with the big fellas,” said Wembanyama, who credited Olajuwon for teaching him a spin fadeaway he sank over his mentor Rudy Gobert during a 16-point fourth quarter.
He did that despite picking up his fifth foul with 6:18 left, sitting for only about a minute down the stretch while helping the Spurs pull away each time the Wolves were within one possession.
“Just staying calm, getting my senses back,” Wembanyama said. “Our coaches tell us what to do. They give us the recipe, so as long as we stay steady and we trust our process we’re going to be all right.”
Wembanyama set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocked shots in the series opener, but he lamented his lack of impact on offense after the 104-102 loss to the Wolves on Monday. He stormed out of the gate for Game 2 by immediately asserting his dominance on both ends of the floor that sparked the Spurs to a 133-95 victory on Wednesday, and the travel north did nothing to stem that.
With a pair of effortless slams off lobs to start, the first one done in reverse, Wembanyama scored the first seven points for the Spurs as they sailed to an 18-3 lead. But he was even more of a force on defense, lurking in the paint and frequently prompting the Wolves to alter their layups and floaters to avoid being swatted.
“He's a world-class defender. You’re always aware of him,” Wolves guard Ayo Dosunmu said. "Yeah, he’s a gift at that end of the court.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a score against the Minnesota Timberwolves with teammate guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half of Game 3 of a NBA basketball second-round playoff series in Minneapolis, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) waits to reenter the game during the first half of Game 3 of a NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) grabs a rebound during the second half of Game 3 of a NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) waits for play to resume during the first half of Game 3 of a NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
